Table of contents
Dubbing Script required content in TTAL format
Defining Scope of Work (SoW)
This Dubbing Script Scope of Work (SoW) outlines Netflix’s expectations and requirements when commissioning the creation and delivery of Dubbing Scripts by Dubbing Studios.
Source Material Provided
Along with the video, Netflix provides a Dialogue List (DL) to assist in authoring the Dubbing Script.
Dialogue List (DL)
The DL is a script of the original content that contains a transcription of its audio and other elements of the content timed to the video. When the original language of the content is not English, the DL also includes an English translation of the content, and it is usually referred to as the Pivot Language Dialogue List (PLDL). For the purposes of this SoW, Dialogue List and DL refer to the script of the original content, regardless of its source language.
The Dialogue List is available for download through the dub script authoring request page in TTAL format and in Backlot through the assigned source request’s Download Materials tab in Excel format.
Dialogue list events
Each section in the DL delimited by in and out timecodes is called an event. Events appear as rows when viewing the DL in Excel, as shown in the screenshots below.
| An event viewed in Script Authoring | Same event viewed in Excel |
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Netflix’s dubbing partners use the DL to facilitate the creation of dubbing scripts for all languages commissioned for a project. As such, the spotting of events in the DL may not satisfy all peculiarities or idiosyncrasies of each language or dubbing studio. When creating the Dubbing Script, dubbing partners should split or merge events to better meet their particular needs.
For more information, see DL Style Guide.
Dubbing Script (DS) SoW
The Dubbing Script is a time-accurate translation of the original content used to create the secondary audio and its accompanying Forced Narrative (FN) in the target language. It includes translation for all elements (audio and text) required for the target language’s audience watching the dubbed version of the show to understand and follow the plot.
Netflix considers the Dubbing Script a live asset (not archival) commissioned for every secondary audio and requires delivery in TTAL, a structured, interoperable format.
Requirements
- Dubbing Scripts must be delivered in TTAL format.
- All events in the Dubbing Script should be accurately timed to the Final Proxy.
- Timecodes should be within a 3-frame tolerance of the lip flap or spoken word start and end time.
- Polish Lector Dubbing and Voice Over As Recorded Dub Scripts should reference the in and out timecodes presented in the English Dialogue List or Pivot Language Dialogue List.
- The transcription of the dubbed audio should be verbatim to the final recorded audio.
- Events’ text dialogue should be properly punctuated with grammatically correct sentence case, even if a sentence is split across multiple events.
- ALL CAPS are not permitted.
- The text in the events should be free of typographical errors that are not intentional.
- Events that require forcing should be appropriately tagged, and their on-screen position identified (see Forced Narratives Linguist Workflow Guide for instructions).
- Events translating content that will be part of the FN for the dubbed audio should follow the FN style guide and the target language FN style guide, if available.
- The identification of events for the FN file should follow specific instructions for the project when available.
- Events should not be empty, redundant, or extraneous (see Appendix A for examples).
- Delete or don’t include events that aren’t necessary.
- Reactions and efforts included in the text field (DIALOGUE) must be enclosed in parentheses ( ), brackets [ ], or curly brackets { }.
- No exceptions.
- Metadata (anything that is not heard or seen on-screen), such as instructions and explanations, should be in the annotation field.
- Character name (SOURCE) should represent one individual character.
- Do not list multiple characters in the same event.
- Dialogue intended to recreate the crowd/group sound design from the original version should always use the character name WALLA.
- The character name must start with WALLA, even if this terminology/word is not used in your language.
- The name can include other words to help identify the type of walla needed.
- For example:
- WALLA - PEOPLE IN PARK
- WALLA - GIRLS ON SCHOOL BUS
- For example:
- Discernible dialogue clearly meant to be understood by the audience should be attributed to the character that speaks the dialogue (not WALLA).
- Group’s unison dialogue or chants should not be attributed to WALLA. Use a character name that works for your language.
Dubbing Script required content in TTAL format
The TTAL spec includes mandatory and optional fields for each event. They are displayed as columns in Microsoft Excel.
When leveraging Excel to convert a dubbing script to TTAL, the file must adhere to the requirements of the TTAL format and all requirements listed in this SoW to ensure its proper conversion.
