Why use Captions and Subtitles for your Video
Ahmed Khalifa with Jason Barnard at BrightonSEO September 2019
Ahmed Khalifa talks with Jason Barnard about why you would use captions and subtitles for your video.
Firstly, accessibility. All sorts of people benefit from captioned / subtitled videos, not just deaf people says Ahmed Khalifa: non-native speakers, people watching with the sound off, when the speakers’ accents aren’t clear (think Glaswegian :) … and some people just like to read along. Automatic captions need to be corrected. Machines simply cannot get everything right (especially the scene directions and ambiance descriptions).
Apparently, professionals can write captions almost in real time, including descriptions about background noise. I personally hadn’t thought about how important that can be for context. It’s not just what we say, but the context in which we say it.
Ahmed is deaf, and relies on captions. But all sorts of people benefit from captioned videos… Of course, we get onto Glaswegian accents. Heads up Craig Campbell. Auto captioning is far from perfect. It needs to be corrected. Then we get onto pushing that to transcripts and adapted transcripts. Apparently, professionals can write captions almost in real time, including descriptions about background noise. Guess who hadn’t thought about how important that can be for context. It’s not just what we say, but the context in which we say it. I speak too much without engaging my brain. Ahmed saves the day and makes me sound intelligent. Phew !
Jason Barnard
I’m going to reread your name to make sure I get it right. #SEOisAEO, welcome to the show. Ahmed Khalifa.
Ahmed Khalifa
Actually, yeah, that's quite like intro. People should do that more often.
Jason Barnard
Yeah, but the shame was I actually had to read it.
Ahmed Khalifa
I don't blame you for that.
Jason Barnard
Thank you. Lovely to meet you. I believe you started your career in Brighton.
Ahmed Khalifa
Kind of. I did have an agency experience in Worthing. So I lived there for like a year and I did agency work. I did a few things building up to it, then from then on, I just kept up the momentum.
Jason Barnard
And you worked for a company called Fresh Egg? My first thought when I saw fresh egg was rotten egg.
Ahmed Khalifa
My first thought was some kind of farm or something And that was about seven or eight years ago now. So it's been a while.
Jason Barnard
Okay. Right. Brilliant stuff.
Video Captions
Jason Barnard
You were talking about that earlier on, and shamefully I didn't see your talk… but you gave me a quick idea of what it was all about. Captions on videos and how rubbish they can be when they're auto generated on YouTube and people leave them idiotically.
Ahmed Khalifa
Pretty much. And they don't give it a second thought.
Jason Barnard
Yeah. And, and you were telling me why that's particularly interesting for you?
Ahmed Khalifa
Well, I mean, if I'm going to go from my personal experience, I depend on captions because I'm deaf and I depend on captions just to access videos. But then even if it's not for me, it can be for all for people for whom English is not their first language. They're learning the language. Or it could be some kind of learning disability and they need captions to keep up. It could be attention deficit disorder. It could be even be, for all of us, because you may be an urban transport or maybe you're in a library or whatever, and you just want to watch the video in silence.
Jason Barnard
Or it could be that the person speaking has a really, really thick Glaswegian accent like Craig Campbell.
Ahmed Khalifa
That is one thing that I mentioned in the talk. I had the example of Kevin Bridges, the comedian. He’s from Glasgow, and the auto captions struggled. to get it right - and it was interesting what they come up with. So, of course, a strong Glaswegian accent can affect things (smiles).
Jason Barnard
That leads us really neatly onto the idea that if you make a video,
Ahmed Khalifa talks with Jason Barnard about why you would use captions and subtitles for your video.
Firstly, accessibility. All sorts of people benefit from captioned / subtitled videos, not just deaf people says Ahmed Khalifa: non-native speakers, people watching with the sound off, when the speakers’ accents aren’t clear (think Glaswegian :) … and some people just like to read along. Automatic captions need to be corrected. Machines simply cannot get everything right (especially the scene directions and ambiance descriptions).
Apparently, professionals can write captions almost in real time, including descriptions about background noise. I personally hadn’t thought about how important that can be for context. It’s not just what we say, but the context in which we say it.
Ahmed is deaf, and relies on captions. But all sorts of people benefit from captioned videos… Of course, we get onto Glaswegian accents. Heads up Craig Campbell. Auto captioning is far from perfect. It needs to be corrected. Then we get onto pushing that to transcripts and adapted transcripts. Apparently, professionals can write captions almost in real time, including descriptions about background noise. Guess who hadn’t thought about how important that can be for context. It’s not just what we say, but the context in which we say it. I speak too much without engaging my brain. Ahmed saves the day and makes me sound intelligent. Phew !
Jason Barnard
I’m going to reread your name to make sure I get it right. #SEOisAEO, welcome to the show. Ahmed Khalifa.
Ahmed Khalifa
Actually, yeah, that's quite like intro. People should do that more often.
Jason Barnard
Yeah, but the shame was I actually had to read it.
Ahmed Khalifa
I don't blame you for that.
Jason Barnard
Thank you. Lovely to meet you. I believe you started your career in Brighton.
Ahmed Khalifa
Kind of. I did have an agency experience in Worthing. So I lived there for like a year and I did agency work. I did a few things building up to it, then from then on, I just kept up the momentum.
Jason Barnard
And you worked for a company called Fresh Egg? My first thought when I saw fresh egg was rotten egg.
Ahmed Khalifa
My first thought was some kind of farm or something And that was about seven or eight years ago now. So it's been a while.
Jason Barnard
Okay. Right. Brilliant stuff.
Video Captions
Jason Barnard
You were talking about that earlier on, and shamefully I didn't see your talk… but you gave me a quick idea of what it was all about. Captions on videos and how rubbish they can be when they're auto generated on YouTube and people leave them idiotically.
Ahmed Khalifa
Pretty much. And they don't give it a second thought.
Jason Barnard
Yeah. And, and you were telling me why that's particularly interesting for you?
Ahmed Khalifa
Well, I mean, if I'm going to go from my personal experience, I depend on captions because I'm deaf and I depend on captions just to access videos. But then even if it's not for me, it can be for all for people for whom English is not their first language. They're learning the language. Or it could be some kind of learning disability and they need captions to keep up. It could be attention deficit disorder. It could be even be, for all of us, because you may be an urban transport or maybe you're in a library or whatever, and you just want to watch the video in silence.
Jason Barnard
Or it could be that the person speaking has a really, really thick Glaswegian accent like Craig Campbell.
Ahmed Khalifa
That is one thing that I mentioned in the talk. I had the example of Kevin Bridges, the comedian. He’s from Glasgow, and the auto captions struggled. to get it right - and it was interesting what they come up with. So, of course, a strong Glaswegian accent can affect things (smiles).
Jason Barnard
That leads us really neatly onto the idea that if you make a video,
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