This column will focus mainly on bracketing and its application. Whilst I will relate it to our subbing processes you could use it for absolutely anything. It helps in any situation where you will have a number of people working on making edits and doing work to any common document. It is said that this form of noting and editing is used by the UN when working on documents.
It does not require any fancy applications nor does it really matter what you are accessing the document from. I first stumbled upon it whilst reading an article about it on Lifehacker. They linked to an article on Humanized that focused on it and just due to how simple but effective it was, I decided to try and get this used.
Now at first glance it may actually seem more complicated. You see a load of brackets all over the place and things inserted which make no sense. The beauty of it is that whilst it looks so, in reality it takes a few minutes to learn the idea/formula behind it and to start using it (as I found out when I linked Yume to the article). The articles I've linked to already do a really good job of explaining it all but I will run through one quick example from Okusama wa Majo and just talk about the process and how we used it.
So if we look at the whole process with a quick and simple example:
"Is she a rich families daughter?"
I took that line and came up with the following:
Is she a rich famil[ies][y's][] daughter?[][][Is she the daughter of a rich family?]
So our first bracket denotes something for deletion, the second bracket is for additions and the third is for comments.
So I wanted the "ies" part deleted, I wanted "y's" added in its place. There is no comment directly after the change but it is noted at the end (reason for this is below). The comment here is an alternative suggestion but it also serves as a clarification of the line. In some cases, you'll get a detailed explanation of something troubling you about a line and other times it's a quick note to clear things up (just so you know the train of thought at the time of suggestion). It really is as quick and simple as that.
A quick reason why, due to this being a fansub, things are broken line by line, Yume felt it would be easier for him to have comments right at the end of lines than in the middle. Otherwise in a document, that comment would be in that first set of brackets and the second set would not exist. The beauty is we were able to agree on this due to the nature of work and knowing the original rules but you can tailor it quickly and easily to your own needs.
In the past, Yume would have his file all sorted and send me a copy. I would then look at things and note them in a separate file and we would then discuss it later on for him to implement. This was a rather roundabout way of doing things and it was not the best thing to do in reality but it seemed the only way due to the control he likes over the scripts. Just due to how unwieldy it could get I refrained from making marks on his script, we'd just meet and discuss what I had done but things would have changed all over again and some of my notes would be out of date due to him correcting things or changing lines.
It's not a great way of doing things but we didn't know of much better ways. We took the script as being that and changes would be made by him as it was his script, I'd just note things and comment on those over IM.
The errors that we have noted in some of our earlier work has been due in large to this process. We'd work from separate scripts without really knowing easily what had been changed, how it had been changed and sometimes why such a change had been made. This confusion lead to some anger, confusion and disgust at what we were working on.
I think it was the lack of standard ways that caused us to follow such bizarre methods. We needed something that would always be drilled into us as to how to handle. I'm a little surprised at how we stuck with our original plan and would most likely still be working to that had we not stumbled on this. It seems so simple to implement but we were just travelling along blissfully unaware at how inefficient it all was. This may be something others have used for ages but with us starting from the beginning with no real experience on how others do things or see an insight into how they operate, it was quite a discovery and came at exactly the right time.
The joy of using this system was how much or little information we could place in each note but still have it followed easily. The original will still be there, the edits will co-exist in the original sentence and you can add in notes to explain how you feel or think about something. If I then ship this over to anyone else, they can cross-reference if they have worked on their own copy or they can continue to work on in the same file or just merge things to create a consolidated file.
It's a great little system that can be scaled for more people to use all at once or just used solely to track changes in any work you're doing. It lends itself amazingly well to fansubbing, probably more so than regular documents.
A little note, in the article I linked to on Humanize, there are some tools that will automatically purge brackets from your script/document and replace things as suggested i.e. if you have something that should be deleted it will do so and it will place any additions in as well. Can be handy for cleaning things up quickly without having to do each thing by manually.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Niji
This could turn out to be problematic for some people but I'm not going to try to pull any punches. I'm just stating things as I've seen and experienced them. This, more than any other article so far, will jump around and will be a mess so bear with me.
Something that has long troubled me when it comes to fansubbing is the seeming ease at which fights break out and groups lose members. With the way tensions and stress rise when people are subbing, it's granted you will have some trouble but nothing that could not be overcome. It seems there are only a few reasons as to why things come to a head.
With Okusama, we've had our fair share of problems and we've had people who have not quite managed to do their roles, myself included. I'll draw on a few examples here and outline the problems faced. It should sound similar to other situations you may have heard about at other groups. I'll start with something very common and easy to outline.
When we started on the QC process for the first episode of Okusama, it was initially going to be handed out to someone else to do. I was quite busy and I didn't feel as if I could do things as quickly as Yume wanted. It was passed over to someone experienced and who we'd hoped would join our team. Unfortunately, he fell ill and so he could not go ahead as we had all hoped.
Through no real fault of anyone, other commitments or situations arose that forced stalling on the work. It can be very irritating but cannot be helped.
What could have made this worse is if there was no communication between people when you were being relied on. I told him in advance I could not do it so he was able to make other arrangements. He was informed of the other person being ill so again he was able to rationalise it and try alternatives. If there was no word from either of us, it'd have certainly led to something more. Worst thing you can do is leave someone hanging.
Communication needs to be paramount and with the many ways we have to get messages through, it should not be too much of a problem to get on for 5 minutes to do that. It might be something big like passing on incomplete work just so others can get a feel of what is done. It might be something small like just acknowledging you are working on things but you need to let others know of circumstances. This works both ways and understanding plays a big role which I will touch on later in the article.
So let's go and think further and come to what I think I would call a gulf in expectations. I do see this as being a major part of any tensions that arise. Everyone will have different expectations on all aspects of the work.
A typical example: Yume would hand me a script which I would work on. He'd feel I was going to slow and I'd feel that I didn't want to rush and compromise what I was doing.
He wanted something done quick (I'll try and explain his reasoning in a moment) and I wanted something done as best as I could, if it meant taking a little longer then so be it. The gulf here would be the time taken; from his point of view, my taking too long and from my point of view, him rushing me to deliver.
I personally think that Yume does things in far too concentrated periods. He'll have things to do with the subs and he'll cram in as much as possible into every single moment of time he has. It is tough for him to step away from it due to an all or nothing approach. This approach is something he expects of everyone else, he wants people to put in the same amount of time in with the same dedication.
I share some of his ideas. I think we should be dedicated and strive for perfection as best as we can. However that is about as far as it goes. I am easier when it comes to time put in. When I have something to do with the script, I'll give it as much time as I can, this means I'll organise time I've put aside for whatever else I'd like to do in my spare time. Yet I'm not able to break everything and just go solely into fansub mode from after work until I go to bed. I feel as if it would compromise the quality of work and end up with going from a fun hobby to despised work.
I think as usual, a healthy place to be and where we try and meet, is somewhere between both viewpoints. You need to break away and give more time to the whole process and that means stopping other things temporarily to get things out.
I think there needs to be more structure within the way things work. The structure should set out a loose time frame so you don't lose track of the goal but it cannot be strict or precise as that will not be able to factor in loops thrown up by the episode or other extraneous circumstances. I think this follows into what else can cause unnecessary pressure or stress on people. The time groups believe should be the turn around time.
When you have an anime, I don't doubt that times should be shorter. There is less dialogue to contend with and usually it is very straightforward. Still turn around times of a couple days does lead me to question things, more of which I will touch upon in another article. The thing is, if you are working to very tight deadlines, even a minor problem can turn out to be catastropic.
I cannot remember which group it was but they had a process where they would translate and release a show within a day or two of its airing on Japanese TV. Now their translator had some other commitments which meant that they would not be able to keep upto the schedule. This lead to some outburst on their website which read quite badly on all parties involved. Something that probably should have been sorted behind closed doors was made the domain of all. Again, fall was laid squarely at the translators feet and the translator was shunned.
I think the translator was at fault for not communicating things however, the way the group handled it led to what was a ridiculous situation. A simple note saying an episode was delayed for two days due to some vague but understandable reason would have held things over. Yet it seems that just because they felt that the demanding and strict time frame should hold for all situations, they had to go about vilifying someone. It was not nice to read and it does go about lower the regard you hold for that group.
So jumping on now, I'll now say a bit on understanding in groups. Some people are really, really bad when it comes to empathy. Like communicating, it applies to all, from the person who is running and heading up the project to the person requiring understanding on an unexpected situation. Being able to be flexible in your approach and being able to admit faults or mistakes.
Yume and I do this all the time and it helps us take those lessons and move on, hopefully implementing better practices in future. It's the reason why I rant on these entries. Along the way I'll be changing my mind and I'm hoping this charts and traces my progression of thought and gives me a chance to go back again at a later date and know all of what I was thinking at the time. It is messy to read but maybe more useful for it.
With the whole part of being empathetic, you may need to upset people but I'd rather upset a whole load of people if it meant looking after the people who are most important. In this case, I'd rather disappoint people wanting to see the next episode, if it means that the group stays happy and are able to continue working along and producing quality.
I try not to name particular individualsor groups but I have to highlight Nanashi here. They are a group which didn't bow to all the pressure placed on them from various sources. It could have been easy to buckle and play to what people were demanding or place blame somewhere but they stuck fast and did as they saw best. There are quite a few other groups out there that have done similar but with the level of regard I hold for the actual show and the quality that they have shown, I'm mentioning them.
With this first episode of Okusama, Yume and I got angry at each other, very angry at times. However, we still could put things to one side and joke about even if it did take a little while to cool off. Why we even pranked a friend about a proposed falling out due to our website being offline (due to our host having server problems rather than anything else). I think he may still believe we fell out.
Still it just shows you need to remember you are dealing with a person, a friend and as long as you are getting work done (and not excuses time and time and time again with nothing to show) you have to contend with it. I see people lacking this ability to distinguish the work given and problems that come from that and the problems that arise from just a person not doing what they said.
Over the course of working with Yume on the Committee, we've tried and tested out a number of translators. For one reason or another they've not been able to commit as much time as is needed and we understand that, we have trouble ourselves in this regard. Others who've wanted to go ahead and do something with a script, that's where we've seen some problems that cross over.
As I said, we all understand we get unexpected events occur so we can factor that in when communicated. I guess the worst scenario you can have is when someone keeps promising you something but fails to deliver on repeated occasions. This leads to doubts about a person. Things are further compounded when questions about seeing current work-in-progress are also shrugged off. Has the person actually done the work? Is this just a ruse to cover their laziness? In this instance I'll say fair enough, go and have a right old barney with that person (if you can get ahold of them).
Until then, just keep your wits about you and realise that the person on your team is the one who should be defended. If they make a mistake then chastise them but be understanding. In the face of pressure from the outside, show a firm face externally, even if chaos ensues inside.
Something that has long troubled me when it comes to fansubbing is the seeming ease at which fights break out and groups lose members. With the way tensions and stress rise when people are subbing, it's granted you will have some trouble but nothing that could not be overcome. It seems there are only a few reasons as to why things come to a head.
With Okusama, we've had our fair share of problems and we've had people who have not quite managed to do their roles, myself included. I'll draw on a few examples here and outline the problems faced. It should sound similar to other situations you may have heard about at other groups. I'll start with something very common and easy to outline.
When we started on the QC process for the first episode of Okusama, it was initially going to be handed out to someone else to do. I was quite busy and I didn't feel as if I could do things as quickly as Yume wanted. It was passed over to someone experienced and who we'd hoped would join our team. Unfortunately, he fell ill and so he could not go ahead as we had all hoped.
Through no real fault of anyone, other commitments or situations arose that forced stalling on the work. It can be very irritating but cannot be helped.
What could have made this worse is if there was no communication between people when you were being relied on. I told him in advance I could not do it so he was able to make other arrangements. He was informed of the other person being ill so again he was able to rationalise it and try alternatives. If there was no word from either of us, it'd have certainly led to something more. Worst thing you can do is leave someone hanging.
Communication needs to be paramount and with the many ways we have to get messages through, it should not be too much of a problem to get on for 5 minutes to do that. It might be something big like passing on incomplete work just so others can get a feel of what is done. It might be something small like just acknowledging you are working on things but you need to let others know of circumstances. This works both ways and understanding plays a big role which I will touch on later in the article.
So let's go and think further and come to what I think I would call a gulf in expectations. I do see this as being a major part of any tensions that arise. Everyone will have different expectations on all aspects of the work.
A typical example: Yume would hand me a script which I would work on. He'd feel I was going to slow and I'd feel that I didn't want to rush and compromise what I was doing.
He wanted something done quick (I'll try and explain his reasoning in a moment) and I wanted something done as best as I could, if it meant taking a little longer then so be it. The gulf here would be the time taken; from his point of view, my taking too long and from my point of view, him rushing me to deliver.
I personally think that Yume does things in far too concentrated periods. He'll have things to do with the subs and he'll cram in as much as possible into every single moment of time he has. It is tough for him to step away from it due to an all or nothing approach. This approach is something he expects of everyone else, he wants people to put in the same amount of time in with the same dedication.
