Video to Text services

Video to text services can be invaluable in terms of extending your target audience. Whether it’s closed captioning, translation, subtitling, transcription or simply producing text for SEO purposes, there is a huge range of video typing services out there. In this blog we will go through some of the main types of video to text services and help to explain and cut through some of the jargon.

Subtitles 

A subtitle is a line or more of text in the form of dialogue transcription, that displays on a video in sync with spoken word. Silent films included subtitling from early as the 1910s. Subtitles only include dialogue which can be translated for worldwide audiences. Open subtitles will display permanently on a video, whilst closed subtitles often include multiple languages which can be switched on and off. 

Closed captions

Closed captions comprise of onscreen text which includes dialogue, description of sound effects and special formatting when necessary to identify speakers. This type of video text is aimed at deaf and hard of hearing audiences. Closed captions use Line-21 for broadcast and can be created in other formats for use online. 

Rushes

Logging of rushes refers to a process of transcribing and time coding dialogue, shot changes and important visual information in a video. Rushes are used by video producers as an aid to cutting down and editing raw footage. When a video includes foreign language, rushes may also be translated. 

VideoTranscript

A video transcript at it’s most basic is a written documentation of dialogue in a video or film. It may or may not also include time codes, sound descriptions and/or shot change information.

Script

A script is a document used for video production. It contains all of the visual, geographical behavioural and linguistic elements required to tell a story or narrative in video form. Because so many people are involved in the film making process, ie; director, cast, crew, producer, etc, scripts are the central part to the production process. A script must have a specific and consistent layout which can include margins, notations and other conventions as dictated by a production company.

Teletext

Teletext is a news and information service in the form of text and graphics. Closed captions written in Teletext format use Line-21 encoding and can be turned on and off as required. 

Discourse analysis

On a basic level, we can understand discourse analysis as ‘language beyond the sentence’. This type of video transcription includes detailed description of how a speaker uses dialogue. Discourse analysis often specifies the length of pauses and highlights intonation and emphasis. 

Forced narrative

Forced narrative (FN) subtitles can be used to clarify important information which is meant to be understood by the viewer but not necessarily spoken or understood by the actors on-screen. They are subtitles which display permanently and cannot be turned on or off.

Forced narratives are used as overlays in subtitles. They enable the same viewing experience across multiple countries and devices and in multilingual videos. For example, an English movie that has a short sequence of French speech will have forced English subtitles so the target audience (English speakers) can understand that speech.

Animated text

Many videos use animated text to convey ideas or information to viewers. This text can also be translated into foreign subtitles. Educational videos or documentaries can typically include animated text. However, many other video genres can also utilise text in this way; possibly by way of letting the audience know the location or date of a scene. In addition, it can be used for stylistic effect… Just think of those awesome equations used in BBC’s Sherlock! 

Credits

Closing or end credits include a list of the cast and crew in a particular motion picture or television series. Theatrical and television work traditionally includes two types of credits. Opening credits usually display only the major positions in a production’s cast and crew. In contrast, closing or end credits should acknowledge all cast and crew involved in a production.

So there you have it, as you can see Video to Text Services take many forms. If you are looking for video transcription services or are just curious to see how the industry  works, check out our typing services page to get a quick insight into the different sectors of the industry. Alternatively if you know what you need and would like to get a price list for any of our video to text services, get a quote today.