Looking for someone to transcribe a TV show

[mirgcire]

I am the director of a Mandarin language school in Portland Oregon. We are developing a class based on a modern Chinese TV drama. I got the idea for this when I found a book on learning English based on "Friends". Another teacher and I are collaborating on this project to provide intermediate students with course material that is authentic and interesting.

 

We did a trial run using 家有儿女, but being a comedy, the material does not represent typical conversation patterns very well.  Also the actors deliver the lines for comedic effect rather than for clarity, so it is difficult to hear the words.  

 

So now we are looking for a drama.  I did find one that is suitable for our needs, 媳妇的美好时代， but we are still looking in case we find something better.

 

Can anyone suggest how we might find someone to type a transcript for a reasonable price?  Basically, we just need the subtitles typed up in 汉字. 

[Silent]

Maybe you can get some inspiration from the Grand First Episode project? I've the impression 家有儿女 and 爱情公寓 are popular. Personally I think 奋斗 is worthwhile too. A while back I discovered 局中局 I didn't spend too much time with it, my first impression is that it's easy language wise but the story is not that great.

 

For transcripts, I don't know what you consider a reasonable price. If it has embedded Chinese subtitles I may be interested depending on amount to be transcribed and dead-line as I've found transcribing very good for practicing listening skills with the subs to check my transcription. It takes me quite a bit of time, so large amounts of material and tight deadlines won't work for me.

[fanglu]

Given you're a Chinese school, couldn't you just get one or more of your teachers to do the transcription?

[gato]

You might be able to find scripts for TV shows if you look around the net. For example, here for 奋斗：

http://m.paipaitxt.com/r4607683/

求 电视剧《奋斗》的TXT剧本

Use "电视剧 剧本 txt" as search keywords.

[Kenny同志]

I am a full-time freelance English - Chinese translator but also interested in transcription. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss details.

 

As gato suggested, you can try searching the Internet for scripts for any popular TV shows before hiring a transcriber. If you are lucky enough, that would save you some money.

[imron]

This thread might be relevant.  The OP ended up hiring someone through a freelancing site.  You can try PM'ing him for details, and perhaps even come to some sort of arrangement to split costs.

[Bad Cao Cao]

Side query - what was the name of the book on learning English based on "Friends"? Met a guy in Beijing once, great English, claimed he learned most of his English from watching the complete box set of Friends. Said he watched the whole set 10 times, using both English and Chinese subs. Sounded like a painful way to learn a language, and I was dubious he was serious. Classic, people are actually writing books about this method.  

[MPhillips]

...

[simc]

This is basically what I did to go from elementary to intermediate in Chinese, except I watched the Chinese dub of Crayon Shin-chan. I had a 12 DVD box set which I copied onto my tablet. I have a 50 minute bus commute to work so I watched Crayon Shin-chan for an hour and a half every day for a year.

 

I think that something that makes a difference is that Crayon Shin-chan is funny but (IMHO) 家有儿女 isn't. I couldn't imagine myself watching that for a whole year.

[MPhillips]

...

[tysond]

@gato is there a guide somewhere on how these sites work with "points"?  

 

@Bad Cao Cao - 说地道口语看《老友记》

[gato]

There is a 常见问题 (FAQ) page on the site. Looks like you can earn points either by uploading stuff, making posts, or paying for them.

[mirgcire]

@Silent, I appreciation the suggestions.  I expect this task would take a mandarin speaking typist less than two hours, so I am thinking less than $50 US.  Please let me know if you think I am underestimating the task.  Since the subtitles are accurate and highly visible, it does not seem too difficult.

 

@fanglu, Teachers are responsible for teaching.  They have a ot on their hands, I don't wish to distract them with a task that does not take advantage of their skills.

 

@gato, Thanks for the suggestion, but my mandarin does not seem up to the task for that site.  I might ask a friend to help me navigate it if I get a chance.

 

@Kenny, It seem like this is not a good fit for someone with your skills. The task does not involve translation or much thinking for that matter.

 

@imron, Thanks for the suggestion, that thread looks very relevant. and I will contact the OP

 

@simc, I will look into Crayon Shin-chan, I totally agree that 家有儿女 is mind numbing at best.  I transcribed the whole first episode, and now that we are using it for a class, I just feel it is more like an over acted bunch of sound bites. 

 

@MPhillips, I agree with you, one of our students is doing just that, and his listening skills are really improving.  And we are all getting a good lesson in 儿化音.

 

@Bad cao cao, I did not make a note of the details, however I did purchase a copy for a friend from the foreign language bookstore in Shanghai near Nanjing Lu.

[ZoxGuo]

Some person from Baidu say these tv series is kind of like 媳妇的美好时代 (even better? I'm not sure) :

媳妇是怎样炼成的 The relationship between a couple and their parents.

北京青年 this series had been popular for a while, so know a little about it (this one … I can't take it anymore but my parents were crazy about that). Four cousins fight for their dream, and something about love … Just in memory and haven't check it online, I was 11 when I saw it first time (maybe 2010? no idea) so maybe there's something wrong about what I said about that one.

三七撞上二十一 A Leftover man who's going to a blind date and a woman who just got divorce and lost money in the bus met each other and get married.

跟我的前妻谈恋爱 A divorced couple began to date again.

大女当嫁 A very popular show (for a while and I can't bear it but one of my sisters love it) . A leftover lady, also a white-collar female, was forced to get married with a guy she even didn't know, and she began to against her parents and the unfair destiny as a girl in a Chinese transitional family.

媳妇的美好宣言 A tv show that based on a female's opinion, about against the stress from her family and her current husband's ex-girlfriend.