Closed Captioning Services
SMV specializes in offering extremely accurate and professional closed captioning services. In addition to closed captioning and subtitling, we offer Video Description services, As Broadcast scripts, and both Continuity and Dialogue spotting lists, all at competitive rates. You will find that our extremely accurate and affordable closed captioning services outshine speech-to-text companies, such as Rev and Quicktate. As Los Angeles’ most trusted post house, SMV offers content producers like you precise transcriptions of your media. Further, we provide your content with the captioning necessary to meet the broadcast requirements for a variety of contexts. These may include streaming services, television, and any public programs protected by equal access laws. Not only that, but our experienced technicians enhance and prepare your content to reach the widest audience possible. With SMV’s professional captioning services, your project is guaranteed to meet its fullest potential.
With almost 40 years of experience, SMV continues to satisfy the captioning needs of all kinds of content producers. We offer the best captioning services in Los Angeles for both companies and individuals. Our experienced translators, editors, and project managers specialize in the highest quality captioning available, with quick turnaround rates, too!
Closed Captioning (CC) Services
What is closed captioning? Simply put, closed captioning (CC) provides information to the viewer by adding text on a visual display. Closed captioning makes visual programs accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing, although many people prefer to watch TV and movies with closed captioning enabled. Closed captioning often describes all audible content, such as dialogue, music, and sound effects, by displaying words and symbols. It may also describe non-speech elements, such as who is speaking, and the manner of speech.
SMV offers closed captions for content heading to streaming services, like Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime; television; and film festivals. We also provide professional closed captioning for any kind of commercial program, including contexts like entertainment, education, health and safety, instruction, and employment. Maybe your own home videos need captions. We can do that too!
Closed captions are required for all non-exempt English language video content that will appear on TV, and most online content. Regardless, adding closed captions to your project means that it is 100% complete and appeals to a larger, more inclusive audience. There are broad FCC regulations for closed captioning across many different platforms.
At SMV, we satisfy our clients’ closed captioning needs with technical perfection necessary to meet any and all FCC requirements. We provide your content with a completely accurate textual representation of its audible features. Our closed captions will enhance your viewers’ experience, and allow anyone to enjoy your presentation at its fullest potential. Lastly, closed captions are always optional, and you can toggle them on and off with the click of a button. Since 1982, SMV has created superior closed captions for content producers like you. As the industry’s gold standard, we believe in providing only the most quality caption services available.
Subtitling (Sub) Services
Subtitles are often confused with closed captions. Subtitles assume the audience can hear the audio, but not understand it. Subtitling usually implies the presence of foreign language, or language otherwise unrecognized by the viewer. In short, subtitles are a direct transcription or translation of dialogue when it cannot be understood. Subtitles may also assist in understanding other visual material, such as on-screen text on signs, writing, etc. in a foreign language.
Our subtitles follow your original audio flawlessly. SMV’s experienced technicians place subtitle text at precise position markers, indicated by timecode. Our advanced software produces subtitles that appear and disappear at exact locations throughout your content. Further, our subtitles are separate from your original production. Your viewers can always hide or enable subtitles with the click of a button. BluRay and DVD are common formats that use separate subtitles. SMV is also ready and willing to create subtitles for live presentations, such as foreign language theatrical performances and music. Once subtitles are complete, we provide you with a separate subtitle file and ensure that your original media is not altered in any way.
At SMV, we believe in delivering the highest quality subtitles to our clients. Our unrivaled and affordable subtitling services have satisfied the needs of content creators like you since 1982. Subtitles, like closed captions, have the same purpose: to extend your content to a wider audience. We are able to do just that. Without subtitles, your content is restricted to a smaller demographic. Don’t waste the potential of your project! SMV’s highly trained operators and translators are able to fully localize your footage. We prepare your content for a wide range of viewers across accessibility backgrounds and geographic locations. In the end, you can relax, and know that your content is primed and ready for viewing by anyone!
Video Description (VDS) Services
Along with closed captioning and subtitles, SMV offers superior Video Description services to fit your audiences’ needs. Video Description (sometimes called audio description, descriptive video, or descriptive narration), is the insertion of audible narrative material to describe the visual elements of your content. VDS allows the blind or visually impaired to experience and enjoy your program. SMV employs highly trained VDS engineers with years of experience to create extremely accurate video descriptions for your project. With quick turnaround times and affordable rates, SMV develops your content for viewing by the largest audience possible.
Our Video Description services provide visually impaired audiences with a clear understanding of your footage. We view your project in its entirety, and insert descriptive narration into organic pauses in your content’s dialogue. We believe in offering only the most precise, and accessible VDS services to our clients, without disrupting the flow of your original project.
It is our mission to optimize your content for viewing by anyone and everyone, so that your project can meet its fullest potential. Our fast and affordable audio description services localize and develop your project to the greatest accessibility standards possible. SMV’s competitive video description rates allow your content to meet its fullest potential without breaking the bank. As Los Angeles’ greatest post house, we have yet to miss a deadline!
