All titles subtitled by the Instrumentality Project are mastered from the original Japanese DVD sources. Translation and editing are performed by Instrumentality Council members. Subtitling is performed digitally and duplication masters are written to DVD-R. We do not distribute DVD-R masters, except under very special, very rare conditions. Do not ask for them. We do provide SVHS and VHS masters; see our distribution and request page for details.

We also provide DivX-encoded copies of our fansubs; see the distribution page for details, or visit Lilith for quick BitTorrent links.

Scripts for series that we have subtitled are also available for download and online viewing; see the script database for details. (Scripts for series that have become licensed in the U.S./North American market are removed; if a script is no longer listed, please do not ask for it.)

For those who are interested, these are the general procedures that we follow when creating a fansub.

The first stage is the acquisition of the official DVD release(s) of the title to be subtitled. (We do not use off-the-air recordings.) We also purchase the official soundtrack CD(s), so that we may reference the official lyrics when translating the opening, closing, and any in-show songs. (Song lyrics will frequently employ words with double meanings, often intentionally; without the official written version, it is easy to make a mistake and choose the wrong word.) See our links page for some good sources for Japanese DVDs and CDs.

Once we have the DVDs, CDs, and any other supplementary materials, our next task is to watch the entire series, usually multiple times, so that the entire story is fresh in our minds. It is also useful at this stage to compile a master list of names, places, and any special terms (military ranks, technical jargon, etc.) that are used in the series, in order to ensure continuity during the translation process. (In some cases, official English spellings of names, etc. are provided in liner notes or other official publications. Often, though, no English spellings are provided – or, more often, contradictory versions are published in various “official” sources – and so it is useful to standardize on these at the beginning of the project.)

Additionally, any special items that may require extra research or viewer notes are noted at this time. (For example, literary or historical references, technical notes, etc.) In some cases, research is begun immediately; in other cases, the notes are compiled as the relevant episodes are reached.

Next, we digitally extract the video and audio tracks from the DVDs. For series that include creditless opening and closing sequences (which most series include as “extras” on one or more of the DVDs), we extract those versions as well, for use in creating an English-language version of the OP/ED credit sequences. Video tracks are stored as full-resolution (720 x 480), low- or zero-compression files. (These are generally many gigabytes per episode in size – large, fast hard drives are a requirement here.) If the audio tracks were encoded as AC3 (Dolby), we convert them to linear PCM (WAV) at this point.

Translation, timing, and editing are all performed simultaneously. In the past, we used the Windows-based SubStation Alpha for WAV-based timing, although we have been using Apple’s Final Cut Pro for a few years now. (We are also slowly but surely working on our own Eva timing/script-editing software.)

Subtitles and any additional compositing effects are applied using Final Cut Pro. The video files are processed in the YUV color space using either uncompressed frames (if space permits) or, if absolutely necessary, using Motion-JPEG B compression (which, while a lossy compression method, can still retain excellent quality while offering a significant reduction in file size). End-notes are also built as FCP projects.

After compositing is done and the video project is rendered, the completed episode is reviewed on the computer to check for any accidental timing or typographical errors that may have been missed in earlier editing checks. If everything appears to be correct, the video is converted into MPEG-2 format (using Apple’s Compressor software) and a DVD project is created (using DVD Studio Pro). In most cases, the audio is encoded into AC3 format (the Dolby compression format used on many DVDs). Next, a test DVD is compiled and written to DVD-RW. This disc is then reviewed on an actual TV and set-top DVD player. If any errors are noted, the project is sent back to the previous stage for corrections.

Finally, once the entire program has passed all of the checks, the project is written to DVD-R for permanent archiving and to serve as a duplication master. The DVD-R is then reviewed, using a second TV and DVD player combination. Assuming that all is well, the Council reviews the script file(s) one last time, and once the vote is passed, the title is completed, distribution is opened, and the scripts are posted to the web site for download. We also generate DivX files at this point, using the same uncompressed masters that we used to create the DVD. After this is done, we can safely delete all of the render files, etc., back up the project files, and clear up some space for our next project.