I. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH)

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I.1. Accuracy of content

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• Include as much of the original content as possible.

• Do not simplify or water down the original dialogue.

• Where content has been dubbed into English, please refer to the dubbing script or dubbed audio as the basis for the SDH file and ensure that the two match as much as reading speed and timings allow.

• Truncating the original dialogue should be limited to instances where reading speed and synchronicity to the audio are an issue.

• When editing for reading speed, favor text reduction, deletion and condensing but do not paraphrase

• Transcription of the source language should follow the word choice and sentence order of the spoken dialect. Slang and other dialectal features should be transcribed accurately and authentically.

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I.2. Character Limitation

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• 42 characters per line

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I.3. Continuity

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• When including ellipses in subtitles, please use the single smart character (U+2026) as opposed to three dots/periods in a row.

• Do not use ellipses or dashes when an ongoing sentence is split between two or more continuous subtitles (e.g. when the pause between utterances is less than 2 seconds)

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Subtitle 1   I always knew

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Subtitle 2   that you would eventually agree with me. 

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• Use an ellipsis to indicate a pause (2 seconds or more) or if dialogue trails off. In the case of a pause of under two seconds, if the sentence continues in the next subtitle, do not use an ellipsis at the beginning of the second subtitle.

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Subtitle 1   Had I known…

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[pause]

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Subtitle 2   I wouldn’t have called you.

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• Use two hyphens to indicate abrupt interruptions.

             -What are you--
             -Be quiet!

             -What are you--
             -[bomb explodes]

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• Use an ellipsis followed by a space when there is a significant pause or hesitation within a subtitle.

 

She hesitated… about accepting the job.

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• Use an ellipsis without a space at the start of a subtitle to indicate that a subtitle is starting mid-sentence.

…have signed an agreement.

 

I.4 Dates and Decades

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• Dates should always be written in the order in which they are said (i.e. as per the audio) but omitting words like "the" and "of", i.e. 6th March or March 6th, not the 6th of March.

• Decades should be written using numerals in the following format: nineteen fifties should be 1950s, fifties should be ‘50s.

• Centuries should be written in the following format: twentieth century should be 20th century.

• Do not use '50s, '70s etc. for ages: i.e. prefer "I am in my fifties" vs. "I am in my '50s" or "I am in my 50s".

 

I.5. Documentary/Unscripted

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• For TV/movie clips, all audible lines should be transcribed, if possible. If the audio interferes with dialogue, please give precedence to most plot-pertinent content.

• Avoid going back and forth between italicized and non-italicized subtitles when the speaker is on and off screen. If the speaker is on-camera for at least part of the scene, do not italicize. Leave italics for off-screen narrators.

 

I.6. Dual Speakers/Multiple Events

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• Use a hyphen without a space to indicate two speakers in one subtitle, with a maximum of one speaker per line.

 

-Are you coming?
 

-In a minute.

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• When identifiers are needed, they should follow the hyphen as follows:

           

            -[Kimmy] Are you coming?
            -[Titus] In a minute.

           

            -[Kimmy] Are you coming?
            -In a minute.

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• Hyphens are also used to indicate a speaker and a sound effect, if they come from different sources:

           

            -[Joe laughing hysterically]
            -[Maria] I can't believe you did that!

           

             -[Joe laughing hysterically]
            -I can't believe you did that!

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• If the sound effect emanates from the speaker themselves, no hyphens are needed:

             

             [Joe laughing hysterically]
             I can't believe you did that!

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• Use hyphens to distinguish two distinct sound effects emanating from different sources:
     
       -[horse neighs]   

            -[engine starts]

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• Text in each line in a dual speaker subtitle must be a contained sentence and should not carry into the preceding or subsequent subtitle. Creating shorter sentences and timing appropriately helps to accommodate this.

