Guest Blog: Translating Russian Cinema with InqScribe

Kino Klassika uses InqScribe to bring Russian film culture to new audiences.

By: Olga Doletskaya, Season Manager at Kino Klassika

Founded in 2015, Kino Klassika Foundation is the only independent organisation in the world dedicated to cinema from Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. We create programs of restorations, publications, art commissions, and events to spotlight filmmakers from the region, to create memorable experiences for audiences, and to advance the cultural demand for cinema from the region. We use film and film materials as the lens through which to examine the development of artistic and cultural norms and socio-political policy and design.

This year, we are launching a streaming platform devoted to highlighting films from Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. We plan on offering various educational materials like director interviews and critical essays, alongside the films to give a well-rounded unique experience for our viewers. However, preparing interviews for screening has not been easy since we have to transcribe in Russian, translate to English, and create subtitles. InqScribe really has cut the time we need to do this process in half. Before using InqScribe, our team struggled to get transcripts ready on time, using a Word document and video open in another window to transcribe. The most wonderful feature of InqScribe for us is being able to view the video in the small window alongside transcribing. It makes subtitling so much easier. InqScribe has improved our communication and speed since everyone is using the same program.

InqScribe has been invaluable for transcribing various audio and video educational content. It has greatly sped up our process allowing us to add more content and additional materials to our platform thus creating a more diverse experience for our audiences.

About the Author

Olga works with venues as a season manager at Kino Klassika. She is also part of the curation team, selecting titles and translating educational content for the platform. Learn more about Russian film, and Kino Klassika’s programming, at kinoklassikafoundation.org.

Thanks Olga! We’re happy InqScribe can speed up the translation work necessary to discover these Russian film classics. If you’re curious how InqScribe can fit into your translation workflow, request a free 14-day trial at inqscribe.com, or send us an email at support@inqscribe.com.

InqScribe macOS Big Sur Support

Those of you thinking of updating to macOS Big Sur (11.0), fear not. The InqScribe 2.5 beta works great on macOS Big Sur. It will of course also continue running on macOS Catalina (10.15) and most older versions of macOS going back to 10.8.

While the 2.5 beta runs on Catalina and Big Sur, our current official release, version 2.2, will not. In other words, you will need to use the 2.5 beta if you want to run InqScribe on macOS Catalina or Big Sur.

For anyone new to the beta, version 2.5 is free to download and works with your existing InqScribe license. In addition to being compatible with Catalina and Big Sur, it brings a number of new features and improvements, including:

• Native spell check
• Sleek new design, in Retina-compatible high definition
• New, more versatile media engine
• More responsive, fully native text field
• Emojis
• Improved USB device management
• Option to restore a previous session’s document windows
• New “Mute” and “Skip Forward” shortcut commands
• Various bug fixes

What’s not included in this beta:

• Windows support. Currently, the 2.5 beta is limited to macOS, but we are working on a Windows version.
• The “Save Subtitled QuickTime Movie” feature. InqScribe 2.5 moves away from QuickTime as its media player in favor of a more modern counterpart. While this change brings a host of performance benefits, it means that saving custom subtitled QuickTime movies is no longer an option. Instead, you can use a variety of alternative methods to create subtitled movies, explained in further detail here.

Download the InqScribe 2.5 beta from our website here.
For a full list of features, please see the version history page.

If you have any questions about the 2.5 beta, feel free to email us at support@inqscribe.com.

InqScribe 2.5.0.299 Beta Update

We’ve just released another update to our ongoing 2.5 Beta for macOS! This release includes further refinements and bug fixes. Here’s what’s new:

• Use of emoji no longer causes inaccurate Find/Replace results, timecode coloring, or timecode selection.
• XML exports do a better job filtering out invalid XML characters.
• Better auto-deactivation of USB devices that aren’t really input devices.
• Better window placement in certain multiple-monitor configurations.
• Rapid play rate changes no longer lead to actual and reported play rate getting out of sync.
• Minor UI improvements and bug fixes.

