In order to understand the importance of a dialogue list, we first need to know what post-production scripts are. When a film or TV show is finished, it differs greatly from the original screenplay. Dialogues can be edited, locations can be changed and budgetary and logistical constraints can limit the creative direction of the film. Even entire characters can be edited out! As a result, the end product is vastly different from the original screenplay. This necessitates the requirement for post-production scripts.
The four most popular post-production scripts are dialogue list, as-broadcast script, combined dialogue and spotting list (CDSL) and combined continuity, dialogue and spotting list (CCSL).
Definition of a Dialogue List
A dialogue list is a transcription of the finished film or tv production and the foundation for creating subtitles, captions and dubbing. It is the most basic form of a post-production script.
The features included in the Dialogue List are:- Speaker Identification – Onscreen or Off-screen
- Accurate Time Code
- Transcription of speech
- Speaker relevant sound effects
- Music and Lyrics
What are dialogue lists used for?
Dialogue lists are often used as a base for all other post-production scripts which are required by the distributors or TV networks for various processes. These may include copyrighting, legal requirements, closed captioning and foreign subtitling.
One of the most common use is to translate the dialogue from a film or television show into a foreign language. Streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV’s demand for foreign subtitles has exponentially risen to reach a wider audience. Additionally, subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) is also fast becoming a requirement for digital distribution.
Dialogue lists are also essential for dubbing purposes. Dubbing is used in translating foreign-language films or TV shows to increase viewership.
Many people still wonder, “Do I really need a dialogue list?” Imagine this scenario. Your film is set to be shown at five different international film festivals. All of them are being held in different countries with different native languages. If you had a dialogue list handy, it can be sent for translation for foreign subtitles which will save time and money.
Why can’t I make my own dialogue list?
Accurate transcription is a process that requires skill, patience, and experience.
Many prospective customers question why they need to hire an expert when they can transcribe themselves. For one, there are a few technicalities that the will need a crash course to compile an accurate dialogue list. If errors are made on the first building block, the rest of the teams will build on those errors.
Secondaly, an untrained person will take more than double the amount of time with chances of errors that may fail the distributor or film festival requirements.
What are the dialogue list file formats?
The industry standard file format for dialogue list is Microsoft Word .docx. It is editable if small revisions are required. We also output in Adobe .pdf or Microsoft Excel .xlsx format if required.
Why should you choose Caption Easy?
All of our work is done by experts who are well-versed in industry standards with decades of experience. While we do have some custom-made software that aids us in formatting, the bulk of the work is performed by our team, manually. This results in a fully accurate script, in which every word is transcribed, every character is identified, and every sound is noted.
One of Caption Easy’s primary goals is to take the time to understand the needs of our clients and fashion our work accordingly. We care about our customers and our work will always be oriented to your requirements.
Finally, you can rest assured that all work delivered by Caption Easy experts is 100% compliant with the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Canada Radio-television and Communications Commission. (CRTC)