I share some of his ideas. I think we should be dedicated and strive for perfection as best as we can. However that is about as far as it goes. I am easier when it comes to time put in. When I have something to do with the script, I'll give it as much time as I can, this means I'll organise time I've put aside for whatever else I'd like to do in my spare time. Yet I'm not able to break everything and just go solely into fansub mode from after work until I go to bed. I feel as if it would compromise the quality of work and end up with going from a fun hobby to despised work.
I think as usual, a healthy place to be and where we try and meet, is somewhere between both viewpoints. You need to break away and give more time to the whole process and that means stopping other things temporarily to get things out.
I think there needs to be more structure within the way things work. The structure should set out a loose time frame so you don't lose track of the goal but it cannot be strict or precise as that will not be able to factor in loops thrown up by the episode or other extraneous circumstances. I think this follows into what else can cause unnecessary pressure or stress on people. The time groups believe should be the turn around time.
When you have an anime, I don't doubt that times should be shorter. There is less dialogue to contend with and usually it is very straightforward. Still turn around times of a couple days does lead me to question things, more of which I will touch upon in another article. The thing is, if you are working to very tight deadlines, even a minor problem can turn out to be catastropic.
I cannot remember which group it was but they had a process where they would translate and release a show within a day or two of its airing on Japanese TV. Now their translator had some other commitments which meant that they would not be able to keep upto the schedule. This lead to some outburst on their website which read quite badly on all parties involved. Something that probably should have been sorted behind closed doors was made the domain of all. Again, fall was laid squarely at the translators feet and the translator was shunned.
I think the translator was at fault for not communicating things however, the way the group handled it led to what was a ridiculous situation. A simple note saying an episode was delayed for two days due to some vague but understandable reason would have held things over. Yet it seems that just because they felt that the demanding and strict time frame should hold for all situations, they had to go about vilifying someone. It was not nice to read and it does go about lower the regard you hold for that group.
So jumping on now, I'll now say a bit on understanding in groups. Some people are really, really bad when it comes to empathy. Like communicating, it applies to all, from the person who is running and heading up the project to the person requiring understanding on an unexpected situation. Being able to be flexible in your approach and being able to admit faults or mistakes.
Yume and I do this all the time and it helps us take those lessons and move on, hopefully implementing better practices in future. It's the reason why I rant on these entries. Along the way I'll be changing my mind and I'm hoping this charts and traces my progression of thought and gives me a chance to go back again at a later date and know all of what I was thinking at the time. It is messy to read but maybe more useful for it.
With the whole part of being empathetic, you may need to upset people but I'd rather upset a whole load of people if it meant looking after the people who are most important. In this case, I'd rather disappoint people wanting to see the next episode, if it means that the group stays happy and are able to continue working along and producing quality.
I try not to name particular individualsor groups but I have to highlight Nanashi here. They are a group which didn't bow to all the pressure placed on them from various sources. It could have been easy to buckle and play to what people were demanding or place blame somewhere but they stuck fast and did as they saw best. There are quite a few other groups out there that have done similar but with the level of regard I hold for the actual show and the quality that they have shown, I'm mentioning them.
With this first episode of Okusama, Yume and I got angry at each other, very angry at times. However, we still could put things to one side and joke about even if it did take a little while to cool off. Why we even pranked a friend about a proposed falling out due to our website being offline (due to our host having server problems rather than anything else). I think he may still believe we fell out.
Still it just shows you need to remember you are dealing with a person, a friend and as long as you are getting work done (and not excuses time and time and time again with nothing to show) you have to contend with it. I see people lacking this ability to distinguish the work given and problems that come from that and the problems that arise from just a person not doing what they said.
Over the course of working with Yume on the Committee, we've tried and tested out a number of translators. For one reason or another they've not been able to commit as much time as is needed and we understand that, we have trouble ourselves in this regard. Others who've wanted to go ahead and do something with a script, that's where we've seen some problems that cross over.
As I said, we all understand we get unexpected events occur so we can factor that in when communicated. I guess the worst scenario you can have is when someone keeps promising you something but fails to deliver on repeated occasions. This leads to doubts about a person. Things are further compounded when questions about seeing current work-in-progress are also shrugged off. Has the person actually done the work? Is this just a ruse to cover their laziness? In this instance I'll say fair enough, go and have a right old barney with that person (if you can get ahold of them).
Until then, just keep your wits about you and realise that the person on your team is the one who should be defended. If they make a mistake then chastise them but be understanding. In the face of pressure from the outside, show a firm face externally, even if chaos ensues inside.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Bolero of Fire
Wow. As someone who has never really liked any of the Playstations and as someone tired of the constant marketing smoke and puff propogated by Sony, it's quite odd to see the current outcry against them.
I've accepted that there are many fans of the Playstation out there and I can appreciate that there have been some good games on the two iterations of consoles so far. So when E3 came and went it was like a huge shock to me. It seems to me that whilst I thought people were continually lapping up whatever Sony spouted, it seems there were quite a lot of people who took note of the hyping and failings of Sony.
I'm sure there are quite a lot of Sony fanboys still out there vehemently believing that Sony have done nothing wrong so far and that believe the PS3 is a cheap machine. However, there is a large voice amongst those frequenting various forums and blogs (be they about games or otherwise). It is great to see that people are questioning Sony's decisions right now and aren't just going nuts about the machine.
I still think the PS3 will still sell a lot of consoles (no doubt all of Japan will buy it regardless) but it is nice to see that Sony may not run away with it. Why it is even nice that people are questioning the PSP instead of continually glossing over all the problems with the system just because it looks nice.
Where are we headed with this whole thing? There are some people already sick and tired of the bashing Sony has received. It seems a lot of people have jumped aboard the bandwagon and it makes it odd now that my dissenting voice is now being mixed with people who are here just because bashing Sony seems the current thing to do. It happens a lot when things become popular, there is the inevitable backlash but is this necessarily the thoughts of a lot of the general gamers?
Unfortunately not. As I mentioned before, Japan will buy the thing regardless, whether or not it is the lamest console ever made. The FF fanboys will also buy it, in hopes there is a FF7 remake (and FF13). It is the people who are there keeping FIFA, Madden and GTA at the top of the charts who need to be gauged to get a real idea of the whole picture. It seems to me that they couldn't care less. Whilst there is loads said about the lack of ports as Sony had promised, or the removal of key features from the cheaper model, it won't factor, unfortunately.
So what am I basically saying here? The PS3 is a big mess and it is more Sony hype that won't ever be fulfilled. Despite that, people will go ahead and plough blindly into purchasing one. We can rejoice right now, those who have long had an agenda against Sony but it is a shortlived affair. So make the most of it, go bash as much and as freely as you can now, before all the bandwagon jumpers leave us and run once more back to Sony.
I've accepted that there are many fans of the Playstation out there and I can appreciate that there have been some good games on the two iterations of consoles so far. So when E3 came and went it was like a huge shock to me. It seems to me that whilst I thought people were continually lapping up whatever Sony spouted, it seems there were quite a lot of people who took note of the hyping and failings of Sony.
I'm sure there are quite a lot of Sony fanboys still out there vehemently believing that Sony have done nothing wrong so far and that believe the PS3 is a cheap machine. However, there is a large voice amongst those frequenting various forums and blogs (be they about games or otherwise). It is great to see that people are questioning Sony's decisions right now and aren't just going nuts about the machine.
I still think the PS3 will still sell a lot of consoles (no doubt all of Japan will buy it regardless) but it is nice to see that Sony may not run away with it. Why it is even nice that people are questioning the PSP instead of continually glossing over all the problems with the system just because it looks nice.
Where are we headed with this whole thing? There are some people already sick and tired of the bashing Sony has received. It seems a lot of people have jumped aboard the bandwagon and it makes it odd now that my dissenting voice is now being mixed with people who are here just because bashing Sony seems the current thing to do. It happens a lot when things become popular, there is the inevitable backlash but is this necessarily the thoughts of a lot of the general gamers?
Unfortunately not. As I mentioned before, Japan will buy the thing regardless, whether or not it is the lamest console ever made. The FF fanboys will also buy it, in hopes there is a FF7 remake (and FF13). It is the people who are there keeping FIFA, Madden and GTA at the top of the charts who need to be gauged to get a real idea of the whole picture. It seems to me that they couldn't care less. Whilst there is loads said about the lack of ports as Sony had promised, or the removal of key features from the cheaper model, it won't factor, unfortunately.
So what am I basically saying here? The PS3 is a big mess and it is more Sony hype that won't ever be fulfilled. Despite that, people will go ahead and plough blindly into purchasing one. We can rejoice right now, those who have long had an agenda against Sony but it is a shortlived affair. So make the most of it, go bash as much and as freely as you can now, before all the bandwagon jumpers leave us and run once more back to Sony.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Tei! Tei! Tei!
With my last piece being lost, here is a rewritten article about timing and its relation in fansubbing.
The role of a timer in the grand scheme of things is one I feel is quite overrated. I've gone about doing it and it's a tedious job to do but it is by no means the toughest or most difficult job, which I feel a lot of people out there in fansubbing land portray it to be. I'll say it again, I believe the role of translating is by far the toughest job when it comes to fansubbing and timing doesn't come close. I'm not sure any roles do.
When it comes to timing, I think it is worth noting that there are some distinctions to be made within the role. Broadly speaking you have timing relating to karaoke and then timing relating to the actual show itself. Out of these two, the job of the karaoke timer is far more boring.
The one timing the show has it easy, mark the point at where a sentence begins and then again where it ends. If two people are talking over each other then you'll have to make allowances for that but it's not too tough or difficult to do. When it comes to the person timing the karaoke, it can be a real nightmare. You have to do the above, which is straightforward but then you need to go into timing each and every syllable. So you'll be playing the same bit of sound back and forth ensuring you get it spot on within fractions of a second.
Now this is not really tough but, as I have said, very boring and tedious. I suppose you can say it is tough as you need to keep your discipline throughout. That said on both occasions you are clear when something is right or wrong. There is nothing left to interpretation, it's quite cut and dried. That means you don't need to invest yourself into it a great deal. A translator, on the other hand, will have to deal with possible variations or meanings of words and sentences. It's all a judgement call and requires an understanding of the show and characters to get it just right. I've seen it with Yume translating something, he may come to me and ask for help and we'll throw about suggestions and ideas for an age ensuring we make sense in English but keep as true to the Japanese as possible. Trying to strike the best balance.
Coming back to timing, Yume and I have used Sabbu to get timings and to ensure they are as precise as possible (this is a great deal more important for karaoke as the effects are dependent on you doing a good job here). I have read some timers saying they sit there with the show running on VLC or Winamp and just jot down the times and that's about it. I mean it really is as simple as that, so why do people feel the need to say that timing is so hard or tough? With karaoke timing, I will agree the job is harder and tougher than timing the show but again it's not too much more involving or requiring a great deal of understanding of characters and their intent.
So what am I saying? Basically I just want translators to get a bit more due than they seem to be given in fansubbing circles. I've seen some translators unfairly given very bad treatment and placed under great stress (this is something I will touch on in my next fansub related piece). I've seen timers, encoders and all sorts get so much praise and told how tough their jobs are but in reality it's very simple. It could very well be due to the other jobs being filled out by group owners with translators being hired hands, so they need to feel in control and in charge of things by saying the have a tough role to do.
These types of roles need to be done and it is important, no doubt about it, but come on be realistic about things. What would be nice is if people really didn't need to go on about what job is toughest and feel the need to boost their worth over what it is. It'd sure save me from rambling and ranting.
The role of a timer in the grand scheme of things is one I feel is quite overrated. I've gone about doing it and it's a tedious job to do but it is by no means the toughest or most difficult job, which I feel a lot of people out there in fansubbing land portray it to be. I'll say it again, I believe the role of translating is by far the toughest job when it comes to fansubbing and timing doesn't come close. I'm not sure any roles do.
When it comes to timing, I think it is worth noting that there are some distinctions to be made within the role. Broadly speaking you have timing relating to karaoke and then timing relating to the actual show itself. Out of these two, the job of the karaoke timer is far more boring.
The one timing the show has it easy, mark the point at where a sentence begins and then again where it ends. If two people are talking over each other then you'll have to make allowances for that but it's not too tough or difficult to do. When it comes to the person timing the karaoke, it can be a real nightmare. You have to do the above, which is straightforward but then you need to go into timing each and every syllable. So you'll be playing the same bit of sound back and forth ensuring you get it spot on within fractions of a second.
Now this is not really tough but, as I have said, very boring and tedious. I suppose you can say it is tough as you need to keep your discipline throughout. That said on both occasions you are clear when something is right or wrong. There is nothing left to interpretation, it's quite cut and dried. That means you don't need to invest yourself into it a great deal. A translator, on the other hand, will have to deal with possible variations or meanings of words and sentences. It's all a judgement call and requires an understanding of the show and characters to get it just right. I've seen it with Yume translating something, he may come to me and ask for help and we'll throw about suggestions and ideas for an age ensuring we make sense in English but keep as true to the Japanese as possible. Trying to strike the best balance.
