Forum: Subtitling
Topic: Netflix Hermes test
Poster: jbjb
Post title: Hermes
There is another way that Hermes is fighting the bad translations - assigning each translator a Hermes number and forcing all of the vendors to include translator names to Netflix files. This is a first because all of the major subtitling companies have ignored translator credits for decades (with the exception of French). Subtitlers regularly work for a number of vendors, so the Hermes number system gives a clearer idea how many translators there actually are.
Netflix may order Swedish subtitles from ten different vendors but it does not mean they are getting the work done by 10x3=30 translators (a random number, assuming each vendor works with 3 translators). Most probably there are just 10-15 translators accepting projects from various vendors and creating the impression that if one vendor cannot handle everything, there are fresh and underworked translators waiting with another vendor. No, 90% of the time all vendors are working with the same people.
Now, if they also directly test with Hermes as individuals, Netflix can assign work to them directly at higher rates and cut out the vendors because it also sees the track record of all translators and which vendors they work for.
It also helps to root out bad translators who fail with one vendor but can try out with dozens of other vendors who accept Netflix projects and start looking for translators (90% of the time getting responses from the same people).
Topic: Netflix Hermes test
Poster: jbjb
Post title: Hermes
There is another way that Hermes is fighting the bad translations - assigning each translator a Hermes number and forcing all of the vendors to include translator names to Netflix files. This is a first because all of the major subtitling companies have ignored translator credits for decades (with the exception of French). Subtitlers regularly work for a number of vendors, so the Hermes number system gives a clearer idea how many translators there actually are.
Netflix may order Swedish subtitles from ten different vendors but it does not mean they are getting the work done by 10x3=30 translators (a random number, assuming each vendor works with 3 translators). Most probably there are just 10-15 translators accepting projects from various vendors and creating the impression that if one vendor cannot handle everything, there are fresh and underworked translators waiting with another vendor. No, 90% of the time all vendors are working with the same people.
Now, if they also directly test with Hermes as individuals, Netflix can assign work to them directly at higher rates and cut out the vendors because it also sees the track record of all translators and which vendors they work for.
It also helps to root out bad translators who fail with one vendor but can try out with dozens of other vendors who accept Netflix projects and start looking for translators (90% of the time getting responses from the same people).