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I.7. Font Information

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• Font style: Arial as a generic placeholder for proportionalSansSerif

• Font size: Relative to video resolution and ability to fit 42 characters across screen

• Font color: White

 

I.8. Foreign Dialogue

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• In instances of foreign dialogue being spoken:

  • If foreign dialogue is translated, use [in language], for example [in Spanish]

  • If foreign dialogue is not meant to be understood, use [speaking language], for example [speaking Spanish]

  • Always research the language being spoken – [speaking foreign language] should never be used

  • Accents or dialects require the same treatment, for example [in Spanish accent] when important to the narrative

• Foreign words that are used in a mostly English line of dialogue do not require identifiers, but should be italicized. Always verify spelling, accents and punctuation, if applicable.

• Familiar foreign words and phrases which are listed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary should not be italicized and should be spelled as shown in the dictionary (e.g. bon appétit, rendezvous, doppelgänger, zeitgeist, etc.).

• Proper names, such as foreign locations or company names, should not be italicized.

• Always use accents and diacritics in names and proper nouns from languages which use the Latin alphabet where their use is seen in official sources, or in the source text for fictional names. For example, Spanish names such as Mónica Naranjo, Pedro Almodóvar, Plácido Domingo should retain their diacritics. Any proper names which have lost the use of accents due to cultural reasons (e.g. Jennifer Lopez) do not need to have them added.

• Transliterate uncommon or unfamiliar letters/characters which appear in names or proper nouns when working from a Roman alphabet language into English if they may cause confusion or be hard to understand or pronounce. Note that diacritics should be kept in proper nouns and names. For example: If the Icelandic name Þór appears, please transliterate as Thór (following relevant KNP and guidance about handling character names). If a German street name such as Torstraße appears in the source, please transliterate as Torstrasse (following relevant KNP and guidance about handling character names).

 

I.9. Italics

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• Italicize text only in the following cases:

  • Narration

  • The voice of a visible character expressing unspoken thoughts or inner monologue

  • Song lyrics when sung, not quoted (if rights have been granted)

  • Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases which do not appear in the nominated dictionary (do not italicize foreign loan words which appear in your language’s nominated dictionary, e.g. rendezvous, zeitgeist etc. for English)

  • Proper names, such as locations, vessel names or company names, should not be italicized

  • Dialogue that is heard through electronic media (e.g. phone, device, television, computer, loudspeaker, AI, AI assistants, voice of a GPS, other digital devices, non-sentient robots, robotic voices, etc.) if the speaker is not physically present in the scene. For instance, if a character speaks into a microphone and their voice is heard through a loudspeaker but they are physically present, italics are not needed. Use good judgement when applying italics, ensuring there is consistency throughout the film or series.

  • In sections such as a phone conversation where the shot changes regularly between speakers, always ensure that segmentation and timing rules are correctly applied so as to ensure italics are used consistently and correctly

  • Only use italics when a speaker is not in the scene(s), not merely off screen, behind a door or out of shot

  • Titles of books, periodicals, works of art, albums, movies, TV shows, radio shows, video games, etc. (for an episode title in a series or song titles use quotation marks)

  • Only italicize titles, not names (e.g. the title of a book but not the name of a ship)

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• Italics may be used when a word is obviously emphasized in speech and when proper punctuation cannot convey that emphasis (e.g. It was).

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• In trailers, where dialogue rapidly switches between off-screen characters, on-screen characters and narrators, do not italicize any dialogue from the characters and speakers and only italicize narration.

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• This is the only set of rules to be followed for application of italics and trumps any additional advice found in associated references.

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I.10. Line Treatment

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• Maximum two lines.

• Text should usually be kept to one line, unless it exceeds the character limitation.

• Prefer a bottom-heavy pyramid shape for subtitles when multiple line break options present themselves, but avoid having just one or two words on the top line.

• Follow these basic principles when the text has to be broken into 2 lines:

• The line should be broken:

  • after punctuation marks

  • before conjunctions

  • before prepositions

• The line break should not separate

  • a noun from an article

  • a noun from an adjective

  • a first name from a last name

  • a verb from a subject pronoun

  • a prepositional verb from its preposition

  • a verb from an auxiliary, reflexive pronoun or negation

 

I.11. Numbers

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• From 0 to 10, numbers should be written out: zero, one, two, three, etc.

