[LTA MUSIC]
LiveTextAccess: Training for real-time intralingual subtitlers.
This is unit 3, IT Competence.
In this presentation, we will be dealing with Element 3:
How to set up the working environment?
In this lesson,
we will give you some advice on setting-up your hardware and software.
The materials for this presentation have been created by Sub-Ti Access,
an accessibility service provider from Italy.
My name is Enrico Pigliacampo,
I am an Italian man with a beard and short hair.
I will be displayed in a box in the top right corner of each slide.
The learning outcome of this presentation
is that the trainee can set up the hardware and software
for each type of trained setting and solve problems.
During this video lecture,
we will give you some tips both for on-site work and remote work.
We will also show a couple of examples of working environments
and at the end of the lecture, you will find a summary and the exercises.
First, we will see all the steps you need to take when you work onsite.
The setting up of a working environment
begins before the actual setting-up process itself.
Let me explain.
Before you set up your hardware and software,
you need to choose the best tools
for the event in which you will be working.
To do this, you must know the place where you will work
and how the subtitles will be displayed to the audience.
It is possible to identify four steps in setting up:
venue inspection, tool selection, the actual setting up
and the tests you need to do to ensure that everything is working fine.
In this presentation, we will be dealing with the first three steps.
Testing is the topic of Unit 3, Element 3, Learning Outcome 3.
The first step is the inspection of the venue,
with special attention to be paid to the workstation.
This is especially important in cultural events
because the subtitler usually works onsite
and the subtitles are displayed to the audience on a screen.
It can also be useful if you work onsite
in educational settings or in a workplace.
When you work for TV or in parliamentary meetings,
your subtitles are usually broadcast on TV or online
and the subtitler often works remotely.
During your inspection,
you must check the location where the event will take place,
which we will call the “venue”,
and where you will work, which we will call the “workstation”.
First of all, you have to check
how the client wants the subtitles to be displayed:
to the whole audience on a screen,
which is usually the case for cultural events,
or on personal devices such as smartphones, tablets or computers,
which is usually the case in educational settings and in workplaces.
If the subtitles are shown to the whole audience on a screen,
you also need to know the size of the venue
in order to choose the best projector
to display the subtitles clearly enough for everyone to see,
including those sitting in the last row.
In cultural events,
you also need to know the stage set-up
and where the subtitles are going to be projected,
to ensure that nothing obstructs the view
and the audience can always read them.
Once you have checked the venue, you will need to check your workstation:
this can be a seat in the venue itself
or in a booth isolated from the audience.
This is important for respeaking.
If you are seated with the audience,
you will need something like a stenomask to cancel out the noise.
You can find out what a stenomask is in Unit 3, Element 1, Learning Outcome 1.
If you are working in a booth,
you must ensure that you can hear what the speakers are saying
and that you have a view of what is going on in the venue.
You must also ensure that the subtitles are projected properly.
Always remember to check where the nearest power points are
and make sure to have the right electric cables with you
when you are setting up.
Once you have a clear idea of the venue and your workstation,
you have to select the best tools to provide the best possible service.
First of all, you need to check what is available in the venue
or already in the client’s possession.
For example, you may need a screen and a projector:
if the client already has them, you will not need to provide them.
If not, you need to bring your own.
Once you know what you need,
you must check what you already have and what you have to buy or rent.
You may buy the tools you need or rent them,
but you will need time to check what the market has to offer
and choose the best tools you can find to meet your needs.
Once you have all your tools,
the next step is the setting up of both software and hardware.
First, you need to set up your software programs.
They are set up before the event
and you will use them on different occasions.
The first thing you have to do is to install the programs,
then customise them to improve your quality and speed.
We have talked about the installation and customisation of software programs
in the presentations about input and output tools.
Remember to update your programs from time to time
to improve your service.
Now you have to set up your hardware.
First of all, you have to organise your workstation,
to ensure that all tools are in the right place
and easy to reach and use without obstacles.
Make sure there is enough light
to avoid wasting time in search of what you need.
This is important in cultural events where little light may be available,
in order to focus the attention on the stage.
Once your workstation is ready,
set up the tools you will use to display the subtitles.
These may be already set up in venues where subtitles are used often.
In other cases,
you may need to set up your screen and place the projector.
Once the tools are in place, lay the cables to connect them.
Once everything is ready, switch everything on.
Now it is time to test your tools and adjust their features
to obtain the desired outcome.
This is the topic of Unit 3, Element 3, Learning Outcome 3.
When you work remotely, the set-up is easier
as you only need to care for your workstation
which is usually the same for every job you do.
In this section, we will give you some tips for you to consider
when you work remotely.
Anyway, it is important
that you know also how to set-up the tools onsite
as the clients may ask you for help setting up their tools.
First of all, you must set up your workstation,
following the same tips shown on slide 8.
The difference between working remotely and working onsite
is that your workplace stays the same on every occasion
and you do not need to set it up every time.
You do need to check that your Internet connection is good enough,
to ensure your service is not affected by technical issues.
You also need good quality input audio
and it is useful to have a view on what is going on in the event
which you are going to subtitle live.
Make sure you have a reliable communication channel with your client
and with your colleagues,
if they are working remotely from a different location,
in case issues arise.
In this last section,
we will show you a couple of examples of workstations.
You will find other set-up examples
in the LTA YouTube playlists of the other units.
This is the workstation of a subtitler who works for TV.
They have two monitors connected to the computer
and on the opposite wall,
there is a TV screen where they can check the outcome.
On the monitor on the left, you can also see the noise-cancelling headphones
used by the subtitler to get clear sound from the TV.
On the desk, there is also a bell used by the editor
when they need more time to correct the subtitles.
This is another example.
On the left, you can see a view of a real-time subtitling booth,
in which the subtitler, in this case, a respeaker,
and the live editor work.
On the right, you can see the desktop with two touchscreen workstations:
the editor’s touchscreen on the left
and the respeaker’s touchscreen on the right.
Behind the two touchscreens, there is a TV screen to monitor the final result.
In this slide, there are a couple of details from the previous workstation.
On the left, soundproof headphones with an external panoramic microphone
and on the right, the editor’s pedal
that allows them to split the transcript into subtitles
and broadcast them on air.
The pedal is not used by all subtitlers:
it is a specific tool used by professionals
who work with the PerVoice Subtitling Workstation.
Summary.
To conclude, always remember that good planning of the set-up
is important to prevent most technical problems.
We have two final tips we want to give you.
Make sure you always have backup tools.
Things may break any time
and you need to change them if you want to finish your work.
Finally, always bear in mind your comfort.
You may have to sit down and work for several hours,
so it is important for you to be comfortable and focus on your subtitles.
Exercises.
Exercise 1.
On the LTA YouTube channel, you can find many videos
where professional subtitlers show their workstation.
Watch them and identify the tools used by the subtitlers shown in the videos.
Exercise 2.
For each work context,
cultural events, parliamentary assemblies, broadcasts,
workplace and education, make a list of the tools you need.
[LTA MUSIC]
LTA, Live Text Access.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
SDI, Internationale Hochschule.
Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici.
ZDF Digital.
European Federation of Hard of Hearing People, EFHOH.
Velotype.
Sub-Ti Access.
European Certification and Qualification Association, ECQA.
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
Erasmus+ Project:
2018-1-DE01-KA203-004218
The information and views set on this presentation
are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion
of the European Union.
Neither the European Union Institutions and bodies
nor any person acting on their behalf
may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained here.