What software do you use to make your fansubs?

Probably 90% of our work is done in Apple’s Final Cut Pro. We also use Adobe’s Photoshop for creating images when necessary. We use Apple’s DVD Studio Pro to create DVDs. DivX files are created using the DivX Pro codec, via QuickTime Player (Pro). We also use our own Eva software for script editing, although it is not yet up to the task of being used as a primary tool; it is mostly used at the end of a project to generate script files in various formats for download. As you may have guessed, we use Mac OS X for almost all of our work. Our servers run FreeBSD. Most of the web site is generated using PHP; all of the pages are created by hand (in vi). Our BitTorrent tracker and other miscellaneous tools are internally developed applications, written in C and C++.

What is the difference between VHS and SVHS?

SVHS is a special tape format that records video at a higher horizontal resolution and with a better signal-to-noise ratio than normal VHS. An SVHS tape is the same size and shape as a VHS cassette, but it is physically different and will not work in a normal VHS player. (Don’t try it!) A good SVHS tape will have substantially better image quality compared to a VHS recording. You can usually purchase an SVHS-capable VCR at any major electronics store; look in the high-end VCR section for units sporting a distinctive “SVHS” logo. A good consumer SVHS deck will probably cost around $200, and will be able to play both SVHS and VHS tapes. Blank SVHS tapes will typically cost from $7 to $15 each, depending on brand and quality.

Why won’t you release DVD copies of your fansubs?

Our mastering is done using uncompressed video. We produce high-bitrate DVDs that we use to create SVHS and VHS copies. We generate our DivX files from the same uncompressed sources (although there is of course a large and unavoidable quality drop when going from uncompressed NTSC full-frame video to 640x480 MPEG-4 at ~200KBps). We have no intention of releasing any of our titles on DVD because, quite simply, the quality of the DVDs would be too good.

Of course we want to produce the very best quality fansubs that we can; however, if a commercial release were to come out, we would certainly want people to purchase the legitimate release. We are not in the business of providing cheap alternatives to “the real thing.” If we were to release DVD copies, people would have a lot less to gain by buying a commercial release. Our current releases look good (we hope); however, compared to a commercial DVD, a tape or DivX copy just isn’t going to cut it – and in this case, that is a good thing.

We know that a number of people will just hang on to their fansubs rather than purchasing the legitimate copies, regardless of the potential increase in quality; however, if we were to be providing commercial-quality DVDs, then that number would undoubtedly be much higher, and that is not something that we want to encourage.

Why do you wait so long after a show comes out to start subbing it?

We create all of our fansubs using the official Japanese DVDs (not from off-the-air “raw captures”); these DVDs usually come out anywhere from a few months to (occasionally) a few years after the episodes first aired. We also prefer to wait until the entire series is out before we begin a project – that way, we have the benefit of having already seen all of the episodes (which helps quite a bit during translation); and also we then have all of the official liner notes, which often provide additional information that is helpful in translating or creating end-notes (the notes that often appear at the ends of our fansub tapes).

While this approach means that we will rarely be the first ones to release a fansub of a given series, we feel that the increased quality is more than worth the wait.

I remember you having some really long notes at the end of your Hameln fansubs. Where did you get those notes? I saw some similar notes at the end of 3NA’s final volume of Hameln.

We compiled the notes from a variety of sources, including a number of dictionaries (especially the OED); several music-related encyclopedias and textbooks; and quite a few history and archaeology books and web sites (particularly for the information on musical instruments in the ancient world).

Many of the notes in 3NA’s fansub were actually based on our notes. We shared our scripts and notes with them while we were working on the series. (Both of our groups were independently working on fansubs of the series at around the same time.)

Once we have completed our new edition of the Hameln fansubs, we will be releasing a master list of all of our notes (revised and expanded), with a complete bibliography.

Regarding Hameln... I have heard (or I believe) that the correct translation is “Hameln the Violinist,” not “The Violinist of Hameln.” Which correct? Are you sure?

The correct title is The Violinist of Hameln. Yes, we are sure. Here’s why:

From a purely grammatical point, the Japanese title (Haamerun no baiorin-hiki) could be translated either way. The “no” particle marks Hameln as being in the genitive case. In both English and Japanese, this can imply either possession (the violinist, who is of [from the place] Hameln) or attribution (the violinist, who is Hameln); in English, this is often (but by no means necessarily) denoted by the word “of.” Both of the English titles in question would be translated to the same thing in Japanese.

In this particular instance, the reader is often further confounded by the fact that the main character’s name is Hamel (Haameru in Japanese), which is frequently mistaken for “Hameln” (since that word does appear in the title). In a cast interview with some of the voice actresses, the (Japanese) interviewer even made this mistake and was corrected by one of the seiyuu. The fact that some fansubs of this series have erroneously used this as the main character’s name has only worked to worsen this misconception. Nonetheless, there is no character in the series named Hameln (violinist or otherwise).

So if the character’s name is “Hamel,” why is the title “Hameln?” In the folklore of Europe, Hameln, Germany is the town in which the legend of the Pied Piper took place – a legend which centered around a mysterious man who could play Magical Music, not unlike our hero Hamel. (The town’s name is also sometimes written as “Hamlin” or “Hamelin” in English.) The title of the series is alluding to this legend. (Furthermore, in the manga on which the anime was based, the town of the main character’s birth is specifically named as “Hameln,” further supporting this reference, although this connection is never explicitly made in the anime.)

