The Importance of Closed Captioning in Professional Video Production
Skillman Video Group offers closed captioning services for both DVD and web based video formats. Closed Captioning is a term describing several systems developed to display text on a television or computer/video screen to provide interpretive information to viewers who wish to access it. Closed captions typically display a transcription of the audio portion of a program or video as it occurs, and can include non-speech elements such as music or background noise.
A lot of times we get asked what the difference is between “closed captioning” and “subtitles”. The term “closed” in closed captioning indicates that not all viewers see the captions—only those who choose to decode or activate them (usually through your TV). “Subtitles” assume the viewer can hear but cannot understand the language, accent, or that the speech is not entirely clear, so they only transcribe dialogue and some on-screen text. “Captions” aim to describe to the hearing-impaired all significant audio content—spoken dialogue and non-speech information such as the identity of speakers and, occasionally, their manner of speaking—often along with music or sound effects.
However, the benefits of closed captioning extend far beyond the deaf or hard of hearing community. As time goes by, the general population is beginning to recognize its other useful applications. For example, it is not uncommon to see closed captioned programming in noisy public environments such as airports, public lobbies, and sports bars. It has also been said that Closed Captioning can aid those who are trying to learn English as their second language.
Closed Captioning is a great and very affordable “add on” for many of your live event, marketing or corporate video productions. The power of video is that you audience can see AND hear what is being spoken. For what equals out to be just a few dollars per minute, you would be widening the audience for your marketing, training, testimonial or social media video to include those who are hearing impaired. Captioning is a service that betters our community and enhances the teaching power of media. Contact Skillman Video Group today to see what we can do for your video production with our transcription, closed captioning and subtitling services today!
Recent Video Shoot At Waltham And Walden Pond
Recently we spent a day shooting a travel video documentary for LiteraryTraveler.tv at Walden Pond in Concord, MA. We shot on video format called HDV in beautiful 1080i resolution. It was a beautiful (and HOT) summer day and we walked through/shot many scenic areas around Waltham, Lincoln and Concord MA. I was directing the shoot and had my camera man, Andrew Nelson (as pictured left) with me. We were working with the editor of Literary Traveler, Francis McGovern, and documenting his walk from his hometown of Waltham, MA to Walden Pond.
Part of the fun of taking on any new project is thinking of new and creative ways of getting the shot and telling the story. When dealing with on-screen talent, whether they are professional or non-professional, you have to allow for extra time to coach/direct. As Director it is my job to get the best out of my talent and bring their own unique talent/personality to life on screen. When we are shooting a corporate video, often we are working with non-professional talent and so have to allow them time to warm up and get comfortable with the process. Trust me when I say – it’s not as easy as it looks! Fortunately for most corporate video, we shoot indoors and so have complete control over our environment (as far as sound, lighting etc). But when shooting outdoors – such as for this travel video – you have to account for not just the weather but roadway traffic, wind….people…the list goes on and on.
When you are working on a project that has multiple locations it is always wise to scout out those shoot locations in advance. This is helpful in planning the day’s schedule as well as to figure out logistics (how the talent and crew are going to get from point “A” to point “B” ). For example, a road might be closed because of construction, or there might be a festival on a street in Boston, or a you might need a permit to shoot out in front of your office etc – this all needs to be figured out in advance! Doing so will save yourself a lot of time and money down the road.
No matter what kind of video you are shooting, there needs to be a commitment from us (as the producers) and the client, to get it right. Each shot requires time and possibly multiple takes to get “the” shot. In video production, patience truly is a virtue! For this Walden video, there were a few shots that required a number of takes. For one shot (pictured right), we were near the center of Lincoln and had stopped at the Pierce House to do a quick interview with Francis. It was a very short soundbite, but required a number of takes because there was significant wind noise and traffic (not to mention curious passer-bys who wanted to know what the heck were were doing shooting an interview on a random stone wall in Lincoln,MA). Plus there is always a certain amount of coaching and directing needed with on-screen talent to get them to deliver their lines with confidence, clarity and personality. During the course of the day, we captured many great moments and some terrific scenery from the area. I had no idea that the landscape was so beautiful near Walden. Stay tuned for the video to appear live on our site!
