Viki Editor and Subtitles Formatting Guidelines

~ Version 1 - September 2024 ~

Please note that these are general Guidelines based on the experience of multiple English editors and it doesn't reflect as being the only way of organizing the activity on a channel. There may be situations where the Channel Manager (CM) and Chief Editor (CE) have a different approach to their activity so you must pay attention to it. Thus, please use these Guidelines as a guide in the absence of other organizational rules for your team, or if you start with a new team. Any adjustments are accepted as long as they abide with Viki Regulations.

1. Roles - Introductory Definitions

Above all, all roles should respect all Viki contributors as we are all volunteers working together on a hobby we all love. We are all equals; no one is better or more necessary than the other. No one is higher or lower. We are all on the same level. Only the responsibilities are different for each role.

Editor Role	Definition of Editing Role
1.1. Translation Editor (TE)	As the first step in the editing process, a Translation Editor (TE) is responsible for checking the accuracy of the pre-subbed translations and translating any un-subbed dialogue, onscreen text, OST, and/or any relevant cultural details that are communicated to the audience, as necessary. The TE must be adept/highly proficient in the source language and have a conversational understanding of American English (higher if it's for historical dramas). For instance, a TE for a Korean movie should be fluent in Korean and proficient in English. For a full list of the TE responsibilities, please check: 2. Roles - Minimum Requirements & Responsibilities
1.2. General Editor (GE)	As the second editor level, General Editors (GE) are responsible for correcting grammar according to American English standards and ensuring proper formatting per Viki's guidelines and the Team Notes. They also ensure consistency of names, titles, plots, etc. They must be a native speaker or fluent in American English and have an understanding of English grammar. For a full list of the GE responsibilities, please check: 2. Roles - Minimum Requirements & Responsibilities
1.3 Chief Editor (CE)	The Chief Editor (CE) is the final editor and must be fluent in American English, versed in English grammar, and familiar with Asian cultural references. The CE has the final authority on edits and approvals, making stylistic choices when there are multiple valid options. The CE keeps the English team organized and acts as a liaison between the Channel Manager (CM), English team, Chief Segmenter (CS), and other team members. For a full list of the CE responsibilities, please check: 2. Roles - Minimum Requirements & Responsibilities

2. Roles - Minimum Requirements & Responsibilities

A complete list of the minimum requirements and responsibilities for a TE/GE/CE editor on Viki.

2.1. Minimum Requirements

Requirements	TE  (Translation Editor)	GE (General Editor)	CE (Chief Editor)
Must be fluent/proficient in the source language	✅
	Being fluent/proficient in the source language means being able to understand the show without subtitles and point out translation errors.
Conversational understanding of American English	✅
	Ability to accurately convey the message from the source language to English. More advanced knowledge and understanding are required for more complicated dramas such as historical, legal, and medical.
High-level fluency in American English		✅	✅
	Skilled at editing for grammar and colloquial usage without altering the original meaning.
Thorough knowledge of American English grammar		✅	✅
	Ensuring subtitles follow American English grammar rules, including the use of American spelling rather than British, and recognizing and replacing slang and/or idioms as necessary.
Cultural understanding of the project’s source language (Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, etc.)	✅	✅	✅
	The expectation is for the TE to provide cultural understanding (for example, using honorifics/titles of respect, explaining cultural details, and translating onscreen signs). The expectation for GE and CE is a desire and aptitude to learn more about and research the culture. Basic cultural knowledge of the project's spoken language is a plus.

2.1. Responsibilities

Note: CE is the English Team Leader who will make the final decision if there is no general consensus and keep the English team on track.

