1
00:00:07,229 --> 00:00:10,799
EASIT. Easy Access
for Social Inclusion Training.

2
00:00:12,202 --> 00:00:14,478
This is Unit 3A.

3
00:00:14,478 --> 00:00:16,359
Easy-to-Understand and subtitling.

4
00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,512
Element 2. Linguistic aspects.

5
00:00:19,851 --> 00:00:24,542
Video lecture: Subtitling parameters:
visual aspects.

6
00:00:24,682 --> 00:00:26,372
My name is Rocío Bernabé

7
00:00:26,372 --> 00:00:30,175
from the Internationale Hochschule
SDI München, in Germany.

8
00:00:31,542 --> 00:00:34,545
This video lecture focuses
on the visual presentation

9
00:00:34,545 --> 00:00:36,425
of subtitles on screen.

10
00:00:36,930 --> 00:00:41,613
We will discuss how verbal
and non-verbal aspects of a subtitle

11
00:00:41,613 --> 00:00:45,000
can be visually adapted
to support perception.

12
00:00:45,732 --> 00:00:50,418
We are dealing with parameters
that support legibility as the ability

13
00:00:50,418 --> 00:00:52,721
to perceive and decode information.

14
00:00:53,422 --> 00:00:58,680
These parameters are: placement,
contrast, lines, and fonts.

15
00:00:59,201 --> 00:01:02,586
The input provided
in this lecture has been taken

16
00:01:02,586 --> 00:01:04,890
from a peer-reviewed article entitled

17
00:01:04,890 --> 00:01:09,541
“Identifying parameters for creating
Easy to Read subtitles”.

18
00:01:09,661 --> 00:01:12,305
You can find the article in the reading list.

19
00:01:14,028 --> 00:01:15,567
First, placement.

20
00:01:16,749 --> 00:01:21,483
The Easy-to-Read guidelines published
by Inclusion Europe recommend to position

21
00:01:21,483 --> 00:01:24,386
subtitles on the bottom of the screen.

22
00:01:24,506 --> 00:01:26,408
That is on lower third.

23
00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:31,668
The guidelines also recommend
that this position should remain the same

24
00:01:31,668 --> 00:01:33,269
throughout the whole video.

25
00:01:33,951 --> 00:01:39,296
While Inclusion Europe emphasises
that it is very important to keep

26
00:01:39,296 --> 00:01:43,223
the same position,
sometimes this might not be possible,

27
00:01:43,564 --> 00:01:48,510
for instance, when subtitles overlay
relevant information on screen.

28
00:01:50,744 --> 00:01:54,768
In such cases, we advise you to follow
the guidelines for subtitling

29
00:01:54,768 --> 00:01:58,323
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
in short SDH,

30
00:01:58,323 --> 00:02:03,650
until more research has been done
in this area for Easy-to-Understand subtitles.

31
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,625
A strong contrast
between a subtitle text, or foreground,

32
00:02:08,625 --> 00:02:12,812
and the background helps viewers
finding and decoding the text.

33
00:02:13,113 --> 00:02:19,381
The background of a subtitle can be both
a dark box or the film images themselves.

34
00:02:20,483 --> 00:02:23,468
Either way,
the recommended contrast ratio

35
00:02:23,468 --> 00:02:27,031
between a foreground, that is the text,
or a background,

36
00:02:27,031 --> 00:02:32,518
that is the images or the box,
should be 4.5:1.

37
00:02:32,802 --> 00:02:36,702
This is also the recommendation
by the current

38
00:02:36,702 --> 00:02:41,588
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
for double AA.

39
00:02:42,451 --> 00:02:51,623
This ratio means that a colour "a"
needs to be 4.5 times darker, or lighter,

40
00:02:51,944 --> 00:02:53,305
than a colour "b".

41
00:02:53,886 --> 00:02:59,600
There are many free tools in the Internet
that you can use to test contrast ratios.

42
00:03:00,141 --> 00:03:05,880
For instance, I use a programme,
or a tool called Colour Contrast Analyzer.

43
00:03:07,524 --> 00:03:11,780
Different techniques can be used
to enable a strong contrast.

44
00:03:11,780 --> 00:03:17,789
The most common one is the use
of white text embedded in a dark, black box.

45
00:03:18,050 --> 00:03:22,460
As you know, this technique is also used
in SDH subtitling.

46
00:03:23,682 --> 00:03:28,810
The size and transparency
of a box are not standardised yet.

47
00:03:29,030 --> 00:03:34,156
Sometimes the box is opaque and covers
the whole low third of a screen,

48
00:03:34,376 --> 00:03:35,895
as in this example.

49
00:03:36,761 --> 00:03:42,758
The advantage here is a strong contrast
and that the section of a screen

50
00:03:42,758 --> 00:03:46,480
remains the same and static
throughout the whole show.

51
00:03:46,741 --> 00:03:53,915
However, the disadvantage is that the box
overlaps with the image to a great extent.

52
00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:02,977
The boxes can be transparent and smaller,
that is they adapt to fit the size

53
00:04:02,977 --> 00:04:04,538
of the subtitle lines.