• Above 10, numbers should be written numerically: 11, 12, 13, etc.

• When a number begins a sentence, it should always be spelled out.

• Times of day:

  • Use numerals when exact times are emphasized: 9:30 a.m.

  • Use lowercase a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem) when mentioned in dialogue

  • Spell out words/phrases that do not include actual numbers: half past, quarter of, midnight, noon

  • When o’clock is mentioned in dialogue, always spell out the number: eleven o’clock in the morning

• Note that the above rules may be broken due to space limitations or reading speed concerns, as well as for consistency when listing multiple quantities, for example.

 

I.12. Punctuation

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• Follow U.S. English punctuation norms and standards.

• Avoid using complex punctuation which could be hard for viewers to follow. For example, avoid using colons and semi-colons and instead use simple, clear sentence structures to aid comprehension.

• Avoid overuse of commas (e.g. Prefer I love you too rather than I love you, too. Also He told me too rather than He told me, too).

• Double spaces are not permitted.

• En and em dashes are not permitted.

• Hash symbols may be used when someone mentions a hashtag. Spell out the word “hashtag” when used as a verb.

• Ampersands may be used when part of an initialism such as R&B or B&B.

• Use exclamation marks only in cases of shouting or surprise. Avoid over-using them.

• Interrobangs may be used in cases of a question being emphatically asked in an excited/shocked way or in disbelief. Prefer the format ?!, e.g. What did you say?!

 

I.13. Quotations

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• Quoted words, phrases and sentences are enclosed in double quotation marks; single quotation marks enclose quotations or song titles within quotations.

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He told me, "Come back tomorrow."

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He said, "'Singing in the Rain' is my favorite song."

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• If the quote extends beyond more than one subtitle, use an open quote at the beginning of the first subtitle, at the start and end of sentences within the quote and an end quote at the end of the last subtitle.

 

Subtitle 1   "Good night, good night!"

 

Subtitle 2   "Parting is such sweet sorrow

 

Subtitle 3   that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

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• Use U.S. English rules:

  • Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single.

  • Colons and semicolons follow closing quotation marks.

  • Question marks and exclamation points follow quotation marks unless they belong within the quoted text: 

 

Which of Shakespeare’s characters said, "Good night, good night"?

 

Juliet said, "Good night, good night!"

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• Song titles should be enclosed in quotation marks.

• Use quotation marks when a character is seen to be reading aloud.

• If an on-screen character does “air quotes” when speaking, please apply quotation marks to the equivalent word in the target language in order to retain creative intent and to help ensure clarity about which word or part of the sentence the air quotes apply to.

 

I.14. Reading Speed Limits

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• Adult programs: Up to 20 characters per second

• Children’s programs: Up to 17 characters per second

 

I.15. Songs

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• Subtitle all audible song lyrics that do not interfere with dialogue. Lyrics should be transcribed verbatim as per the audio.

• Use song title identifiers when applicable - song titles should be in quotation marks, for example
  ["Forever Your Girl" playing]. Use the name of a musical number or classical piece only if widely known, for example [“The Nutcracker Suite” plays].

• A song title can be added as an SDH label when there is room at the start of the song or when lyrics are not being included (e.g. if they remain untranslated as per the non-SDH experience or if dialogue and/or sound effects are taking precedence).

• Italicize lyrics.

• Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪) at the beginning and the end of each subtitle.

• Add a space between the music note and the preceding or subsequent text.

• When a dual speaker subtitle appears in a song, e.g. when there is a duet, each line of sung text should have a music note at the beginning and end to clearly indicate that both characters are singing.

• Use an uppercase letter at the beginning of each line including the first letter of the first word of the second line in a two-line subtitle

• Use ellipses when a song continues in the background but is no longer subtitled to give precedence to dialogue.

