Long times and no news....

Hi all

You were properly wondering what happened to Films14 and then FilmSense?

Well, let cut a story short.  I am a founder of the company called Films14 with two Directors on May 2013 then six new Directors joined in on February 2014 and then a company name changed into FilmSense.  The barriers was the share issues which hadn't been sorted with the accountant which he said that he did.  A major let down.  Now, we start all over again to get it right this time with the same team.  FilmSense still on progress and very likely to be launch on the late 2014.  I can't tell anybody with the confidential information but what I seen that it will be a world class service.  Now, I got a new company called Deafwood Production Limited.  It's a movie production to provide the Deaf related movie to the FilmSense and working with another studios to make the movies.  It's a huge opportunity for the Deaf Actor/Actress to show their talent and Deaf Film Director to have an opportunity to create a full length movie.  It is a job creation for the Deaf community in the UK and we can be the world best. 

Also, you can see a store in the below.  It's all DVD/Blu-ray with the closed captioning includes.  Have a look around.

Take care

Shaun

Have you forgot about us?

Hi Guy's and Gal's!

I have seen so many campaign against online TV and the poor quality subtitles on the DVD/Blu-ray.  I watched After Earth which it is a brilliant movie and the subtitle is include in the behind scenes.  It is perfect but, the subtitles background is non-existence, the font colour is wrong (Grey font with dark grey outline.), the quality of the fonts is very low pixel.

I know how we feel about it,  I recalled that I excited about the Iron Sky DVD / Blu-ray because I am sure it is good fun to watch.  Unfortunately, there is no subtitles and I never seen it because they excludes us.

There is so many comments about the lack of the subtitles from the Online TV / Movies such as LOVEFiLM Instant, Amazon Prime, Blinkbox, NOW TV and etc.   The only we can watch is Netflix in the UK but it is very limited choice and I seen whole lots then nothing left to watch.

It is not only in the UK.  Malta, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the worse is Germany (No subtitles on the DVD / Blu-Ray and Online!)

Campaigning and moaning on the feedback doesn't work as it drag on for years and they are using the same excuse over and over again.  I am sorry about that, it is fact and we cannot force industry to do this as long their business model is working fine.  I know how you feel about it because I am Deaf and rely on the subtitles.

I has enough of this, fed up being exclude in the entertainment industry.

So, Last year, I took action and now, we are on verge to launch that will blew your mind.  I can't wait!!!

Shaun :)

My personal subtitles history

What is the different of the Open and Closed Captioning?

The open captioning is when you watched a Chinese movie and the English subtitles is always on and the viewers cannot switched off.

The closed captioning can be turn on or off by the viewer.

For this closed captioning is displayed on the TV set and there is a special devices called decoders must to be built-in with the TV 13" inches or bigger.

Closed captioning was first demonstrated at the First National Conference on Television for the Hearing Impaired in Nashville, Tennessee in 1971. That's the history.

My experience with the legend "888" subtitles in the UK

Do you remember this screen in the below?

  

I remember that I first discovered it when I was at the boarding School and a housefather switch a TV set on and put on this teletext (above picture) and press "888".  It is a wow factor!  I learnt so much by what was the people were saying on the TV set.  It's just like a new world open up.

When I come home on Friday after School, I rushed to switch the TV on, pick up a "black brick" TV remote, press "Teletext" button and then press "888" to switch the subtitle on.  I cannot watch TV without this.

Another new feature on the VHS.  I remember about the rumour spread like a wildfire about "Q" on the VHS tape.  It is a special feature link up with the Q set box.  See a picture in the below.  

Don't you love it?  I can hire VHS movies and must check for the Q on the side of the VHS package.  Good old day.

Now, it is gone when the DVD and Blu-ray come in with the subtitles feature in the menu.  Sometime they don't have subtitles and the information is not always available when you search for it on the internet.  It is a pain in the bum so I create the facebook page called "Subtitles DVD / Blu-ray Finder" on February 21st 2014 and went to the public on 25th February 2014 to help people to get DVD / Blu-ray with the subtitles and weed out non-subtitles.  They can ask me if it is got subtitles or not then I can find it out easily.

