INDEX

1. Technical Information

2. Line Treatment

3. Positioning

4. Timing

5. Truncation

6. Dual Speakers

7. Names

8. Formality

9. Punctuation

10. Italics

11. Continuity

12. Forced Narratives / Narrative Subtitles

13. Foreign Dialogue

14. Numbers, Time & Currency

15. Quotation Marks

16. Abbreviations

17. Acronyms

18. Repetitions

19. Censored words

20. Songs

21. Titles

22. Translator Credit

23. SDH Instructions - Speaker IDs / Sound Effects

24. Special Instructions

25. Reference

1. Technical Information

1. Font: Arial, White
2. Minimum duration: 1 second
3. Maximum duration: 7 seconds
   • 29.97 frames/second (fps) - 210 frames
   • 23.98 frames/second (fps) - 168 frames
   • 25 frames/second (fps) - 175 frames
4. Reading speed (include spaces and punctuation):
   
   • Subtitles
     • Adult programs - 17 characters per second (cps)
     • Chidren's programs - 13 characters per second (cps)
   • SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
     • Adult programs - 20 characters per second (cps)
     • Chidren's programs - 17 characters per second (cps)
5. Frame gap: 2 frames minimum
        Note: Frame gap should be 2 frames or at least 5 frames
   All frame gaps of 3-4 frames should be reduced to 2 frames
6. Character limit: 42 characters per line
   DVD (all): 32 (if all uppercase) characters per line
   DISNEY (DVD only): 40 characters per line
   HBO: 40 characters per line
7. Max. Number of lines: 2 lines

2. Line Treatment

1. If an event can fit on one line, please keep it to one line. Do not split for grammatical reasons.
2. For two line events, ensure that you maintain a logical and grammatically correct line break (e.g. after punctuation).

3. Positioning

1. Always position either top or bottom center. Never have subtitles in any other position.
2. An event should be moved to the top if there is text in the lower third of the screen (e.g. credits)
3. In cases where the entire screen is covered with text, choose the option that causes the least disruption to the viewer.

4. Timing

1. If there is a supplied English Template, the timing for that should be followed. Events may be merged or split if the in-cues and out-cues are maintained. This rule supersedes all the below rules.
2. Subtitles should be timed to audio (within 3 frames).
   • If extra time is needed for reading speeds, the out-time can be extended by 12 frames past end of audio.
3. If dialogue starts within 3 frames of a shot change, pull the in-time to the shot change.
4. There should always be a minimum of 2 frames between the out-time of an event and the shot change after it.
5. If dialogue ends within 3 frames or less of a shot change, pull the out-time to 2 frames before the shot change.
6. While the reading speed is 17 cps, this is not always possible, the following priority should be followed:
   1. Time to audio and extend by 12 frames past end of audio (if it doesn’t cause the event to cross a shot change and look awkward).
   2. Let the reading speed go up to 21 cps.
   3. Merge or split events to help with reading speeds.
   4. Truncate without losing the meaning of the audio.
   5. If, after you have tried all of the above, the reading speed is still exceeding 21 cps then the file can be submitted as is, but all the above must have been tried.

5. Truncation

1. Subtitles should convey the context of the audio as accurately as possible, but do not need to be a word for word translation. This article shows examples of basic syntactical changes - Fotios Karamitroglou: A Proposed Set of Subtitling Standards in Europe.
2. Filler dialogue should be truncated first (e.g. "You know", "you see" etc).

6. Dual Speakers

Use a hyphen with a space to indicate two speakers in one subtitle, with a maximum of one speaker per line.

- Pabaisos?
- Žinoma.

7. Names

1. Transcribe proper names (e.g. John/"Džonas", Mary/"Merė" or "Marija").
2. Only translate nicknames if they have a specific meaning or are well-known and have official Lithuanian equivalents. (e.g. Stinky Pete/ "Smirdžius Pytas")
3. Use local language translations for historical/mythical characters (e.g. Genghis Khan/"Čingischanas", Santa Claus/"Kalėdų Senelis").
4. Translate brand names to a generic term if the brand is unknown in Lithuanian and is relevant to context. (e.g. Home Depot for "Senukai")

8. Formality

Ensure you are using the correct informal and formal manner between characters. When in doubt, the formal manner of address is more common.

