I have no idea if this is the right place to bring this up. I looked in the DVD and video section, but it seems the strict rule there is for reviews only. So, I thought I'd try this here.

I'm hoping to encourage magicians out there who put magic instructional DVDs out to have them subtitled. Now my desire for this is obviously because I'm deaf, but there are other benefits I'd like to share.

For one thing, there are more deaf and hard of hearing magicians out there then most people realize, and most of them won't pick up a DVD unless everything on them can be learned from visuals or they have an interpreter. They'll miss a lot of the information. Especially, tips and subtleties.

I know that will only matter to a small number of people, but here's another advantage.

Once a DVD is subtitled, it's very easy to add languages to that. In other words, if you speak English and have it English subtitled. It's not much more effort to translate that subtitle to another language. So if someone outside the USA purchased the DVD, they could turn in their language subtitles. So people from other countries could purchase that DVD and learn from it.

I just wanted to point these things out in hopes that someone might see its advantages and subtitle their next DVD project.

I am obviously hoping to find one.

Ron Jaxon

Jaxon,

Coming from a family where disabilities were a part of life, I can't believe I never thought of that!

That's a really great idea, actually!

Now, let me ask you this. Is there an easier way to subtitle a DVD rather than go step by step through the entire thing and type in each word? (I know somehow it has to get typed in, but perhaps with the formatting there's software that can do it easily?)

Great idea, bud. I like that.

Robert

There are some software's you can pick up, such as this one:

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_......agic.cfm
I have no idea how well that one works, but it's just an example.

I'll tell you this, though. I have an idea that would make it very easy to subtitle a DVD if I could find the people who'd know how to create the software. Even I could subtitle a DVD if I could get this made, and that's no easy task for a deaf person.

If anyone knows how to create software or could point someone out to me about possibly getting this idea accomplished, that would be great. I'm sure there would be a demand for it, too.

But getting back to your question, Robert. There are services out there who will subtitle DVDs for you, as well. I've never done it yet, but I will be looking into it to see how much it would cost.

Ron Jaxon

Jaxon,

A great idea...and it would be also a sales point for non-native speakers.

There are several programs out there that will do the job. Try to go into some video/DVD editing sites...
Andy

It certainly broadens the market in more ways than one. How can this be bad? I like the idea, myself.

Jaxon,

I thought of this a couple years ago after reading about The Society of World Deaf Magicians. I emailed several of the major video/DVD producers, twice, and got absolutely no response. I brought it up on Ring2100, and only one or two people replied saying, "Nice idea, but probably too costly." I even emailed the contact for The Society of USA-Canada Deaf Magicians (the only email I could find for an established society), saying that maybe their members could petition the video/DVD producers, as well. He/she responded the same..."Nice idea, but..."

I sure hope you can make this happen. If you create a formal petition, I'll be the first to sign it!

Best

I've always admired Jay Scott Berry's DVDs for just this reason. They teach an effect to music and without speech. Written instructions are included with the effect. This makes his DVDs internationally available. They're very easy DVDs to learn from and rehearse to, without all the mind-numbing prattle. Not ideal for every effect...but a concept many could and should take to heart.

Rather than subtitling DVDs in various languages, it would be easier (and far less expensive) to produce a DVD focused on the physical performance and moves ala Jay Scott Berry and provide written instructions in various languages. Easier still, provide a passworded Internet link to a special page on your site for each effect. The downloadable instructions, with a built-in commercial page translator and print option, would be available to all effect purchasers. This sends clients to your page (promoting potential follow-up sales) and provides an international service.

Excellent idea, Jax!

Skip

I think the best thing would be for a magician to provide the service. I'd do it myself, but it's obviously not a job for a deaf person. I'd be good at kind of testing them out, though, because I experience CC and subtitles every time I turn the TV on. There's more to it than just typing out the words and placing them on the right spot. There's also a matter of where the words should appear on the screen. If that isn't thought about, then the words on the screen could cover something they need to see on the video. So it could be put on the top of bottom of the screen at the appropriate moments.

There are services out there that can subtitle DVDs for you, but I'd feel better knowing a magician is doing it. Not only for the purpose of not sharing the secret with non-magicians, but also because a magician would better understand the magic terms that might be used.

If someone would provide the service, a magician who is putting a DVD out can hire them to subtitle it. They'd only have to do it once, then all copies will have it. Then it can be translated to different languages, too.

Ron Jaxon

Subtitles are not that complicated, if you are working from a printed script. They look something like this:
15
00:03:41,554 --> 00:03:44,045
I'm so confused.

16
00:03:44,791 --> 00:03:50,559
I have a lot of new ideas,
but I can't put them together.

17
00:04:06,012 --> 00:04:09,846
It's been two years since I started
to live with Kuniko.


It is extra production, but not all that tough. You can also show the picture in letterbox and put the subtitles off the picture, as you are probably familiar with. The real problem comes from the session-type productions, like Mike Close for example. He has two other magicians asking questions, some of which might be ad lib. Now you need a transcriber, and that can cost you. You have a lot more proofing and QC/QA troubles.

I would love to see it. I have seen videos where the accent of the performer made it very hard to figure out what was going on. The main problem is money. Magic is a very vertical market, and you will not sell a million of anything. That is one of the reasons magic books cost so much. Anything extra cuts into the profits, so as much as some of us may need it, unless you find some place to subsidize it, it is unlikely to occur.

Are there organizations that do this kind of thing? I see a lot of closed caption stuff that was not made that way. Maybe someone could obtain a grant to do this. I know that anime is often subtitled by fans, often unauthorized. Selling it on the multi-language market issue might help, but again, the market just is not that large.

Old thread but wanted to share- We just finished the mastering on our first DVD release... (A Historic recording of Ron Dayton's Hung Up On Ropes Lecture from the 80s) and because of threads like this and some private discussions with some of our members here, Leaping Lizards Magic decided to make the commitment.

This DVD release and, as long as there is support for the feature, all future ones, will feature English and (If it proves popular via feedback) Spanish subtitles.

We are hoping it starts a trend and becomes the standard among producers of magic DVDs. It added a couple weeks to the production time and cost in the form of some software and translation service, but certainly not in a prohibitive way.

If anyone out there working on DVD products wants to discuss the tech side, and process for their own releases, feel free to PM and we'll share our learning curve!

Dean