Closed Captioning

Key External Sites

Videos are typically hosted on Vimeo, which provides auto-generated captions. When needed, captions can also be created in Camtasia or other editing software. For additional captioning needs, use Otter.ai.

Text, Punctuation, and Grammar

For exceptions when closed captions are not auto-generated, follow these guidelines for text, punctuation, and grammar:

• Use mixed-case text, except in the case of screaming or shouting which should be in ALL CAPS.
• Use a white font color on a black background. Note: this is the default setting in Camtasia and Vimeo.
• Use two lines maximum per caption.
• Always use an Oxford comma when captioning a list.
• Type numbers as numerical figures (1,000 instead of one thousand).
• If there is a hesitation, stutter, or pause, caption the hesitation.
• If there is a significant pause, use ellipses.
• Use quotation marks for onscreen readings (e.g., quoting an article, another person, etc.).

Sound Effects and Music  

The following guidelines are in place for sound effects and music:  

• When a sound effect is used, enclose the description of the sound effect in square brackets: [applause]
• Off-screen sound effects should be enclosed in square brackets and be italicized: [crash] 
• Use punctuation to indicate speed and/or pace of sound: [dog barking] woof…woof…woof
• Background music does not need to be accounted for in closed captioning.