Video coming soon
The recording for this lesson has not been published yet.
What we cover
- Master timeline plus language variants
- Version control for scripts and audio files
- Caption translation workflow
- Quality checks before publishing both versions
Lesson notes
1. What this lesson is for
In this lesson you keep one master edit and deliver clean English and Polish versions from it, without editing the video twice. This is the module deliverable: synchronized EN and PL voiceover tracks from one shared script structure. Everything you set up in lessons 5.1 to 5.3 - per-scene files, naming, pronunciation logs - pays off here.
2. The bilingual pipeline
Both languages share the same master script and the same scene IDs. They split only for adaptation, rendering and QC, and meet again on the timeline.
3. Master timeline plus language variants
Build the picture edit once, on a master project. Then create the language versions by duplicating that project (or by using separate audio and caption tracks you mute and unmute, if your project is simple). Duplicated projects are safer for delivery; muted tracks are faster for small edits. Pick one approach per project and stick with it.
- Lock the picture edit before you create variants. Every picture change after branching has to be made twice.
- Keep on-screen text that contains words out of the master, or duplicate it per language. Language-neutral graphics stay in the master.
- Correct timing drift scene by scene: if the PL line is longer, first shorten the text, then extend the shot slightly in the PL variant only if you must.
4. Version control for scripts and audio files
| Asset type | Master file | EN variant | PL variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Script | proj_master_v03.txt | proj_EN_v03.txt | proj_PL_v03.txt | Approved |
| Terminology list | proj_terms_v02.csv | EN column | PL column | Approved |
| Voiceover | - | vo/EN/proj_S01-S08_EN_* | vo/PL/proj_S01-S08_PL_* | PL S05 re-render pending |
| Captions | - | proj_EN_v02.srt | proj_PL_v01.srt | PL proofreading |
| CapCut project | proj_MASTER | proj_EN | proj_PL | In sync with master v03 |
| Export | - | proj_EN_final_v01.mp4 | proj_PL_final_v01.mp4 | Not started |
Rules
- A script change starts in the master, then flows to EN and PL (same version number).
- Scene IDs never change; add S05b instead of renumbering.
- Terminology lives in one file with EN and PL columns:
term_id, EN, PL (ASCII here - use diacritics in the real file)
T01, timeline, os czasu
T02, voiceover, lektor
T03, export, eksport
T04, captions, napisyThe three common pitfalls
Direct translation without localization, inconsistent terminology between EN and PL, and mismatched sentence timing. The terminology file and per-scene duration check prevent the last two; lesson 5.3 covers the first.
5. Caption translation workflow
- Finalize the EN captions from the EN audio and export them as a subtitle file if your CapCut version supports it.
- Generate PL captions from the PL audio, not by translating the EN file. The timing must follow Polish speech.
- Proofread PL captions against the PL subtitle script: diacritics, terms from the terminology file, no TTS respellings.
- Check reading speed in both languages; Polish blocks usually need more splitting.
6. Quality checks before publishing both versions
| Checkpoint | EN result | PL result | Owner | Rework needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation verified (log complete) | Pass | Pass | Reviewer | No |
| Pacing natural at 1x and 1.25x | Pass | S05 rushed | Voice producer | Shorten PL S05 |
| Pauses intentional | Pass | Pass | Editor | No |
| Caption timing aligned | Pass | Pass after fix | Editor | No |
| Terminology consistent | Pass | "timeline" used once | Writer | Replace with approved term |
| Same narrative intent | Reference | Pass | Native reviewer | No |
| Audio levels and ducking | Pass | Pass | Editor | No |
Watch both versions end to end
Scene checks miss problems that only appear in context, such as a music hit that lands on the wrong word in one language. Watch each export fully on a phone before publishing.
Rights check before publishing
If either version uses a cloned voice, confirm the written consent covers both languages and commercial use. Confirm your ElevenLabs plan allows commercial use of the audio.
7. Post-project review
- Which steps did you do twice that could be templated (project duplicates, caption styles, export presets)?
- Which PL lines needed rework, and could the master script have prevented it?
- How many characters or credits did each language cost, including retakes?
- What goes into your terminology file for the next bilingual project?
8. Exercise
- Take the EN and PL voiceovers from lessons 5.2 and 5.3 and build a master CapCut project with the locked picture edit.
- Create EN and PL variants, fill in the version control table, and sync each voiceover and its captions.
- Fix timing drift in at least one scene by editing the PL text, not by stretching audio.
- Run the delivery QA table for both versions and export both files with the naming pattern.
- Retrospective: write three things you will template for the next bilingual project.
Further reading
After this lesson you will
- Produce two language versions from one edit
- Manage voiceover, captions and exports systematically