Creating accurate and well-timed subtitles is crucial for enhancing the viewing experience. This guide offers a beginner’s perspective on subtitling, covering key aspects like character limits, timing, and refresh rates to ensure your subtitles are both readable and engaging.
Character Limits
When creating subtitles, it’s important to adhere to character limits to ensure readability. A generally accepted guideline is to aim for 30-40 characters per line. This allows viewers to comfortably read the text without it occupying too much of the screen. Resources like this article provide more in-depth information on subtitling best practices. Even Netflix has specific guidelines, detailed here, which may vary by language.
Timing
Proper timing is essential for subtitles to effectively convey information. Subtitles that are out of sync with the audio can be disruptive, even if the viewer doesn’t understand the original language. Subtitles that appear too early can feel like spoilers, while those that appear too late can leave the viewer feeling behind.
When timing subtitles, aim to start them as close to the first frame of audio as possible, or perhaps just a couple of frames before. One exception is when the beginning of a subtitle falls on the last few frames of a shot. In these instances, it can be beneficial to cut off the first few frames so that the new subtitle coincides with the start of the new shot.
Regarding the end of the subtitle, if possible, leave it on screen for a moment after the line is finished. This gives the audience extra time to read, especially if the dialogue is delivered quickly.
Refresh Rate
Refresh rate, while not necessarily a formal term in captioning, refers to the amount of empty space between consecutive subtitles. For videos running at 24-30 frames per second, there should be at least 2 frames of empty space between subtitles. For 60fps videos, this should be doubled.
The purpose of this empty space is to allow the audience to visually register the change from one subtitle to the next. Reading subtitles requires viewers to constantly shift their gaze between the bottom and top of the screen. Without sufficient space, viewers might not notice the subtitle has changed and could miss important information.
Similarly, if a new subtitle is set to start very close to the beginning of a shot, ensure it doesn’t appear until at least the 3rd frame (or the 5th frame for 60fps). This prevents the audience from missing the subtitle, particularly if it blends into the shot due to color or composition. If a subtitle is already on screen when the new shot begins, viewers might not realize it’s there.
Conclusion
Mastering the basics of subtitle creation involves understanding character limits, timing, and refresh rates. By adhering to these guidelines, you can create subtitles that are easy to read, engaging, and enhance the overall viewing experience. While these are fundamental aspects, remember that subtitling also offers opportunities for creativity, such as incorporating subtle animations in social media videos to further captivate your audience.