So, fast forward to the Digital TV Age from the "888 Subtitle" era.  Do you remember the "Freeview" first came out with a red button feature.  I tried it out and the red button shown extra TV channel.  "Great!" and then...  "where is the subtitles?"  I am very concern about it because I felt that we are going to be exclude again and a big backward steps for the Deaf and hard of hearing community.

Digital TV and Internet TV explode which it is fantastic but the subtitles slowly becoming neglect.

"Digital TV"

I were concern about it when the UK begin the Digital TV roll out and switch off Analogue TV which it meant a goodbye to "888 subtitles" and hello to "Subtitle ON/OFF" in the menu set up.  See the picture in the below.

A big change for us.  It is only work on the "Freeview" but the subtitles aren't shown 100% on the most programs because they can't be bothered to do the work.

It is not perfect but why we accept it?

"Internet TV"

It is an amazing stuff!  When it first appeared, you can watch at anywhere and at anytime, but, where is the subtitles?  Absolutely NOTHING!  It is very depressing and dark future for us all.  I remember when I hired a LOVEFiLM DVD and there was an advert on the package about LOVEFiLM Instant and I thought, I have a go and look at it.  There is no subtitles available and it is a mega put off.  Then, I discovered Netflix through the social games and use the one month trials.  I cancelled after few mins because there was NO subtitles available.  It is a terrible experience.

There is lots of new internet TV pop up such as Amazon Prime, Sky NOW TV, BlinkBox, On Demand and another.

Their services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing aren't good because of the technical difficulties which I know what they actually mean.  None of them showing subtitles.

The only good things about National Deaf Association in the USA took Netflix to the court for failing to show subtitles and NAD won a case.  See the links :- http://www.nad.org/news/2012/6/landmark-precedent-nad-vs-netflix

I don't praise Netflix for providing the subtitles because they have tried to win this case.

Subtitles access is very slow growth and in the very poor standard compare to the wonderful "888 subtitles" and there are many campaigning for the access to the internet TV in the UK.  Why I say "wonderful 888 subtitles"?  It's because it is include the background which it is easy to read than without the background.

Most internet subtitles DON'T have the background.  Can you read the white font subtitles when the white cloud appear on the screen.  The subtitles just blended with the white cloud on the screen and we wondered... where has the subtitles have gone to?

"The future internet TV"

I took action rather than campaigning or moaning about it.  I set up a company firstly called Films14 Limited then now, FilmSense Limited.  We got seven director's on the board and in progress to launch Online Movies and TV Series with 100% subtitles available.  "We are the solution"

Take care

Shaun :)

My experience with the Online Movies / TV Series

I am profoundly Deaf from birth and my first language is the British Sign Language.  I want to share my experience with the internet video.

As you seen this video above, that's what I put up with the internet video.  I think it is very unfair to exclude Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the entertainment industry and we even cannot to enjoy listening music because we are struggle to hear what is the signer singing about but, we feel the beat.  Put a your ear plug on and put your hand on the sound woofer, you will feel the beat and you gonna love it!

Most short online video in the UK such as BBC News, Sky News and etc.  Don't have any subtitles and we miss out a lots.  I think it is bad because we need to be informs in case of the emergency.  A good example in the USA because they include subtitles and Sign Language on the TV - See a copy of the video in the below.

And be aware, this auto caption aren't perfect and you can check it out.  I have no idea if it is correct or not?

So, A perfect example of the auto-caption FAIL in the video below.

So, when you watch this video and please put on auto-caption ON.  After I watched it and I was like..... (Jaw dropped) It is disgusting because I felt that I am being fob off, if you know what I mean?

In fact, I am a huge fan of the movie's and always exciting about the new release.  I WISH I can just go to the Cinemas in the UK and watch a blockbuster movie at any times and any days I want.  But, that's not possible because there is the lack of access to watch the movies with the closed captioning available.  It is depressing and we often being patient for the DVD release.  Once, release and I am foolish sometime that I was over-excited and brought it, went home and watch it...  No subtitles available!!!!  I should check at the back of the DVD package before I purchase.  What a waste of money!  If I want to do the legal way to get subtitles for the DVD and it will cost ten or more times than I purchase DVD.

