Captioning for films was actually invented before sound was. Much like comic books and graphic novels, silent movies would have text descriptions to explain what was going on in a video. However, when sound was enabled for films, captions and video subtitles were dropped and soon became an optional extra intended only for audiences where it was deemed necessary.
But times have changed. Where TV used to be consumed in small amounts, depending on broadcast schedules and if you wanted to see a movie, you’d wait until it was in the cinema or ‘picture house’ and book a ticket, today, we engage with video content everywhere. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Paramount +, Apple TV and Amazon Prime have allowed viewers to choose to watch whatever they like, whenever they like.
The rise of the mobile phone and wireless internet has meant that content isn’t only watched in the privacy of your own home, whilst relaxing on the sofa, but wherever you are – on a train, as a passenger in a car, or whilst picnicking outside in the sunshine – this makes video subtitles essential to any film. The now mobile nature of video content is likely the main driver behind the increased use of video subtitles. More people are watching subtitles every day and that can only be a very good thing.
The increased demand for subtitles has led to an exponential increase in quality. Subtitles are no longer seen as simply a requirement for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences or foreign speakers. Nowadays, including subtitles in videos is a must in order to engage with your viewers, and especially when it comes to short videos and social media (often watched on mute), without subtitles, an audience can actively switch off.
As a keen adult watcher of subtitles for a number of years, I would say the three main advantages for me are categorised as below:
But subtitles aren’t only for adults. Whether you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, or just love to know exactly what’s going on in a show, subtitles can be great for kids too. We asked Brandon (10 years old) to outline why he watches subtitles and what he loves and hates about them. Below is a brief rundown of the key points he had to say…
So there you have it, a quick and informative reason why video subtitles are so important today and why kids and adults alike love them. If you are thinking about adding subtitles, captioning or translation to your social media film, cinema film or documentary why not click on the quote button below to see our wide range of typing services to suit all your needs.
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Capital Captions specialise in high quality subtitling, closed captioning, video transcription, translation, and voiceover services. Our flexible approach to working with video content means we can effectively provide a one-stop-shop for clients wanting to turn their audio into text.
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