Checking Finally, after the above is done, we're ready to test out the timed subtitle script. Special software, such as those used for fansubbing, is used to make a rough draft, which is typically rife with typos, inconsistencies, and timing mistakes. Typically, at least three of these will need to be made and gone over before final approval. If you're lucky enough to be working with film, this is all done at the lab, where special laser processes etch the titles onto the negative. But more likely, you're on video, and the same hardware used to make the check tapes is used to make the master, but you're using much more expensive tape.
Problems often slip through the cracks.
Lines get jumbled. Computers crash halfway through scripts. Spacing gets screwed up. The lab accidentally changes words. Cables go bad.