Hassle-free captioning to meet your schedule

We’re good at captioning. Really good.

We know that sounds immodest, but if you can’t brag a little on your own web page, where can you?

Line 21 is famous for professional, fast, and friendly open and closed captioning services. We use a multi-pass when we caption, carefully timing and positioning captions to ensure your program looks as good as possible. Since 1994, we have built a reputation for being accommodating and easy to work with, and for producing superior quality work. In fact, we’ve captioned over 15,000 titles.

here are some great captioning fails we’ve collected recently:

(he said “specimen.”)

(…”aplomb.”)

Captioning Services

The captioning process

First, we transcribe your entire program, including dialogue, music lyrics, and sound effects where applicable.

Then we go back through your program on a second pass to time the captions. Each caption is assigned a time to display and a time to erase, as well as a position on the screen. We time to the specific frame (also known as frame-accurate captioning) to make sure the captions display at the same time as any coincident shot changes.

If you have provided us with a shooting script, we use it as the basis for the transcription, but we update it to reflect the content of the actual finished show.

We take care in positioning captions on the screen so that viewers understand who’s speaking. As we assign captions’ positions on the screen, we also can ensure your supers are not obscured if we know where they are. (Big hint: tell us where your supers are! See other hints to ensuring your project goes smoothly.)

We then go through your media again to ensure the captions go by at an easily readable rate. Finally, we watch your program as it will appear at broadcast to make sure you get the best possible results. We’ll watch for spelling, punctuation, and readable phrasing. Badly punctuated or phrased captions seriously impair your audience’s ability to understand your media. On the other hand, a well-captioned show will come alive for your viewing audience and they’ll enjoy it in the manner in which you intend.

After Line 21 is finished preparing the captioning file, we sent it to the encoding/authoring facility of your choice. Please contact us if you need a list of all possible file export types. 604-662-4600 line21@line21cc.com.

Requirements

To caption your media, Line 21 needs:

1. a copy of your media. We can work with:
   1. DVD or downloadable digital file made to one of the following specs:
      • QuickTime file with a t/c burn
        • Sorenson 3 Compressor
        • 320 X 240

      OR

      • H.264 with a T/C burn
        • 640 x 480
   2. a hi-fi VHS dub of your master with timecode on audio channel 2 and a timecode burn
2. a copy of the script if we are also producing an as-broadcast script for you. A script is extremely helpful even if we are only performing the captioning, particularly for things like spelling of names. We prefer to get a digital file in any of the following formats
   • Final Draft .fdr
   • .rtf, .doc, .wps, .txt, .asc
   • .pdf

If it’s absolutely impossible to provide a digital file, we’ll take a hard copy of the script. If you have a script in another format, please contact the office to see if it’s compatible with our software.

Note: we prefer to receive the electronic copy of your script in advance of the captioning date (this helps us to prepare so we can start your project once it arrives).

But nothing’s the same; why (and when) should I send the script?

With 16 years experience, we know scripts never end up the way they started, but it’s not about the script, it’s about us having all the important information so we’re getting it right and making your job easier. When we’re working from the original script, we know how that character’s last name is spelled, or what the fancy sci-fi words are for that species of life on that far-away planet. It also helps us when a line is said off-screen by a character and we need to identify them when their tone of voice isn’t always identifiable over the sound of onscreen pneumatics or exploding shrapnel.

In a perfect world, we would receive your script two weeks in advance of your project. While we’re happy to receive any script, we prefer your most current revision.

On the prowl for the devil in the details

In Line 21’s continuing battle for good and a better world, super-powerful oversight is needed, because we know how easy it is for one small detail to escape and call into question all the hard work you’ve done, and – like our multi-pass system – we know that every pair of eyes can improve a project. That’s why we’ll always double-check spellings of everything seen on-screen in supers, or let you know if we’ve heard something really off-the-mark, or use our incredible fact-checking super powers to look up obscure words, new language, scientific terminology, old-world geography, or anything else we’re not 150% sure on. It’s our goal to exorcise your project’s detail devils before they make it to your audience’s screens.

Turnaround – with flexibility

Line 21 requires advance booking for projects, but we know how the film industry works and deadlines change, so we will always accommodate your needs to the best of our ability.

Quality captioning takes time and care.

Line 21 does not miss deadlines. This is why we take our scheduling of programs so seriously. When we tell you it will be done, we mean it, so that means a “safety” buffer in planning for your show.

A half-hour broadcast program (or 22 minutes of any such content) requires a full 8-hour day of work. We would prefer to have these programs’ visual media available for in-office work over three days, in case of any unexpected factors. We can turn these shows around quicker, with advance notice. One-hour programs (with 44 minutes of content) would ideally be in office for four days, and feature films (90 minutes and up) would ideally be in office for about one week.

“Scheduling” your program in is more flexible than it sounds – we know the composer might run late or legal might require X-line to be changed, or a scene might get axed.

We realize programs deliver to us late, and often, because we’re the last stop on the production train. We also understand air dates don’t waver. We not only CAN accommodate these changes, but we WILL. All we ask is, please keep us informed by email or with a quick phone call, so we can adjust our work accordingly and get you delivering on time, per your contract.

604.662.4600 (Vancouver, Canada)
line21@line21cc.com

Canadian or American spelling

We’ll do whatever you want. “Centre” or “Center”… you decide.

Captioning Languages: English and French

We work in either English or French, and use experienced staff with flawless spelling and grammar.

Langues de sous-titrage : anglais et français

Grâce à notre personnel spécialisé, nous produisons le sous-titrage en anglais ou en français dans une grammaire et une orthographe impeccables.

Captioning & subtitling languages: All other languages

Captioning with Latin alphabet:
We are able to accept signed-off transcripts in any language represented with the Latin alphabet.

Subtitling in other alphabets:

We can subtitle with any true-type font you provide. Contact us for details.  line21@line21cc.com 604.662.4600

Line 21 & meeting deadlines

We’ve never missed a deadline and we’re very proud of that. When required, we can work miracles. Talk to us and see how we can help you.
604.662.4600 (Vancouver, Canada)
line21@line21cc.com

Cost

Even when you’re just budgeting on a future project, we’re happy to give you a written quote with a price we’ll guarantee for six months. Of course, many of our prices have remained the same for years, but it’s best to re-confirm any quoted prices before your six-month guarantee lapses.

Please remember, we prepare the captioning file for you, the timed text. You still need to arrange for the encoding of the captioning information on captioned masters. The price range offered by the post-houses varies tremendously, so we are unable to provide estimated costs for that service. We can help, however, by offering a large variety of file types to choose from from the industry standards to the arcane. And did you know that we archive the files we produce for you forever? Literally.

Get a quote.