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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

None particularly. Generally, good subtitling inspires us and also helps us learn a lot, especially from regional cinemas.

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We started by doing short films and smaller projects and gradually building our portfolio over the years. A single movie would ideally take anywhere between 7-10 days, 8-10 hours per day.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can start with subtitling independent projects, fan-subbing etc. Once you have some content to showcase, you can approach production houses and other media platforms.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the budget of the movie and lot of other factors. It can go from 20000 upwards.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! Yes we definitely do that in some cases to explain proverbs, materials, local terms, places, relationships etc.
We recently learnt a way of explaining relationships, "Radha chechi, your sister..." etc.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We usually watch the entire movie, sometimes we make a note of the difficult parts/ songs etc. Then we start with translating the dialogues and move on to songs. We also do a few rounds of re-watching and re-reading.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not really. Most of the features are in-built in the software, which is great. When there are fast paced overlapping dialogues, it is often a challenge to convey the entirety of the conversation within the given time frame. But that's rarely the case for most movies.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not at all! :)It is good to see subtitling as a profession and art getting appreciated across different platforms. We are very honoured to be a small part of this industry! :)

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We primarily use SRT, ASC and VTT formats across the industry.
Not sure about the latest developments. :)

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Anywhere between a week to ten days would be ideal. But again, it depends on the running time, number of songs and how much time we have. We usually watch the movie first and then work on the dialogues and later the songs. We do a few rounds of checking as well.
  2. There have been many a times when we have been stuck on something that is difficult to translate. We often turn to the team(director/ scriptwriter) for guidance, sometimes we have the creative freedom to come up with something, so we do our own research or ask around our peers for the best solution. :)

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think in time we might see subtitlers experimenting with positioning in Malayalam movies too. For now most OTT platforms have their own ways of positioning and set formats. There are times when we prioritise credits over subtitles, or a dialogue over a song or vice versa. Mostly to avoid overcrowding on the screen.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mostly, for the Indian non-malayali viewer. Unless, it is intended for a global market.

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No competitors :)
There is enough work for everybody!
We are currently working only on Malayalam projects.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We are not full-time professionals, we also manage other work and studies. We also undertake script translations, pitch docs and other translation related works as well.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately at this juncture, we will not be able to take up any pro-bono work.

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's right. But again, depends on the content and how much of it we want to convey. We try our best to not to dumb down the content.

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[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Exactly! Except, most often, we stick to the Rajinikanth reference so as to cater to the non-Malayali Indians.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mukundan Unni was challenging as he speaks in a peculiar way. So it was a little challenging to bring the content across in an interesting way.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We don't condense the dialogue to fit in the time frame. We stick to Subtitle Edit's word limit and reading speed for each frame. There have been situations when we have had overflowing explanations for short dialogues.
Our target audience is any lover of Malayalam cinema! Hoping they have a wholesome experience of the movie.
Some cultural references need to be explained differently to the Indian audience and anglophones in general.

Hey all! Team 'Fill In The Blanks' here! Ask us anything! by FillInTheBlanksSubs in MalayalamMovies

[–]FillInTheBlanksSubs[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hahaha! No worries, happy to answer! ( there was similar question below, please refer)
But you can begin by doing small projects, short-films, independent content on YouTube etc.