Captioning Key

Mixed case characters are preferred for readability. However, capital letters are used for an individual word or a single phrase to denote empasis or shouting.

A font, or typeface, is a set of characters at a certain size, weight, and style. Sometimes font selection is not possible, but often it is. consistency throughout the media is extremely important.

1. Characters need to be a medium weight font. The example below is ideal.
   

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   The weight of this font is too heavy:

   

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   The weight of this font is too light:

   

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2. Characters must be sans serif, have a drop or rim shadow, and be proportionally spaced.
3. The font must include upper- and lowercase letters with descenders that drop below the baseline. Pick a font and spacing technique that does not allow overlap with other characters, ascenders, or descenders.
4. The use of a translucent box is preferred so that the text will be clearer, especially on light backgrounds.
   

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5. Multi-lined captions should be left aligned when technically possible.
   

When a sentence is broken into two or more lines of captions, it should be broken at a logical point where speech normally pauses unless it would exceed the 32-characters-per-line requirement.

1. Do not break a modifier from the word it modifies. Example:
   Inappropriate Mark pushed his black
   truck.

   Appropriate Mark pushed
   his black truck.
2. Do not break a prepositional phrase. Example:
   Inappropriate Mary scampered under
   the table.

   Appropriate Mary scampered
   under the table.
3. Do not break a person’s name nor a title from the name with which it is associated. Examples:
   Inappropriate Bob and Susan
   Smythe are at the movies. Suzy and Professor
   Barker are here.

   Appropriate Bob and Susan Smythe
   are at the movies. Suzy and Professor Barker
   are here.
4. Do not break a line after a conjunction. Example:
   Inappropriate In seconds she arrived, and
   he ordered a drink.

   Appropriate In seconds she arrived,
   and he ordered a drink.
5. Do not break an auxiliary verb from the word it modifies. Example:
   Inappropriate Mom said I could
   have gone to the movies.

   Appropriate Mom said I could have gone
   to the movies.
6. Never end a sentence and begin a new sentence on the same line unless they are short, related sentences containing one or two words. Example:
   Inappropriate He suspected that his face
   turned pale. He knew he
   
   wouldn’t be able to speak
   if spoken to. Running toward
   
   the void, he halted…

   Appropriate He suspected that his face
   turned pale.
   
   He knew he wouldn’t be able
   to speak if spoken to.
   
   Running toward the void,
   he halted…

Caption placement (vertical and horizontal) refers to the location of captions on the screen. Placement is not possible on all players, but when it is, it's very important.

1. Most captions are placed on the bottom two lines, but placement must not interfere with existing visuals/graphics, such as maps, illustrations, names of countries, job titles, or the names, faces, or mouths of speakers. Should interference occur, captions should be placed at the top of the screen. If placing captions at the top of the screen also interferes with visuals/graphics, place captions elsewhere on the screen where they do not interfere.
   

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2. It is preferred that there are no more than two lines per caption.
3. Captions that have two or more lines must be left-aligned. Example:
   Inappropriate Today’s event is
       the Monster Truck Rally.

   Appropriate Today’s event is
   the Monster Truck Rally.
4. It is essential to place all captions within reasonable margins. This will avoid the possibility of missing characters at right or left screen or missing descenders/ascenders at bottom or top screen.
5. For media with one offscreen narrator and no preexisting graphics, captions should be left-aligned at center screen on the bottom two lines.
6. Single-line captions should be centered on the bottom line.
7. Three- or four-line captions are occasionally acceptable if a one- or two-line caption would interfere with preexisting graphics or be confusing with regard to speaker identification.
   

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8. In the case where essential sound effects are used simultaneously with dialogue that is captioned, the captions that identify the sound effects should be placed at the top of the screen.
9. Captioned dialogue must be placed under the speaker as long it does not interfere with graphics or other preexisting features.
   

   
   
   
   
10. When people onscreen speak simultaneously, place the captions underneath the speakers. Do not use other speaker identification techniques, like hyphens. If this is not possible due to the length of the caption or interference with onscreen graphics, caption each speaker at different timecodes.
    
    
11. If a speaker continuously moves from one onscreen location to another, one placement for captions of that speaker’s communication must be used. Speaker identification may be added for clarification. (Confusion occurs when captions jump around the screen.)
12. When a person is thinking or dreaming, place the italicized caption(s) above the speaker’s head and add a description in brackets, such as the word “thinking,” above the captioned thoughts.