Captions have become integral to media content, making it relatable to more significant audience segments. Be it videos on social media, films, corporate webinars, or training materials, captions enhance understanding and engagement for all viewers. Captions also help bridge the gap in content accessibility for hard-of-hearing people. As governments across the globe work towards bringing fair content consumption, captions will bring the world closer and more accessible. This blog will explore captions or types and how they enable accessibility and reduce language barriers.
Brief history of captions
The origins of modern captions can be traced back to the silent film era of the late 1800s when intertitles (a cute text card that appears between scenes) were used. Time travels to 1950 to witness the beginning of "Captioned Films for the Deaf," a critical moment that eventually emerged as a government-backed effort. A large shift occurred in the 1970s when television entered the captioning arena. The field of captioning technology advanced in 1982 when the National captioning Institute (NCI) introduced Real-time captioning for the Academy Awards.
What Are Captions?
Captions are the text version of spoken dialogue and other significant audio elements (like sound effects, music, or background noise) in a video or multimedia content. They enable viewers to understand the content even without sound. There are three types of captions: closed captions (cc), open captions (oc), and subtitles.
Closed captions (CC): These include dialogue along with nonverbal sounds like laughter, music, and noises that convey the emotions of the scene or moment. They can be turned off or on according to user choice.
Open captions (OC): Like closed captions, it is permanently embedded in the video and cannot be turned off. It offers a seamless experience for viewers in noisy environments like airports or public areas. The limitation with this, however, is that it is restricted to one built-in language as a caption.
Subtitles: Subtitles are a form of captions primarily intended for translations. They're widely used to make content available to non-native speakers and are crucial for content reach.
Why Are Captions Important?
Support cognitive accessibility: Captions primarily help people who are hard of hearing enjoy videos and films, providing equal access to content and information consumption. To bring content accessibility to all, the US government, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2006, said that 100% of all new, non-exempt English language video programs must have closed captions. Titles II and III of the ADA also require closed captions to accommodate video content for people with disabilities and more. The Korean government also encourages media houses and broadcasting channels to include captions for the same reason.
Increased Engagement: Viewers learning a language or not fluent in the language of the video can use captions to follow along more quickly. Many people prefer to use captions. Studies show captions boost viewer engagement, comprehension, and content retention. Facebook's internal analysis shows that captioned videos increased average view time by 12%. Discovery Digital Networks study reported views on captioned YouTube videos increased by 7.32% overall in the first 14 days (about 2 weeks) after adding captions, views increased by 13.48%
Cultural relevance: As we reach the peak of content consumption, the knowledge of language and culture becomes more critical in translation; hence, the accuracy of captions is necessary. Captions should synchronize with the video to ensure viewers can follow without confusion or delay. There was a recent case of incorrect translation for a famous web series on Netflix called "The Squid Game." It was hugely popular and hence consumed across the globe. People who knew Korean were disappointed by the loss in translation of cultural facts and nuances. Some captions/subtitles were misleading or incorrect, causing a massive backlash to the production. This goes on to show the importance of subtitles and their accuracy.
Noisy or Quiet Environments: Captions are helpful in situations where sound cannot be heard (e.g., noisy environments like gyms or quiet places like libraries).
Where are captions used?
Media and Entertainment: OTT platforms, internet streaming services, TV shows, and movies frequently use captions.
Educational Content: Captions enhance comprehension on e-learning platforms, particularly for students from abroad or those with hearing impairments.
Corporate and Business Use: Businesses use captions in webinars and training materials to increase participation and inclusivity, with captions ensuring all viewers can understand the content.
Captions are, therefore, a powerful tool for enabling content creators to grow and making it accessible to everyone. Textar offers all types of captioning services through our vetted language experts. Our Quality experts ensure that your captions or subtitles are accurate and relevant to the emotional and cultural context. Join us in our journey to increase content accessibility and inclusion. Feel free to drop us a message at sales@timbel.net
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