Should subbers get paid?

In my opinion, yes. I think it be a great way to motivate somebody to sub a drama instead of hoping that somebody would do it.

How should they get paid? Us addicts donate money, and some of that money goes to subbers and rippers.

Wut u guys think?

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:18 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I think something lik this would make chaos in the subbing community
mainly they will hav conflicts on whos gettin more and stuff lik that....

Donation = for the servers, domain space, stuff like that...

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:22 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

This question has been dealt with several times...

The general consensus is: NO...

No is not because we dont appreciate their work... Its because (and I know this from experience) fansubbing is a labor of love. Once you start putting money into play then it becomes a task and the fansubbers become a victim of PAYING fans expectations (as if those expctations werent high enough as it is, have you visited the subtitle threads these days?? Its all whining and bitching!)... I can see it already: -following comment to be read in extremely nasal 90210 kind of voice- "We are paying you to do this, why isnt it done, like yesterday!"

If you are willing to pay fansubbers, then why not wait until the official versions come out, or subscribe to satelite?

Anyway, there are so many reasons for which this is wrong - fansubbing is fans subbing something because they want to share it with other fans....

I think the only time when donations should be involved is when the subber has to purchase expensive boxsets, servers, webspace and the like...

Anyway, these are just my thoughts on this issue... Alcoholic

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:34 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Thanks guys for your replies, especially miriko. I apologize if I didn't read any past post about this. I totally agree with you guys and you guys got me convinced.

Anyways, I think it's pretty stupid that there are those who complain about something that is free and made by ppl from the goodness of their hearts.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:35 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:37 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

i'm a subber and i think that it doesnt really matter if we get paid or not

i'm not doing this to get paid. and i dont care if others subbers would get more money.
i do this b/c other subbers do other projects for us (including me). I'm very thankful and I would like to help out the community too.

and besides people would expect you to do more if you get paid.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:00 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

No, this is why they are called fan sub not just sub.
I don't think fans get paid for being a fan.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:09 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I'm surprised no one has yet to bring up the legal ramifications of paid fansubbing.

As per the Berne Convention, translation of a copyrighted work without authorization is illegal. It is also illegal to redistribue copyrighted material, which fansubbers do. Many countries have signed the Berne Convention, and it's safe to bet that the country you live in or the country from which you're downloading a drama, has signed the Convention.

I don't doubt that if fansubbers start getting paid to do what they do, the authorities will start shutting them down left and right.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:14 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Good point. Why didn't I think of that. Doh!

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:23 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Hmm... With the exception of going halfway "legit" and doing work for one or another of the companies that produce the dvd's, I can't really see accepting money for working on them. If anyone else wanted to, well that's their thing. The only exception to this in my mind would be if someone wanted to contribute by helping to supply the source videos, dvds, etc. then that might work, but methinks it would be preferable to actually deal with the videos themselves rather than getting tied up with the money end. That and it seems that most of the subbing groups find ways to get the vids anyway, so except in a rare case or two, it would be a non-issue.

Just mine own little opinion....

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:02 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:14 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

i guess it's becoz a lot of people are benefitting here.. so far.. it's not hurting anyone... Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:20 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

@seneschal: movie torrents were taken off the site because d-addicts wasn't completely off that "radar"...
movies tend to earn revenue worldwide, while the doramas are usually more of a national product...
so chances are, the copyright owners will enforce their rights more vigorously on movies...
maybe i'm wording this wrong, but i just got up and my head still feels like it's stuffed with cotton... pinch

about getting paid for fansubbing, miriko's certainly right about money turning something that's fun to do in your freetime into a chore...
i don't think money would beat out fun as a motivational factor... well, least not for me... Cool

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:02 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

For folks already involved in fansubbing now, i doubt money would motivate them to "work harder". For fangrps wanting to recruit members, i guess offering incentives direct downloads of dramas (ie no need to struggle with BT speeds) or the use of FTP server space for personal uses might help.

I would presume fansubbers are driven by different motivations. Some to improve on their language listening skills, others to pimp their favourite actors/actresses out to a wider audience, some just love the drama so much that they have a compulsive need to share the love.

Rather than money, isn't it better to motivate fansubbers with your sincerity and enthusiam for their projects? By that i don't mean the hundreds of 2 words "thank you" on the subtitles thread. Find out what makes the fansubber tick. Say you have a great fan of Ueto Aya subbing her next season's drama on flight attendants, you've came to gain a greater appreciation for Aya chan after viewing 2/3 episodes of the subber's work. Go gush over Aya chan on the forum, scan Aya chan pics off magazines, chat about the drama. make fanvids etc. Show the fansubber his/her work has 'acheived it's intended effect"!

From personal observation, compared to anime subbing, there's probably a greater emotional attachment to the project in drama fansubbing. The best way to motivate the fansubber is engaging him/her emotionally not through hard cold cash.

I'm saying this from personal experience. I LOVE that japanese drama Tiger and Dragon, subs have been stuck at epi 6 for the longest time. Owning the japanese boxset which comes with japanese subs, frankly i've been tempted at various times to continue with the work left by the previous subber. What went gone then? Well to put it brutually, for all the messages wanting for the series to be continued and no one has been able to tell me how much they actually like it, no discussion abt the storyline/acting whatsoever here. To put it crudely, pushing the correct button would make the difference.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:09 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

well i'm subbing a series in my mother-tongue language and the first time i knew d-addicts i was wondering why these people who in fansubs do it. but now as i'm doing it is more likely because you like the series and you do it on your time because you want people to see it too. even if somebody paid me money it won't be that big difference excluding if i work as a professional translator then that might be different. beside i don't think when ppl start subbing they ever think about getting paid