Responsibilities	Role	Details
Verify the accuracy of subtitles/text/lyrics	TE	Research and/or reach out to fellow TEs when uncertain about terminology or onscreen text, etc. Fill in dialogue, text, and/or lyrics in segments that lack subtitles. Be aware of which cultural references might need an explanation for international viewers and provide notes.
	GE	Consult a TE when you are uncertain about a translation.
	CE	Consult a TE when you are uncertain about a translation.
Accuracy of OST Lyrics	TE	Translates and edits for accuracy of the meaning, ensuring it conveys tone and feeling. Notify CE if the lyrics and segment timing are not synchronized. Checks for consistency of lyrics against Team Notes after an OST has been finalized.
	GE	Edits for English grammar and formatting. Checks for consistency of lyrics with Team Notes after an OST has been finalized.
	CE	Final review to ensure the subtitle is grammatically correct and accurate in conveying the intended meaning in English. Checks for consistency of lyrics with Team Notes after an OST has been finalized.
Adding information to Team Notes	TE	✅
	GE	✅
	CE	✅
Notify the relevant person when your work is done. Note: Through the agreed-upon communication channels.	TE	✅
	GE	✅
	CE	✅
Verify translation consistency (ie. titles, terms, names, etc) *Note: Everyone should help with this to some extent because keeping the Team Notes updated is important.	TE	✅ Ensure consistency with TN.
	GE	✅ Double-check within the episode.
	CE	✅ Double-check across the show.
Check American English Grammar	TE
	GE	✅ First Pass
	CE	✅ Final Pass
Check American English Spelling	TE
	GE	✅ First Pass
	CE	✅ Final Pass
Viki Subtitle Formatting	TE	Permitted but not mandatory.
	GE	✅ First Pass
	CE	✅ Final Review
Translation makes sense (flow of translations)	TE	✅
	GE	✅ First Review
	CE	✅ Final review
Lock Episode	TE
	GE
	CE	Decides who locks episodes and when.
Final Editing Decision Maker	TE
	GE
	CE	✅ The CE must discuss with the CM beforehand if they have any specific requests.
Point of contact between English and OL teams *Note: The CM/CE can decide on other lines of communication between the OL and EN teams.	TE	❓ The OL can contact the TE for questions that are more culturally approached (e.g., idioms).
	GE
	CE	✅
Communicate with CM	TE
	GE
	CE	✅
Communicate with CS for any segment questions/issues	TE	Relate any segment issues to the CE, who will inform the Chief Segmenter.
	GE	Relate any segment issues to the CE, who will inform the Chief Segmenter.
	CE	✅
Communication within the English Team	TE	✅
	GE	✅
	CE	✅
Ensure you are checking communication channels for translations or other questions *Note: Viki primarily uses Team Discussions and Viki Inbox. If a team member cannot access any of them, an alternative communication tool can be agreed upon.	TE	✅
	GE	✅
	CE	✅

3. THE SUBTITLE FORMATTING

A presentation for each Viki formatting (definition, when, and how to be used).