9. Punctuation

1. Use a space between a number and "%", "°" and measurement units.
2. Replace "/" with a comma. (e.g. Director/writer>"Režisierius, scenarijaus autorius")

10. Italics

1. If there is a supplied English Template, the italics usage for that should be followed. This rule supersedes all the below rules. If you spot something you think is incorrect, please follow the template regardless but notify Pixelogic immediately so that we may confirm.
2. Italicize:
   1. Dialogue that is heard through electronic media, such as a phone, television, public announcement system or computer
   2. Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases (not commonly used)
   3. Song lyrics when sung, not quoted (provided rights have been granted)
   4. Voice-overs such as out-of-scene narrators or visible characters expressing unspoken thoughts
   5. Genera and species' names
3. Do not italicize:
   1. Titles of books / periodicals / works of art / albums / movies / tv or radio shows / plays, use quotation marks.
   2. During B-roll footage in a documentary. Avoid going back and forth between italics when the speaker is on and off screen. If the speaker is on-camera for part of the scene do not italicize
   3. If the dialogue starts/ends out-of-scene, but the character is visible during the event (e.g. on a phone call between 2 people)
   4. Do not italicize proper names or company names.
   5. For emphasis

11. Continuity

For ellipses, use the single smart character (U+2026) instead of three dots/periods.

1. Do not use ellipses (3 dots) or dashes when an ongoing sentence is split between subtitle events.

Event 1:
Jis paprašė,

Event 2:
kad ateitume.

2. Use an ellipsis to indicate a significant pause (2 seconds or more) or dialogue trailing off. For a pause (2 seconds or more), there should be a space after the ellipses.

Event 1:
Jau seniai norėjau tau pasakyti, kad...

3. In the case of a pause (2 seconds or more), use an ellipses at the end of the first event.

Event 1:
Staiga pasaulis tapo didelis ir...

Event 2:
stulbinantis savo galybe.

4. Use an ellipsis without a space for an event starting mid-sentence.

…ir nustebęs klausė: „Kokį arbūzą, pone Rendai?“

5. Use an ellipsis for abrupt interruptions.

Event 1:
– Kitą savaitę...
– Mielai paimčiau sumuštinį, Rouze.

12. Titles 

1. Follow instructions from Pixelogic regarding Main Titles. If instructions were not provided, double check.
   NETFLIX Do not include Main Titles. If mentioned in dialogue, check with Pixelogic.
2. Episode Titles: Do not subtitle if they do not appear onscreen, if they do, check with Pixelogic.
   NETFLIX Do not include Episode Titles. If mentioned in dialogue, check with Pixelogic.
3. Use uppercase letters for titles.
   ALULA Full uppercase ALWAYS. Disregard casing in Localization Library.
   DISNEY+ Match the case of the onscreen text.
4. Titles of movies, TV shows or published works: Use official / accepted translations. If none are available, leave in the original language.

13. Forced Narratives / Narrative Subtitles

1. Only include plot-pertinent Forced Narratives.
2. Delete redundant Forced Narratives (e.g. identical to onscreen text/covered in dialogue/appears repeatedly in the video).
3. Forced Narratives should be ALL CAPS.

Exceptions:
Excerpts from books / magazines / newspapers
Handwritten notes
Social Media Messages
Text messages
All the above should match the text as it appears on screen.

Long passages of on screen text (e.g. prologues / epilogues) can use mixed case to improve readability.

PARAMOUNT: Forced Narratives should always match the case of the onscreen text.
DISNEY+ Forced Narratives should always match the case of the onscreen text.

