Examples of captions doing what they should do
In our recent post Captivating Captions, we looked at why captioning videos is so important for accessibility and many other reasons.
Now we are going to examine some video captions (as opposed to just subtitles) to show what these actually do.
One of the most important roles a caption can play is to fill in context provided by non-verbal sounds in conveying the plot of a film or television program.
Note: each image also has a description underneath it so that users employing screen readers can understand the point of each example. In this situation, every image has the attribute alt=”” because the description is in the image caption instead. Usually though the alt text and the caption provide different functions.
Let’s take a look at the first picture:
A school bus driver sits at the wheel with a determined look on his face. The caption on the screen reads Tire pops and kids scream.
Without knowing anything about the story, we can guess that the fact that (as related by the caption) a tire has popped and kids are screaming is probably a significant moment. If captions were not available to a person with deafness/severe hearing loss, then they might not understand why it appears that the children are suddenly screaming. You cannot see either the tire or the children, but the captions let us know what is happening.
The description of music can provide context for a movie or TV show. It can establish the mood of a scene:
The scene is a dark lane. The caption reads intricate macabre music
Overlooking a busy city street, probably Manhattan, at night. The caption reads Funky mystery music
Or captions can help to convey a plot point
A boy in early teen years looks vacantly into space during class, the caption reads Rock music continues to play on headphones
Or to underline the emotion of a character:
A young woman looks up balefully. The caption reads Heart-felt chords play
Or even ironic counterpoint:
We can see a young woman or schoolgirl with her back to us on a dance floor. The caption reads Disconcertingly jaunty music continues
In a black and white movie, what appears to be the corpse of a smartly dressed middle-aged man lies on the floor of a bar, while in the background the barkeeper polishes a glass. The caption reads Whimsical, ambling melody continues.
There are many times also that the mood and plot are conveyed by no sound at all. Those moments are hard to process in some stories when there is no visual cue.
We see the face of a woman in a black-and-white film, as she and a man embrace. We just see the back of his head. She looks concerned. The caption read Silence continues.
How not to do it
It’s tempting to begin this section with a sentence like, And now for the fun part! But although the following are amusing/bemusing/surreal, it’s important to remember they are also real, and if you rely on closed captioning to let you know what is going on they might be confusing or annoying.
Some are just… weird:
Mr. Spock clings to a computer console, his face screwed up in emotion or effort. The caption reads, Sobbing mathematically.
Others are confusing:
Interior of a clearly wealthy old home. A male character stands with his back to the camera. The caption reads Spider barking.
Some captions take a creepy scene – and make it much, much worse
In a very dark interior we can make out virtually nothing. The caption reads Tentacles undulating moistly
How do they know?
We see Dr. Lecter from the TV show Hannibal. The caption reads Loudly implied cannibalism.
Anyone who has worn a bowtie will know this is the only way to fix one.
Matt Smith is adjusting his bowtie with a grimace on his face. The caption reads, Angrily fixes bow tie.
And now back to this nightmare
The character on screen is looking surprised. The caption reads Tentacle adheres wetly.
And what does this even mean?
Close-up on Aaron Paul’s character who looks intense. the caption reads Intensity intensifies.
Many of these captions leave me feeling like this:
An animated pony stands with a quizzical look on his face. The caption reads Neighs in confusion.
Clearly, there is a way to write captions that are meaningful and many ways which can be confusing or just plain strange. Despite their entertainment value, it’s important to make captions plain, simple, and descriptive.