SceneItAllDocs

AI Features

Translate a script into another language

AI translation converts your screenplay into any of 59 supported languages, so you can share scripts with international cast, crew, and co-production partners. You can also upload your own translated script when you already have a professional or in-house translation — it is stored and displayed exactly like an AI translation. Each translation is stored alongside the original, and you switch between languages in the script viewer at any time. This article explains how translation works, where you trigger it, and how to read the result.

How translation works

The AI translates each scene’s screenplay text into your target language while preserving the formatting, the structure, and character-name casing. Character names stay in uppercase and are not translated, so they read consistently across every language version.

Translation runs as a background job; while it runs, the AI job status bar appears below the top bar with progress and a cancel X. Translation uses credits at 1 credit = 1 scene processed, charged only when the run succeeds. One translation runs per project at a time — a second one cannot start until the first finishes, though a translation can run alongside one other kind of AI job.

Start a translation

To translate a script, open the script viewer’s Preview Options menu, then select the Translate row to open the Translate Script dialog. In the dialog:

  1. Search or browse the language list and select your target language. Languages you have already translated are not listed.
  2. To translate the whole script, leave All scenes on. To translate a range, turn All scenes off and pick the From and To scenes.
  3. Select Translate to start the job.

When the job finishes, the new language becomes available in the language menu next to the Translate row.

Upload your own translation

If you already have a translated version of the script — for example a professional translation — you can upload it instead of generating one with AI. Uploading is free (no credits) and the result behaves identically to an AI translation: it appears in the same language menu and renders the same way.

In the Translate Script dialog, switch the toggle at the top from AI translate to Upload file, then:

  1. Select the target language for the file you are uploading.
  2. Select the drop zone to choose your translated script file. The same formats as script import are accepted (.fdx, .fadein, .fountain, .highland, .celtx, .pdf, .docx, .rtf, .txt).
  3. Select Upload.

The uploaded file must contain the same number of scenes as the script you are translating, and the scenes must be in the same order — the upload is matched to your existing scenes by position. If the counts do not match you will see a “Scene count mismatch” message telling you how many scenes were found versus expected. To keep the counts aligned:

  • Export the translation in the same format as the original — Final Draft (.fdx), Fade In (.fadein), or Fountain (.fountain) are strongly recommended, because they mark scene boundaries explicitly.
  • Keep production keywords (INT./EXT., and sub-scene cues like INSERT, INTERCUT, MONTAGE) in English, even in the translated file — these tell the importer where scenes begin.
  • Upload against the same revision you are viewing; splitting, merging, or omitting scenes after import changes the scene count.

If a language already has a translation (AI or uploaded), uploading for that language replaces it. Uploaded languages are marked in the language menu with a small upload icon so you can tell them apart from AI translations.

View a translation

The trailing control on the Translate row is a language menu. It shows the language you are currently viewing — Original by default. Once a translation exists, open the menu to switch between Original and any translated language. The active language carries a check mark, so you always know which version you are reading. Select Original to return to the source language.

Reference

Partial translations and blocked scenes

Azure’s content-safety filter can block individual scenes (for example, for sexual, violent, hate, or self-harm content). When that happens:

  • The job still finishes and reports a partial result — every scene that was not blocked is translated normally.
  • In the translated view, each blocked scene shows a red Blocked: chip under its scene heading. Hover the chip for the full category and what to do.
  • The successful scene rows remain stored. The completed target language is no longer offered in the AI translation picker, so you cannot retry only the blocked rows for that same language from the current UI.
  • If you need to replace the partial result, prepare a complete professional or in-house translation and use Upload file for the same language. Upload mode allows an existing language and replaces its stored translation.

Translation facts

  • Supported languages: 59. The picker lists every language you have not yet translated.
  • Default view: Original (the source language).
  • Replacing a translated language: translated languages are excluded from the AI picker, and the current UI has no delete/retry action. In Upload file mode every language is selectable, and uploading replaces the existing translation for that language.
  • Uploading your own translation: free (no credits); accepts the same file formats as script import; the file must parse into the same number of scenes as the script.

Tips

  • Well-formatted scripts translate better. Final Draft (.fdx), Fade In (.fadein), and Fountain (.fountain) carry structural information that helps the AI tell dialogue from action.
  • Translate a short range first to check the result, then run the rest.
  • Check your credit balance before translating a full script — translation charges one credit per scene.