I prefer accuracy to speed when I watch a drama in an unfamiliar language, but sometimes the waiting is too long and I just abandon hope and move to something/somewhere else.
I think taking weeks to provide at least the first few episodes to hook the audiences can make or break the drama’s statistics. Of course I’m not asking for slaving and low quality subs here, just for some planning ahead.
People who can watch a drama in the original language may profit from fast uploading and dormant fan channels, but are they enough in numbers to sustain its weekly stats, hence its success?
Could you say in fairness that X drama has more hits/fans than Y drama, when the one gets subbed within 6 hours and the other is dying alone in its corner, stuck at 5% per day? Don’t forget it’s the internet era. Buzz and momentum don’t last. Spoilers thrive.
It may seem like (and partially is) a rant about slow subbing of my favorites, but in truth it is a question of whether accessibility can launch or torpedo a drama.
I can’t speak for others, but I’d rather wait months for really good subs, rather than a few hours for bad ones. Bad translation can and has made me stop watching dramas more than slow translation ever did. That is not to say that sometimes you can’t have both, i.e. slow translation that is bad and fast translation that is really good.
From my experience, and it doesn’t neccesarily apply to other languages as well, it takes about an hour to create 100 subs, so if you produce every day 700, you have to sit 7 hours infront of the comp and do only subbing, no editing or watching of the drama in order to sub it included. I think it’s too much of a demand of people here, cuz most have work or school. And I’m talking about subbing from the English subs, I’m sure it takes longer to subbers who sub from the original language. In my opinion 300 or so is a more realistic number, but maybe it takes that long only to languages like mine and other languages are way faster to sub to. This is one of the big reasons that if you can sub in a group, you do.
700 was just a number, I agree peope mostly do around 300 if at all.
Personally, I am waiting for quite a few old dramas to get subbed and I find many of the on air ones are overrated and boring, but I still believe the on air ones should get priority.
Competition to be a translator for on-air dramas is real. I remember when I joined a popular drama series, it’d be subtitled within the hour of release and I’d come home unable to contribute because other translators have already finished it.For the older series or unpopular on-air series, there is plenty of time and no influx of subbers.
(Nudges nutrient towards the unpopular episodes that need a subbing hand)
My point exactly: the ones that are already popular or belong to a popular genre get subbed fast and seem even more popular, while the rest have to wait and probably lose momentum. I’ve seen struggling new dramas, that were considered unpopular, skyrocketing the moment they get subbed. I’m sure this somehow affects licencing .
Hi christina_ !
I have just now started to sub, because some bad subs were annoying me, and I thought, that maybe I could do a little better. But waiting days on end for an “on air” episode to be completed sucks, too. Imho good subs are essential. I am working on a rather “old” TV series from 2010 (Will It Snow For Christmas?) to get some practice. I agree though, that dramas that don’t get a magnificent quick-start (here on viki) thanks to a lot of ambitious subbers, end up putting on mold in the closet.
Actually people have been quite good about coming in.
If you read the names of the project members… many of them repeat. I am being spread thinly across 8 projects. 4 need some kind of work everyday 2 I am the only main subber/editor.
Seeing that people have been good I think it’s finals week more than anything else. I am subbing 4% everyday on CIT
Neglected might be the wrong word :-). I just mean exactly what you said–that it takes a little longer because there’s so much out there. I will still take waiting for Viki subs over other service’s lesser subs any day.
I’m being impatient because my finals are over, and now I’m catching up on shows, but please know I appreciate all you do. Also, if you need an English editor, I’d be happy to volunteer. Lots of luck on the rest of your finals!
I’m out of college but thank you!!! It makes me really happy knowing people notice the difference between viki fan subs and those of others. It makes me even more thrilled knowing you don’t mind waiting so much.
I figured that the CIT regulars were college students because I’ve been subbing the same part 3 days straight! @.@
I often have to wait so long for the eng. subbing that I forget the story. Once they have subbed it can they not just repeat the sub with a click for English or whatever language. They do a great job but I have to wait to long.