Coming back to timing, Yume and I have used Sabbu to get timings and to ensure they are as precise as possible (this is a great deal more important for karaoke as the effects are dependent on you doing a good job here). I have read some timers saying they sit there with the show running on VLC or Winamp and just jot down the times and that's about it. I mean it really is as simple as that, so why do people feel the need to say that timing is so hard or tough? With karaoke timing, I will agree the job is harder and tougher than timing the show but again it's not too much more involving or requiring a great deal of understanding of characters and their intent.
So what am I saying? Basically I just want translators to get a bit more due than they seem to be given in fansubbing circles. I've seen some translators unfairly given very bad treatment and placed under great stress (this is something I will touch on in my next fansub related piece). I've seen timers, encoders and all sorts get so much praise and told how tough their jobs are but in reality it's very simple. It could very well be due to the other jobs being filled out by group owners with translators being hired hands, so they need to feel in control and in charge of things by saying the have a tough role to do.
These types of roles need to be done and it is important, no doubt about it, but come on be realistic about things. What would be nice is if people really didn't need to go on about what job is toughest and feel the need to boost their worth over what it is. It'd sure save me from rambling and ranting.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Lookin' Lookin' Gaa
Microsoft's press conference was quite a surprise. Having seen Sony make a huge blunder and NCL give a solid show, I was wondering where Microsoft would end up. They seem to have acquitted themselves very well. It was probably the best of the three shows.
Microsoft had the luxury of having released the console and were able to relax. All they had to do was show off what they had coming for us. They showed Gears of War which looks like being quite a spiffy title and we also saw a trailer for "the best kept secret", Halo 3. What we were being shown with Halo 3 was rendered with the in-game engine and with Gears it was good to see it being played in front of us rather than have a movie showing.
Alll well and good but the thing that intrigued me the most is that they clearly know where they are strongest. Just like NCL in that respect, they made sure there was good focus there. The Live Anywhere announcement was slightly dry but it shows a great idea. Take one of the most attractive parts of your strategy and spread it. So we are told to expect cross-platform compatibility between games on the 360 and those on a PC (those that support it) and the ability to check out achievements, gamertags and whatnot from all sorts of devices.
It's a very shrewd tactic, a way of consolidating and strengthening just due to the ubiquity of your wares. It makes it tough for others to follow in any space. I'm still in no way convinced with Vista and I doubt I will be making a switch to the OS when released (if current imformation holds) but this is a nice way of trying to get people to accept things and make the switch over.
All in all, it was a balanced show from Microsoft, showing that they also have clear ideas and directions on where to go. It's gone a long way to get people interested in the long term of the 360, the only real niggle that remains is the seeming lack of announcements for the short term. Again, like NCL, I guess we'll need to hear the noise coming from the show floor to see how it holds.
Microsoft had the luxury of having released the console and were able to relax. All they had to do was show off what they had coming for us. They showed Gears of War which looks like being quite a spiffy title and we also saw a trailer for "the best kept secret", Halo 3. What we were being shown with Halo 3 was rendered with the in-game engine and with Gears it was good to see it being played in front of us rather than have a movie showing.
Alll well and good but the thing that intrigued me the most is that they clearly know where they are strongest. Just like NCL in that respect, they made sure there was good focus there. The Live Anywhere announcement was slightly dry but it shows a great idea. Take one of the most attractive parts of your strategy and spread it. So we are told to expect cross-platform compatibility between games on the 360 and those on a PC (those that support it) and the ability to check out achievements, gamertags and whatnot from all sorts of devices.
It's a very shrewd tactic, a way of consolidating and strengthening just due to the ubiquity of your wares. It makes it tough for others to follow in any space. I'm still in no way convinced with Vista and I doubt I will be making a switch to the OS when released (if current imformation holds) but this is a nice way of trying to get people to accept things and make the switch over.
All in all, it was a balanced show from Microsoft, showing that they also have clear ideas and directions on where to go. It's gone a long way to get people interested in the long term of the 360, the only real niggle that remains is the seeming lack of announcements for the short term. Again, like NCL, I guess we'll need to hear the noise coming from the show floor to see how it holds.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Making Sense
Right having had my say on Sony's press conference, I tuned in for the live stream of the NCL conference.
Nintendo's conference was kinda hit and miss. There were many montages of people playing on the Wii in amongst some footage of games. Some of the footage was brief but generally it looked good.
Nothing majorly new was given, the was the speaker announcement on the Wii-mote itself and the 24Connect which means your Wii will be connected online at all times, which could prove to be very interesting depending on how it is taken forward and how it is made up.
The most frustrating thing about this conference was that there wasn't much said on what was coming. We're told there are still more announcements regarding the Wii-mote and certainly, after Sony's conference I can see why NCL want to hold their cards close, in case we see them trying to rip-off another idea. Still I would have liked to see a release date and price announced.
Generally, it was quite a lot of the same things peddled again with stats and the idea and motives behind the Wii and DS.
When the games were shown, it's kinda odd seeing them. Zelda Twilight Princess as well as Red Steel. Both look promising but there were a few issues regarding the controls which seemed worrying. There seemed to be a lot of flailing and missing with bows, guns and swords without a lot of craft there. I'm hoping it's down to having to demonstrate the games on a stage that caused the problems rather than it being loose controls to blame.
Saying that, the highlight was possibly the final segment and another game demonstration. The WiiSports game of Tennis. We had Miyamoto, Iwata and Reggie playing a game of Tennis with a competition winner. I think this is what we imagined when we first saw the Wii-mote and what it would be like. We had 4 players on stage, moving and flexing to hit a ball back and forth. It looked like great fun and definitely something that anyone could just pick-up and play.
With this in mind, it could be the two games prior to the Tennis weren't as astounding as they required the controls to do various bits maybe not so instantly recognisable or fun looking. We all know how tennis is played and we all know what to expect so we could somehow translate that into something tangible to measure it against.
I guess we'll need to wait until people are able to get their hands on the games on the floor and see what the controls are like. Not a bad conference but it answered no real questions and probably asked more than I thought. Seems they are really going to keep us hanging on.
Nintendo's conference was kinda hit and miss. There were many montages of people playing on the Wii in amongst some footage of games. Some of the footage was brief but generally it looked good.
Nothing majorly new was given, the was the speaker announcement on the Wii-mote itself and the 24Connect which means your Wii will be connected online at all times, which could prove to be very interesting depending on how it is taken forward and how it is made up.
The most frustrating thing about this conference was that there wasn't much said on what was coming. We're told there are still more announcements regarding the Wii-mote and certainly, after Sony's conference I can see why NCL want to hold their cards close, in case we see them trying to rip-off another idea. Still I would have liked to see a release date and price announced.
Generally, it was quite a lot of the same things peddled again with stats and the idea and motives behind the Wii and DS.
When the games were shown, it's kinda odd seeing them. Zelda Twilight Princess as well as Red Steel. Both look promising but there were a few issues regarding the controls which seemed worrying. There seemed to be a lot of flailing and missing with bows, guns and swords without a lot of craft there. I'm hoping it's down to having to demonstrate the games on a stage that caused the problems rather than it being loose controls to blame.
Saying that, the highlight was possibly the final segment and another game demonstration. The WiiSports game of Tennis. We had Miyamoto, Iwata and Reggie playing a game of Tennis with a competition winner. I think this is what we imagined when we first saw the Wii-mote and what it would be like. We had 4 players on stage, moving and flexing to hit a ball back and forth. It looked like great fun and definitely something that anyone could just pick-up and play.
With this in mind, it could be the two games prior to the Tennis weren't as astounding as they required the controls to do various bits maybe not so instantly recognisable or fun looking. We all know how tennis is played and we all know what to expect so we could somehow translate that into something tangible to measure it against.
I guess we'll need to wait until people are able to get their hands on the games on the floor and see what the controls are like. Not a bad conference but it answered no real questions and probably asked more than I thought. Seems they are really going to keep us hanging on.
Disorder
I've slowly been digesting what was Sony's conference and I'm wondering who they've had a bet with and how drunk they were when they made it. It's as if they set out to one-up Nintendo's "Wii" announcement. All the negative press that got was astounding. It was run everywhere and I guess Sony felt they needed to muscle in.
This conference seems to be unlike Sony press conferences of the past. I see a Sony press conference as a load of hyped up nonsense. We've seen it with the Emotion Engine nonsense and last year we had loads said about how the PS3 will do everything you expect and more besides, such as making you breakfast in bed.
This year, well everyone seems to be very disappointed. They have come away feeling that Sony have completely lost the plot with an underwhelming conference. I've not been a Sony fan and I've long looked at them as being able to hype things up to the extent that people report like mad at how great things will be, despite never ever delivering what they state. This year it seems everyone is seeing things properly for the first time. There is no hype there for people to go nuts with speculation at how great things will be as we've just seen what looks like a company clutching at straws.
So I guess the first thing we'll get to is how Sony have created a "brand new joypad" for their new console. What we have actually is the same sub-standard controller they've used for 10 or so years but with a big button in the middle, akin to the 360's dashboard button. So they took a pinch of Microsoft and then added a dash of Nintendo by bundling motion sensing capabilities. So the Sony that said "we don't do gimmicks" has just gone and added a great big gimmick of Wii-mote capabilities. If you see the thing in motion, it looks a million miles away from NCL's offering with the Wii-mote. It looks clunky and very uncomfortable.
On top of this, they announce two SKUs for the console. Not so bad, Microsoft did this with the 360. Sony have again decided to one-up the negative press that Microsoft got with the so-called "Tard pack". Instead of offering a bare-bones system, Sony shall be offering you a cheaper, less feature packed console. You will miss out on the HDMI port, wifi support (goodbye PSP wireless interactions) and then a 20GB HDD (opposed to the 60GB in the full priced model). If Microsoft got lumbered with having one package called the "Tard pack" I'd hate to see what the Sony pack will be called, considering it's far more botched than Microsoft's offering.
Basically, the main points I've taken from this conference is that Sony, for once, have decided to be straight with us. Just given us the news as it is rather than coating them in hype and marketing puff. However, this year they've really run out of ideas. Whereas they may have had a few interesting things to go with the hype, this year they've not got anything to create a buzz and I'm not sure that this will do anything to help them out like it seems to have done to an extent with the Wii.
Sony seem to have stolen ideas left, right and centre and not added anything to them. They've really gone and taken what have been the best bits of NCL's and Microsoft's machines (the Wii-mote and Live respectively) and diluted them to be left with hardly anything substantial to draw people in. I'm not sure how the other companies will fare but they really must be relishing their chances at creating a big buzz around their consoles now.
Saying this, I am now slightly worried. Sony have the top spot right now and it was thought they'd hold it with the PS3. It did seem they were trying to push some things on earlier but it doesn't seem to be the case now.
If you look at NCL, with the Wii they are trying to do what they did with the DS but in the home console market, expand the market by attracting those who wouldn't play video games. Microsoft has gone in the direction of appealing to harcore gamers and pushing Live. With Live they've really created something very special. So two companies, two ideas which seemingly is trying to attract a larger audience.
Sony right now seem to be stuck in limbo, why it seems as though the PS3 is not only designed to be a games machine but to get Blu-Ray accepted as the format of choice for HD DVDs and for them to push their HDTVs. We've got two companies trying to push games, whereas the other seems to be content to push anything else. The reason why I am scared, is that I hope the two companies that are pushing for some innovations don't get lost and swept up by Sony's half-arsed attempts to muscle in on their visions. That Sony don't somehow again manage to be the biggest company this iteration of consoles without earning that by actually pushing and innovating itself. It'd sure be a sad day, if on the basis of this showing, Sony keeps on top by badly copying other good ideas and excuting them badly.
This conference seems to be unlike Sony press conferences of the past. I see a Sony press conference as a load of hyped up nonsense. We've seen it with the Emotion Engine nonsense and last year we had loads said about how the PS3 will do everything you expect and more besides, such as making you breakfast in bed.
This year, well everyone seems to be very disappointed. They have come away feeling that Sony have completely lost the plot with an underwhelming conference. I've not been a Sony fan and I've long looked at them as being able to hype things up to the extent that people report like mad at how great things will be, despite never ever delivering what they state. This year it seems everyone is seeing things properly for the first time. There is no hype there for people to go nuts with speculation at how great things will be as we've just seen what looks like a company clutching at straws.
So I guess the first thing we'll get to is how Sony have created a "brand new joypad" for their new console. What we have actually is the same sub-standard controller they've used for 10 or so years but with a big button in the middle, akin to the 360's dashboard button. So they took a pinch of Microsoft and then added a dash of Nintendo by bundling motion sensing capabilities. So the Sony that said "we don't do gimmicks" has just gone and added a great big gimmick of Wii-mote capabilities. If you see the thing in motion, it looks a million miles away from NCL's offering with the Wii-mote. It looks clunky and very uncomfortable.
