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Getting Started with Captions

Learn how to create and edit professional captions and subtitles in Scriptix.

What are Captions?​

Captions are time-synchronized text that appears on screen with video or audio content. They display spoken dialogue, speaker identification, sound effects, and other audio information.

Subtitles typically display dialogue only, often in a different language from the audio.

When to Use Captions​

  • Accessibility: Make content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
  • Mobile viewing: Most mobile videos are watched without sound
  • SEO: Search engines can index caption text for better discoverability
  • Translation: Reach international audiences with multilingual captions
  • Compliance: Meet accessibility requirements (ADA, WCAG)
  • Comprehension: Help viewers understand content in noisy environments

Creating Captions in Scriptix​

From a Session​

  1. Navigate to your workspace
  2. Find the session you want to caption
  3. Open the session to access transcripts/captions
  4. Select or create a caption document
  5. Caption editor opens automatically

Automatic Caption Generation​

When you upload audio or video:

  1. Upload your media file to a new session
  2. Scriptix automatically transcribes the audio
  3. Captions are generated with timing information
  4. Open the caption editor to review and refine

Caption Editor Overview​

The Caption Editor includes:

  • Segment list - Scrollable list of all caption segments
  • Text editing - Edit caption text for each segment
  • Timing controls - Adjust start and stop times
  • Waveform visualization - Visual representation of audio (if available)
  • Media player - Synced audio/video playback (if media is available)
  • Search functionality - Find and filter caption segments
  • Auto-save - Automatic saving every 2 minutes
  • Undo/Redo - Full undo/redo support

Quick Edit Workflow​

  1. Review: Play through and read the auto-generated captions
  2. Edit text: Fix transcription errors and improve readability
  3. Adjust timing: Fine-tune start and stop times for accuracy
  4. Search: Use search to find specific text or speakers
  5. Quality check: Review for accuracy and timing
  6. Export: Download in your desired format (SRT, VTT, etc.)

Best Practices​

Timing​

  • Sync caption start/end times with speech
  • Ensure captions appear long enough to be read
  • Use natural timing that follows speech patterns
  • Avoid captions that are too short (less than 1 second) or too long (more than 7 seconds)

Content​

  • Match spoken words accurately
  • Identify speakers when multiple people are speaking
  • Include relevant sound effects in [brackets]
  • Use proper punctuation and capitalization

Formatting​

  • Break lines at natural phrase boundaries
  • Keep related words on the same line
  • Limit characters per line for readability
  • Use standard subtitle conventions

Supported Export Formats​

Scriptix supports all major caption and subtitle formats:

  • SRT (SubRip) - Most widely compatible
  • VTT (WebVTT) - HTML5 web video standard
  • SBV (YouTube) - YouTube subtitle format
  • TTML - Timed Text Markup Language (broadcast/streaming)
  • STL - EBU subtitle format (broadcast standard)
  • HTML - Web-ready format
  • Media - Download original media file

Keyboard Shortcuts​

The caption editor supports keyboard shortcuts for efficiency:

Undo/Redo:

  • Ctrl/Cmd+Z - Undo
  • Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z or Ctrl/Cmd+Y - Redo

Media Playback (when media available):

  • Space - Play/Pause
  • Playback controls in media player

See the caption editor for additional shortcuts and features.

Next Steps​

Ready to create professional captions? Open a session and start editing!