FORMATTING	WHEN, HOW, NOTES, DON’Ts	KEYBOARD SHORTCUT
… (Ellipsis)	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED Dramatic pauses of more than 1-2 seconds. Trailing off of words. Incomplete sentences. Stammering. 📌NOTES Refer to "Dialogue" for using ellipses with stammering. ❌DON’Ts Don’t use it at the end of a complete sentence. Don't add an ellipsis when a speaker is interrupted. Don't use it when a speaker's sentence is split between segments unless there is a pause in speaking for one or more seconds.	None.
—  (Long dash/em dash)	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED The speaker is interrupted in the phrase, word, or mid-sentence. Example: - Why don’t you— <br> - Shut up. ❌DON’Ts Don't use two hyphens instead of a long dash.	WINDOWS Alt+0151 MAC SHIFT+Option+Dash
<br> (Breaks)	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED 2 speakers in 1 segment. Example: - Speaker 1 <br> - Speaker 2 Dialogue + text. Example: Speaker. <br> <i>[Text]</i> Dialogue + OST. Example: Speaker. <br> ♫ <i>Lyrics</i> ♫ Dialogue and explanatory note. See Translation Notes for more details. Example: Viki* has a lot of dramas on it. <br> <i>(*streaming service)</i> 📌NOTES Make sure to have a space before "<” and after ">". On certain platforms such as Roku, if there are no spaces, the words will be combined. ❌DON’Ts Don’t add breaks to very long sentences because the formatting works differently depending on the viewing device.	WINDOWS Ctrl+B
<i></i> (Italics)	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED Flashbacks (see Don’ts below for additional flashback rules). Narration. “Silent” thoughts or mouthing words. The person speaking is outside the door/room or far away from where the camera is. For the person on the other end of the line on a phone call. A voice coming from the radio/TV/digital screen. Dream/alternate reality sequences. 📌NOTES When there is narration and flashback in the same scene, both of them should be in italics if there are no different formatting indications from the CE. ❌DON’Ts Don't use italics if the person is in the same room but not visible. Don't put spaces between the italics code and the words. Don't italicize flashbacks of 5+ minutes or if onscreen text introduces the date and/or time frame of a flashback. CE has the discretion to adjust this.	WINDOWS Ctrl+I
<i>[...]</i> Brackets and Italics	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED Onscreen text (for example, signs, text messages, etc). Example: <i>[Beijing University]</i> ❌DON’Ts Don't put spaces between the italics code and the brackets or between the text and the brackets. Don't bracket the text if you can hear the words being read on the screen. Treat it as dialogue.	None.
<i>()</i> Parentheses - Used with and without italics. Line breaks are used at the English Team’s discretion.	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED Translation notes. Example explanation is after the segment dialogue: This term* is very complicated. <br> <i>(*explanation)</i> Refer to the Translation Notes section for more details and other formatting examples. Money conversion. Example: It's 4000 baht (110 USD). Acronym expansion. Example: My office is here in BTS (Bangkok Transportation System). Notating that dialogue is in another language. Example: Ve a la escuela. (speaking Spanish) 📌NOTES Parentheses visibly separate dialogue from annotations. Refer to Team Notes guidelines for further details on formatting of translation notes. Parentheses are used at the discretion of the editing team, with CE making the final call.	None.
Dialogue	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED Single speaker, write in plain text. Example: Let’s go to the store. Multiple speakers, one after the other, use dashes and line breaks. Example: - What are you doing? <br> - I’m going to the store. Multiple speakers are saying the same thing at once then use italics. Example: <i>Let’s go!</i> 📌NOTES Refer to “Italics” for all situations where the dialogue should be italicized. Refer to “Breaks” for all situations where line breaks should be used. Refer to “Live singing” for how to format singing. Below is the general order onscreen; however, depending on who’s talking (and whether it’s background dialogue), it might alter the order. Dialogue Live singing Text OST Translator's notes Stammering: Repeated words or syllables. Use ellipses between stammered words with a single space after the ellipses. Use capitals only for the first word that starts a new sentence. Examples: Talk… talk… talk about this. Talk… talk… Don’t go there! Stuttering: Repeated sounds. Use a hyphen with no spaces after each repeated sound. Capitalization is continued. Examples: D-D-Don’t More d-d-dialogue Wh-What? Swearing: Make sure the level of seriousness/offensiveness corresponds to that in the original. Ask the TE when in doubt. Depending on the CE, the level of swearing may be adjusted, and the CE indications should be followed. Slang/idioms:  Generally rephrased to standard American English for clarity but handled according to CE’s preference. Quotation marks (double quotation marks) are used: To quote exact words from spoken or written language. When a speaker is reading out loud. For titles of short stories, poems, articles, chapters, shows, books, etc. For a repeated phrase: - Master, can we do it again? - "Do it again”? If quoted dialogue crosses into the next segment, use quotation marks at the beginning and end of each segment: “If you decide to come,” “it will be dark when you arrive.” ❌DON’Ts Don’t use the ampersand (&). It does not display properly on some devices. Don’t use more than one punctuation ending, unless it’s a dot or period of an abbreviation followed by an exclamation or question mark.	None.
Live singing ♪ Lyrics ♪	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED For any live singing, whether by the actor or singers/bands. 📌NOTES See the italics section for situations to add italics. ♪ <i>lyrics</i> ♪	None.
<i>[Text]</i> Onscreen text	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED To subtitle relevant text. 📌NOTES Leave out ads, text that is just accidentally in the scene and not part of the story, unreadable text, etc. ❌DON’Ts Don't leave out the italics or the brackets.	None.
OST ♫ <i>Lyrics</i> ♫	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED For background music and OST lyrics. 📌NOTES Lyrics in a new segment must start with a capital letter. The reason the notes are outside of the <i> is because it can cause issues on the screen and show up like <i>&nbsp;♫ lyrics ♫</i>. If the timing of the segment seems off, inform the CE who will work with the CS to adjust the timing. Keep in mind the length of all the text being presented on the screen; dialogue is always more important than the song. ❌DON’Ts Don't overdo it with lyrics and dialogue in the same segment as it may create confusion. Only do it occasionally when the segment is long enough. Don’t put punctuation at the end of the lyric line EXCEPT for question marks, exclamation marks, and commas. Don’t use double music notes for live singing; see the live singing section for formatting.	WINDOWS Ctrl+J MAC Ctrl+J
Translator's Notes *	✅WHEN AND HOW TO BE USED When it seems additional information is needed to explain something. Most common formatting examples: This term* is complicated. <br> <i>(*brief explanation of the term)</i> This term <i>(1-3 word explanation)</i> is complicated. Example of formatting being used: Viki* has many dramas on it. <br> <i>(*streaming service)</i> Viki <i>(streaming service)</i> has many dramas on it. 📌NOTES Depending on the CE, this formatting can be different and the CE's indications should be followed. Typically used with idioms, slang, or cultural references that might not make sense and are key to the scene/storyline. Depending on the editing team, could also be used with currency conversions. ❌DON’Ts Don’t make it too long; try to keep segmenting timing and OL translation needs in mind.

4. PLAGIARISM

• Do not use translation software or applications (for example, Google Translate, Reverso, etc.) or any AI tools (example, ChatGPT, Gemini) to translate and directly copy it into the show. These tools can be used to help with translation to understand a word or phrase, but not for directly translating a show.

• Do not copy subtitles from other platforms and don't use Viki subs on other platforms.

• Such translations are against Viki guidelines and considered plagiarism. Violators may be reported to Viki, which may lead to account suspension or deletion.