On top of this, they announce two SKUs for the console. Not so bad, Microsoft did this with the 360. Sony have again decided to one-up the negative press that Microsoft got with the so-called "Tard pack". Instead of offering a bare-bones system, Sony shall be offering you a cheaper, less feature packed console. You will miss out on the HDMI port, wifi support (goodbye PSP wireless interactions) and then a 20GB HDD (opposed to the 60GB in the full priced model). If Microsoft got lumbered with having one package called the "Tard pack" I'd hate to see what the Sony pack will be called, considering it's far more botched than Microsoft's offering.
Basically, the main points I've taken from this conference is that Sony, for once, have decided to be straight with us. Just given us the news as it is rather than coating them in hype and marketing puff. However, this year they've really run out of ideas. Whereas they may have had a few interesting things to go with the hype, this year they've not got anything to create a buzz and I'm not sure that this will do anything to help them out like it seems to have done to an extent with the Wii.
Sony seem to have stolen ideas left, right and centre and not added anything to them. They've really gone and taken what have been the best bits of NCL's and Microsoft's machines (the Wii-mote and Live respectively) and diluted them to be left with hardly anything substantial to draw people in. I'm not sure how the other companies will fare but they really must be relishing their chances at creating a big buzz around their consoles now.
Saying this, I am now slightly worried. Sony have the top spot right now and it was thought they'd hold it with the PS3. It did seem they were trying to push some things on earlier but it doesn't seem to be the case now.
If you look at NCL, with the Wii they are trying to do what they did with the DS but in the home console market, expand the market by attracting those who wouldn't play video games. Microsoft has gone in the direction of appealing to harcore gamers and pushing Live. With Live they've really created something very special. So two companies, two ideas which seemingly is trying to attract a larger audience.
Sony right now seem to be stuck in limbo, why it seems as though the PS3 is not only designed to be a games machine but to get Blu-Ray accepted as the format of choice for HD DVDs and for them to push their HDTVs. We've got two companies trying to push games, whereas the other seems to be content to push anything else. The reason why I am scared, is that I hope the two companies that are pushing for some innovations don't get lost and swept up by Sony's half-arsed attempts to muscle in on their visions. That Sony don't somehow again manage to be the biggest company this iteration of consoles without earning that by actually pushing and innovating itself. It'd sure be a sad day, if on the basis of this showing, Sony keeps on top by badly copying other good ideas and excuting them badly.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Black Out Fall Out
Right now we are on the verge of high definition. We are promised a lot to come by everyone who seems to have a thumb in the pie, not least Microsoft and Sony. However, is this a little misplaced?
I've no doubt high definition is great and will mark a step forward but I'm not really complaining at the resolution of my current TV. I don't complain and wish things looked better when watching 24 or the football. Sure they look really nice on HDTV but it's not something I really must have right now, especially when these are among the only few things I can currently enjoy on HDTV.
I think the thing most consumers want is choice and options, as well as having something tangible that they can get good use out of (if that fails hype things up and hope general stupidity kicks in).
When DVDs started out, I was impressed but I held out for quite a long while. The initial batch of DVDs were quite light (feature wise) and awkward. There were no extras and were on double sided discs you had to flip midway during a movie. On top of this, the player cost a hefty sum but the quality leap over VHS was clear.
What personally got me hooked was the added value we seemed to get. Trailers, documentaries, commentaries and other gubbins; it all rounded out to a great package which trumped what VHS could offer. This was some time afterwards, once discs became single sided and people were starting to realise the potential by sticking extras on. This was a time when titles were abundant and the quality of each had improved.
So how does this apply to HD? At the moment, buying a HD television won't do much aside from future proofing me. I've only got a handful of things to look forward to if I do take a plunge. There's the prospect of buying a Sky HD reciever and the Xbox 360.
Going ahead with a Sky HD reciever, I'm looking at 5-6 channels for an extra £9.99 a month. Let's consider the channels, we have Sky One HD (only good for 24 which is on once a week), Sky Movies 9 and 10 HD (quite good), Sky Sports HD (we're looking at a few football matches here) and then I believe the only other channel aside from Box Office pay-per-view stuff is Artsworld HD (wtf?). The Xbox 360 is self explanatory, playing games in HD could be quite cool.
Breaking it down, it's quite a poor selection and hardly that enticing, especially at that price a month. 24 would be nice to watch, as would the movies and the occasional football match. Maybe a few games on the Xbox 360 look cool but it has hardly hit its stride. I'm not sure it requires the HDTV just yet to show off the full extent of the graphical goodness (not that this has bearing on the quality of game but heck I'm ranting on how to make use of your HDTV).
Nothing right now seems to scream "you need a HDTV as it's hella tits". What we needed was for Sky to release a full package of channels all broadcasting in HD. Namely, all the movie and sport channels they have (Sky Movies 1-10, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports 1,2, 3 and Extra). Having Sky One and anything else would only help matters. By offering all the key channels right now, you are effectively saying to people, if you go out and spend money, we'll give you the chance to make the best of it. I want a real incentive to go out and buy now.
As it is, it is prudent to hold back on all HD purchases for a year or two before jumping in, with good reason that you might get burnt. Prices will no doubt tumble, technology will have got better and current wrangles like the HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray debacle should have reached a conclusion (ensuring you don't pick the Beta of this generation or are able to pick up a dual format device). It all seems so messy, so very messy. There's nothing better than buying new technology, gadgets and gizmos but it's no point in having something cool when you cannot get proper use out of it.
To put it simply, you don't buy a Ferrari, only to never drive it above 10mph
I've no doubt high definition is great and will mark a step forward but I'm not really complaining at the resolution of my current TV. I don't complain and wish things looked better when watching 24 or the football. Sure they look really nice on HDTV but it's not something I really must have right now, especially when these are among the only few things I can currently enjoy on HDTV.
I think the thing most consumers want is choice and options, as well as having something tangible that they can get good use out of (if that fails hype things up and hope general stupidity kicks in).
When DVDs started out, I was impressed but I held out for quite a long while. The initial batch of DVDs were quite light (feature wise) and awkward. There were no extras and were on double sided discs you had to flip midway during a movie. On top of this, the player cost a hefty sum but the quality leap over VHS was clear.
What personally got me hooked was the added value we seemed to get. Trailers, documentaries, commentaries and other gubbins; it all rounded out to a great package which trumped what VHS could offer. This was some time afterwards, once discs became single sided and people were starting to realise the potential by sticking extras on. This was a time when titles were abundant and the quality of each had improved.
So how does this apply to HD? At the moment, buying a HD television won't do much aside from future proofing me. I've only got a handful of things to look forward to if I do take a plunge. There's the prospect of buying a Sky HD reciever and the Xbox 360.
Going ahead with a Sky HD reciever, I'm looking at 5-6 channels for an extra £9.99 a month. Let's consider the channels, we have Sky One HD (only good for 24 which is on once a week), Sky Movies 9 and 10 HD (quite good), Sky Sports HD (we're looking at a few football matches here) and then I believe the only other channel aside from Box Office pay-per-view stuff is Artsworld HD (wtf?). The Xbox 360 is self explanatory, playing games in HD could be quite cool.
Breaking it down, it's quite a poor selection and hardly that enticing, especially at that price a month. 24 would be nice to watch, as would the movies and the occasional football match. Maybe a few games on the Xbox 360 look cool but it has hardly hit its stride. I'm not sure it requires the HDTV just yet to show off the full extent of the graphical goodness (not that this has bearing on the quality of game but heck I'm ranting on how to make use of your HDTV).
Nothing right now seems to scream "you need a HDTV as it's hella tits". What we needed was for Sky to release a full package of channels all broadcasting in HD. Namely, all the movie and sport channels they have (Sky Movies 1-10, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports 1,2, 3 and Extra). Having Sky One and anything else would only help matters. By offering all the key channels right now, you are effectively saying to people, if you go out and spend money, we'll give you the chance to make the best of it. I want a real incentive to go out and buy now.
As it is, it is prudent to hold back on all HD purchases for a year or two before jumping in, with good reason that you might get burnt. Prices will no doubt tumble, technology will have got better and current wrangles like the HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray debacle should have reached a conclusion (ensuring you don't pick the Beta of this generation or are able to pick up a dual format device). It all seems so messy, so very messy. There's nothing better than buying new technology, gadgets and gizmos but it's no point in having something cool when you cannot get proper use out of it.
To put it simply, you don't buy a Ferrari, only to never drive it above 10mph
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Middle of Nowhere
It seems one of my entries Tei! Tei! Tei! has gone missing. I believe it was due to a rollback by Blogger as I've noticed a few spam messages I deleted as being back.
It was a piece on fansubbing, in relation to the role a timer has and how it fits in the overview of things.
I'll be rewriting the piece in the next few days as I rewrite my other pieces on fansubbing for inclusion on Yume's website, which he is in the process of redesigning. Hopefully, it'll be less ranty and more concise in portraying what I want to. I'll go and post them here as well for comparison and archiving sake (hopefully I won't lose those).
It was a piece on fansubbing, in relation to the role a timer has and how it fits in the overview of things.
I'll be rewriting the piece in the next few days as I rewrite my other pieces on fansubbing for inclusion on Yume's website, which he is in the process of redesigning. Hopefully, it'll be less ranty and more concise in portraying what I want to. I'll go and post them here as well for comparison and archiving sake (hopefully I won't lose those).
Friday, February 10, 2006
A New Journey
I haven't put this thought down at all but it's been something I've contemplating on and off for a few weeks. Having posted a short version on Yume's board, I thought I'd expand on it, possible break it up into a two parter.
With this generation of consoles coming, promising us better visuals than ever and what not, my mind turns back. I've seen the stuff being promised to us and I've seen where people are intending to go. What I'm hoping is that there is someone out there willing to think outside the box. I'll be using Shenmue as my example here to discuss my ideas.
When I saw Shenmue and its sequel, my jaw dropped. Not only at how great it looked, but how we had towns mapped out, with people going about their daily business. The graphics were great, even now they hold up to scrutiny. That alone wasn't the charm though. We had these great graphics fleshing out what was a town full of inhabitants, going about their daily business as you went on your quest. You could spend your time just standing in one spot, watching the passers-by or follow someone as they first spent the morning gossiping with their friends, before going to buy groceries.
When you were inside your own home, you could go about the house, opening drawers and closets and mess with what was stored inside. Phone for local weather updates or call friends. Go outside to the dojo behind the house and spar with Fuku-san. In a shop, there were items you could buy, not always to progress in the storyline but just because you could buy those snacks or so you could feed that stray kitten. Or there was the inevitable wasting of time in the arcade, playing Space Harrier and Out Run, and wasting of money buying the capsule toys.
In all this, there were some regrets. Whilst you were living in a town, sometimes it felt quite empty. I think in Shenmue II this was more of a concern but people would slowly fade into view as you got close and it would always be a limited amount. When you were in your house, it was great opening a drawer which contained items you could explore and take items out. It was a shame when there so many that were just a pre-rendered image of jeans and shirts. In addition to this, there were drawers and closets times you were not able to interact with.
So with these few examples in mind, are we striving for more power and graphical flair only to end at the same place? With limitations enforced on what we can and can't do?
In Shenmue II, when you first head towards the fountain and see so many people there, how much more special would it be if we could see faint figures in the distance as we entered the zone, yet more abundant than ever? Walking down towards the arcade in Shenmue II again, how much more of a spectacle would it have been had we been able to see from the far entrance of the zone all the way to the arcade and see a large number of people mill about? How about being able to go into your house and mess and tinker with every little object, so you can rearrange it to be as you wish?
That would truly be amazing. Being able to see all the detail right to the horizon. I saw images of MotoGP '06 on the 360 and that really made me smile. It's a racing game, maybe not as much detail needed as lots of shops and signs and people, but the guys at Climax Racing might have it. Views right to the horizon, with objects on the road visible in the distance. I'd like to see more of it before I really judge it but it's certaintly a step in the right direction.
You can make characters look more "realistic" but how about going and doing the same for the world? This is what I feel made Shenmue seem more life like than any game I've seen and why I hold great hopes for Ryu Ga Gotoku doing the same. The world has people going about their daily routines, stopping to gossip, buy groceries and so on. Maybe we tend to see ourselves, as part of the larger world and until this is made fuller, more immersive and real then the aims for better physics and more polygons may end up falling short. This doesn't mean animating every blade of grass to bend with the wind, just making the whole thing feel solid and fully realised.
With this generation of consoles coming, promising us better visuals than ever and what not, my mind turns back. I've seen the stuff being promised to us and I've seen where people are intending to go. What I'm hoping is that there is someone out there willing to think outside the box. I'll be using Shenmue as my example here to discuss my ideas.
When I saw Shenmue and its sequel, my jaw dropped. Not only at how great it looked, but how we had towns mapped out, with people going about their daily business. The graphics were great, even now they hold up to scrutiny. That alone wasn't the charm though. We had these great graphics fleshing out what was a town full of inhabitants, going about their daily business as you went on your quest. You could spend your time just standing in one spot, watching the passers-by or follow someone as they first spent the morning gossiping with their friends, before going to buy groceries.
