Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Eric, and I'm Olivia, and today we're going to learn about, and show you, the three closed captioning types and how they're used in live and pre-recorded programs.

Speaker 2: Let's talk about pop-on captions. These are what you're most used to seeing in pre-recorded broadcast streaming and web content.

Speaker 1: These captions are exactly what they say they are. They pop on your screen and then disappear when the next caption appears.

Speaker 2: You can see them in action right now. Watch the bottom center portion of your screen.

Speaker 1: These are pop-on captions.

Speaker 2: You'll find pop-on captions in a variety of styles, but for optimal readability across

Speaker 1: platforms, we recommend sentence case captions at the bottom center of the screen.

Speaker 2: Captions should move to the top of the screen when lower third graphics appear.

Speaker 1: You'll also notice speaker dashes used each time someone new speaks. Hey, where'd you go?

Speaker 2: I'm right here, in your head, or in your heart, or in another room. This happens all the time on TV, okay? And when it does, this speech is in italics. And now my speech is unitalicized because I'm here in person with you.

Speaker 1: Cool trick. I want to try. Whoa, I'm doing it. I'm voicing over. Wait a sec, why am I not italicized?

Speaker 2: Well, italics aren't the only way to convey off-screen speech. Sometimes we use IDs and speaker-oriented placement. See how the captions move to the side of the screen I'm on?

Speaker 1: Seems like there's lots of ways to format pop-on captions.

Speaker 2: There sure are. That's why you should check out the full Caption Types article for details on our house style and possible variations.

Speaker 1: Cool stuff. Hey, looks like it's time to talk about roll-up captions.

Speaker 2: They're on a roll, am I right, folks? Well they are. These captions continuously roll up onto your screen, one right under the next, allowing for more time to load up and for the viewer to read them.

Speaker 1: That's why they're mostly used for live programming. Each word is sent to an encoder right away, and encoders have to wait for all the text information before the caption can be displayed. Roll-up style gives those live programs better time allowances and greater ability to synchronize in real time.

Speaker 2: And while there's less variation in roll-up style than there is in pop-on, you'll find most roll-up captions are uppercase.

Speaker 1: That's right, Olivia. There are also usually two lines, either at the very top or very bottom.

Speaker 2: With chevrons as speaker IDs. Though hosts or narrators, for example, may be identified like so. Keep an eye on the captions.

Speaker 1: Now, we've established that pop-on captions are primarily used for pre-recorded programming and roll-up captions are used in live settings.

Speaker 2: But there are times when pre-recorded programs may use roll-up.

Speaker 1: Such as in soap operas.

Speaker 2: This is to assist the viewer in keeping track of multiple characters and storylines.

Speaker 1: And to fit the steady, dramatic pace of storytelling.

Speaker 2: Platforms like Zoom or YouTube only display captions in pop-on style. So live meetings and events may be captioned as such. Eric, you're on mute. You're on mute. You're on mute.

Speaker 1: Every single time. Anyway, what I was trying to say was that viewers on these platforms may experience a little delay as they wait for all that live content to display.

Speaker 2: Great point, Eric. We have one more caption type to talk about.

Speaker 1: Paint-on captions are the least commonly used caption type. So we won't spend too much time here.

Speaker 2: That being said, there are some good uses for these captions.

Speaker 1: Right. Now, these captions are named as such because you see them essentially painted on screen, letter by letter. Like so.

Speaker 2: Right. Some pre-recorded programs, such as reality shows, utilize them at the top of new segments in order to avoid potential delays in captions appearing on screen.

Speaker 1: And paint-on captions are almost never used for a whole program. So it can be difficult to notice the nuance of the style with each letter populating one by one.

Speaker 2: Well, Eric, I think we covered them all.

Speaker 1: Yep. Thanks for watching, folks.

Speaker 2: And remember, live or pre-recorded captions don't necessarily dictate which style you

Speaker 1: can use. But they generally align with one style due to the nature and technical limitations that each type of programming presents.

Speaker 2: Our experienced teams in pre-recorded and live captioning are always happy to help you figure out what style will work best for your media.

Speaker 1: And make it accessible to everyone, everywhere.