FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION. Types of Captioning 2 types. The difference is whether or not the user has to turn on the captions.

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Phillip Booker
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1 Captioning Text Requirements These requirements provide a framework for facilitating the process of creating, storing, securing, and conforming caption data for use with current and future media distribution platforms, performing these repeatable processes at the highest level of quality with the greatest degree of efficiency and effectiveness. Since a single video may need to be developed multiple ways and then posted to several platforms, this document clarifies requirements for online video production, encoding, and file format standards and defines captioning specifications for preferred file formats. Captions not only display words as the textual equivalent of spoken dialogue or narration, but also include speaker identification, sound effects, and music description. It is critical that captions are: Synchronized and appear at approximately the same time as the audio is delivered Equivalent and equal in content to that of the audio, including speaker identification and sound effects Accessible and readily available to those who need them FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION Types of Captioning 2 types. The difference is whether or not the user has to turn on the captions. Open Captions Permanently overlaid on the picture. This is the Starbucks default. Closed Captions Can be turned on and off. They are closed because the caption is not seen unless a decoder is set to open the captions for display. Internet captions are generally referred to as closed captions because they can be turned on and off and the controls for web captions are based on the media player (e.g., Windows Media, QuickTime, Flash, RealMedia). DVD captions can be turned on or off, and can be either closed captions (decoder required) or subtitled (menu driven). Methods of Captioning 2 methods. The difference between the two methods is a matter of timing - when the captions are created and displayed. Offline Captions Created and added after a production has been recorded, but before it is aired or played. Captions display precisely as words are spoken. Additional information, such as sound effect and music description, is also included. Captions appear in the pop-on style (see below). Offline captions are used for customer-oriented video, pre-produced web video, social media posts, and DVD. This is the Starbucks default. Realtime Captions Created and added during a live broadcast. These will lag a few seconds behind the audio and may have a few errors. Realtime captioning is transcribed as phonetic code by professionals using special steno machines. Sometimes the steno software expands the codes into the wrong word. Homophone errors are particularly common (e.g., reign/rain). For the Starbucks Captioning Standard, realtime captions are not in scope. They may be requested by a partner as a disability accommodation to be used for meetings, webinars, or live events. Each disability accommodation is reviewed on a case by case basis by the partner s manager or generalist. For the most accurate realtime captioning, key names, terms, numbers, and any other relevant information is provided ahead of time to the captioner. Contact Global Diversity for assistance.

2 Styles of Captioning 2 styles. The difference is the way the captions are presented. Pop-on- Used for pre-recorded video. Appear on screen in one- or two-line blocks for a few seconds and disappear as new captions pop on the screen. The timing of each caption is precisely synchronized with the picture and program audio. This style of captions is often easiest to read, covers less of the program picture, and is the most time- and cost-efficient style for repurposing video for multiple video delivery platforms. Since most web caption formats only display pop on captions this is the preferred style to use if there is a possibility of using the same file in multiple contexts. Pop-on captions are recommended for all pre-recorded programs with shelf life. This is the Starbucks default. Roll-up Mostly used for real-time captioning. A single line of captions scrolls onto the screen from left to right replacing the line of text above it. Two, three, and occasionally four lines of text are visible on the screen at once. The top line disappears as each new bottom line scrolls on. Captioning is matched to the program audio but are not precisely synchronized. Some pre-recorded programs use this roll-up style but it is primarily employed by broadcast television and companies that do not have plans to repurpose the programs for different media distribution channels. Text Requirements Character Limit In order to be compliant with the most restrictive formats, captions should be limited to two lines each, with no more than 32 characters per line. Longer blocks of text are to be separated into multiple captions. Captions that will be played through a broadcast, DVD or television set require adequate transmission time. Each letter or control code in a caption needs a certain amount of time to load into the decoder. This varies based on the length and content of the caption, and can be calculated by the caption editing software. For example, a two-line pop-on caption may require 45 frames to load. A caption generally loads into the decoder while the previous caption is being displayed. If a caption does not have enough transmission time, it will not decode properly; it will be garbled or will not display at all. Captioners must verify that all captions in the file have enough transmission time, taking special care with the first caption in a file or following a dialogue pause or commercial break. Web caption formats do not have a transmission time requirement. Font Captioning should be presented in a sans-serif font for legibility on a screen. Serifs can become jagged or blurry and are distracting to the reader. Arial, upper and lower case, is recommended because it is very commonly installed on both Windows and Mac computers, and it has the full Unicode extended character set, including most accented characters. Some captioning methods, such as Windows Media Player SAMI captioning, use a local font installed on the user s computer. Alternative sans-serif screen fonts that may be used include Tiresias, Helvetica, Verdana, and Lucida Sans. Not all caption formats allow control of font attributes. Bold the text for legibility ease. The font is easier to see against a moving or highly detailed background. Italics should be avoided. Arial, bold is the Starbucks default.