54
00:04:05,380 --> 00:04:09,545
Smaller, transparent boxes are also used
in standard subtitling

55
00:04:09,545 --> 00:04:13,437
and in subtitling for the Deaf
and Hard-of-Hearing.

56
00:04:14,599 --> 00:04:18,185
Inclusion Europe's recommendations
also support the use

57
00:04:18,185 --> 00:04:22,086
of transparent backgrounds
that enable to see the image

58
00:04:22,086 --> 00:04:23,428
behind the box.

59
00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,120
Not using a box at all is also
a possibility.

60
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,695
However,
as you can tell from our example,

61
00:04:30,695 --> 00:04:34,659
ensuring a good contrast ratio
throughout the whole show

62
00:04:34,659 --> 00:04:38,369
might be sometimes a challenging task.

63
00:04:40,934 --> 00:04:44,545
As for the subtitle lines,
they should be static,

64
00:04:44,545 --> 00:04:49,179
meaning they should not be animated
or move around the screen.

65
00:04:49,460 --> 00:04:54,351
The recommended maximum
of subtitle lines is two.

66
00:04:54,652 --> 00:04:58,245
Indeed, if we consider
that Easy-to-Understand subtitles use

67
00:04:58,245 --> 00:05:04,258
larger font-sizes than standard ones,
three lines may be necessary.

68
00:05:05,260 --> 00:05:10,107
However, using three lines overlays
the image to a great extent.

69
00:05:10,848 --> 00:05:17,266
The suitability of a solution
for a specific audiovisual product

70
00:05:17,266 --> 00:05:22,165
or even a scene will depend significantly
on the targeted audience,

71
00:05:22,165 --> 00:05:26,029
on the type of audiovisual content
and product, and the message.

72
00:05:26,734 --> 00:05:30,973
Lastly, the two recommendations agree
with current subtitling practice.

73
00:05:30,973 --> 00:05:34,493
That is: a sentence should start
in a new line

74
00:05:34,854 --> 00:05:37,727
and that we should use
a line per speaker.

75
00:05:41,234 --> 00:05:43,925
Currently, there is no
standardised practice

76
00:05:43,925 --> 00:05:49,471
with regards to the number of characters
in a line in Easy-to-Understand contexts.

77
00:05:49,852 --> 00:05:56,635
This means that some subtitlers use
a maximum of 37 to 40 characters per line

78
00:05:56,635 --> 00:06:01,330
as recommended
for pre-recorded subtitles.

79
00:06:01,971 --> 00:06:05,805
But it also means
that longer lines are used,

80
00:06:06,005 --> 00:06:08,666
especially in intralingual subtitles.

81
00:06:08,666 --> 00:06:12,277
Those are subtitles
in the same language.

82
00:06:13,042 --> 00:06:17,612
This practise is known
from real-time intralingual subtitling.

83
00:06:18,754 --> 00:06:25,568
If we lean on empirical data from research
in subtitling for the Deaf

84
00:06:25,568 --> 00:06:30,000
and Hard of Hearing, our recommendation
would be to use lines of

85
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,083
37 to 40 characters.

86
00:06:32,770 --> 00:06:37,015
Overall, it is important that the text
and the image are in sync

87
00:06:37,896 --> 00:06:40,672
and that the information provided is linked

88
00:06:40,912 --> 00:06:44,334
to the images that viewers can see
on the screen.

89
00:06:45,442 --> 00:06:51,718
The use of larger font-sizes is also
a visual aspect that supports legibility.

90
00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:57,787
Font-sizes of at least
14 points are recommended

91
00:06:57,787 --> 00:06:59,690
in Easy-to-Read in print.

92
00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:05,000
However, "points" is not a measurement
for digital formats.

93
00:07:05,289 --> 00:07:10,235
Instead, you can use pixels, or percent,
or ems values

94
00:07:10,235 --> 00:07:13,878
that enable you to use
larger font-sizes.

95
00:07:14,623 --> 00:07:21,113
To give you an example, 14 points in print
are 18.66 pixels in digital.

96
00:07:21,213 --> 00:07:27,298
Similarly, 18 points in print are
24 pixels in digital.

97
00:07:29,442 --> 00:07:32,610
Typefaces also play a role in legibility.

98
00:07:32,610 --> 00:07:37,647
The aim is to use typefaces
that allow viewers to recognize letters

99
00:07:37,647 --> 00:07:43,621
and words as fast as possible
and with the less effort possible.

100
00:07:44,261 --> 00:07:50,757
For this reason, sans-serif typefaces
such as Calibri, Tahoma, or Verdana,

101
00:07:50,757 --> 00:07:54,119
or Open Sans are recommended.

102
00:07:56,443 --> 00:07:59,859
Text alignment also plays a role
in legibility.

103
00:07:59,859 --> 00:08:04,146
In Easy-to-Read contexts,
left-alignment is always used

104
00:08:04,146 --> 00:08:06,006
for written information.