4. Ensure that Forced Narratives do not cover onscreen text. In the event, there is onscreen text at the top and bottom, place the Forced Narrative in the location easiest to read. If both locations are identically difficult, then place the event at the bottom.
5. Never combine a Forced Narrative with dialogue in the same event.
6. If a Forced Narrative interrupts dialogue, use an ellipsis at the end of the preceding event and at the beginning of the following event.

Event 1:
Žiūrovams buvo priimtinas toks veikėjas...

Event 2(FN):
PATRIKAS-AJANAS POLKAS
KŪRĖJAS, "NOJAUS ARKA"

Event 3:
...jei tik nebuvo atvirai pasakoma,
kad jis - gėjus.

7. Speaker’s title for documentaries: Only translate the title. Transcribe the speaker’s name, company name or character name.
8. Only translate a speaker’s title once, the first time the speaker appears in the documentary.

14. Foreign Dialogue 

1. Foreign dialogue should only be subtitled if the viewer was meant to understand it per creative intent in the original version. Please check to see if you are using a Subtitled or Subtitle-less version of the video.
2. Always verify spelling and grammar when using foreign words.
3. Foreign words should be italicized, unless they have become part of normal usage (e.g. In English, the following do not need italicization: bon voyage, bona fide, alfresco, kaput).

15. Numbers, Time & Currency 

1. From 1 to 10, spell the numbers: vienas, du, trys, etc.
2. Above 10, numbers can be written numerically: 11, 12, 13, etc.
3. If a number starts a sentence, it should be spelled out.
4. Exceptions to the above can be made for space limitations or correct usage (e.g. 2 km, phone numbers, She was 10 before she turned 11).
5. Digit grouping: Use a space (e.g. 5 000, 50 000)
6. Ordinals (e.g. 1-as, 2-as, 3-ias, 4-as, 21-as, 23-ias, (1-asis, 1-oji, 2-asis...); 50-metis)
7. Dates (e.g. April 15, 2007 > 2007 m. balandžio 15 d.)
8. Time Periods (e.g. 1980-aisiais, trečiajame dešimtmetyje, 7-ajame dešimtmetyje, nuo 1600-ųjų)
9. Abbreviated years (e.g. 1992-aisiais/ 1992 m.)
10. Use commas for decimals (e.g. 3,5)
11. Time format. (e.g. 8.30 al. ryto arba 20.30 val.) 
12. Unit of currency - If used in audio, it should be spelled out or represented with the appropriate symbol (e.g. "10 dol., 20 svarų, 25 centai, 25 centų moneta")
13. Use a space before measurements (e.g. 10 m, 74 km)
14. Never convert currency.
15. Convert to metric system: kilometers (km), Celsius (°C), Kilograms (kg).

16. Quotation Marks

1. Use double quotation marks („ ”) without spaces for quotations.
2. Use quotation marks for titles of companies / books / periodicals / works of art / albums / movies / tv or radio shows / plays / song titles
3. If the quotation is an independent clause (is part of the quote), the punctuation mark comes before the quotation mark.
   

   Event 1:
   Apie ją žmonės sakydavo: „Kokia graži ir maloni mergaitė.“

4. If the quotation is not independent clause, the punctuation comes after the quotation mark.
   

   Event 1:
   Kalbėdamas su manimi, kreipkis „pone”.

5. Do not use double quotation marks.
   

   Event 1:
   „Fondo likvidavimą administruos „Williamsburg Savings”.

6. Quotes should be used at the start and end of a quote, not at the start of every subtitle.

17. Abbreviations 

1. Daktaras: "dr."
2. Profesorius: "prof."
3. Docentas: "doc."
4. Vyriausiasis, -ioji: "vyr."
5. Vyresnysis, -ioji: "vyresn."
6. Gerbiamasis, -oji: "gerb."
7. Ponas, -ia: "p."
8. Use a period for hours: "val." and years: "m." 

18. Acronyms 

1. Write acronyms without periods between letters: "FTB", "CŽV".

19. Repetitions 

1. Do not translate words or phrases repeated more than once.
2. If the word or phrase is said twice in a row, time to audio but do not repeat the translation.