3 Size Two xml-based formats have font control tags: timed text XML files for Flash and SAMI files for Windows Media Player. For web formats like this, a font size of 16 points is large enough to be seen at most any video size without being so large as to be affected by resizing. Like analog broadcast televisions, some distribution channels such as YouTube have a preselected font, color, and size that cannot be changed by the content owner or the end user. Standard-definition video subtitles are generally easy to read at 30 points; any larger and some viewers complain that too much of the picture is obscured. A 720P video can take subtitles at 45 points while a 1080 video, interlaced or progressive, uses 60-point subtitles. Broadcast television closed captions are displayed in a font and font size determined by the decoder in the TV receiver. Digital receivers, including high-definition receivers, are capable of allowing the user to select from different font styles and sizes, though not all hardware takes advantage of this capability and not all users are aware of these options. 16 point for web 30 point for standard def TV, DVD 45 point for 720 HD 60 point for 1080 HD Color The high contrast of white letters (255/255/255) over a black box is visible to users with many different levels of visual acuity. This is the most common color combination for captions and subtitles. Newer digital captions allow the user to make the box semi-transparent or to remove it entirely. To make white letters stand out against a light-colored background, each letter is generally outlined with 1 or 2 pixels of black edge. In some formats, a drop shadow may also be available and should be used, as it can make the text pop out of the screen and enhance readability.yellow, either pale or bright, is also seen in subtitling. Yellow can be a good choice for video that has a lot of white backgrounds or for a very long program where white subtitles may cause eye fatigue. Some shades of yellow do not display well on all monitors. White lettering with a black background box is the Starbucks default. Placement Place captions at the bottom of the title safe area of the screen. To avoid covering on-screen titles or critical onscreen action such as a partner s hands during a demonstration, the captions can be moved to the top of the screen, specifically to the top of the title safe area. Captions should be returned to the standard position after the graphic has cleared. Care should be taken to avoid bouncing the captions from bottom to top and back again, as this makes them difficult to follow. Avoid placing captions in the vertical middle of the screen as it is difficult for the viewer to locate the captions quickly enough to read them. If a program has many graphics at the bottom of the screen, an option is to position all the captions at the top. Some media players, such as Windows Media Player, place the captions in a separate box rather than over the picture, eliminating the need to avoid covering on-screen elements. YouTube captions always appear near the bottom of the frame. To avoid placing graphics or critical visual information where it may be obscured by the captions, inform producers about captioning requirements in advance. Producers who are made aware of the intention to caption can place graphics, such as speaker names and affiliations or geographical locations, higher on the screen so they will not interfere with the captions. For an image 480 lines high, graphics may be placed above line 324.

4 Alignment Center-justify captions on the bottom of the screen. This allows the viewer to absorb the maximum visual information while simultaneously reading the captions. Reading Rate The presentation rate is the number of captioned words per minute that are displayed on screen. Each word, including speaker identification, sound effects and other similar elements, is calculated. A presentation rate of approximately words per minute is average for adults. No caption should ever exceed 235 wpm. Extraneous words may be omitted to bring down a fast reading rate, but captions should not be rephrased. Captions should not display for less than two seconds. Line Division Line breaks should be inserted to enhance clarity of meaning. Clauses and phrases should be kept together in the same caption and on the same line when possible. Each pop-on caption should, ideally, be a complete thought, within the limits of the two-line, 32-characters-per-line rule. Lines of a caption should be of roughly equal length for ease of reading. Speaker Identification In order to ensure that captions remain coherent in all formats, speaker identification should be done within the caption text, rather than using screen placement to distinguish the speaker. Speakers are indicated by a name followed by a colon and space, or displayed graphically with a hyphen (-). If names are used, be consistent with either using all first names, all last names, or all full names. If there is no name, a job title or other short description is appropriate, such as store manager:, customer:, or firefighter:. Use lowercase letters so viewers will not confuse titles with proper names. If the speaker is narrating and never on screen, use narrator: In order to stay with the two-line limit for captions, speaker identification should go on the same line as the caption text if the caption is two lines long, or on its own line if the caption text is short. Example: Barista: Can I get a drink started for you?. Customer: Non-fat, no-whip caramel frappuccino.? Please note that not all formats support this placement. YouTube captions, for example, always appear near the bottom of the frame. Some media players, such as Windows Media Player, place the captions in a separate box rather than over the picture, eliminating the need to avoid covering on-screen elements. Pen Styles Italics are not recommended since all formats do not support the use of italics and may insert junk characters instead. As an alternative to italics, indicate titles by quotation marks and EMPHASIS by the use of all capital letters. Sound Effects