In short, the series is about a violinist (Hamel) from the town of Hameln (a reference to the German folk tale). The correct English title is The Violinist of Hameln.

Why don’t you list any credits in your fansubs? Who are you people?

We do list one credit: Our group name (and, starting in 1998, our web site address – although we did not release any fansubs to the public until 1999, so this is more a point of internal trivia). We do not produce fansubs for personal recognition; the real credit goes to the actual creators of the anime (and for this reason we always translate the original credits).

We do make our group name known, so that people will know how to find us if they are interested in seeing others of our fansubs (or if they have a suggestion, question, complaint, etc. that they wish to convey to us).

Certainly translating an anime series, movie, etc. is a substantial endeavor, and we do not have any objections to others who do wish to list their own credits on their own fansubs (as long as they do so in a reasonable fashion). However, from our founding our policy has been to not list any personal credits; the Instrumentality Project is the only name of ours that will be made known.

How many people does it take to make a fansub?

At minimum, one. A few of our titles have been made by a team of two. This does not include review cycles, when a production copy or release candidate may be screened and checked for problems by a number of people; but the actual work for a given fansub (including all translation, editing, timing, etc.) is generally done by one person.

Do note, however, that this question is really very dependent upon the internal organization and production methods used by a given group. It is much more common for a group to employ a number of people (greater than one) in the production of a fansub; there are advantages and drawbacks to each approach.

How long does it take to make a fansub?

This depends on the title in question. For example, the Angel’s Egg movie has only 98 lines of dialogue (most of them quite short); it probably took more time to record the master copy than it did to do the actual timing and translation. On the other hand, we have been known to spend hours on a single line, trying to come up with the best translation: Often this is more difficult than it seems – we have to ensure that a translation is both accurate and readable in the short time (and small space) that we have available to display it on-screen. There are also times when a Japanese phrase is intentionally vague in a way that cannot be directly translated into English without changing the mood or meaning that the speaker is trying to convey. (And of course there are sometimes words that are obscure, made-up, or simply unintelligible.)

In general, we prefer to take our time and ensure that we produce the best possible fansub that we can. It can take us anywhere from a week to over a month to produce a typical four-episode volume. Note that we do also have “regular” jobs, so this work is done “after-hours.” We may spend anywhere from one to eight hours per day on fansubbing (more on weekends or over vacations); sometimes we will take days or weeks off and not work on a project at all. (We also have to take time occasionally to work on things such as the web site and our various software endeavors, and we generally shut down operations for about a month during the summer convention season.)

For more details on the steps involved in making a fansub, see the project page.

How many people are there in the Instrumentality Project? What is the structure of your “Council?”

There are seven seats on the Instrumentality Council; not all of these are filled. The Council members direct the affairs of the Project, but they are not its only agents. Further details will remain undisclosed.

Do you need any translators, editors, etc.?

Not at this time, no. (But thank you for the offer.)

Do you accept sponsorships? Will you sub something for me if I provide the source material?

No. While we will certainly consider any suggestions, our projects are entirely decided (and funded) internally.

Why did you only subtitle the final four episodes of Brother, Dear Brother?

We have close ties with the Anime Club at the University of Texas at Austin. In the spring of 2002, they began showing the Techno-Girls’ fansubs of this series. The final volume was not out at the time; but the Anime Club was showing only one episode a week (not counting inter-semester breaks), so they were hoping that the final volume would be out by the time they needed it. However, as time went on, it was apparent that a backup plan would be needed; so we volunteered to subtitle the final four episodes in the event that the club’s showings got to that point before the episodes were released by the Techno-Girls.

As it turned out, we did end up subtitling those final four episodes for the Anime Club. Furthermore, as soon as word got out that we were working on the final volume (before we had even mentioned it on our web site), we began receiving requests for copies. Once we completed the volume, we began offering copies for distribution.

However, we do not have any plans to work on the other episodes in this series at this time; the final volume was done as a favor to the UT Anime Club, and distributed as a favor to the many anime fans who requested it. It was never intended to be a complete project. The other volumes have been subtitled by the Techno-Girls (and are available from them on DVD); they will also be releasing their own version of the final volume, most likely in the near future.

There were at one point DivX copies of the first 35 episodes floating around out there, but they were by all accounts extremely low-quality captures from old, high-generation VHS tapes. We have also heard more recently that another group is producing new DivX-based fansubs, working from the Japanese DVDs (as we did); these will presumably be of better visual quality than the tape-capture versions. However, we had nothing to do with these other releases (nor did the Techno-Girls, for that matter); all that we know of them is what we have heard from others, which may or may not be accurate.

Do you have “secret” projects? I have heard that you subtitled (fill in the blank), but it isn’t mentioned on your site.

We have had (and still do have) projects underway that are not mentioned on our web site. We’re not trying to keep any of these “under wraps;” generally these are just projects that we aren’t sure whether we are really going to finish (or even start), or else shows that we suspect will probably be licensed soon and thus most likely aren’t worth devoting a lot of time to.

We have also worked on a number of “side projects” that are not listed on this site; most often, these are just the first few episodes of a given series, subtitled for showing at a private gathering or at the UT Anime Club. (If there are enough episodes to fill a tape, then we will offer copies for distribution; but often these side projects are only one or two episodes long.)

Finally, some of our earliest works were never distributed to the public, and so they are not listed here.