Style Guide: SDH

and Closed Captions

MAGNOLIA

Prepared by: ZOO Digital

ZOO | HTTP://WWW.ZOODIGITAL.COM

Style Guide: SDH and Closed Captions Page 1 of 9

CONTENTS
Revisions ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Subtitle Specifications ............................................................................................................................ 2
SDH Specifications ............................................................................................................................. 2
Characters Per Line ............................................................................................................ 2
Frame Gaps ........................................................................................................................ 2
Subtitle Duration ................................................................................................................. 2
Reading Speed ................................................................................................................... 2
Closed Caption (CC) Specifications ................................................................................................... 2
Characters Per Line ............................................................................................................ 2
Frame Gaps ........................................................................................................................ 2
Subtitle Duration ................................................................................................................. 2
Reading Speed ................................................................................................................... 2
Caption Placement.............................................................................................................. 2
Styles...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Dialogue Dashes ................................................................................................................................ 4
Ellipsis................................................................................................................................................. 4
Foreign Dialogue ................................................................................................................................ 4
Italics................................................................................................................................................... 5
Name Tags ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Numbers ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Opening AND Closing Credits............................................................................................................ 6
Profanities........................................................................................................................................... 6
SDH Events ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Songs.................................................................................................................................................. 7
Revisions
Author Date Version Notes
Louis Burgueño 2014.11.17 1.0 Initial document for distribution.
Brian O’Donnell 2015.08.13 1.1 Updated language for consistency with regular style guide. Examples are
updated for clarity.
Brian O’Donnell 2015.09.30 2.0 Updated style guide to be more in line with industry standards

Style Guide: SDH and Closed Captions - Magnolia Page 1

Subtitle Specifications
SDH Specifications
Characters Per Line
Target CPL for Magnolia projects is 37 characters per line. 2 Lines maximum.

Frame Gaps
Please include 4 frames in between back to back subtitles.

Subtitle Duration
Minimum duration is .75 second.
Maximum duration is 7 seconds.

Reading Speed
Reading speed to be kept under 250 WPM wherever possible.

Closed Caption (CC) Specifications

Characters Per Line
Maximum CPL for Magnolia CC projects is 32 characters per line. 2 lines preferred, 3 lines maximum.

Frame Gaps
Please include 4 frames in between back to back subtitles.

Subtitle Duration
Minimum duration is .75 second.
Maximum duration is 7 seconds.

Reading Speed
Reading speed to be kept under 250 WPM wherever possible.

Caption Placement
Closed captions should be center justified.

CLOSED CAPTIONS SHOULD ALWAYS BE WRITTEN IN SENTENCE CASING – NEVER IN ALL CAPS

Style Guide: SDH and Closed Captions - Magnolia Page 2

Styles
For English audio projects:

The following applies to the English template creator: English template should match the audio. Should the supplied English file contain
mishears, typos, etc., they must be corrected.

For foreign audio projects:

The following applies to the English template editor: If ZOO did NOT create the English reference file, and it was supplied by the client, then
NO CONTENT CHANGES (ADDING/REMOVING) ARE ALLOWED, UNLESS APPROVED BY MAGNOLIA. (Inquire with project
coordinator to confirm if this was created by ZOO, or if it is a client supplied file)

1. Any changes in content in a foreign audio film must be approved by the client.
a. If you feel content must be revised, please send us the timecode and text and what you think it should be changed to.

Latest grammar and spelling rules of each language supersede the below guidelines.

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 For two-speaker titles: begin each line with a hyphen, unless against orthography of language. English
Dialogue Dashes
files will always use dash+space.

Dash+no space or dash+space, per orthography of language.

Example:

- I’m Frank and I was at the store.

or

-I’m Mary and I was also there.

Unless against orthography of language, use as follows:

Ellipsis
-Do not use dots or dashes between subtitles in continuous dialogue sequences.
-Use three dots to indicate pauses.
-Use three dots for mid-sentence pick-ups.
-Use three continuation dots when a sentence trails off, is interrupted, or when there is a long pause
between two parts of a sentence.

Do not translate foreign dialogue into English. If there are multiple foreign language titles, treat them all
Foreign Dialogue
in the same manner.

Example:

e.g. (talking in Spanish) ; (arguing in Russian) ;

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 Use italics for the following:
Italics
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Movies
- Television shows
- Radio shows
- Musical albums
- Ship or boat names
- Chanting
- Foreign language or words
- Singing
- Spoken and written poetry
- Voiceover dialogue/Narration
- Dialogue from a television or radio
- Dialogue over a phone

Exceptions: Do not use any italics for Arabic, Hebrew, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
and Cantonese.

Research proper names for publications for correct implementation of italics. For example:

Newsweek magazine NOT Newsweek Magazine

Name Tags/Speaker IDs should be included whenever the speaker is not clearly visible.
Name Tags
Speaker IDs will never be in italics and should be written as below:

John: Hi, how are you

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 Spell out numbers up to 10, all other numbers can be typed out as numbers.
Numbers
Exception: If a number is at the beginning of a line, it must always be spelled out in letters.

Do not subtitle opening and closing credits.

Opening AND Closing
Credits
Follow the template or supplied file.
Profanities
If no template is provided inquire with Magnolia.

Written in lowercase and enclosed in parenthesis without a space between. Never italicize.
SDH Events
Example: (sound effect)

If an SDH event must be paired with a speaker ID, include the SDH event after the speaker ID.

John: (yelling) I am loud!

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 Characters singing should be labeled. Use an eighth note and a space at the beginning and end of
Songs
musical audio events.

Follow the template. Include any song lyrics that are provided in the template.

Examples:

- If they are singing in a foreign language and the lyrics are available in English. Example:
♪ (singing in French) Hello my friend,
you are great and the world is happy ♪
- If they are singing in a foreign language and no lyrics are available. Example:
♪ (singing in French) ♪
- If they are singing in English and lyrics are available. Example:
♪ Love is a wonderful feeling ♪

For English SDH projects, copyrighted lyrics should be written using an SDH event such as:

♪ (“Back in Black” by AC/DC Plays) ♪

For Closed Captions (CC), lyrics should be included but must be written verbatim and enclosed
by eighth note characters.

♪ Love is a wonderful feeling ♪

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