5 Sounds that are relevant to the understanding of the material need to be described in the captions. This description is usually bounded by brackets, [ ], or parentheses, ( ). Brackets are the more common convention. Care should be taken not to editorialize and to use simple language rather than jargon. If the source of the sound is obvious, the sound effect alone, usually expressed in participle form, suffices. If the source of the sound is not visible and a hearing viewer would be able to determine the source, the source needs to be indicated in the captions. For example, if a large, swaying bell is on screen, the caption can read [ringing]. If the bell is not immediately visible, the caption ought to read [bell ringing]. Music Music is identified by title and artist as well as a concise description of that music. This information should be bounded by brackets, [ ]. As with sound effects, care should be taken not to editorialize and to use simple language rather than jargon. If lyrics are sung, the lyrics should be captioned, and [singing] indicated in the text. The musical note character ( ) can be used but caution that it is not available in all caption formats. No audio If there is no sound at all, which is sometimes used for effect, use the caption [no audio]. If a character s mouth is moving but their words are not included in the audio, use the caption [speaking silently]. If the audio contains music but not speech, caption the music. Languages other than English If a person is speaking in a language other than English, identify the language and use the caption [speaking Italian], [speaking Mandarin], [speaking Swahili]. Consult the video s producer to identify the language. If the language cannot be identified with certainty, use [speaking foreign language], though that should be avoided wherever possible. If the speaker includes commonly understood words (e.g., gracias, bonjour ), especially if the words are part of an otherwise English sentence, include them and spell them out. Verbatim Dialogue content is captioned verbatim and is not to be rephrased or edited. Excessive use of colorful spellings should be avoided, though an occasional example such as gonna or fixin may be included to convey the flavor of the speech if the context is appropriate. Most corporate communications are captioned using standard spellings only. Abbreviations and Symbols Clarity is the paramount concern. Avoid use of abbreviations unless the speaker pronounces them that way. For example, 12:00 a.m. is appropriate; etc. is not. The ampersand (&) should not be used unless it is part of a trademark. The trademark, registered trademark, and copyright symbols will not appear properly in all players. As an alternative, use the appropriate letter in parentheses (Tm). The degree symbol (º) is small and often difficult to see; a better alternative is to spell out the word degrees. Spelling Check spelling against a reliable dictionary source - Merriam-Webster Unabridged online dictionary ( is comprehensive, regularly updated, and widely available. American English spelling should be used unless the program is localized specifically for a country using British English.

6 Grammar Conform to Associated Press style. While many speakers do not use complete sentences or proper grammar, punctuation should be judiciously applied to enhance clarity, though words should not be altered. Transcript Preparation For some videos, transcripts may already be created by the subject matter expert or project lead and can be used for the captioning or sent to the captioning vendor. If transcripts are not available, the captioning vendor will do. For transcripts provided to a vendor, ensure transcript is fully edited (accurate spelling of content, names, titles and approved Vendors hired to transcribe audio content are expected to research spelling, capitalization, and punctuation Caption text will be provided to Starbucks for review, to be approved before final export A Starbucks style guide with names of products and key personnel, terms of art, and other Starbucks-specific terminology should be provided to the vendors When Starbucks reviewers make capitalization or spelling changes to caption files, vendors are responsible for keeping their guides updated. Captioning Credit (optional) A credit for captioning is placed at the end of a program and reads Captioning provided by. Some media, such as commercials or short web videos, may be too short in length for a credit to be inserted.

Guidelines for Captioning

Guidelines for Captioning TEXT: CASE Mixed case characters are preferred for readability Use Capital Letters for: Individual word Single Phrase to denote emphasis Shouting FONT USE: White Characters Medium