Video Closed Captioning
It is the responsibility for Harford Community College employees to make sure all videos are accessible. Here are some tips for your consideration whether you are creating the captioning internally or hiring an external service provider.
Closed Captioning Quick Tips
- Make sure all information within videos is accurate and valuable. There is no reason to caption videos that are out-of-date or otherwise inaccurate. Please review all video content carefully before committing to the captioning process.
- Make sure spelling and grammar are correct. Proof read all materials carefully for correct spellings and use of words before publishing/presenting. Make sure proper grammar is applied but note that slang terms and improper breaks should be captioned verbatim. Note: Provide correct spelling of names and special words or terms if submitting difficult or otherwise unique content to a service provider. This will save time during the proof reading process.
- Captioning should be synchronized with the video. Make sure timing of the text makes sense with the timing of the video.
- Break up text at natural language breaks. One or two lines of text at most is recommended. Use natural breaks to create new lines. Also, try to avoid splitting captions—such as in the middle of a name.
- Break up your captions evenly. Consistent lengths make it easier to be read quickly.
- Provide enough to time for captions to be read. People need time to read captions. Assume the viewer will not be familiar with the content.