Review what the words say
Compare captions with the final spoken audio. Check names, numbers and specialized vocabulary using a glossary. An automated transcript may be plausible while being wrong, particularly when product names sound like common words. Flag unclear passages instead of guessing.
Keep a distinction between the source transcript and presentation captions. You may simplify punctuation or phrase grouping for the viewer without altering the source-time record used to locate the original speech.
Break phrases where the meaning allows
Compare “Send the report / to your team” with “Send the / report to your team.” Both may fit on the screen, but the first preserves a more natural reading unit. Keep names, short verb phrases and numbers with their units together when possible.
A rigid word count can create awkward breaks. Judge the phrase as a unit and check it at normal playback speed. If two lines are necessary, balance them without splitting an essential relationship simply to make the shapes equal.
Give the viewer time
A caption must appear with the relevant speech and remain long enough to read. Dense vocabulary needs more time than a familiar short phrase. Watch a passage without pausing and notice whether your attention has time to move between the caption and the picture.
When a passage feels rushed, review its grouping, amount of text and surrounding visual complexity. Bigger letters alone cannot solve a reading-time problem. Realign captions after a trim so later phrases do not drift away from the spoken words.
Check contrast over the whole shot
A light caption may be readable over a dark opening frame and disappear when the camera moves across a bright area. Review early and late frames. A restrained backing plate, outline or shadow can help, but it should support readable text rather than create a second decorative layer.
Use a stable text position unless movement serves a clear purpose. Constantly moving captions demand additional attention, especially when the underlying shot is already busy.
Protect the subject and the interface
Do not cover the speaker’s mouth, a relevant product control or the evidence being discussed. Re-evaluate placement for each composition and output ratio. A tutorial may need captions above a menu while a talking-head shot has room below the face.
Keep expected player or platform overlays in mind, then check a real destination preview. Safe areas vary, so a single percentage is a planning aid rather than a guarantee.
Choose a delivery format
Burned-in captions are rendered into the picture. A sidecar subtitle file remains separate and requires player support. The WebVTT specification describes one timed-text format used on the web. Decide which outputs you need and review each independently.
Start with the caption workflow brief. For another language, use video translation so terminology and timing are reviewed together.