When you were inside your own home, you could go about the house, opening drawers and closets and mess with what was stored inside. Phone for local weather updates or call friends. Go outside to the dojo behind the house and spar with Fuku-san. In a shop, there were items you could buy, not always to progress in the storyline but just because you could buy those snacks or so you could feed that stray kitten. Or there was the inevitable wasting of time in the arcade, playing Space Harrier and Out Run, and wasting of money buying the capsule toys.
In all this, there were some regrets. Whilst you were living in a town, sometimes it felt quite empty. I think in Shenmue II this was more of a concern but people would slowly fade into view as you got close and it would always be a limited amount. When you were in your house, it was great opening a drawer which contained items you could explore and take items out. It was a shame when there so many that were just a pre-rendered image of jeans and shirts. In addition to this, there were drawers and closets times you were not able to interact with.
So with these few examples in mind, are we striving for more power and graphical flair only to end at the same place? With limitations enforced on what we can and can't do?
In Shenmue II, when you first head towards the fountain and see so many people there, how much more special would it be if we could see faint figures in the distance as we entered the zone, yet more abundant than ever? Walking down towards the arcade in Shenmue II again, how much more of a spectacle would it have been had we been able to see from the far entrance of the zone all the way to the arcade and see a large number of people mill about? How about being able to go into your house and mess and tinker with every little object, so you can rearrange it to be as you wish?
That would truly be amazing. Being able to see all the detail right to the horizon. I saw images of MotoGP '06 on the 360 and that really made me smile. It's a racing game, maybe not as much detail needed as lots of shops and signs and people, but the guys at Climax Racing might have it. Views right to the horizon, with objects on the road visible in the distance. I'd like to see more of it before I really judge it but it's certaintly a step in the right direction.
You can make characters look more "realistic" but how about going and doing the same for the world? This is what I feel made Shenmue seem more life like than any game I've seen and why I hold great hopes for Ryu Ga Gotoku doing the same. The world has people going about their daily routines, stopping to gossip, buy groceries and so on. Maybe we tend to see ourselves, as part of the larger world and until this is made fuller, more immersive and real then the aims for better physics and more polygons may end up falling short. This doesn't mean animating every blade of grass to bend with the wind, just making the whole thing feel solid and fully realised.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Don't Bother None
Nintendo have breathed life into an old dog but can it cope with all the gimmicks and new developments in the handheld field? Can our humble GBA compete with the dual screen, touchpad pretender? Can it be sexier than a PSP and do all the tricks it states?
This weekend I went and traded in my old GBA and in its stead I got myself a silver GBA Micro. Probably a crazy thing to do but the Micro for me just seemed perfect and simply irresistible. In looks alone it makes the PSP look like it's been hit with the ugly stick.
I got home and I endured a wait for it to fully charge, pouring over the literature in the box and the various additional things the shop gave me. The wait was well worthwhile, I was in for something sublime.
By the time it was ready it was dark out and I hadn't turned on any lights. I turned the Micro on anyway and I was blown away. The screen was clear and bright, it seemed as though Nintendo had finally produced a portable system. I had been playing Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga on my old GBA and was slightly worried about the text being squashed or small. If anything it's easier to read now without having to catch the light correctly. I went through quite a few games and I noted that all seemed to work perfectly, if anything they were enhanced by the screen, despite it being smaller it was clearer.
The controls are great now too. The d-pad and buttons are slightly soft, but it's not a problem as it's more of a feel issue and personally I've gotten used to it and don't even pay mind to it now. The way the shoulder buttons are set are also a great consideration. The buttons are set to be activated by pushing nearer the middle of the console, as opposed to being easier to push from the outside. This makes it a lot more comfortable when playing as more of your hand is supporting the console and your fingers are not set at odd angles.
The main thing about a handheld should be portability. How easy is it to take around and play on the go. It's all fine a company releasing a handheld but not many have seen me take it out and about. I've not taken my old Gameboys out much in the past just due to the size of them (and issues with lighting). Unless I was carrying a bag it wasn't always so easy to store in a pocket and well I rarely carry a bag. The DS and PSP fall into this category, although I'm not sure I'd really take a PSP with me at all.
With the Micro though, it's a true handheld. I can take it anywhere and not worry about the lighting or if I've got a bag or not. This fits easily into any pocket already reserved for something else. If that wasn't enough the neckstrap works a wonder also, or the keyring pouch. It is amazing, it's the first console that is portable and that you can take with you anywhere, even if it is only for a 5-10 minute blast, you are able. With the UMDs on the PSP I've found by the time you've fired it up and got a game loaded, it's time to shut down as you've reached your stop. The GBA SP was probably the closest thing to a portable console but it didn't find favour with me as it was such an odd shape and didn't give the comfort needed, plus the lack of in-built headphone socket soured me.
Basically what I am trying to say is that the GBA Micro, over any other handheld in the past, is truly a portable device. It'll fit anywhere and play anywhere, with the bonus that you can stick in any headphones you like without needing attachments. It's extraordinary and definitely something that'll win you over in an instant of seeing one. If anything my love has grown for it owning one over just playing with one in a shop or at a friend's place. Not only that, it has gotten me lots of attention whenever I've played on it in public. Seems my statement at the start regarding the PSP being ugly is shared by quite a lot of others.
Now onto step two. Bolster my GBA collection and look into some gimmicks. Namely, I intend to see if the Micro can out PSP a PSP with the Play Yan attachment.
This weekend I went and traded in my old GBA and in its stead I got myself a silver GBA Micro. Probably a crazy thing to do but the Micro for me just seemed perfect and simply irresistible. In looks alone it makes the PSP look like it's been hit with the ugly stick.
I got home and I endured a wait for it to fully charge, pouring over the literature in the box and the various additional things the shop gave me. The wait was well worthwhile, I was in for something sublime.
By the time it was ready it was dark out and I hadn't turned on any lights. I turned the Micro on anyway and I was blown away. The screen was clear and bright, it seemed as though Nintendo had finally produced a portable system. I had been playing Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga on my old GBA and was slightly worried about the text being squashed or small. If anything it's easier to read now without having to catch the light correctly. I went through quite a few games and I noted that all seemed to work perfectly, if anything they were enhanced by the screen, despite it being smaller it was clearer.
The controls are great now too. The d-pad and buttons are slightly soft, but it's not a problem as it's more of a feel issue and personally I've gotten used to it and don't even pay mind to it now. The way the shoulder buttons are set are also a great consideration. The buttons are set to be activated by pushing nearer the middle of the console, as opposed to being easier to push from the outside. This makes it a lot more comfortable when playing as more of your hand is supporting the console and your fingers are not set at odd angles.
The main thing about a handheld should be portability. How easy is it to take around and play on the go. It's all fine a company releasing a handheld but not many have seen me take it out and about. I've not taken my old Gameboys out much in the past just due to the size of them (and issues with lighting). Unless I was carrying a bag it wasn't always so easy to store in a pocket and well I rarely carry a bag. The DS and PSP fall into this category, although I'm not sure I'd really take a PSP with me at all.
With the Micro though, it's a true handheld. I can take it anywhere and not worry about the lighting or if I've got a bag or not. This fits easily into any pocket already reserved for something else. If that wasn't enough the neckstrap works a wonder also, or the keyring pouch. It is amazing, it's the first console that is portable and that you can take with you anywhere, even if it is only for a 5-10 minute blast, you are able. With the UMDs on the PSP I've found by the time you've fired it up and got a game loaded, it's time to shut down as you've reached your stop. The GBA SP was probably the closest thing to a portable console but it didn't find favour with me as it was such an odd shape and didn't give the comfort needed, plus the lack of in-built headphone socket soured me.
Basically what I am trying to say is that the GBA Micro, over any other handheld in the past, is truly a portable device. It'll fit anywhere and play anywhere, with the bonus that you can stick in any headphones you like without needing attachments. It's extraordinary and definitely something that'll win you over in an instant of seeing one. If anything my love has grown for it owning one over just playing with one in a shop or at a friend's place. Not only that, it has gotten me lots of attention whenever I've played on it in public. Seems my statement at the start regarding the PSP being ugly is shared by quite a lot of others.
Now onto step two. Bolster my GBA collection and look into some gimmicks. Namely, I intend to see if the Micro can out PSP a PSP with the Play Yan attachment.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
OP4 Yuugure no Aka
So I had my say on the whole process of our first fansub. It was an interesting process and good fun but it wasn't without mistakes. There were a few things I learnt that I hope we don't repeat again in future.
The thing that I noted when I started on this was how sort of possessive I got. As I said before the translation was done by Yume but in our QC (quality check) process we ended up doing some rewrites. This helped make me feel more instrumental in the project, when I could suggest something and have it acted upon. It was good that I could question any line and Yume would go ahead and check it out without any fuss, even if it was the tenth time I had queried that line in the last five minutes. He probably got sick of my constant questioning. Just a note, the idea of QC used here may differ wildly from your ideas so bear in mind my previous entry.
Anyhow with that said, you feel it becomes part of your work and as such I didn't want to put my name on it unless I was comfortable with the standard. It is probably laughable but I felt as though my name was a stamp of approval and I had to make sure everything was good enough for my perfectionist standard.
In keeping with this my first real annoyance and our first real problem was with the way we handled the iteration of scripts. At first we had scripts flying about all over and just as you make notes on what to discuss and change with Yume, he'd got further on in and also gone back and changed lines. So I was basically making new notes from new scripts each day. I think we finally got an understanding when I became frustrated and commented on how disrupting it was. Still when I was sent the final script, we were still working from slightly different versions, something I didn't find out until later on. There were a few problems that came about to this specifically which I'll raise later.
This is the first lesson then. Don't start work on QC until you have a script locked down in place.
So once you have a script locked down and distributed the exact same copy to both, the next step is to check for errors. We went about it raising questions as we went along. If something didn't fit we made a note. In the process of this we raised questions about spelling, grammar, sentence structures and all sorts. Something may just sound wrong out of context, so it helped me greatly to ask Yume for more explanation to help me. This leads to him to evaluate how close he is and whether or not he fully understood it. It also lead to me thinking about it in a different way and opening up other meanings he may not have got off the bat.
No matter what it was or how small, you have to raise a flag and go about working out why something is what it is. On the basis of not understanding why a sentence was structured like it was, trying to understand what was being said or just wanting to know other possible translations for a word, we came across errors in translation or alternative translations which may fit better. If not it helped to rework the current line to be clearer or more apt.
The second lesson then is never be afraid to question anything, no matter how silly, small or insignificant it may seem.
When I was watching through the release we made, there was still quite a few errors that I saw. Not a great many but enough to irritate me as I wanted to be perfect. I think that's due to one main factor. We were striving for a release before Christmas Day so we didn't really watch the final encode to allow us that final pass. It shows as some of the things we would have picked up on are missed. You have a structure set in place and having deviated it highlights problems that arise. It's a one-off and I doubt we'll see something similar happening again but it's probably best we went through such a thing now rather than on a later release when we should have learnt.
I guess it's an obvious thing but that is the third lesson. Don't go skipping steps to rush a release out.
The way we worked our way through, it was very collaborative. We both made notes and consulted each other where we thought changes should be made. Where we had errors creep in, was when we made changes away from this collaborative process. This meant when we went back later there were things we made changes to but didn't note to the other. It is a lot faster to work solo when doing this and make changes as you go, without the need to justify things to the other. Some things can be cut and dried but even the most simplest things can turn out to be a problem.
I'm not so sure where I stand on this. As I say it's quite a bit faster solo but easier for errors to creep in. However, should everything be undertaken together and slow the process right down? Drawing things out can be just as bad as rushing things. Not sure what lesson to take from this but I'm sure this is something to work on as you go through more subbing.
So only a few things and it's probably common sense, but without a guideline in place it can all become muddled. I'm pretty sure for whatever we tackle next we'll be much more in tune with what is needed. Not only that, we'll probably be doing something which is shorter in length even if it is episodal. There is less stagnation and it's easier to manage and feel like progress is being made when you are getting continual releases. We'll see how it goes when Yume does decide on a new project and whether or not we get more people on board to help out.
The thing that I noted when I started on this was how sort of possessive I got. As I said before the translation was done by Yume but in our QC (quality check) process we ended up doing some rewrites. This helped make me feel more instrumental in the project, when I could suggest something and have it acted upon. It was good that I could question any line and Yume would go ahead and check it out without any fuss, even if it was the tenth time I had queried that line in the last five minutes. He probably got sick of my constant questioning. Just a note, the idea of QC used here may differ wildly from your ideas so bear in mind my previous entry.
Anyhow with that said, you feel it becomes part of your work and as such I didn't want to put my name on it unless I was comfortable with the standard. It is probably laughable but I felt as though my name was a stamp of approval and I had to make sure everything was good enough for my perfectionist standard.
