Style Guide

Subtitles
PARAMOUNT

Prepared by: ZOO Digital

ZOO | HTTP://WWW.ZOODIGITAL.COM

Style Guide Subtitles Page 1 of 30

CONTENTS
Revisions ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Subtitle Specifications ............................................................................................................................ 2
Characters Per Line ........................................................................................................................... 2
Frame Gaps........................................................................................................................................ 2
Subtitle Duration ................................................................................................................................. 2
Shot Changes ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Reading Speed ................................................................................................................................... 2
English Template ................................................................................................................................... 3
Grammar/Spelling .............................................................................................................................. 4
Brackets .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Character Names ............................................................................................................................... 4
Currency ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Dual Speaker Subtitles ....................................................................................................................... 5
Continuity............................................................................................................................................ 6
Forced Narratives ............................................................................................................................... 8
Forced Narrative Treatment for Acquisitions/Paramount TV ............................................................ 9
Foreign Dialogue .............................................................................................................................. 10
Italics................................................................................................................................................. 11
Titles of Published Works and Art .................................................................................................... 11
Line Treatment ................................................................................................................................. 12
Numbers ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Credits/Disclaimers/ Dedications ..................................................................................................... 15
Positioning ........................................................................................................................................ 15
Punctuation....................................................................................................................................... 15
Repetitions........................................................................................................................................ 15
Songs/Lyrics ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Special Instructions .......................................................................................................................... 16
Titles ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Brand Names.................................................................................................................................... 17
Quotation Marks ............................................................................................................................... 18
Websites ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Quoted Literature and Movie Titles .................................................................................................. 18
Closed Captions (CC) .......................................................................................................................... 19
Micro-Positioning .............................................................................................................................. 20
Dialogue Dashes .............................................................................................................................. 21
Continuity.......................................................................................................................................... 21
Speaker IDs ...................................................................................................................................... 21
Sound Descriptors ............................................................................................................................ 22
Speaker and Sound in Same Event ................................................................................................. 22
Music/Songs/Lyrics .......................................................................................................................... 22
Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) .............................................................................. 23
Dual Speakers/Multiple Events ........................................................................................................ 24
Continuity.......................................................................................................................................... 25
Foreign Dialogue .............................................................................................................................. 25
Music/Songs/Lyrics .......................................................................................................................... 25
Speaker ID/ Sound Effects ............................................................................................................... 26
Special Rules.................................................................................................................................... 27
Revisions
Author Date Version Notes
Brian O’Donnell 2/10/2020 1.0 Initial version for distribution. Comprised of specifications from
Paramount_WWTO_Mastering-
Subtitle_and_Closed_Captions_Spec_04-05-2019.pdf and Netflix
English and English Template Timed Text Style Guides
Anastacia Kellogg 8/31/2020 2.0 Guide updated according to Netflix English Template and English Timed
Text Style Guides update of 7/27/2020

Style Guide Subtitles - Paramount Page 1

Subtitle Specifications
Characters Per Line
Target CPL for Paramount subtitle projects is 42 characters per line. 2 lines maximum.
Target CPL for Paramount Closed Caption files is 32 characters per line. 3 lines maximum. Micro-positioned. Please reference
Closed Captioning addendum on page 19.

Frame Gaps
For all Paramount projects, including Closed Captions, a minimum of 2 frames is required between events.

Subtitle Duration
Minimum duration is half a second. Forced Narratives must remain on screen for at least 20 frames.
Maximum duration is 6 seconds.

Shot Changes
Avoid crossing shot changes. If a Forced Narrative must cross a shot to meet the 20 frame minimum, inquire with Paramount.

Reading Speed
Subtitles shall remain on screen long enough for the audience to comfortably read, typically no faster than 400 words per
minute or equivalent.

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English Template
Latest grammar and spelling rules of each language supersede the below guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE: These rules relate specifically to ENGLISH. Please refer to language-specific style during translations.

• All plot pertinent dialogue must be subtitled and always takes precedence over background dialogue.
• Background dialogue must be included if clearly audible, even if it is not in the supplied script.
• Abridged text is acceptable due to timing and character line limit.
• Edit down by removing content rather than paraphrasing wherever possible.
• Please note, the below rules are taken directly from the Netflix English style guide.

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 Follow the latest grammar and spelling rules for each language.
Grammar/Spelling
• The Merriam-Webster dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/
• Chicago Manual of Style: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

• Avoid using brackets in templates unless a specific format (e.g. a phone number area
Brackets
code) requires it.
• When writing FNs for on-screen text where punctuation is present, the same brackets,
slashes and other punctuation may be replicated.

Names should appear in the template as they are said in the audio.
Character Names
Only use official translations of names for any popular movie, TV show or franchise.

If no official translation is available or it is not a common or well-known character, leave in English

unless individual language spec requires a translation, or you have been provided with a Client
approved translation.

If a fictional character has a nickname with plot-pertinent meaning, this should be translated. The
project coordinator will provide any different requirements if requested by the client.

Currency should not be converted in the template. