Television and Film Transcription: Everything You Need to Know


Television and Film Transcription: Everything You Need to Know
Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

11/1/2018

Television and film is big business.

According to statistics, the global film and movie industry will generate box office receipts of somewhere around 50 billion dollars by 2020, and the television industry generates an estimated $157 billion a year in the United States alone.

Yes, people love their TV and movies--and they want more.

And that's where Transcription services come in. Transcripts can expose television and film projects to wider audiences, boost revenues, and increase engagement among devoted fans and followers.

Transcription services can help you provide closed captioning. You can use it to make interview transcripts available for mainstream media and social media platforms. And you use it to help with subtitling, making your productions accessible to audiences in other parts of the world.

Here's a look at how you can use transcription services for your TV and film projects.

Raw Footage

Sometimes it can be challenging to figure out exactly how to edit a piece together--especially when you're dealing with a lengthy interview or a series of meetings.

Having your raw footage transcribed allows you to search for key phrases, determine who said what, and make sure you're using the best material. Transcribing raw footage can save you time in the editing suite because it allows you to plan and go directly to the portions of the interviews that you find most useful or compelling.

The downside to transcribing raw footage is that it can be time intensive. It requires a lot of listening and typing (and sometimes re-listening and re-typing).

But transcription services can help. They're fast, accurate, and can even be automated.

Read Also: Hollywood Stars Who Speak Multiple Languages

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Post Production

Once your production is in the can, you may want to consider having it transcribed for distribution or historical purposes. Your distributor may ask that it be transcribed in the form of a dialogue list, an as-produced script or a combined continuity and spotting list.

This can mean producing a word-accurate dialogue and speaker ID transcript (for the dialogue list). It can mean creating an exact reflection of the final product as it will be broadcasted. This includes breaks, scene breakdowns, descriptions, continuity, word-accurate dialogue, and IDs (for the as-produced script transcript).

The most complicated post-production transcript to produce is probably the combined continuity and spotting list. These lists typically require you to number each shot and produce an accurate time reference. In addition, continuity must be concisely described, must have word-accurate dialogue transcripts, and main titles with timing.

Post-production transcription can get quite complicated. But if you work with a professional transcription services provider, you can save yourself a lot of time and headaches.

Custom Transcription

Social media has taken over the world. People use it to share information about television programs and films that have caught their attention. Members of the mainstream media use it to share news and gauge interest in specific productions.

Having your television or film products transcribed makes it easier for you to share information about the product on social media platforms.

Closed Captioning

According to research conducted by Gallaudet University, between 9 and 22 out of every 1,000 people in the United States have a severe hearing impairment or are deaf. That's a lot of people who might not otherwise have access to your product if not for closed captioning.

But these are not the only people who appreciate closed captioning. People who watch videos in noisy environments or quiet places, people who speak English as a second language, and people who appreciate the ability to entirely focus on what's being said, also benefit from closed captioning.

If you truly want to bring your production to the masses, you won't want to overlook closed captioning, and a professional transcription services provider can turn your transcripts around quickly and accurately. Subtitling

Not everyone speaks English. In fact, BabelFish says that of the 7.5 billion people living on Earth, only about 1.5 billion use English as their primary language.

Having your television or film production transcribed makes it possible for them to have it translated into other languages; this includes Chinese, which is the most commonly spoken language in the world, with 1.2 billion people speaking it as their primary language.

Imagine the possibilities of having your TV or film project put in front of so many new audiences. Transcription services can help introduce your work to the masses.

Go Bigger with Transcription Services

TV and film are big business. But it can be even bigger if you leverage the power of transcription services. If you're interested in making sure your productions get in front of the biggest audiences possible, connect with the transcription experts at GMR Transcription today.

Also Read: 7 All Time Favorite Movies to Translate into Other Languages

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the Cofounder & President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a California-based company that has been providing accurate and fast transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed nearly ten years of success at GMR, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth. Under Beth's leadership, GMR Transcription doubled its sales within two years, earning recognition as one of the OC Business Journal's fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.