20. Censored words

1. If a word has been censored in the audio use four asterisks to indicate the censored word.

Event 1:
Eik tu š****!

21. Songs 

1. If the song is original to the show/movie, check with Pixelogic if translation is required. For all other instances do not translate.
   LIONSGATE This rule is for characters singing only. Do not translate background songs.
2. Italicize lyrics.
3. Start each line with an uppercase letter.
4. Use an ellipsis if the song continues in the background but is interrupted by dialogue.
5. Only question marks, exclamation marks and ellipses can be used at the end of a line. Commas can be used within the lyric line, if required.
6. Song titles are in quotes.

22. Translator Credit 

1. Include if present in provided English template, otherwise do NOT include a translator credit.
   Exceptions:
   NETFLIX Include a translator credit - Subtitrus vertė:
   PARAMOUNT (Theatrical) Include a translator credit - Išvertė:
   SONY Include a translator credit - Subtitrus išvertė:
   ALULA Include a translator credit - Išvertė
   NETFLIX & NBCUNIVERSAL Include a translator credit.
2. If a client requests a translator credit and does not specify a format use one of the above prioritizing top to bottom.
3. Company names are not allowed as Translator Credit. Only the individual translator.
4. In the cases where the file is a reformat of an older subtitle file, there may be no translator credit required as it may not be present on the original file.

23. Language Tag

1. Do not translate the [LANGUAGE TAG - Do not Translate] event if present. This is an identifier in English for BD/DVD authors.

24. SDH Instructions

Speaker IDs/Sound Effects

1. Use [ ] brackets for speaker IDs or sound effects.
2. Use lowercase, except for proper nouns.
3. Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified.
4. If a person who is on-screen continues talking off-screen, do not add another identifier for their off-screen dialogue. We assume it's the same person talking until another person is visible or until there is an identifier for a different speaker.
5. Do not identify a speaker until their character name has been introduced. Until they are introduced, use generic IDs (e.g. [man], [man 2], [cop], [doctor])
6. For documentaries, commentaries, bonus material (VAM) etc. do not identify interviewees by their first name. Only use their last name. You can use first names for the characters from the program, assuming they have been identified that way in the full program.
7. Use a generic ID to indicate and describe ambient music (e.g. [rock music playing on radio]).
8. Only include plot-pertinent sound effects.
9. Never italicize speaker IDs or sounds effects, even if the dialogue is italicized.

Exclamations

1. Include single utterances and exclamations (e.g. Oh, Um..., Wow!)

Foreign Dialogue

1. If translated – Use [in language] (e.g. [graikų kalba] )
2. If not meant to be understood – Use [speaking language] (e.g. [kalba rusiškai] )
3. Always research the language. Do not use [speaking foreign language] or [in foreign language].

Songs (additional to Section 20)

1. Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪)
2. Songs heard within the scene should be identified if possible.

   [skamba kalėdinė melodija]

Censored Words

1. If a word has been censored in the audio use four asterisks to indicate the censored word.

Eik tu š****!

25. Special Instructions 

1. Any special instructions? Refer to German for examples

26. Reference

Please reference the following for any language-related issues not covered in this document:

1. http://www.vlkk.lt/konsultacijos
2. http://pasaulio-vardai.vlkk.lt/
3. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/about_the_european_commission/what_the_european_commission_does/documents/interinstitutional_translation_guide_lt.pdf

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Change Log:

2018

Updated Section 10.1 & 10.3.a
10. Italics
1. If there is a supplied English Template, the italics usage for that should be followed. This rule supersedes all the below rules. If you spot something you think is incorrect, please follow the template regardless but notify Pixelogic immediately so that we may confirm.
3. Do not italicize:
a. During B-roll footage in a documentary. Avoid going back and forth between italics when the speaker is on and off screen. If the speaker is on-camera for part of the scene do not italicize.

Updated Section 12.3 - Paramount rule added

2/2019 - Section 1.6 - Updated: DISNEY (DVD only): 40 characters per line (32 for all uppercase)