No matter what language you speak, everyone enjoys watching movies. The problem is that most movies don't have the budget to translate them into multiple languages, which means you probably won't be able to understand the movie depending on where you are. Whether you want to add subtitles to your favorite movies or need to subtitle the movie on your own, translating a movie is not very difficult, but it does take time and patience.
This article will explain how to add subtitles to a movie that doesn't have them. If you need to learn how to activate them while watching a movie, click here.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Download New Subtitles
Step 1. You should know that you can only add subtitles to a movie through a computer
If your DVD does not have the subtitles you need, either in "Settings" or "Language" in the DVD menu, you will not be able to add them without the proper software and equipment. DVDs are protected and cannot be rewritten, and your DVD player will not be able to add a new language. Your computer, however, is completely different, and it is capable of adding new subtitles to movies.
If you're using a DVD player, try holding down the "titles" or "subtitle" keys on the DVD remote
Step 2. Find the movie you want to subtitle on your computer and save it in a different file
Find the folder or movie file in Finder or Windows Explorer. The file is most likely in one of the following formats.mov,.avi, or.mp4. If you're lucky, you won't have to format the movie, however you will need to link it to the subtitle file. Subtitle files usually end in. SRT, and are simply the words and time each title needs to transmit during the movie.
- You need the movie to be in its own folder, next to the. SRT file, so that it can play the subtitles.
- Some older subtitle files may end in the extension. SUB.
Step 3. Search online for “the name of your movie + the word subtitles + the language” you want to find the correct file
Use your browser of choice and look for the subtitles in your language. If, for example, you want Indonesian subtitles for the movie X-Men: First Class, you can search for "X-Men: First Generation Indonesian subtitles." The first result that appears in your browser may be quite good, since these files are not large, the chances of them containing a virus is very small.
Step 4. Find the subtitles you want and download the “. SRT” file
Download the SRT file. from sites like Subscene, MovieSubtitles, or YiFiSubtitles. Make sure to avoid pop-ups and download only files that end in. SRT or. SUB. If you feel unsafe in one place, go out and find another.
Step 5. Rename the subtitle file to match the movie title
If your movie is BestMovieEver. AVI, you will need to write the subtitle file name as BestMovieEver. SRT. Find the file you downloaded (it could be in the "Downloads" folder) and make sure you rename it appropriately. The. SRT file must have the same name as your movie file.
Step 6. Place the. SRT file in the same folder as the movie
Create a new folder for your movie if you haven't already. Save the. SRT file in the same folder as the movie. This will automatically link the two files on most players.The easiest player to use is VLC, which supports most of the formats
Step 7. Add files
SRT to movies you upload on YouTube by clicking on "Subtitles" while uploading the movie.
After clicking on “Subtitles,” click on “Add Subtitle Track” and browse for your. SRT file. Make sure you have the option “Subtitle Track” enabled and not “Transcript.” Click on the “CC” button when you are watching your video to activate the subtitles.
Method 2 of 2: Create Your Own Captions (Three Options)
Step 1. Understand the purpose of captioning
Captions are translations, and anyone who has used Google Translate can claim that translations are an art just like any other science. If you are subtitling a specific scene, there are certain things to keep in mind for each line of dialogue:
- What is the purpose of the dialogue? Regardless of the words they use, what is the feeling the character is trying to convey? This is the first principle to follow when translating.
- How to make the subtitles match the time the character is speaking? Some writers will show a few lines of dialogue at a time, starting a little before and ending a little after the character has spoken to give viewers a chance to read everything.
- How to handle jargon and figures of speech? These are not usually translated literally, so you should replace them with slang or figures that are used in your native language. However, this requires you to look up the meaning of foreign expressions and slang.
Step 2. Use a website to create subtitles so that you can efficiently add subtitles to any movie
Websites like DotSub, Amara, and Universal Subtitler allow you to watch the movie while writing the subtitles, creating an. SRT file that matches your movie. Even though captioning websites work differently, they all follow a similar format:
- Choose the time in which the subtitle will be shown.
- Write the title.
- Choose how long it will be visible.
- Repeat the same process throughout the movie, marking "complete" when done.
- Download the. SRT file and place it in the same folder as your movie.
Step 3. Create your own subtitles using Notepad
You can write the subtitles manually if you want, but keep in mind that the process is faster if you use a program. To do this, open a Text Editor like Windows Notepad or Apple's TextEdit (both free and pre-installed), and make sure you know the proper format for subtitles. Before starting, click on "Save As", and name it "TuPelicula. SRT". Then set the encoding to "ANSI" for English subtitles and "UTF-8" for non-English subtitles. Then write the subtitles. Each of the parts of the dialog will have its own line, so press "Enter" after each one:
-
The subtitle number.
1 will be the first title, 2 the second, etc.
-
The duration of the subtitle.
This will be written in the format hours: minutes: seconds: milliseconds hours: minutes: seconds: milliseconds
Example: 00: 01: 20: 003 00: 01: 27: 592
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The subtitle text:
This is simply what the title will say.
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A blank line.
Leave a blank line before the number of the next title.
Step 4. Create subtitles in your favorite movie editor to avoid dealing with. SRT files
This method allows you to view the subtitles as you add and adjust their position, color, and font style. Open the file in your favorite movie editor, like Premier, iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker, bring the movie file to your timeline (the editing section). From here, click on the "Titles" option located in the menu and choose the font style that you like the most. Write your own subtitles, place them in the area of the movie of your choice, and repeat the process.- You can right click on the subtitle to copy and paste it in the following scenes and thus keep the same settings in the following subtitles, this will help you save a lot of time.
- The only downside is that doing this will create a new file that will have the subtitles permanently turned on in the movie. You will not be able to deactivate them since they will now be part of the movie.