Is there an easy way to make your own subtitles?

[Teshia]

Is there any easy way to make your own subtitles for DVD? I mean really, it's like pulling teeth trying to find anything user friendly on the subject. It seems to me that there's three programs for authoring DVDs that allow you to create your own subtitles. These are Maestro (no longer in print), Scenarist (a bitch to learn and if it's not crashing on my system, it's refusing to accept assets without any explanation). Then there's IFOEdit, which you can import subtitles in, but it doesn't allow you to create them, so you have to make them in it's native format of SUP. This requires translating them in SRT2SUP, provided you can get a program that can save in SRT format. All very confusing and when all is said and done, your subtitles probably come out looking green. Finding ways to setup the color (if you're not ripping the subs from a pre-existing DVD, which I'm not) is also difficult. Isn't there an easier way to do this? ULead's DVD Workshop claims to be able to do this in their newest version 2.0 but I wonder how user friendly or flexible it is. Isn't there any other easy solution?

[turboman]

I haven't done subtitles for a complete movie in a few years. This is a job for interns!!!

Meastro will import a word pad document with subtitles. If I had a template I would gladly put it online for you. Maybe someone else does. But it really is pretty simple once you see it. Just a few lines setting up the font placement and style. Then you put in the lines followed by the timecode.

The last time I had to do it I paid some company in LA to do it for me. For $300 it's quite a bargan.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. It's just been so long......

[Teshia]

Just to update this post. I managed to get a hold of ReelDVD and found it slightly better to handle than Scenarist, but it's method for creating subtitles was still crap. Crap compared to Maestro, which I also got a hold of and was MUCH more pleased with. It's too bad Spruce was acquired 'cause this program really should still be on the market and getting updated. It's subtitles look great, they're easy to make, and I can even make subtitles in a package like Subtitle Workshop, save them to Spruce Subtitle format (SST) (since saving them in Maestro format didn't work for some reason) and then import them in Maestro. Easy as pie, quick, and no freaky color issues either. Man, Sonic blows.