In keeping with this my first real annoyance and our first real problem was with the way we handled the iteration of scripts. At first we had scripts flying about all over and just as you make notes on what to discuss and change with Yume, he'd got further on in and also gone back and changed lines. So I was basically making new notes from new scripts each day. I think we finally got an understanding when I became frustrated and commented on how disrupting it was. Still when I was sent the final script, we were still working from slightly different versions, something I didn't find out until later on. There were a few problems that came about to this specifically which I'll raise later.
This is the first lesson then. Don't start work on QC until you have a script locked down in place.
So once you have a script locked down and distributed the exact same copy to both, the next step is to check for errors. We went about it raising questions as we went along. If something didn't fit we made a note. In the process of this we raised questions about spelling, grammar, sentence structures and all sorts. Something may just sound wrong out of context, so it helped me greatly to ask Yume for more explanation to help me. This leads to him to evaluate how close he is and whether or not he fully understood it. It also lead to me thinking about it in a different way and opening up other meanings he may not have got off the bat.
No matter what it was or how small, you have to raise a flag and go about working out why something is what it is. On the basis of not understanding why a sentence was structured like it was, trying to understand what was being said or just wanting to know other possible translations for a word, we came across errors in translation or alternative translations which may fit better. If not it helped to rework the current line to be clearer or more apt.
The second lesson then is never be afraid to question anything, no matter how silly, small or insignificant it may seem.
When I was watching through the release we made, there was still quite a few errors that I saw. Not a great many but enough to irritate me as I wanted to be perfect. I think that's due to one main factor. We were striving for a release before Christmas Day so we didn't really watch the final encode to allow us that final pass. It shows as some of the things we would have picked up on are missed. You have a structure set in place and having deviated it highlights problems that arise. It's a one-off and I doubt we'll see something similar happening again but it's probably best we went through such a thing now rather than on a later release when we should have learnt.
I guess it's an obvious thing but that is the third lesson. Don't go skipping steps to rush a release out.
The way we worked our way through, it was very collaborative. We both made notes and consulted each other where we thought changes should be made. Where we had errors creep in, was when we made changes away from this collaborative process. This meant when we went back later there were things we made changes to but didn't note to the other. It is a lot faster to work solo when doing this and make changes as you go, without the need to justify things to the other. Some things can be cut and dried but even the most simplest things can turn out to be a problem.
I'm not so sure where I stand on this. As I say it's quite a bit faster solo but easier for errors to creep in. However, should everything be undertaken together and slow the process right down? Drawing things out can be just as bad as rushing things. Not sure what lesson to take from this but I'm sure this is something to work on as you go through more subbing.
So only a few things and it's probably common sense, but without a guideline in place it can all become muddled. I'm pretty sure for whatever we tackle next we'll be much more in tune with what is needed. Not only that, we'll probably be doing something which is shorter in length even if it is episodal. There is less stagnation and it's easier to manage and feel like progress is being made when you are getting continual releases. We'll see how it goes when Yume does decide on a new project and whether or not we get more people on board to help out.
Friday, December 30, 2005
OP4 Rewrite
I may end up eating some of my words by the end of this possibly long entry but so be it. I've had a very interesting time working as part of the Saigoyume Committee.
Yume has gone down the road of fansubbing and after having released a translation of a PV last month, he's released his first dorama. The script has been handled by him and I was drafted in to help with the quality check (QC).
Now in the past I have been critical of some subbers (fan and professional), possibly without fully understanding why I was reaching this conclusion and of the work involved. It's only the first I've been involved in so I expect my thoughts will change again. I'm still in the dark as to some of the processes going on but I at least now have a foundation on which to build on. It is probably best to explain some of this, so as to better inform everyone else.
To me it seemed to be quite guarded and closed up as to how the whole process works, so what I describe may be entirely different to how others operate. I'm willing to bet that what I've been through with Yume on this release is quite removed from a lot of others.
Let me outline a little more on this. I can only really see two phases to this. The first phase of this was for Yume to work on the translation and timing. We looked about for various methods to do this but in the end Yume found a program called Sabbu and used that to time and create the script.
The second phase was the QC which encompassed everything else. I suppose others would break it down further but that's how I've seen our work. I'll be more specific in this part.
The first concern was to ensure what we had was a good translation that would feel natural to an English speaker. Yume did a good job in most cases but there were some lines which were still arranged in a manner more befitting Japanese and others were tougher to translate. For some of these, we just rejigged the sentence around so words appeared at the end and others moved to the start. This meant the sentence was by and large the same but changed to flow. There were times that we were forced to make changes. Some of these were due to timing issues, others were due to words not translating into English easily. What sometimes takes a word in Japanese takes a whole sentence to portray in English. We had to construct sentences that captured the sentiment, that remained true even if it wasn't correct word for word.
I know for sure I've moaned, usually at companies that release anime, that changes have been made that didn't need to. I don't think my mind has changed any on this. Some things should be done for flow and general understanding but there doesn't need to be wholesale changes made to scripts. What would probably help if they released translation notes so we get a better understanding of the decisions they've made and why it was done. I believe this only goes to reflect better on the group translating. You get to see why they made such calls and the fury of not knowing why a change was made can be averted. Rationalising everything and showing the logic behind decisions, it still leaves you open for criticism but it allows for it to be constructive so you know where you made errors or where you could improve to those you are catering for. A lot more on this in another topic.
The second concern we had was checking for spelling and grammar. This is something that is usually rare on tracks by companies but is more common when it comes to fansubbers. It's not something I really concerned myself with too much unless it was really bad and noticeable. When it came to this, we had to become really picky. I ended up going back and looking up as many rules as I could to ensure it was a standard to which I would be happy to release. It may not be perfect down to the smallest rules, but good enough for people to read it and not notice anything unless they sat down with a fine comb.
It's a really gruelling process, especially as we had a 2 hour fansub as our first project (about 5-6 episodes of an anime). There's a lot more text to search and a lot more that can slip unnoticed. Still that was probably due to the way we initially started off with trying to QC. We hadn't a script locked down as a final translation, there were still lines being written and others being retranslated. The other problem may be the familiarity that happens, you sort of learn what is coming so rather than reading properly, you're skimming it. It would probably be best to sort out as much as you can and then give it whole to someone else who has not read it before to go through it in as much detail as possible.
So that's an overview of it all with some discussion mixed in. Quite an untidy piece so far but there are some key points there to take away. Possibly the most important thing to note from all the above is that the two of us had an entirely different focus on what we wanted from the script when we were at the QC process.
Yume can understand Japanese and his aim is to keep everything as close as possible to the original.
I don't understand Japanese and all I want is a script that reads well in English.
He understands my concerns and I understand his intent. Between the two of us during the QC, we tried to obtain a balance between both extremes. No matter how much we nitpick, we'll continuously bring up lines to "debate" and get clarified again and again, it wasn't uncommon for us to go over the same sentence for hours on end. We worked out lines many times over, picking the best bits each time to form new alternatives, before settling on one we both liked.
I'd be willing to say that other fansubbers out there don't really work in this manner. Once they have a translation done, it's pretty much locked down with checks for spelling and grammar rather than how sentences are constructed and fit in. I'm sure there is some work done but mainly by the translator in this respect. In essence, the translation is the final script.
I'm pretty sure Yume will agree that his translation was only a translation, it wasn't the final script despite his constant reworking of lines to fit better. It's probably odd that we consider the process of rewriting and editing as part of the QC process. If anything it's more fitting to be placed in as part of translation. Yet the importance of this aspect is immense as it can really make or break the sub.
To put it simply, the translation is your framework, the QC is where you construct and create. Without a firm frame, you're limited in what you can build and create. You must also not be afraid to remodelled the frame if you find it is not firm; there's no point in plastering over holes.
Well that's probably quite a dense and incomprehensible ramble but that is it straight up. I'd love to see how other people go about this process and how everything integrates. You only need to look at the various sites and the positions they ask for, it all seems very compartmentalised which is conveniant but it doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of talk across all the positions. It is maybe due to the way that no-one was really willing to divulge how they go about it that led Yume to his methods. It could be inexperience of how we did it but that's something I'll save for another day. For now just an understanding of some of the basics is good, I can go about all the mistakes I've noticed and where I think we went wrong in another entry.
Yume has gone down the road of fansubbing and after having released a translation of a PV last month, he's released his first dorama. The script has been handled by him and I was drafted in to help with the quality check (QC).
Now in the past I have been critical of some subbers (fan and professional), possibly without fully understanding why I was reaching this conclusion and of the work involved. It's only the first I've been involved in so I expect my thoughts will change again. I'm still in the dark as to some of the processes going on but I at least now have a foundation on which to build on. It is probably best to explain some of this, so as to better inform everyone else.
To me it seemed to be quite guarded and closed up as to how the whole process works, so what I describe may be entirely different to how others operate. I'm willing to bet that what I've been through with Yume on this release is quite removed from a lot of others.
Let me outline a little more on this. I can only really see two phases to this. The first phase of this was for Yume to work on the translation and timing. We looked about for various methods to do this but in the end Yume found a program called Sabbu and used that to time and create the script.
The second phase was the QC which encompassed everything else. I suppose others would break it down further but that's how I've seen our work. I'll be more specific in this part.
The first concern was to ensure what we had was a good translation that would feel natural to an English speaker. Yume did a good job in most cases but there were some lines which were still arranged in a manner more befitting Japanese and others were tougher to translate. For some of these, we just rejigged the sentence around so words appeared at the end and others moved to the start. This meant the sentence was by and large the same but changed to flow. There were times that we were forced to make changes. Some of these were due to timing issues, others were due to words not translating into English easily. What sometimes takes a word in Japanese takes a whole sentence to portray in English. We had to construct sentences that captured the sentiment, that remained true even if it wasn't correct word for word.
I know for sure I've moaned, usually at companies that release anime, that changes have been made that didn't need to. I don't think my mind has changed any on this. Some things should be done for flow and general understanding but there doesn't need to be wholesale changes made to scripts. What would probably help if they released translation notes so we get a better understanding of the decisions they've made and why it was done. I believe this only goes to reflect better on the group translating. You get to see why they made such calls and the fury of not knowing why a change was made can be averted. Rationalising everything and showing the logic behind decisions, it still leaves you open for criticism but it allows for it to be constructive so you know where you made errors or where you could improve to those you are catering for. A lot more on this in another topic.
The second concern we had was checking for spelling and grammar. This is something that is usually rare on tracks by companies but is more common when it comes to fansubbers. It's not something I really concerned myself with too much unless it was really bad and noticeable. When it came to this, we had to become really picky. I ended up going back and looking up as many rules as I could to ensure it was a standard to which I would be happy to release. It may not be perfect down to the smallest rules, but good enough for people to read it and not notice anything unless they sat down with a fine comb.
It's a really gruelling process, especially as we had a 2 hour fansub as our first project (about 5-6 episodes of an anime). There's a lot more text to search and a lot more that can slip unnoticed. Still that was probably due to the way we initially started off with trying to QC. We hadn't a script locked down as a final translation, there were still lines being written and others being retranslated. The other problem may be the familiarity that happens, you sort of learn what is coming so rather than reading properly, you're skimming it. It would probably be best to sort out as much as you can and then give it whole to someone else who has not read it before to go through it in as much detail as possible.
So that's an overview of it all with some discussion mixed in. Quite an untidy piece so far but there are some key points there to take away. Possibly the most important thing to note from all the above is that the two of us had an entirely different focus on what we wanted from the script when we were at the QC process.
Yume can understand Japanese and his aim is to keep everything as close as possible to the original.
I don't understand Japanese and all I want is a script that reads well in English.
He understands my concerns and I understand his intent. Between the two of us during the QC, we tried to obtain a balance between both extremes. No matter how much we nitpick, we'll continuously bring up lines to "debate" and get clarified again and again, it wasn't uncommon for us to go over the same sentence for hours on end. We worked out lines many times over, picking the best bits each time to form new alternatives, before settling on one we both liked.
I'd be willing to say that other fansubbers out there don't really work in this manner. Once they have a translation done, it's pretty much locked down with checks for spelling and grammar rather than how sentences are constructed and fit in. I'm sure there is some work done but mainly by the translator in this respect. In essence, the translation is the final script.
I'm pretty sure Yume will agree that his translation was only a translation, it wasn't the final script despite his constant reworking of lines to fit better. It's probably odd that we consider the process of rewriting and editing as part of the QC process. If anything it's more fitting to be placed in as part of translation. Yet the importance of this aspect is immense as it can really make or break the sub.
To put it simply, the translation is your framework, the QC is where you construct and create. Without a firm frame, you're limited in what you can build and create. You must also not be afraid to remodelled the frame if you find it is not firm; there's no point in plastering over holes.
Well that's probably quite a dense and incomprehensible ramble but that is it straight up. I'd love to see how other people go about this process and how everything integrates. You only need to look at the various sites and the positions they ask for, it all seems very compartmentalised which is conveniant but it doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of talk across all the positions. It is maybe due to the way that no-one was really willing to divulge how they go about it that led Yume to his methods. It could be inexperience of how we did it but that's something I'll save for another day. For now just an understanding of some of the basics is good, I can go about all the mistakes I've noticed and where I think we went wrong in another entry.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Fairytale of New York
I often worry for the state of humanity and in particular the UK. More and more we seem to copy or be influenced by the USA. I may not openly admit this but there are some good things about them but it's often overshadowed by really silly things that take focus just due to sheer stupidity.