About the Catch Up TV in the UK.

It is so-so because BBC iplayer provide over 90% subtitles which it is good but the quality that I seen is .... Not good.  Sometime it showing a very long subtitles and we only can see the middle of the subtitles with beginning and end missing.  It is even no background and I feel bad for the Usher because they need the subtitle with the black background.

All another catch up TV is not brilliant because it is include heavy advertisement that put me off watching.  I prefer to be in control and minimum advertisement.  You tube advertisement is wonderful because I am in control of the advertisement.  If I am not interested at the beginning of the advertisement and I can click "skip" after 5 seconds.

As the video in the above, auto-caption showing white fonts and no background.  Let say, there is lots of white cloud on the bottom of the video screen and the subtitle font is white...  How can I read the subtitles!?!

Most of Deaf / Hard of Hearing I know, rather to play video games, watching TV with the subtitles and dreaming for 100% access to the Cinemas and internet video.

All the Best!

Shaun

What are Subtitles and Closed Captioning?

There are a lot of misconceptions between subtitles and Closed Captioning.  Some people think that is the words that show on the screen is in the same language as the video then it's a closed caption. But if it's a different language then they are speaking on the video then it's a subtitle (Example: watch a Japanese movie and the text shows what they saying in English).

While it's true that a video translated to another language is usually a subtitle rather then a closed caption. That really isn't the main difference between the two.

First of all you can usually see the difference between them. Closed captioning is usually white text with a black background and the text is often positioned under the person who is speaking those words such as you see in this image.

On the technical side there is a different format and coding to produce each. But we really don't need to go into all that now. I'll go into more detail on this below.

Subtitles are usually just plain white text (sometimes other colours such as yellow) but they don't have the black background behind the text.  Which it is not good for the usher!

The above image also illustrates one of the other main difference between subtitles and Closed Captioning. Notice that this image contains the word {{Screaming}}. Closed Captioning is mainly intended for the hearing impaired so they will display not only what they say on the video but also the sounds that are heard. Subtitles don't generally include sounds. They mainly only display the spoken word on from the video.

Some subtitles do show sounds though. This is a rather new thing. We didn't see subtitles that show us what sounds are made on videos until recently. If you happen to have a DVD collection check out their Special features on the cover of the DVD. Some will say "Subtitled" and others will say "Subtitled for the hearing impaired". The later one that was made for the hearing impaired will usually contain the sounds to the subtitles.

What do we use for Internet video then?  Closed Captioning or Subtitles?

As I explained above there are differences between subtitles and Closed Captioning but they are pretty much the same thing and are used for the same purpose.  In other words it's up to the person who creates the subtitles to include the sounds along with the spoken words or not. So for Internet video all we need to learn about are subtitles.

Subtitles are actually a very simple text file. It tells the video player what text to display and when you display it. Here's an example.

1
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,620
This is Armed Forces radio
reporting from London.

2
00:00:35,670 --> 00:00:37,750
Today, Supreme Allied
headquarters

3
00:00:37,790 --> 00:00:40,710
reported American combat troops
and aircraft

The above is the first 3 lines of the movie Saints and Soldiers. It means that it'll show this text at 32 seconds into the video and the text will display for 3.620 seconds then stop displaying.

1 (This is the first subtitle to appear)
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,620 (This tells is when to start and stop this line displaying)
This is Armed Forces radio (This is what the first line will say).
reporting from London.

Subtitles files end with the suffix .srt or .sub. For example: moviesubtitle.srt or moviesubtitle.sub.

You can download the subtitles to just about any movie or TV show from the Internet. BUT, they are may be illegal to download because of the Digital Right Management and I know lots of people doing it without any fear because sometime we were very exciting to watch a new movie to be release online, paid for it and discovered they is no subtitles available.  Most subtitles on the Internet are very poor quality and bad timing as one of my friend shown me that.