Disclaimer:
This article is purely meant to give you insight on the subtitling process, and we encourage its proper use. We are in no way condoning the subtitling and distribution of any copyrighted material for which you do not possess an appropriate license.If you’re like me, who watched anime before Crunchyroll even existed, you’ll know what fansubs are. You know, fansubs are those downloadable subtitled anime with often silly names attached to them like “ShinobiKitsuneLovers Fansubs” and are distributed free of charge. But have you ever wondered how fansubs or fan-made subtitles were made? If you’re fluent in Japanese and English and want to help the anime community by translating and sharing neglected anime, do you even know what the steps are and the tools needed to fansub? If the title of the article wasn’t obvious enough, I’m going to show you how to fansub anime. I’ll tell you from the get-go that is not easy and while it’s a fun experience, the process is very tedious and you may end up getting overwhelmed. I know because I’ve been fansubbing for 8 years now.
What are Fansubs?
Before we go to the guide, let me explain what fansubs are. Fansubs, or fan-made subtitles are, well, subtitles made by fans for fellow fans. Back in the day, people mostly relied on companies to localize anime, but since these companies were small and barely touched 1% of the anime found in Japan, fans decided to take matters into their own hands to translate and distribute anime. These are fansubs. Now that’s over with, let’s get to the guide!
Guide Introduction
I will list down every step needed to produce a modern fansubbed anime with toggle-able subtitles (subs you can turn on or off), so don’t expect me to take you back to the distant past and fansub using dated software, hardware, VHS, and hundreds of miles worth of cables. This guide will show you the tools required, but I will not teach you how to use them. Manuals exist for each one of them and part of the fun is figuring them out! Seriously, when I started out, I had to learn everything through trial and error. Also please note that the steps in fansubbing are different in every group, but the entire processes are structurally the same.
The Crew
- Translator (TL)
- Translation Checker (TLC)
- Editor
- Encoder
- Timer
- Typesetter
- Quality Control (QC)
- Distro
The Tools
- A computer with muscle
- Good pair of headphones
- Subtitling program
- Video encoder
- Fast internet or a server
Step 1: Group Coordination
The most efficient way of communication is through IRC or Internet Relay Chat. The group leader (usually the translator) carefully assigns everyone their tasks and makes sure work doesn’t pile up and prevents miscommunication.Step 2: Encoding
Encoding the episodes to small sizes in popular “containers” like MKV and MP4 are recommended because these types of containers and the right video codec settings are compatible with any modern device. If you want your fansubs to reach to a bigger audience, make sure your encodes are compatible.
MeGUI
As for the encoding tools, there are many popular tools out there like HandBrake and MeGUI, but if you wanna be hardcore, go manual with using the CMD interface and x264. An experienced encoder might prefer the latter option because you have more freedom and less resources are used when encoding. Ultimately it’s up to personal preference. Encoding a video is very demanding, so you’re going to need a beefy computer to encode an HD video. Depending on what filters or how lengthy the episodes are, it will take you around 1 to 12 hours to encode. Be sure your computer is well-ventilated because the encoder (the tool, not you) will make the computer sweat like an athlete. Through this process, you may end up making two versions of the episode: a “workraw” and the “final” version. A workraw is a version your translator and editor will use. The video quality is low, meaning the file size is small and easy to download. The final version is the version that you’re going to give to your timer, typesetter and eventually the version your group is going to use. After your encodes are done, pass them to the Translator, Timer, and Typesetter. Fansubbing can actually begin.
Step 3: Translation
Fansubbers rarely have access to the official scripts, so the Translator must rely on their ears and knowing the source material of the anime. Checking official websites for character bios, terminologies, and story helps a lot.
A typical pair of monitor headphones.
You’re going to need a pair of good headphones to listen to the dialogue and write them down on a text file, or, in my case, in Google Docs. The Translator may rewatch the episode multiple times just in case they missed something.
A typical translation environment.
Once the initial script is done, the Translator will pass it on the Timer and Typesetter.
Step 4: Script Timing
The process is straightforward and it also is one of the longest to finish. Aside from syncing the translation to the spoken dialogue, the Timer must avoid letting the lines “bleed out” to the next scene and make sure the duration of each line is long enough for the viewers to read.
You rely on your ears and the audio spectrum on the top right.
The most popular subtitling tool and the jack-of-all-trades is the freeware Aegisub. The vast number of options may be overwhelming at first, but you’ll soon realize that only a handful are dedicated to script timing.
Step 5:Typesetting
The Typesetter’s main task is to essentially decorate the subs using the right fonts. They’re also responsible for syncing the sign translations and make them look like they’re part of the original signs. They’re also responsible for making those fancy karaoke in the opening and ending themes.
What the signs look like as a series of code.
Aegisub is the right tool for this, but if you want more complex signs, you need additional support tools like Mocha and Adobe After Effects. Please avoid excessive effects because the resulting fansub may be too CPU intensive for anyone to use. The video will stutter and audio will no longer sync. Oh and don’t ever use Comic Sans or you can kiss your fansubbing career goodbye. Trust me on this.
Step 5: Editing
After the Timer is done, well, timing the script, it will be forwarded to the Editor. They’re in charge of making the script well-worded, grammatically correct, and giving the script additional frill.
Editor checking the script in Aegisub and leaving notes.
The Editor will leave notes in the script pointing out things like missing lines, a potential mistranslation, or clarifications.
Step 6: Translation Check
There is a high possibility the Editor may have gone too far with their editing or the Translator misheard a line, so it’s up the the Translation Checker or TLC’er to double check the translation.
The TLC’er fixing a joke and providing a detailed explanation.
Did the Editor make the mistake of turning a sentence to a brash one instead of a sincere one? Did the Translator misinterpret a joke? Were the potential errors noted by the Editor correct? The TLC’er will address and potentially correct these issues.
Step 7: Assembly
After the script is translated, timed, edited, passed TLC, complete with the necessary typesetting and fonts supplied, it’s time to put them all together into one master script and put them into the final encode. The one in charge of this step is usually the Encoder. The process of putting the script, fonts to a video encode is called “muxing” and one of the most popular tools for this job is MKVMerg.
Tool for putting everything into one usable media file.
Here you put the files into their respective spaces, label the video, audio, script tracks if you will, and load the fonts. Hit “start muxing.” We’re not done yet!
Step 8: Quality Check
Once everything is “muxed” to the encode, the QC’er steps in and makes one final check. The QC’er checks the encode for mistimed lines, spelling errors, typesetting bleeding through to the next scene, checks for spotty English, checks that the fonts were also muxed, sees if the tracks were labled, etc. The QC’er sends a report to everyone involved, fixes any problems, and has the video remuxed. Once the QC’er gives their seal of approval, it will be passed to the Translator for the final go signal.
Step 9: Distribution
Common naming format
Once the fansub is ready, it will be forwarded to the Distro and their main task is to, well, distribute your fansubs to everyone. The Distro is usually the one with the fastest internet and most of the time owns a server. They will register the fansub to popular spots for people to download. DONE!
Conclusion
And there you have it! These are the usual steps needed to fansub any anime and yeah, it’s HARD. Contrary to popular belief, fansubbing is not something anyone can do. It requires the full cooperation of many people from different parts of the world, the process is time-consuming, requires a lot of energy and resources, and is often mentally-draining. If one of the members slacks off, or goes MIA during the process, everything crumbles and it ruins everything. It also lowers group morale. If you plan to fansub an anime in the future, be prepared for one hell of an experience. If you have any questions, leave a comment below!