The thing that I've just read now makes me fearful, a big brouhaha over something I love; Christmas. What makes it sillier is it seems to stem from something attributed to Bush (no surprises there then). It's reported that the Christmas cards sent from the White House didn't make any specific reference to Christmas and people have decided to throw a hissy fit over this, despite the same occurance for the past 13 years and various Presidents that have been in office.
For me Christmas time has always been something a bit special. It may be due to the many great and funny memories I have of Christmas or it may be due to something sappier like the whole Christmas spirit and joy we're supposed to experience and embrace. Whatever it is, people seem to be intent on ruining it and diluting the whole season. To the point that people get fed up even before Christmas comes close. Reading something like this only makes your heart sink that there can be so much said about something that seems so minor.
The article makes note of the use of the term "Happy Holidays" but is this really necessary or a step too far towards being overly PC and overcompensating? The term itself is very American and I don't think I've heard people here in the UK use it. The thing is that it just reeks of people with too much free time on their hands.
I'm not Christian and I don't celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Jesus Christ but I do acknowledge it as I acknowledge there are many other celebrations taking place in this season. I could track back and look into why my family started celebrating Christmas but I'm not really sure why. However, we live in a predominatly Christian country where Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, it's difficult not to notice it or the whole story surrounding it. The thing is my religious belief is not really important here and I don't think anyone else's should be the important point here.
I believe Christmas has taken on a higher consciousness. Far beyond just the birth of Christ. It's now a period of time that gives rise to many celebrations. Be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus. To put that simply, Christmas is a period of time when some faiths have important celebrations and where we generally eat too much turkey and give presents all in the company of family and friends.
It all brings us together to share time with each other and just generally be jolly and merry. That fundamentally is what Christmas is about. The birth of Christ brought together people from all walks of life for what was a momentus event.
Regardless of faith, I'm sure this is a message that everyone can appreciate. Don't fight and struggle over little things, embrace the bigger picture. Don't draw arbitary lines in the snow that mean absolutely nothing. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whatever it doesn't matter. What does is that you are greeting everyone and wishing them all the best in this season of celebration.
The thing that I've just read now makes me fearful, a big brouhaha over something I love; Christmas. What makes it sillier is it seems to stem from something attributed to Bush (no surprises there then). It's reported that the Christmas cards sent from the White House didn't make any specific reference to Christmas and people have decided to throw a hissy fit over this, despite the same occurance for the past 13 years and various Presidents that have been in office.
For me Christmas time has always been something a bit special. It may be due to the many great and funny memories I have of Christmas or it may be due to something sappier like the whole Christmas spirit and joy we're supposed to experience and embrace. Whatever it is, people seem to be intent on ruining it and diluting the whole season. To the point that people get fed up even before Christmas comes close. Reading something like this only makes your heart sink that there can be so much said about something that seems so minor.
The article makes note of the use of the term "Happy Holidays" but is this really necessary or a step too far towards being overly PC and overcompensating? The term itself is very American and I don't think I've heard people here in the UK use it. The thing is that it just reeks of people with too much free time on their hands.
I'm not Christian and I don't celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Jesus Christ but I do acknowledge it as I acknowledge there are many other celebrations taking place in this season. I could track back and look into why my family started celebrating Christmas but I'm not really sure why. However, we live in a predominatly Christian country where Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, it's difficult not to notice it or the whole story surrounding it. The thing is my religious belief is not really important here and I don't think anyone else's should be the important point here.
I believe Christmas has taken on a higher consciousness. Far beyond just the birth of Christ. It's now a period of time that gives rise to many celebrations. Be it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus. To put that simply, Christmas is a period of time when some faiths have important celebrations and where we generally eat too much turkey and give presents all in the company of family and friends.
It all brings us together to share time with each other and just generally be jolly and merry. That fundamentally is what Christmas is about. The birth of Christ brought together people from all walks of life for what was a momentus event.
Regardless of faith, I'm sure this is a message that everyone can appreciate. Don't fight and struggle over little things, embrace the bigger picture. Don't draw arbitary lines in the snow that mean absolutely nothing. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whatever it doesn't matter. What does is that you are greeting everyone and wishing them all the best in this season of celebration.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Antimatter
Each year we come nearer Christmas and bemoan the lack of snow. We all dream of a White Christmas and it rarely ever happens.
Back when I was younger, snow at Christmas was the norm; making snowmen and snowball fights, the whole shebang. This is not going into a post about global warming or down that line. What I'm more interested in ranting on is how the lack of snow has affected us. Namely, how as soon as there is any chance or hint of snow, we're seeing weather warnings and people abandoning their cars as well as all sense and reason.
In the past few days, we've apparently had a cold snap. Weather colder than the usual expected. I've seen images on the news reports of some of the chaos it's caused. What I'm so unsure of is how we've come to this situation.
We used to have snow, lots of it, inches deep. I never remember seeing or reading or hearing stories the likes of which I have done. Since when did people become such wusses? Has the lack of snow made people weak? What would happen if this becomes the norm once more and we enjoy more snow during the winter months, something more akin to the snowfall of the past?
On top of this, what happened to those knowing how to take part in snowball fights? I remember having to be alert at all times during snow, an attack could happen at any time. You could not trust anyone, from a little kid to an elderly lady with a zimmerframe. Yet when I try now to instigate anything, I get angry shouts and threats of calling the police.
I mean come on people, there is snow all about! What else do you expect to do with snow aside from screaming and abandoning all hope for fear of being snowed in your cars on the way home. Besides snowball fights are a much better way to spend time with the snow.
It seems like only mass hysteria and panic ensue from snow. We need training camps, teaching people how to cope with snow. Lock people up until they are finally indoctrinated and knowing how to cope. If that doesn't work, then snow down the back is our only recourse.
Back when I was younger, snow at Christmas was the norm; making snowmen and snowball fights, the whole shebang. This is not going into a post about global warming or down that line. What I'm more interested in ranting on is how the lack of snow has affected us. Namely, how as soon as there is any chance or hint of snow, we're seeing weather warnings and people abandoning their cars as well as all sense and reason.
In the past few days, we've apparently had a cold snap. Weather colder than the usual expected. I've seen images on the news reports of some of the chaos it's caused. What I'm so unsure of is how we've come to this situation.
We used to have snow, lots of it, inches deep. I never remember seeing or reading or hearing stories the likes of which I have done. Since when did people become such wusses? Has the lack of snow made people weak? What would happen if this becomes the norm once more and we enjoy more snow during the winter months, something more akin to the snowfall of the past?
On top of this, what happened to those knowing how to take part in snowball fights? I remember having to be alert at all times during snow, an attack could happen at any time. You could not trust anyone, from a little kid to an elderly lady with a zimmerframe. Yet when I try now to instigate anything, I get angry shouts and threats of calling the police.
I mean come on people, there is snow all about! What else do you expect to do with snow aside from screaming and abandoning all hope for fear of being snowed in your cars on the way home. Besides snowball fights are a much better way to spend time with the snow.
It seems like only mass hysteria and panic ensue from snow. We need training camps, teaching people how to cope with snow. Lock people up until they are finally indoctrinated and knowing how to cope. If that doesn't work, then snow down the back is our only recourse.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Pink 'Bermuda' Triangle
Having written a few entries which I've aborted, I've finally finished one to a standard I'm happy with.
It's quite odd when writing. Usually when posting on forums and discussion boards, I say that I have a rule to post quickly. If I've not finished a post about 5 minutes after starting, I tend to abort.
Now usually it's quite easy to do this but on longer debates it's quite a bit tougher. So this got me thinking, do I necessarily do this or is it just a fancy statement to throw at someone. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was ridiculous. So I tested it out to see.
I found that it's about right, my interest in a response wanes after about 5 minutes. The thing is 5 minutes is not exactly five minutes. I guess that makes my statement invalid but there's reason behind the madness.
I guess it's about 5 minutes of inactivity on a response, when you get to a point where you feel like you are making no real headway into your piece. You've spent more time watching TV, listening to a song, talking to someone on some Internet messenger service, or something along those lines.
Before you start, you've usually got an idea and a general gist of what you intend to write even before you hit reply. The moment where a flurry of ideas float around your head. Generally, I write off the top of my head. As I think, I type. It's spontaneous and you never quite know where you are heading. This is probably the worst thing you can do when writing but at the same time best.
If you get stuck, it's probably going to be an abort. If you've planned, you can get by with the structure set in place. However, with the structure it seems as though you're fixed on checkpoints. Less chance of meandering to some other point you hadn't thought of at the time and may not have done had you not gone with the flow.
Maybe I'm going over the top with this, maybe I've meandered too far and ended up making no real sense but heck I know meandering and randomness is brilliant. I was talking about this last weekend to a cousin, how one moment you're discussing what fine waffles a local coffee shop makes, then the next you are discussing the meaning of life. It's this randomness that makes it so, if you have an agenda set you'll not stray.
So what am I trying to say, what point am I trying to make? I'm not really trying to make any point. I'm not trying to say anything much either. All I know is that I've gone on and talked random stuff coming from the top of my head and not dried up for once and gone to play on my Dreamcast. It means I've finally finished a blog entry and not aborted midway, just because I didn't have some set agenda to tackle but felt like expressing crazy disjointed thoughts which seemingly flow.
Well looking at the time, it's taken me about 15 minutes to write this piece. So I guess the 5 minute lark doesn't quite hold up literally. However, I've not really had any inactivity to distract me. It probably helps nothing much is on TV and Pinkerton helps my ramblings along.
So to sum it up. Weezer are super great, there's not much on TV and I'm good at rambling on. In fact, I'm amazing and I rock.
It's quite odd when writing. Usually when posting on forums and discussion boards, I say that I have a rule to post quickly. If I've not finished a post about 5 minutes after starting, I tend to abort.
Now usually it's quite easy to do this but on longer debates it's quite a bit tougher. So this got me thinking, do I necessarily do this or is it just a fancy statement to throw at someone. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was ridiculous. So I tested it out to see.
I found that it's about right, my interest in a response wanes after about 5 minutes. The thing is 5 minutes is not exactly five minutes. I guess that makes my statement invalid but there's reason behind the madness.
I guess it's about 5 minutes of inactivity on a response, when you get to a point where you feel like you are making no real headway into your piece. You've spent more time watching TV, listening to a song, talking to someone on some Internet messenger service, or something along those lines.
Before you start, you've usually got an idea and a general gist of what you intend to write even before you hit reply. The moment where a flurry of ideas float around your head. Generally, I write off the top of my head. As I think, I type. It's spontaneous and you never quite know where you are heading. This is probably the worst thing you can do when writing but at the same time best.
If you get stuck, it's probably going to be an abort. If you've planned, you can get by with the structure set in place. However, with the structure it seems as though you're fixed on checkpoints. Less chance of meandering to some other point you hadn't thought of at the time and may not have done had you not gone with the flow.
Maybe I'm going over the top with this, maybe I've meandered too far and ended up making no real sense but heck I know meandering and randomness is brilliant. I was talking about this last weekend to a cousin, how one moment you're discussing what fine waffles a local coffee shop makes, then the next you are discussing the meaning of life. It's this randomness that makes it so, if you have an agenda set you'll not stray.
So what am I trying to say, what point am I trying to make? I'm not really trying to make any point. I'm not trying to say anything much either. All I know is that I've gone on and talked random stuff coming from the top of my head and not dried up for once and gone to play on my Dreamcast. It means I've finally finished a blog entry and not aborted midway, just because I didn't have some set agenda to tackle but felt like expressing crazy disjointed thoughts which seemingly flow.
Well looking at the time, it's taken me about 15 minutes to write this piece. So I guess the 5 minute lark doesn't quite hold up literally. However, I've not really had any inactivity to distract me. It probably helps nothing much is on TV and Pinkerton helps my ramblings along.
So to sum it up. Weezer are super great, there's not much on TV and I'm good at rambling on. In fact, I'm amazing and I rock.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Underground
Thanks to Yume, I became aware of one groups ambition to legalise fansubbing. International Anime Distribution (IAD) opened up their site, blog and forums stating their plans. The forums have had quite a lot of nonsense posted by irate posters who don't get it.
I had a good discussion back on PSOQuest forums a while ago which unfortunately I did not back-up. There were lots of good points made but when it came down to looking at law, it was quite simple. Fansubs are illegal, whether you like it or not, that's the short and tall of it. Since I've not got a copy of all my research, there is a very nice article about it on ANN. I think people see a few facts and misinterpret it or read up on something that doesn't relate entirely and that accounts for the reputation that it falls into a "grey area" which makes fansubbing fine.
With that said, I don't really want to concentrate too much more on the legality of fansubbing. I'll just make doubly sure, it's not legal so there is nothing to discuss. I am more interested in what IAD are attempting and the response that has been giving by some of the posters on the IAD forums.
