Forced narratives can be surprisingly easy
to get wrong

  • Not sure what should become a forced narrative?

  • Confused by different FN workflows?

  • Keep getting FN-related QC comments?

Do you need help to understand
the complexities of forced narratives?

Master subtitle narratives and forced narratives,
and stop redelivering files over missing or incorrect FNs

  • Confused by the workflows involving forced narratives?

    You will gain a comprehensive understanding of current FN workflows and industry terminology. We will show you how to create and export FN files in leading subtitling tools. We'll discuss how to approach challenges and how to make the right decisions.

  • Are you looking for Continued Professional Development
    courses for subtitlers?

    This course is perfect if you are looking for training opportunities, for instance as a member of a professional translation association. When you complete the course, you will get a Certificate of Completion, confirming your mastery of forced narratives.

  • Do you need expert guidance
    from a professional subtitler and QC-er?

    Get professional guidance from a person who's been there, you're in the right place!
    The course tutor, Dr Łukasz Dutka, is an experienced subtitler, QC-er and translator trainer, who will guide you through the complexities of forced narratives.
    You will be ready to use this knowledge immediately
    when working on subtitling or dubbing projects.

What exactly are forced narratives?

Forced narratives are subtitles that appear when the viewer needs translated information that is part of the picture or soundtrack, such as on-screen text or foreign dialogue.

But deciding what should be included, what shouldn't, and how it should be delivered isn't always obvious.

After completing this course, you will...

  • grasp the intricacies of forced narratives so that you don't have to redeliver your files due to missing or incorrect FNs

  • learn and remember crucial rules and exceptions and this way save loads of time by not having to look for a needle in a haystack or ask around in subtitling forums

  • be able to create and export FN files in leading subtitling tools

  • master the guidelines on forced narratives and feel more confident about your subtitles

  • avoid most frequent FNs-related errors as well as catch and eliminate many simple formatting errors so that your QC scores can be impeccable

Your next CPD course

The advanced course on FNs, for subtitlers and QC-ers who already know their way around

Master the rules, exceptions and workflows you need to handle forced narratives confidently, from deciding what belongs in an FN file to creating and exporting it.

This course gives you the rules and practical workflows you need to make those decisions confidently, without constantly having to search for answers or second-guess your files.

Is this course for you?

It's a good fit if you:

  • work on subtitling or dubbing projects involving forced narratives

  • need to create FNs from scratch or tag them in existing subtitle files

  • aren't always sure which on-screen text should be included

  • want to understand why QC flags missing, redundant or incorrect FNs

  • want to QC forced narratives yourself

  • need to understand professional FN terminology and workflows

This course is NOT for you if...

This course assumes that you already have a basic understanding of subtitling

  • you're new to subtitling and you want to learn the basics (then our bundle "Beginner's Guide to Subtitling" would work better for you)

  • you haven't been trained in timing subtitles and you need to learn key timing skills (check out "Timing Subtitles 101")

  • you don’t have a good grasp of general subtitling guidelines ("Master Subtitling Guidelines" is the way to go)

Master Forced Narratives

What's included in the course

  • Practical video lessons

    show you real FN examples and explain the decisions behind them

  • Interactive tutorials

    let you practise applying the rules

  • Case studies

    show how FN decisions work in real subtitling situations

  • Tool-specific tutorials

    show you how FN workflows work in professional subtitling software

  • Certification

    lets you demonstrate that you've completed the training and passed the test

Course curriculum

    1. 🤝 Welcome to the course

    1. 👨‍💻️ Welcome to Day 1

    2. 🎥 🔠 What Are Narratives?

    3. 🎥 5 common uses of forced narratives

    4. 🎞️ Forced narratives in practice (case study) 👑

    5. ❔FAQ on forced narratives

    6. 📚 Guidelines on forced narratives

    7. 🏋 Interactive Tutorial (Day 1)

    1. 🎥 Key Rules on Narratives and Forced Narratives

    2. 🎥 FNs for song lyrics 🎵

    3. 🎥 Formatting forced narratives

    4. 🎥 Dealing with foreign dialogue

    5. 🎥 Decision-making around FNs: Relevance

    6. 🎥 Decision-making around FNs: Viewer Experience 🫅

    7. 🎥 When not to use forced narratives?

