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The pre-editing interface

Published: Oct. 24, 2022 by: Marie Poncin

Learn how to use the SPOTL pre-editing interface

To optimise your work, we recommend you to use Google Chrome, and install the LanguageTool extension.

Once you have accepted a task, you will have access to the pre-editing interface. Let's explain it in detail:

1- Word tracking (karaoke)

To assist post-editors in their task, SPOTL has set up a word tracking system (karaoke). This tool allows the audio and text to be tracked live at the same time. This makes it easier for the post-editor working on the video to keep an eye on the progress of his work.

We therefore recommend working with the audio of the video, which is synchronised with the text.

This allows you to spot mistakes made by the AI, such as proper nouns, slang words, expressions, etc., and to provide quality work!

To find a visual of this explanation, click on the link below:

Word tracking on the pre-editing interface

2- Recommended time

Visible in a blue box on your left, it tells you how much time you should spend on working on the current video. This is an indicative time. If you exceed it, don't panic! You can continue working.

However, make sure you keep it to a reasonable time. Our clients work with relatively short deadlines, and we have to make it our business to deliver on time.

Make sure you have time to proofread. No proofreading is done internally. Bear in mind that when you validate your work, it is sent directly to the client.

We recommend that you download and use the LanguageTool application on your browser to spot language errors more quickly.

You should also know that our SPOTL post-editing team can be emailed if you have any doubts or questions.

3 - The time button

If the text is out of sync with the audio (which can happen when several people are speaking at the same time, or when there is multilingual music, etc.), you can shift a group of words to the right place yourself. Simply select either the whole sentence or the first word of the paragraph and click on the button on the right-hand side of the screen, "Time Button".

A small window at the bottom will appear, and you can move the selected section. Once recalibrated, click on"apply", and that's it, your subtitle is in the right place!

To find a visual of this explanation, click on the link below:

The time modification button

If you want to cancel your edit, select your word or paragraph again, click on the time button, and then click "release".Note that if there is text on either side of the selected word or phrase, you will not be able to move it too far. You will see that the greyed out parts correspond to time codes already taken. This avoids overlapping text.

4- The glossary

You can find it both in pre-editing and post-editing. The button is on the right-hand side of your interface, just next to the time button. In post-editing, you will see the words written in the source language, then in the target language.

This tool is accessible to the client for the post-editor. It allows you to find technical terms, proper names or abbreviations mentioned in the video. Indeed, the AI can sometimes misunderstand or interpret some specific words. It is therefore very important to systematically refer to the glossary.

5- Playback speed

Also accessible on the right-hand side of your dashboard, this tool allows you to slow down the speed of the video in order to better understand a term you might be hesitating about. There are 3 different speeds:

0.6x (The slowest)

0.8x

x1 (Normal speed)

Note that the playback automatically goes to x1 when you take the video.

Also, it is much more comfortable to work on SPOTL videos with headphones or earphones. This allows you to be more focused and attentive to your work, and improve audio quality.

6- Automatic saving of your work

Automatic saving is indicated by a small green dot with a check mark at the bottom right of your text. When it is blue with a floppy disk, it means that your work is being saved. When it is green with a tick, it means that your modifications are saved.

So make sure that the tick is green before refreshing your tab if necessary, or submitting your work. Otherwise, your changes will not be taken into account.

7- Star rating

On the left side of your screen, the star rating allows you to give your opinion on the transcription you have worked on.

To be more precise, when you work in pre-edition, you will rate the text provided by the AI. In post-edition, it is the text modified by the post-editor in the source language that you will rate. These ratings allow us to improve the work tool, and to inform the client when a video has been complicated to transcribe.

Of course, before validating your work, be sure to check the boxes on your right about the various pre-editing rules to follow, and to proofread your work.

Now that everything seems clearer, let's go to SPOTL!