Translate a film’s SRT handoff. Keep the cut intact.

Begin with the subtitle handoff for the final cut

An editor or captioner may already have delivered a carefully timed subtitle file. Start there when the next job is translation. Re-transcribing the film would introduce a different draft and different timing for work that has already been reviewed. Keep the approved SRT and its matching cut together, and make a separate working project for each version.

Confirm the handoff format before starting. Polyglot imports SRT with UTF-8 or UTF-16 text and checks the entire file before opening it. It does not import ASS styling or WebVTT settings. If your handoff uses another format, convert a copy in a suitable subtitle editor and review the result before importing it.

Prepare language tracks without moving the cues

Choose Translate SRT, import the approved file and select the target languages you need. Translation runs locally after downloading the model. The original video is not required for this step. Every cue keeps its original number, order and millisecond start and end time, including overlapping cues in the source.

The app produces a draft for each selected language, with progress saved locally. Completed tracks are kept when you add another language later. The source SRT remains unchanged; the project contains the working text and translations. You can attach the matching film for preview when you begin a detailed dialogue review.

Review voice, implication and reading length

A useful subtitle conveys more than a dictionary equivalent. Read translated exchanges in context, especially jokes, understatement, idioms and culturally specific references. Check character and place names against the film’s approved terminology. Use a reviewer who understands the target language and the creative intent before presenting a track as finished.

Compare each translation with the original below it. Edit wording without moving timestamps, and inspect whether the translation fits the available reading time. If you change the source text, existing translations are marked for review rather than silently replaced. Polyglot does not decide the final voice of a character or certify translation quality.

Export a clear delivery package

Export completed language tracks as separate SRT files, keeping a clear relationship between each subtitle file and the film version. Test the files in the festival, distributor or playback workflow that will receive them. Check punctuation, accents, inline markup, overlapping cues and the final scene rather than judging only the first minute.

SRT export does not burn subtitles into the picture or deliver a styled screening master. Complete retiming, styling or embedded-caption work in an appropriate finishing tool when required. The free allowance is shared with media transcription: an imported SRT counts once when its first complete translation is saved, regardless of the number of target languages.

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