105
00:08:06,230 --> 00:08:10,616
According to this recommendation,
a subtitle text that expands

106
00:08:10,616 --> 00:08:13,817
over two lines should be aligned
to the left.

107
00:08:15,641 --> 00:08:20,231
The implementation of this recommendation
is sometimes not possible.

108
00:08:20,231 --> 00:08:22,951
For instance, digital platforms,

109
00:08:22,951 --> 00:08:27,419
such as YouTube,
still do not allow left alignment.

110
00:08:29,018 --> 00:08:31,700
This may explain actually
why the implementation

111
00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:35,724
of this recommendation
in audiovisual contexts is still lagging.

112
00:08:38,051 --> 00:08:42,267
Lastly, the use of subtitles should
always be a personal choice.

113
00:08:42,908 --> 00:08:47,718
Viewers should be able to turn on
and off subtitles at any time.

114
00:08:47,938 --> 00:08:52,660
Of course, this is only possible
if we also provide clear instructions

115
00:08:52,660 --> 00:08:55,705
about how to do this
and follow conventions

116
00:08:55,705 --> 00:09:00,120
that are widely used, for instance,
the use of the CC button

117
00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:04,886
that is often used in multimedia players.

118
00:09:05,270 --> 00:09:09,537
“CC” means Closed Captions,
and Closed Captions are captions

119
00:09:09,537 --> 00:09:12,546
that you can turn on and off,
at any time.

120
00:09:14,129 --> 00:09:19,233
In Easy-to-Read contexts,
it is also recommended to provide access

121
00:09:19,233 --> 00:09:21,974
to the subtitle file itself.

122
00:09:22,761 --> 00:09:25,778
This file could be used by users
to read the story 

123
00:09:25,778 --> 00:09:27,643
before watching the video.

124
00:09:28,524 --> 00:09:33,838
Indeed, we could also provide what
I like to call "extended" subtitle file,

125
00:09:34,178 --> 00:09:39,874
which may include additional information
and explanations that would support

126
00:09:39,874 --> 00:09:42,034
understanding the storyline.

127
00:09:44,864 --> 00:09:50,000
To recap, in this video lecture,
we have seen that a lower position

128
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,403
as well as a good contrast,
legible fonts,

129
00:09:53,403 --> 00:09:59,311
and shorter subtitling lines can enhance
the visual presentation of subtitle events

130
00:09:59,812 --> 00:10:02,910
and, ultimately, support legibility.

131
00:10:03,572 --> 00:10:07,375
The fact that visual parameters
for Easy-to-Understand subtitles

132
00:10:07,375 --> 00:10:12,485
are not standardised yet,
underlines the need to be coherent

133
00:10:12,485 --> 00:10:20,591
in our choices and to rely
on the experience in SDH subtitling.

134
00:10:22,154 --> 00:10:26,528
There is a long road ahead of us
in terms of research, for instance,

135
00:10:26,528 --> 00:10:31,276
about the number of characters per line
and the number of subtitle lines

136
00:10:31,276 --> 00:10:33,439
in Easy-to-Understand subtitling.

137
00:10:34,222 --> 00:10:37,095
As for now,
many thanks for your attention.

138
00:10:38,478 --> 00:10:41,867
This video lecture has been prepared
by Rocío Bernabé,

139
00:10:42,007 --> 00:10:45,772
from the Internationale Hochschule
SDI München, in Germany,

140
00:10:46,273 --> 00:10:49,736
in collaboration with
the Universidade de Vigo, in Spain.

141
00:10:51,503 --> 00:11:00,463
You can reach me at:
rocio.bernabe@sdi-muenchen.de

142
00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:05,482
The project EASIT has received funding
from the European Commission

143
00:11:05,482 --> 00:11:09,789
under the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships
for Higher Education programme,

144
00:11:09,789 --> 00:11:16,902
grant agreement
2018-1-ES01-KA203-05275.

145
00:11:17,379 --> 00:11:20,497
The European Commission support
for the production of this publication

146
00:11:20,497 --> 00:11:23,294
does not constitute an endorsement
of the contents,

147
00:11:23,294 --> 00:11:28,019
which reflect the views only of the authors,
and the Commission cannot be held responsible

148
00:11:28,019 --> 00:11:32,299
for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein.

149
00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:39,099
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

150
00:11:39,439 --> 00:11:41,474
Partners of the EASIT project:

151
00:11:41,594 --> 00:11:43,995
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

152
00:11:44,199 --> 00:11:46,500
Università degli Studi di Trieste.

153
00:11:46,721 --> 00:11:48,131
Universidade de Vigo.

154
00:11:48,530 --> 00:11:50,562
Stiftung Universität Hildesheim.

155
00:11:50,787 --> 00:11:52,089
SDI München.

156
00:11:52,389 --> 00:11:53,610
Dyslexiförbundet.

157
00:11:53,911 --> 00:11:55,653
Radiotelevizija Slovenja.

158
00:11:55,774 --> 00:11:56,875
Zavod RISA.

159
00:12:04,033 --> 00:12:07,623
EASIT. Easy Access
for Social Inclusion Training.