IAD's plan seems akin to iTunes. With iTunes it was, there's definitely a market for downloading tracks as mp3s or whatnot and there is a userbase that will support a legal method of doing so. IAD see something similar here and are trying to create a market. One thing that iTunes had in its favour was the iPod. You have a product that is generally thought of as a cool and a must-have. Combine that with a method of delivery which seemlessly integates and you have a reason for people to purchase as well as a good way for them to consume.
People will often point to a particular fansub group's work as being superior to the translation done by a company that has licenced it for DVD release. I've said it myself that companies should hire some of the better fansub groups out there to provide subtitles for the anime with their typical care and attention to detail. With that desire to flesh out a whole series and provide cultural and historical notes to allow better understanding and enjoyment rather than altering things to remove such a need.
It's getting licences of anime and then letting fansubbers do their thing as normal, the change coming in that we the viewers will help the fansubbers to pay for the licence. It's a bold step and one which could impact the fansubbing community but there are quite a few obstacles still in its way.
I think the most obvious thing is that it's likely we'll get quality subs we expect which will put some pressure on the major companies subbing and dubbing right now. Ideally it'll push up the quality across the board as each tries to outdo the other.
This is provided that IAD can get fansubbers on side. By and large the fansubbing community is respective of the work of the creators. Once an anime is licenced in the US, groups will usually drop a series. I can see some groups welcome this and look into joining the initiative. The aim of fansubbing is to allow us to see an anime in its original form as the creator intended; to drive anticipation and create a market for the anime.
If viewers are paying, they'll demand scheduled releases as quick as possible. People moan already at the speed of some groups and fansubbers would only be inundated by more people complaining as they would now feel they've invested something into the work. As opposed to the current model where fansubbers only need to answer to themselves as they are the ones investing time and effort. I would imagine this driving some groups insane and not wanting to partake in such a model.
As the scene grows more are drawn to fansubbing however you'll often find groups swarming around certain series. The popular ones can have more groups subbing than you know what to do with. The lesser known titles, well you'll be lucky to find even one group subbing. An obvious benefit of this means that rather than having to find a good company that will continue to sub throughout the lifespan of the series, you'll now only have one. On top of this, more groups will branch out to sub other lesser known titles. A big problem we may have is that a group of lesser quality may end up subbing a series we'd rather a better group did. It happens already, such as 4Kids dubbing One Piece.
The main problem that I see is the price in conjunction with the medium. When buying an anime on DVD you can pay anywhere from £10-20 for a new release. However, it comes on hard media. Paying something similar for a download only may not sit too well with everyone, there's something intangible about actually buying and owning an original output from a company. In addition, if the medium is going to be something like direct downloads or Bit Torrent, it has the very simple and easy possibility of people distributing it without having paid for it initially. It'll be in a ready-to-distribute format with a community that seems to be very divided by it all.
A possible way to build in some robustness to this model is by trying a similar idea out to the music market. Why not take advantage of PSP users? It currently seems to be the vogue thing to have so combining that with the fansubs and you may get a dedicated core of people using it as Apple have managed.
There's definitely some questions that still need sorting and it's still working out fansubbers, series and distribution but it's cetainly a bold step. If it can sort out price and distribution with good quality groups, it could be a great move to see regular releases as well as maybe seeing some of the lesser known series given more priority. However, there is a element of the community there that vehemently opposes this and IAD will need to overcome them by getting on the good side of as many quality subbers and distribution sites as possible. It'll definitely be a struggle.
I had a good discussion back on PSOQuest forums a while ago which unfortunately I did not back-up. There were lots of good points made but when it came down to looking at law, it was quite simple. Fansubs are illegal, whether you like it or not, that's the short and tall of it. Since I've not got a copy of all my research, there is a very nice article about it on ANN. I think people see a few facts and misinterpret it or read up on something that doesn't relate entirely and that accounts for the reputation that it falls into a "grey area" which makes fansubbing fine.
With that said, I don't really want to concentrate too much more on the legality of fansubbing. I'll just make doubly sure, it's not legal so there is nothing to discuss. I am more interested in what IAD are attempting and the response that has been giving by some of the posters on the IAD forums.
IAD's plan seems akin to iTunes. With iTunes it was, there's definitely a market for downloading tracks as mp3s or whatnot and there is a userbase that will support a legal method of doing so. IAD see something similar here and are trying to create a market. One thing that iTunes had in its favour was the iPod. You have a product that is generally thought of as a cool and a must-have. Combine that with a method of delivery which seemlessly integates and you have a reason for people to purchase as well as a good way for them to consume.
People will often point to a particular fansub group's work as being superior to the translation done by a company that has licenced it for DVD release. I've said it myself that companies should hire some of the better fansub groups out there to provide subtitles for the anime with their typical care and attention to detail. With that desire to flesh out a whole series and provide cultural and historical notes to allow better understanding and enjoyment rather than altering things to remove such a need.
It's getting licences of anime and then letting fansubbers do their thing as normal, the change coming in that we the viewers will help the fansubbers to pay for the licence. It's a bold step and one which could impact the fansubbing community but there are quite a few obstacles still in its way.
I think the most obvious thing is that it's likely we'll get quality subs we expect which will put some pressure on the major companies subbing and dubbing right now. Ideally it'll push up the quality across the board as each tries to outdo the other.
This is provided that IAD can get fansubbers on side. By and large the fansubbing community is respective of the work of the creators. Once an anime is licenced in the US, groups will usually drop a series. I can see some groups welcome this and look into joining the initiative. The aim of fansubbing is to allow us to see an anime in its original form as the creator intended; to drive anticipation and create a market for the anime.
If viewers are paying, they'll demand scheduled releases as quick as possible. People moan already at the speed of some groups and fansubbers would only be inundated by more people complaining as they would now feel they've invested something into the work. As opposed to the current model where fansubbers only need to answer to themselves as they are the ones investing time and effort. I would imagine this driving some groups insane and not wanting to partake in such a model.
As the scene grows more are drawn to fansubbing however you'll often find groups swarming around certain series. The popular ones can have more groups subbing than you know what to do with. The lesser known titles, well you'll be lucky to find even one group subbing. An obvious benefit of this means that rather than having to find a good company that will continue to sub throughout the lifespan of the series, you'll now only have one. On top of this, more groups will branch out to sub other lesser known titles. A big problem we may have is that a group of lesser quality may end up subbing a series we'd rather a better group did. It happens already, such as 4Kids dubbing One Piece.
The main problem that I see is the price in conjunction with the medium. When buying an anime on DVD you can pay anywhere from £10-20 for a new release. However, it comes on hard media. Paying something similar for a download only may not sit too well with everyone, there's something intangible about actually buying and owning an original output from a company. In addition, if the medium is going to be something like direct downloads or Bit Torrent, it has the very simple and easy possibility of people distributing it without having paid for it initially. It'll be in a ready-to-distribute format with a community that seems to be very divided by it all.
A possible way to build in some robustness to this model is by trying a similar idea out to the music market. Why not take advantage of PSP users? It currently seems to be the vogue thing to have so combining that with the fansubs and you may get a dedicated core of people using it as Apple have managed.
There's definitely some questions that still need sorting and it's still working out fansubbers, series and distribution but it's cetainly a bold step. If it can sort out price and distribution with good quality groups, it could be a great move to see regular releases as well as maybe seeing some of the lesser known series given more priority. However, there is a element of the community there that vehemently opposes this and IAD will need to overcome them by getting on the good side of as many quality subbers and distribution sites as possible. It'll definitely be a struggle.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything
So there I was sitting and thinking about the pros and cons of various formations. Is 4-5-1 contributing to bad football matches this season and would changing to the traditional 4-4-2 make any changes? Is the quality of matches really that bad and boring or is the media making stuff up as they don't have anything to write about David Beckham?
Whilst debating this in my mind I came to an epiphany. Why think about 4-5-1 versus 4-4-2 when I could write about it? Why limit it to football formations when I could tackle the some of the toughest questions known to mankind?
Well having had a fair few rants to effectively train me up, I decided to embark on a great adventure, to hopefully provide definitive answers to some of the greatest questions posed by mankind.
The plan is, in addition to my usual rants, to tackle questions and slowly work my way up to tougher, more complex questions.
The first question: Daddy or Chips.
Whilst debating this in my mind I came to an epiphany. Why think about 4-5-1 versus 4-4-2 when I could write about it? Why limit it to football formations when I could tackle the some of the toughest questions known to mankind?
Well having had a fair few rants to effectively train me up, I decided to embark on a great adventure, to hopefully provide definitive answers to some of the greatest questions posed by mankind.
The plan is, in addition to my usual rants, to tackle questions and slowly work my way up to tougher, more complex questions.
The first question: Daddy or Chips.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
West Slang
So after having been thrown out of a pub for trying to make off with the publicians buxom wench and generally trying to plunder some booty, I'm ready for some more ranting. It all stems from what has been an infuriating few wednesdays but it holds for so much more than just this instance.
Each wednesday for a while, I've sat down to enjoy Lost on Channel 4. Each week I marvel at how a programme that's scheduled for an hour and five minutes can be so messed around.
The first complaint is the general time keeping. It's due to begin at 22:00 but generally starts 4-5 minutes late. Not a huge problem as it gives you a few minutes to get ready when you realise it's hit 22:00.
The main complaint I have is the way ad breaks are scheduled. After watching about nine minutes we get an ad break. Great because after nine minutes, I've lost all concentration and need 5 minutes of adverts to catch my second wind. The wednesday gone was particularly bad, we got an ad break after four minutes. Bloody marvellous.
In total, we have to endure 3 ad breaks in addition to seeing that the programme is sponsored. Surely being sponsored means there can be fewer ad breaks?
It's all become very silly and it only seems to be getting worse. It's getting to a point where our ad breaks will become punctuated by programming rather than programming punctuated by adverts.
We're already seeing the credits of a programme talked over, we also now see the credits forced into a smaller box to let the rest of the screen advertise the programme following as well as anything else they wish.
On top of this we have television channels which brand and show their logo in the top corner. Despite being engrossed in whatever programme I'm watching, I can still remember what channel I am viewing. I don't need the corner of the screen obstructing the show, especially when it blocks up text of said show.
It's all part of the supposed dumbing down of television. There's a case for catering for everyone but you don't need to think that everyone has the attention span of a goldfish and the intelligence to match. Every other show doesn't need to be the clone of some TV reality programme or prying into the private lives of celebrities.
It's a sorry state right now and I for one would like a return to the sensibilities of old.
Each wednesday for a while, I've sat down to enjoy Lost on Channel 4. Each week I marvel at how a programme that's scheduled for an hour and five minutes can be so messed around.
The first complaint is the general time keeping. It's due to begin at 22:00 but generally starts 4-5 minutes late. Not a huge problem as it gives you a few minutes to get ready when you realise it's hit 22:00.
The main complaint I have is the way ad breaks are scheduled. After watching about nine minutes we get an ad break. Great because after nine minutes, I've lost all concentration and need 5 minutes of adverts to catch my second wind. The wednesday gone was particularly bad, we got an ad break after four minutes. Bloody marvellous.
In total, we have to endure 3 ad breaks in addition to seeing that the programme is sponsored. Surely being sponsored means there can be fewer ad breaks?
It's all become very silly and it only seems to be getting worse. It's getting to a point where our ad breaks will become punctuated by programming rather than programming punctuated by adverts.
We're already seeing the credits of a programme talked over, we also now see the credits forced into a smaller box to let the rest of the screen advertise the programme following as well as anything else they wish.
On top of this we have television channels which brand and show their logo in the top corner. Despite being engrossed in whatever programme I'm watching, I can still remember what channel I am viewing. I don't need the corner of the screen obstructing the show, especially when it blocks up text of said show.
It's all part of the supposed dumbing down of television. There's a case for catering for everyone but you don't need to think that everyone has the attention span of a goldfish and the intelligence to match. Every other show doesn't need to be the clone of some TV reality programme or prying into the private lives of celebrities.
It's a sorry state right now and I for one would like a return to the sensibilities of old.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Avast me hearties 'n' grab ye Jolly Roger
Ahoy me hearties! I be swashbucklin' Buccanner Mad Dog Nat.
Arrr, some o' ye filthly landlubbers may know this day be "International Talk Like A Pirate Day".
Ye ought set sail fer international waters o' Ol' Chum Bucket's and Cap'n Slappy's interweb page fer untold booty to plunder. Ye who be from European seas can plunder Mad Cap'n Tom's interweb.
Ye scurvy dogs beware, keep away from me booty, lest ye be keelhauled.
Arrr, some o' ye filthly landlubbers may know this day be "International Talk Like A Pirate Day".
Ye ought set sail fer international waters o' Ol' Chum Bucket's and Cap'n Slappy's interweb page fer untold booty to plunder. Ye who be from European seas can plunder Mad Cap'n Tom's interweb.
Ye scurvy dogs beware, keep away from me booty, lest ye be keelhauled.
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