CDSL – Combined Dialogue and Spotting List

A Combined Dialogue and Spotting List (CDSL) is a post-production script that captures every spoken word, speaker identification, and precise timecodes. It’s essential for creating accurate subtitles, dubbing, and meeting distributor requirements for international film and television distribution.

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CDSL Sample Template

What is a Combined Dialogue and spotting List (CDSL)?

A CDSL contains the dialogue of the film in the form of subtitles. The dialogue list portion contains a complete account of the dialogue of the production. The spotting list portion contains the subtitles of the production, the time they begin and end, and their duration.

  • Transcription
    The full dialogue of the production is written, including pauses and/or interruptions.
  • Speaker identification
    Every time a new dialogue starts, the speaker is named. If the speaker is not in the shot when the dialogue is spoken, it is written as an ‘off-screen dialogue’. In the spotting list portion, who the speaker is talking to is also included.
  • Time code
    Each dialogue is written with a time code to mark when it starts and ends.
  • Subtitle duration
    ‘Time in’ and ‘time out’ are used to note the duration of each subtitle which consists of two lines of dialogue.
  • Sound effects
    All speaker related sound effects, such as coughing, laughing, sighing, sneezing, etc. are shown.
  • Music and lyrics
    The beginning and end of all music and lyrics are enclosed within the ♪ symbol.

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      Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the use of Spotting List services?
    A spotting list is the foundation for subtitles of the source language. Proper line and subtitle breaks are given according to the subtitling standards. Spotting List helps in translating to other foreign subtitles.
    What is Spotting List of a film?
    Spotting List is the subtitles of a film in the source language. It also includes the name of the speaker and to whom the speaker is addressing.
    How is Dialogue and Spotting List different?
    In dialogue list, the on-screen and off-screen information is also provided. In spotting list the speaker that is being spoken to is included. The Spotting List also follows the subtitling conventions of line breaks.
    Is CDSL produced manually?
    While we have some in-house custom made software solutions to help with formatting and syncing, the actual grunt work is all done meticulously by our experts in the field. This means that every single shot in the film is scanned for speaker identification. Every word is transcribed. Every lyric and sound effect is heard by human ears.

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