- Columns’ names must match the DL’s naming (see Appendix B).
- The columns' content should be appropriate for the field it converts into.
- For example, timecode fields should not contain letters.
- Unsupported characters cannot be in the file. See Netflix Accepted Glyph List.
The columns –and their exact names, in English– listed below are required in all scripts.
Required columns
The Dubbing Script must include the below columns, and for every row, its cells cannot be left blank or have invalid content.
- IN-TIMECODE
- The starting point of the dialogue or text. Frame-accurate to the video.
- OUT-TIMECODE
- The ending point of the dialogue or text. Frame-accurate to the video.
- SOURCE
- The Character’s name.
- DIALOGUE
- It holds the transcription of the final dubbed audio or text element in the target language.
- When working with a PLDL ensure that the text in the DIALOGUE column is in the target language, instead of English.
The below columns signal if an event is to be treated as an FN and its screen position. They need to be included in the Dubbing Script, and empty cells are allowed. However, when cells in these columns contain text, it must be an appropriate value (values listed below).
- FN TREATMENT
- Indicates events that require forcing.
- Accepted values when selecting an event for forcing:
- fn
- FN
- TRUE
- Empty cells indicate the event is not for forcing.
- FN POSITION
- Indicates the area on the screen to place the forced narrative.
- Accepted values for all languages:
- Top
- Bottom
- Accepted values for Japanese only (besides the above ones):
- Left
- Right
- Left and Right options for Japanese should only be used if top or bottom are absolutely not an option.
- The default value is bottom.
- Empty cell = bottom of the screen
To learn more about converting to TTAL, see TTAL Converter User Guide.
Dubbing Script delivery
The Dubbing Script should deliver to the As Recorded Dubbing Script source request in Backlot and can be done in two different ways:
- Direct upload of a TTAL file to fulfill the source request.
- Using Netflix’s Script Authoring tool.
To learn more about authoring Dubbing Scripts in Netflix’s Script Authoring tool, see
Script Authoring Tool User Guide
Dubbing Script Workflow in CLP (requires sign-in)
Timeline expectations
Dubbing Scripts are expected to deliver five calendar days before the secondary audio.
If the dubbing partner cannot meet any of the due dates for any reason, they must notify Netflix immediately.
Validations
Scripts authored in or uploaded to the Authoring tool are validated during their authoring and proofing steps. Each step can’t complete until all validation issues are resolved.
Dubbing Scripts uploaded directly to Backlot go through an automated inspection upon upload to ensure they comply with the TTAL spec and don’t have critical issues. When a file doesn’t pass validation checks, redelivery is requested.
Dubbing partners should run files flagged for redelivery in the TTAL Validator to see a list of the issues found in the files. All issues must be fixed for a file to be ingested in Backlot and for the As Recorded Dubbing Script source request to be considered fulfilled.
Refer to the As Recorded Dub Scrip Validation Guide in PHC for the list of error codes and potential solutions.
Dubbing Script redelivery
Any changes required on the forced narrative (FN) file or changes in the secondary audio that create discrepancies with the content of the Dubbing Script will prompt the update and redelivery of the Dubbing Script.
The changes can be triggered by QC (Quality Control), customer complaints, creative changes, or any other reason to provide the best experience possible to the audience.
Regardless of the tool and means used to create the Dubbing Script or how it was initially delivered, updates and fixes to the Dubbing Script will be done in Netflix’s Script Authoring tool.
For information, see Forced Narratives Linguist Workflow Guide.
Appendix
Appendix A
Redundant events
The redundant event below should be deleted from the script.
Extraneous event
The proper way to remove an event is to delete it.
Empty events
The third row contains no dialogue and should be deleted from the script.
Appendix B
The TTAL Convertor right-side pane lists the proper names expected for each column (see smaller green box)
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Change log
2023-09-07
-
Requirements:
- Clarified timecode guidance for Polish Lector Dubbing and Voice Over.
2023-07-14
-
Requirements:
- Clarified metadata and added bullet points on reactions and efforts.
- Expanded the explanation on the use of the character WALLA.
- Updated the required content in TTAL section.
- Added Appendix section