Download the update from our website here. Or, update your existing 2.5 Beta by opening the app and selecting “InqScribe > Check for Updates.”

New to the InqScribe 2.5 Beta? Check out our initial InqScribe 2.5 release announcement for more information on what to expect. For further questions or comments, send an email to us at support@inqscribe.com.

Freelancing With InqScribe In The Age of Corona

By Angelique Stone, freelance transcriber from Cape Point, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)

Here in South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, many have suffered a severe loss from the Coronavirus crisis. Aside from hardships to health and family life, businesses have had to close and the unemployment rate has increased to historic levels. Unfortunately, like many others, I’ve lost my account administration job. With our country still mostly under lock down, many are struggling to find work and provide for their family. In these challenging times I have turned to freelance transcription as a way to earn money.

Transcription is not always as easy as it sounds. I’ve transcribed meetings, interviews and focus group discussions, to name a few. No matter what the assignment is, there are always unexpected difficulties to overcome, be it audio quality, accents, audio formats, or simply staying focused. Without the right software, these challenges can be daunting. Reliable software not only alleviates these issues, but it also speeds up your workflow, enabling you to take on more assignments. I’m thankful to have found InqScribe, which is so straightforward and easy to use.

I particularly like the Shortcuts feature, which allows me to control the file without moving my hands away from the keyboard. InqScribe supports a wider range of both audio and video formats than what I’ve used before. It loads the files very quickly, which altogether makes it easy to get going right away with an assignment. I must also mention that the support staff are amazing and have prompt responses to queries which really puts your mind at ease should you ever need assistance.

Thanks Angelique! We’re happy InqScribe is able to help during a difficult time. If you’re interested in transcription, feel free to take InqScribe for a spin with a free 14-day trial. Otherwise, if you have any questions, you can contact us at support@inqscribe.com.

InqScribe 2.5.0.289 Beta Update Available Now for macOS!

A new version of our InqScribe 2.5 beta is now available for macOS. As you may already know, version 2.5 is an upcoming update that brings a new HD interface, an improved media engine, and full Catalina/Big Sur support. Both this public beta and the soon-to-come official release will be free to current InqScribe license holders (more detailed information about the 2.5 beta here).

This new 2.5.0.289 beta update is mostly concerned with bug fixes and small tweaks. Here’s what’s new:

• Fixed a bug where InqScribe wasn’t saving to external hard drives
• You can now click the volume “speaker” icon to mute and unmute audio
• “Mute” has been added as a shortcut command
• “Skip Forward” is another new shortcut command– it lets you move the current play position ahead by a specified number of seconds

If you’re already using the 2.5 beta, you can get the new update by selecting “InqScribe > Check for Updates” within the app. If you’re new to the 2.5 beta, download it beta fresh from inqscribe.com/download#versions. Windows users, hold tight! The 2.5 Windows build is coming soon.

For more information about the 2.5 beta, read our initial release post here. If you encounter any issues with the beta, or if you have any questions, contact us at support@inqscribe.com.

InqScribe 2.5 Beta Now Available for macOS

We’re pleased to announce InqScribe version 2.5 is now ready for public beta testing!

This update brings some long requested new features along with full Catalina and Big Sur support:

• Native spell check
• Sleek new design, in Retina-compatible high definition
• New, more versatile media engine
• More responsive, fully native text field
• Emojis
• Improved USB device management
• Option to restore a previous session’s document windows

Should you install the beta?

• No if you’re a Windows user. But don’t worry, Windows version coming soon!
• No if you want the most stable experience (i.e. you are working on a big, important project).
• Yes if you’re running macOS Catalina or Big Sur.
• Yes if you’re running any version of macOS and want to check out the new features.

If you’re running macOS Catalina or Big Sur, you will need to use the new InqScribe 2.5. Older versions of InqScribe will not work in Catalina or Big Sur.

If you are running an older macOS version, you are welcome to try the beta— but know that the current official release of InqScribe, version 2.2, will continue working on older macOS versions. Also, older versions of macOS will allow you to have both InqScribe 2.5 and the more stable 2.2 installed.