Dialogue List (DL) Services
SMV’s Dialogue Lists are a key part of our post-production services. We provide Dialogue Lists for movies, episodes, television broadcasts, video-on-demand, DVDs, and content for streaming platforms. A Dialogue List (DL) is a type of post-production script that compiles all important details of the finished version of your content’s dialogue. We use the most thorough Dialogue List templates to ensure an extremely accurate description of your master’s dialogue. As the most basic post-production script, Dialogue Lists are important as they provide the foundation for implementing subtitling, dubbing, and closed captions.
In general, our Dialogue List services provide you with a comprehensive list detailing the timecode of speech, the character speaking, and a verbatim transcription of what is being said. They may also chart the beginning and end of music, or important sound effects and other details regarding a speaker. For example, a dialogue list may specify if a speaker is on or off-screen, speaking through the phone, or sighing, laughing, etc. This is a vital post-production script, as there are always many changes between the original screenplay and your final product. We provide your team with a concise list of every spoken line in the finalized version of your media. A dialogue list gives you a holistic understanding of your project’s dialogue, and the precise information needed to create accurate subtitles, dubbing, and captions.
SMV believes in providing only the highest quality Dialogue Lists, with extremely accurate time codes and detailed information. Since 1982, we have satisfied clients by creating superior dialogue lists for production companies and individuals alike. In all our years as LA’s most trusted post house, we have yet to miss a deadline, and continue to offer quick turnaround at affordable rates!
As Broadcast Script (ABS) Services
As Broadcast Scripts (ABS) are similar to other spotting lists, but present your completed media in screenplay format. They are often used when submitting your project to its destination, as well as for translation purposes. The job of an As Broadcast script is to describe the final version of your content’s on-screen action, as well as dialogue. It does not, however, include continuity information such as camera movement, camera angles, etc. Like a screenplay, the ABS describes the visual content of your media from scene to scene, not shot-by-shot.
Our As Broadcast Script services give you a script that is true to the final masters version of your content. Our expert technicians create highly accurate scripts of your content’s verbatim spoken language, scene detail, and precise visual description. All of this information is accompanied by character ID, timecode, and indicators for VO, and ON/OS.
SMV believes in delivering the most accurate and high quality As Broadcast Scripts in the industry. We have created these scripts for over 30 years, making us the most trusted ABS provider in all of Los Angeles. As part of our captioning and list offerings, we provide fast and affordable As Broadcast Script Services so you never have to delay the release of your project. In all our years in business, we have yet to miss a deadline!
Combined Dialogue Spotting List (CCSL) Services
SMV offers both Combined Continuity and Spotting Lists, and Combined Dialogue and Spotting Lists (CCSL and CDSL). With an expert team and over 30 years of experience, SMV is the go-to provider for your spotting list needs. As part of our accurate transcription services, our spotting lists are of superior quality, and play a vital role in the distribution of your project. Spotting lists lay the framework for subtitling, dubbing, and closed captioning. They also play an extremely important role between the production company and the studio, serving as a delivery requirement. Our team of professionals will work with you to determine the best spotting list option for you.
- CCSL – A Combined Continuity and Spotting List is a comprehensive list that includes detailed information about both audible and visual elements. Our CCSL services provide an ultra-accurate shot-by-shot visual description (continuity) of your content in word form. A CCSL details all visual elements, such as character and object movement, camera angles, graphics, any signs or articles of text, and dialogue between characters (spotting). These elements, as well as their duration, are all listed and spotted with exact time codes from the beginning to the end of each frame. This is the most comprehensive type of spotting list, combining continuity descriptions as well as spotting in the form of subtitles.
- CDSL – A Combined Dialogue and Spotting List is a combination of a Dialogue List and a spotting list (subtitles). A CDSL includes a scene-by-scene description of your content’s visual elements along with the entire dialogue. With our high quality CDSL services, you will have an exhaustive list of your content’s dialogue as well as its subtitle form. Our professionals detail character names, who is speaking and when, the duration of the speech, if they are on or off-screen, and any important indications about the dialogue of your content.
Spotting lists are key to the success of the post-production process, and your project as a whole. Our experts are equipped to handle spotting list needs for film, television, and online content productions. SMV offers the most professional and accurate Dialogue and Continuity spotting list services in the Los Angeles area. Our team specializes in quick turnaround and affordable rates, so you never have to delay the release of your project. With over 30 years of experience, our skilled technicians are trained to create top-quality spotting lists for clients just like you.
All of our captioning services are performed by highly trained professionals. SMV believes in providing the Los Angeles community with the most accurate and high quality captioning services. We have yet to miss a deadline, and are ready to provide top-notch captioning solutions to filmmakers, companies, and organizations alike. Don’t hesitate to contact SMV today.
