Quality Checking

For those of you who know what's going on and want to get straight to the point, here's where you can find the test:

You'll need to put in the username and password:
Username: edit
Password: test

Please refer to the final section for how to format your test answers.

For the rest of you, read on.

So, you want to be a Quality Checker? Well then, you've come to the right place. But we can't just open the doors for you just yet. You'll need to prove you've got what it takes to be a C1 Anime QCer.

But maybe you've never done this kind of thing before. No worries, this page will explain what you need to do.

As a Quality Checker, you are responsible for looking over an episode after it's been through the rest of the process. As such, you need to be able to spot a wide range of errors. Basic knowledge of the English language, timing, and typesetting are helpful, but not required. Now, what you will need to find are as follows:

Translation

What's this you say? "But I don't know any Japanese!" That's fine, we won't be asking you to translate any missing lines, just identify them. You will need to be able to spot missing lines and important signs. If you wonder what an important sign is, a good rule of thumb is if it is the focus of a frame, it will probably say something the viewer would like to know.

Editing

Editing errors will be the most common thing you'll find. We do have fine editors here at C1, but no one is perfect. Invariably some things will slips between the cracks during editing. You need to find them. And be able to fix them. It won't do us any good if you spot errors, but your fix is an error in itself. Having a strong eye for grammar and punctuation is the most important aspect of this part of the QC process. Nothing is worse than having a whiner come in and berate you for having one too many apostrophes in your episode. Another part of this is consistency. C1 normally runs the same staff for each episode of a project. This means, when you are assigned to a project, you will need to remember things like names and places. We don't want Ryusuke to suddenly change his name to Ryuusuke for an episode. You'll find a list of names for the QC Test episode at "the bottom.

Editing errors will weigh heavily in you score on this test. Keep a sharp eye out for them.

Timing

For timing, you'll need to spot issues with when the lines show up. Sometimes lines will overlap even when only one thing is being said. Also, you need to mark down any time with three lines of text at the bottom of the screen. Any time this happens, the line needs broken up into two or maybe even three separate lines. We don't want text covering up the main characters first big kiss. But wait! There's more! Lastly, we have what is probably to hardest part of timing QC. Scene Timing. Scene timing is when a line ends at or very near the end of a scene. As an example, if one person is talking and the screen is focused on their face, and then another character begins speaking, the view may change to the second character. That's a scene change, and if it changes right after the first speaker is finished talking, the subtitle should end at the last frame of the scene. If it's a frame or two too long or short, it may appear to flicker as the scene changes.

Typesetting

Typesetting usually involves two things.

First, the dialogue of the episode gets 'styled' in a certain way. It varies from project to project, but typically has the main dialogue show up as a certain font, size, and color. Another style is used for when a second person is talking over another. Usually this is the same font and size, but a different color. Flashbacks typically use the secondary color. If you notice any variances, be sure to mark them down. As with the editing, you will find out what styles are used when you begin a project. Second, typesetting involves placing any signs that appear in an episode. We have some great typesetters here at C1, so our signs are top notch. Sign will need to be easy to read, yet unobtrusive. If they cover other important things on the screen, they should probably be altered so they don't.

Encoding

Phew, almost at the end. Encoding errors are a rare occurance. However, they do happen. The most common is an encoder using the wrong script or forgetting to include a script. If the staff credits are missing, that's a problem. If the wrong dialogue script is used, it should be obvious pretty quick. Other things to look out for are blocking, video cut off improperly (like the end of the episode cut off before characters are done talking or presenting the next episode title), and out-of-synbc or missing audio.

Wrapping It All Up (How to Report)

Now that you know what to look for, you should now how to report it.

Ordering your results nicely will result in me not getting annoyed at your test. Me not being annoyed is a good thing. ;)

Here's an example:

6:10 Timing - This line stays onscreen for one and a half seconds too long.

7:59 Editing - This line is missing ending punctuation. Needs a period.

10:23 Typesetting - Line should have the secondary style.

(These examples were made up. Don't expect me to give you free answers. :P)

Please name you file like this: [QC_Test]C1_Anime_-_[yournamehere].txt . Once you're done, you can DCC this file to WhoIsYou on IRC or, if you are unable to send that way, you can e-mail it to WhoIsYou@c1anime.net . Be sure to make more than one pass. I guarantee you won't be able to find all the errors in one pass.

Good luck in your error findings!

Names for This Show

Sakurano Tazusa - The main character.

Peet Pamps - The ghost inside Tazusa.

Sakurano Yoko - Tazusa's little sister.

Coach Takashima - Tazusa's skating coach.

Honjo Mika - Tazusa's friend.

Nitta Kazuya - A freelance writer who helps Tazusa.

Shitou Kyouko - Tazusa's rival.

Supervisor Mishiro - Supervisor for the Olympic committe