• Punctuation: only question marks and exclamation marks should be used at the end of a line - no commas or periods are to be used at the end of a line. Commas can be used within the lyric line, if necessary.

• Album titles should be in italics.

• Song titles should be in quotation marks.

• Follow this approach for poetry but do not include music notes.

 

I.16. Speaker ID / Sound Effects

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• Use brackets [ ] to enclose speaker IDs or sound effects.

• Use all lowercase, except for proper nouns.

• Ensure U.S. English vocabulary and grammar are used in SDH labels for U.S. English SDH files.

• Be detailed and descriptive, use adverbs where appropriate when describing sounds and music, describe voices, speed of speech, volume of sound.

• Describe the sounds and audio as opposed to visual elements or actions.

• Subtitle silence if plot-pertinent. For example, when plot-pertinent music ends abruptly.

• Plot-pertinent sound effects should always be included unless inferred by the visuals.

• Speaker IDs and the corresponding dialogue should ideally be on the same line.

• When describing hesitations and nervousness, avoid using labels such as [stutters], [stuttering], [stammers] and [stammering] unless the speaker in question has a stutter/stammer. Instead, represent hesitations in the transcription (e.g. She… she said no!) or using sound labels such as [hesitates] or [spluttering], for example.

• Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified.

• When a speaker ID is required for a character who has yet to be identified by name, use [man] or [woman], or [male voice] or [female voice], so as not to provide information that is not yet present in the narrative. If the same identifier is used multiple times in one scene, numbers should be added to distinguish them, for example [man 1].

• When a name is included in a speaker ID, favor the name which is used in the content or which appears in the speaker’s name caption. If the full name cannot be included due to space or time constraints, generally prefer using first names (e.g. [Henry], [Young-mi], [Teresa]) if consistent with the way names are used in the content. For some situations, such as political or crime documentaries, it may be more appropriate to use last names if a more formal or factual tone is needed (e.g. [Obama], [Merkel], [Dahmer]).

• Use a generic ID to indicate and describe ambient music, for example [rock music playing over stereo].

• Use objective descriptions that describe genre or mood identifiers for atmospheric non-lyrical music, for example [menacing electronic music plays].

• Ensure natural collocations of everyday words are used and avoid including obscure terms which may impact comprehension.

• Sound effects should be plot-pertinent.

• Sound effects that interrupt dialogue should be treated as follows:

 

Subtitle 1: However, lately, I've been…

                  [coughs, sniffs]

Subtitle 2:  …seeing a lot more of this.

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• Never italicize speaker IDs or sound effects, even when the spoken information is italicized, such as in a voice-over. 

 

[narrator] Once upon a time, there was…

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I.17. Special Instructions

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• When creating U.S. English SDH for English-language content, always use U.S. spelling and punctuation and ensure that vocabulary, grammar, slang etc. are as per the audio. When creating SDH for non-US titles, follow speech closely (e.g. do not change “Mum” to “Mom” or “arse” to “ass”, always transcribe as per the audio).

• Dialogue must never be censored.

• Plot-pertinent dialogue always takes precedence over background dialogue.

• Mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the translation unless plot-pertinent or part of the characterization.

• When the word “black” appears in reference to someone’s race or ethnicity, capitalize it as Black. Use this form when referring to an African American or Black person, when referring to the African diaspora and when referring to collective groups or institutions, e.g.  Black cinema, the Black community, a Black person. Please follow this rule when writing in or transcribing all variants of English. Always follow the word order and choice of the audio when working with SDH.

• Similarly, please capitalize the following words when used in reference to people and communities: Deaf, Indigenous

• When transcribing usage within the English audio: the n-word should only be spelled with the -er ending in historical contexts or as a racist slur; its use in slang, non-racist conversation, or song lyrics should be handled with the -a ending.

• Where variant spelling options present themselves, please opt for the most common spelling for the variant of English you are working with. Always prefer "okay", rather than "OK" or "Ok".

 

For all language-related issues not covered in this document, please refer to:

• The Merriam-Webster dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/

• Chicago Manual of Style: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.htm