Caption Writer

Dialogue is essential to any movie or TV production, but what if the viewer can’t hear or understand the language? Enter the Caption Writer. A Caption Writer types in the dialogue so viewers can read along.

Speed and accuracy are the hallmarks of your work as a Caption Writer, and you pride yourself on your ability to type quickly. As the Actors speak, you type in their exact words. Sometimes, you add special words to allow the audience to understand how the line was delivered. Cues such as “crying” or “yelling” can add to the clarity of the speech you’re typing.

Background noises are also included in films, and they provide necessary information for the viewer. You might type the words “door shutting” or “music in background” to help your viewers keep up with the film.

Sometimes, you must move the captions from one part of the screen to another. If the Actor is wearing a white shirt, for example, the white captions should be placed across the Actor’s sweaty head so the audience can still read them.

If you’re working on a live broadcast, your captions are read almost immediately by a wide audience. That means you don’t have time to proofread your work. If you’re working on a movie or television show, however, you can go back through your work to make sure you’ve done it properly.