We plan to release updates to the beta en route to our official release. The launch date is tbd, but rest assured the full 2.5 release will be available free to all current InqScribe users.

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As a beta, please be aware that you may encounter some rough edges. We’ve done our best to smooth things out, but if you do encounter an issue, please draw our attention by emailing support@inqscribe.com, or by using InqScribe’s “Help > Report a bug…” feature.

Note: InqScribe is moving away from QuickTime as its media engine in favor of the more modern and versatile AVFoundation. While this change offers a host of benefits, the QuickTime-specific feature “Save Subtitled QuickTime Movie” is no longer available. Other methods of creating subtitled videos can be found here.

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The 2.5 beta is available free to all InqScribe users.  Your 2.x license will work just fine.

Download the beta here.

For a full list of features, please see the version history page.

UPDATE 7/20/2020: A new update to our 2.5 beta is now available! Download version 2.5.0.296 here.

Mac Users: InqScribe Catalina Support Coming Soon…

Apple has released macOS Catalina which has broken many applications, including InqScribe.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Don’t upgrade just yet!  As with any major OS update, we recommend waiting at least a release or two for Apple to fix the inevitable issues before upgrading.  This is doubly true if you have any critical applications that are not yet compatible with the OS, e.g. InqScribe.  So if you absolutely need to use InqScribe, please don’t upgrade yet.
2. Catalina beta coming this month!  We are actively working on an update and expect to release a free Catalina-friendly beta later this month.
3. Sign up for the beta: To be notified as soon as the Catalina beta is available, sign up for our mailing list here (if you already subscribed to our announcement list, you don’t need to re-sign up): http://eepurl.com/du-fYL

If you are already on Catalina, one possible workaround is to run a virtual machine of a past version of macOS, or Windows 10 (your InqScribe license will work on both Mac and Windows environments). You can then run InqScribe off of that virtual machine. Disclaimer: this option is fairly involved. More information on the virtual machine workaround here.

We are close! Here is a screenshot of the new UI:

Announcement: InqScribe 2.5 Coming Soon!

If you’re on a Mac, you’re probably wondering how InqScribe will handle the release of Catalina (macOS 10.15). After all, InqScribe 2.2.4 is a 32-bit app, and Catalina phases out support for 32-bit apps.

We’ve got you covered!

Yes, we are currently preparing a new release, InqScribe v2.5, due out next month as a free update. This 64-bit version is focused mainly on Catalina compatibility and bug fixes.

A robust v3 release, which will be packed with a host of new features, is still in the works. But since v3 is not ready yet, we’re putting out v2.5 to bridge the gap. With that said, v2.5 is not without some significant refinements of its own.

We’ll announce the release on this blog and in our newsletter once it lands. To sign up for our newsletter, simply fill out the form here. Interested in joining our beta-testing group? Send a note to support@inqscribe.com.

Guest Blog: Giving Voice to Nepali Women

If you live in a small community and speak a regional language, it’s difficult for your story to get out. Aliana uses InqScribe to translate the experiences of Nepali burn victims to a wider audience.

By: Aliana Monodee, a documentary filmmaker with Tribhuvan University

Aliana’s team uses InqScribe to transcribe translations for the film.

MacOS Mojave Support

With the recent release of macOS 10.14 Mojave, you may wonder, will InqScribe still work if I update? The answer is yes. InqScribe offers the same functionality on Mojave as it has with previous versions of macOS.

There is no need to download a new version of InqScribe. The current release, version 2.2.4 is the most up-to-date, and we recommend it for users on any supported operating system. If you’re on an older version of InqScribe, or if you don’t have InqScribe installed, you can download version 2.2.4 free from our website here.

As with the previous macOS High Sierra, you may see a message pop up when you first launch InqScribe about 32-bit apps becoming obsolete in the near future. In short, Apple has plans to drop support of 32-bit apps with the next major macOS release. While InqScribe remains 32-bit for now, the next version of InqScribe, being developed now, is a 64-bit version.

If you have any questions or issues about InqScribe, you can contact us at support@inqscribe.com.