Subtitles and Caption Caption Formatting and Styling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of the 'paint-on' caption style?
- To display captions in a box
- To reveal captions word by word from left to right (Correct answer)
- To show captions in italics
- To display captions at the top of the screen
Correct answer: To reveal captions word by word from left to right
Paint-on captions appear word by word from left to right, often used for live captioning to simulate real-time speech.
Question 2: When should italic text be used in US caption formatting?
- For all dialogue
- For foreign language words, titles, or off-screen voices (Correct answer)
- For sound effects only
- For proper nouns only
Correct answer: For foreign language words, titles, or off-screen voices
Italics are used in captions for foreign words, titles of works, off-screen voices, and emphasized speech.
Question 3: What is a 'roll-up' caption style?
- Captions that appear in a bubble
- Captions that continuously scroll upward one line at a time (Correct answer)
- Captions that roll in from the side
- Captions that spin onto the screen
Correct answer: Captions that continuously scroll upward one line at a time
Roll-up captions scroll upward continuously, typically showing 1-3 lines at a time, and are commonly used for live television.
Question 4: What background treatment is recommended for open captions to ensure contrast on light scenes?
- No background
- Semi-transparent black drop shadow or box (Correct answer)
- Bright yellow background
- Red outline around text
Correct answer: Semi-transparent black drop shadow or box
A semi-transparent black box or drop shadow behind caption text ensures readability regardless of the background scene brightness.
Question 5: How should music or song lyrics be indicated in US caption formatting?
- Using quotation marks
- Using music notes (♪) or angle brackets (Correct answer)
- Using ALL CAPS
- Using parentheses
Correct answer: Using music notes (♪) or angle brackets
Music notes (♪ or ♫) are placed at the beginning and/or end of captioned lyrics to indicate singing or music content.
Question 6: What does 'speaker identification' in caption formatting refer to?
- Labeling the name of the show
- Indicating which character or person is speaking (Correct answer)
- Identifying the captioning company
- Marking timestamps for speakers
Correct answer: Indicating which character or person is speaking
Speaker identification labels (e.g., [JOHN:] or >> JOHN:) indicate which character or person is producing the dialogue in a caption.
Subtitles and Caption Caption Formatting and Styling 2
What is the purpose of the 'paint-on' caption style?