I have a client that is wanting closed captioning.  It would be an on going series, so if we could do it in house we might.  However, I have researched it and am still in the dark about it.  The final video at this point would only be delievered on DV.  So, I am wondering what is the best workflow for doing it in house.  If we have to send it out, what are your experiences and cost associated with sending it out?

Any and all input would be appreciated. 

Thanks

Mattman

I don't have experience with DIY closed captioning, but here's what I know about doing it out of house.

Closed Captioning is a 2 step process.  Step 1 is you go to a Closed Captioning company such as NCI and they generate the Closed Captioning file.  Cost is about $150 per half hour show.  Step 2 is encoding the CC file to a master tape.  Check with your local dub house to see if they have this ability, the cost should be around 100-150 per half hour show.

Some thoughts... keep in mind that the more shows you have, the better price you'll get.  (I had six.)  Also, once a show has been Closed Captioned, it's very difficult to make any changes (such as insert edits to fix credits) to the master tape, so be sure you are mastering the FINAL version as corrections can be very costly.  In other words, Closed Captioning is the last step in mastering before making any dubs.

Good Luck,

-Brian

If you are only going to DVD it can be quite simple.  I usually post a windows media file with time code burn of the project to an ftp site, the local caption company downloads it, produces a file and emails it back to me.  In Adobe Encore you assign the file to a timeline and, Voila, you are captioned.  If a change needs to be done they can modify the file and send it to me again.  If pop up captioning is done they can also send a text file that can be used for sub-titles too, if needed... 

But, if you are going to broadcast that won't work...  The company that I use can handle the final mastering for you however, www.lnscaptioning.com.

 Thanks guys.

Brian not sure what you mean about getting a local dub house to make the master tape.  I guess you take the file to them and they make the master with the closed captioning.  I am sure there are places that would do it all at once instead of it being a two step process.  Did you find that you got a better rate?  I think I would be interested in encoding the file myself.  That is the technological know how that I am lacking.  As I understand it you can put the captioning info in the meta data track.  But from there I am at a loss. 

I don't want to type the captions myself, so having someone do that would be good, or if it is not too much of a hassle to take a script that is already typed and convert it to closed captions, I think that I could pull that off fairly easily.

So my questions more specifically about that are can I use any closed captioning encoder if I use the meta sync channel, or do I have to use the one that Avid endorses? What do I write the captions with and how time consuming is it and to sync it up to the video?   Also, if I go with an external encoder, I would need to go analog, and that is where I think coming back into dv would give me a problem.

Or is there an more elegant software solution than the CPC solution at http://www.cpcweb.com/

It looks like it would take forever to do it the way they are advertising it.  Also the cost is pretty steep for just DV capabilities. 

Surely I am not the only one that has been down this path before, I would be very greatful if one of those people could lend some info. 

Thanks,

Mattman

 I looked into this quite a lot, and while I will occasionally make my own subtitles there was just too much involved in making closed captioning.  Unless you want to get into it for other people's projects as an added service, I think you will be money ,and certainly time, ahead to just send it out.

If you have a script that is already written and accurate that will save a some time, but it will also make it cheaper with a captioning company.  I would say concentrate on what you do best, which probably isn't typing super fast!