Subtitling and captioning can be used to quickly widen the potential audience of video material by adding textual information. Our multilingual studio has the capability to add subtitles, captions, or both (along with audio translations and sign language, if necessary) to any existing video material.

Subtitling

Subtitling is simply the addition of a text translation to video content. This service can be applied quickly to existing material in place of (or in addition to) voiceover tracks. In the case of DVDs, one or more languages can be added as a selectable 'subtitle track', allowing multiple languages or applications to be added to a single disc. For other media such as VHS or some web video, it may be necessary to produce individual copies with the subtitles embedded into the video content itself. Some web video can take advantage of XML subtitles to add the text content when required. If you are unsure which of these technologies you need, we'll be happy to talk you through the process – just get in touch.

Captioning

Captioning is the addition of text information to make a video accessible to people with hearing difficulties, or for use in environments where audio tracks are ineffective or impractical. This differs from subtitles in that all audio cues must be captioned – for instance, a hearing viewer watching a video with subtitles is still aware when a phone is ringing onscreen, and can identify the person who is speaking by their voice. Without audio, these cues must be reproduced along with spoken dialogue. In addition, the captions can be positioned onscreen to make it easier to identify who is speaking or where a particular sound is coming from. Because of all these factors, captioning is also suitable for materials which may be displayed on large screens without sound – i.e. in public places such as airports or conference centres. If you would like to know more about the possible applications of captioning, or are unsure which service you require, feel free to contact us directly.