“I just want to make sure I get closed captioning done; why should I care so much about accuracy?”
Closed captioning and subtitles are not given primary consideration very often. Most of the time, this means that closed captioning gets pushed to the bottom of your list. Your video may end up with the necessary captions, but they might not be helpful, professional, or up to FCC specifications.
It’s tempting to do just enough to get by, but you owe it to yourself to strive for more.
Closed Captioning and Subtitles Make a Bigger Impact Every Single Day
Your closed captioning service’s accuracy matters more than you may think. Your content, whether broadcasted, streamed, or downloaded, is being sent out to a world that is constantly shrinking. What you make today can be shared to a worldwide audience. Closed captions help you reach them—whether they are hearing impaired, non-English speakers, English as a second language speakers, or others with a need for captions.
All of these individuals rely on closed captions and subtitles, and captions need to be accurate unless you want your message lost in translation.
Accurate Closed Captions Maximize Your Content
How would you like the very climax of your show being derailed because of one bad subtitle? If you have a TV ministry, how would you like the most crucial portion of your message to be miscommunicated for your audience due to faulty captions? There goes the almost-changed life, or the almost loyal supporter.
Whether the faulty caption is clunky translation, awkward language, typos, or obviously out-of-place words, one caption can remove someone entirely from the moment you are trying to create. Don’t run the risk of ruining your hard work with lousy captions!
Your content deserves better. You have something to share with your audience, and few things can get in the way like inaccurate captions.
Don’t take the easy way out. Maximize your work’s reach by investing in first-class closed captioning and subtitling.
David Appelt
David is our special projects manager and part of the StationDrop team. He is a central Ohio native and Capital University grad with a media and communications background. David is here to make sure that they stay on track while providing as much value to you as he can. Over the years, David has picked up experience in many creative realms: writing, audio, video, and design. After work, David is probably writing, serving at his church, spending time with his family, or (trying) to play golf.