    8. 🏋 Interactive Tutorial (Day 2)

    1. 🎥 🗣️ Understanding the lingo

    2. 🎥2️⃣ Two main types of FN workflows

    3. 🎥🔎 A deeper look into FN workflows

    4. 🎥 Common errors when working with FNs

    5. 🏋 Interactive Tutorial (Day 3)

    6. 🐫Working with parallel subtitling tracks in EZTitles - ❔FAQ

    7. 🐫 EZTitles: How to create an FN file based on full subtitle file

    8. 🐫 EZTitles: How to edit and export FN files

    9. 🏷️How to use Tags in OOONA Tools

    10. 🏷️Tagging forced narratives in OOONA - ❔FAQ

    1. 🎓 Certification Test

    1. 👋 Closing remarks - learning never ends

About this course

  • €79,00
  • 28 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Our guarantee

We are confident in the quality of our courses, which has been confirmed by many satisfied students. That’s why we are able to offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

If you buy the course and find that you did not learn anything new or that you think the course is not in line with its description or syllabus, we will refund you 100% of what you paid. [See “Terms of use” for details.]
We offer 100% money-back guarantee.

Showcase your skills

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Once you complete the course, you'll receive a Certificate of Completion. Certificates are a great way to document your learning! You can share them on social media and use them with clients, employers or colleagues.
A woman holding a university diploma

Meet your instructor

Experienced subtitler, QC-er and audiovisual translation trainer

Łukasz Dutka is an audiovisual translator, subtitling trainer and expert in media accessibility. He has worked as a subtitler and QC-er for leading localisation companies since 2012, including on high-profile titles.
He also has extensive experience training subtitlers and teaching audiovisual translation at university level.
As a trainer, Łukasz combines practical industry experience with a clear, hands-on approach, helping subtitlers understand not just what to do, but why.

Already considering Master Subtitling Guidelines?

These two courses work well together, but you don't need to take them in a particular order. Master Forced Narratives focuses specifically on identifying, formatting and delivering FNs.

  • Master Subtitling Guidelines

    Master Subtitling Guidelines covers the wider set of subtitling rules and includes a dedicated section on FNs.

    €119,00

    Learn subtitling guidelines here

FAQ

Any questions?

  • Is this course too basic if I already work as a subtitler?

    Almost certainly not. This is our advanced course on forced narratives, built for people who already subtitle professionally. If you’re creating or tagging FNs, reading QC feedback on them or doing the QC yourself, this is pitched at you. It goes well beyond “what is a forced narrative” into decision-making (relevance, viewer experience, when not to use them), the two main FN workflows, and hands-on export and tagging in professional software. If you’re brand new to subtitling, it’s the wrong starting point, and we’ll happily point you to the Beginner’s Guide bundle instead.

  • Can I enrol in this course if I haven't completed "Master Subtitling Guidelines"?

    Yes. While many students enrol in "Master Forced Narratives" after completing "Master Subtitling Guidelines", you can also take each of these two courses separately. It really depends on your needs. To make these courses stand on their own, we decided to create a small overlap and include a few lessons in both of these courses. And for students who buy both courses, we're offering a 25 euros discount.

  • How long does it take to complete the course?

    Usually the students take a few days to complete this course and we suggest that you do it over three days, dedicating one or two hours per day. But it's up to you - the duration of the course depends on your individual needs, previous knowledge and the time you have. If you like, you can even do it all in one intensive day! (However, dividing your time into various, shorter study sessions is better for your memory.) Please remember that by signing up, you get a one-year access to the course and lifetime access to our social media learning community.

  • Does this count as CPD?

    Yes. You finish with a Certificate of Completion carrying a verifiable personal ID, which you can put towards continuing professional development with translation and subtitling associations, and share with clients or employers as proof you know FNs properly.

  • Will I have to attend regular online classes?

    No, this course is self-paced, which means you can do as much as you want at a time. You're in full control of your learning process. Join our private Facebook group to network with your fellow students. If you're not a fan of Facebook (some of us aren't too), you can follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or send us an e-mail at [email protected].

  • Do I need any subtitling software?

    No, to complete this course you don't need access to subtiling software. Please check our other courses to get free 3-month access to professional subtitling software. If you haven't got any subtitling or translation experience, we recommend taking our bundle including the FUNDAMENTALS OF SUBTITLING & TIMING SUBTITLES 101.

  • Can I get an invoice for the course with my company/organization details?

    Sure! All you need to do is send us your organization details (name, address, VAT number) at [email protected]. Our accounting team will be back with the invoice.

  • Do you offer bulk pricing for LSPs?

    If you want to purchase licenses for your team of subtitlers or make this course available internally within your organization, reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to send you an offer. At AVT Masterclass, we're experienced in delivering live and online trainings as well as developing custom-made training materials for large organizations.

  • Can you help me get a job?

    Well, no :-) But we can help you become a better subtitler. And you can check our free webinar on finding jobs in AVT and media localization that will give you some ideas on how to search for jobs.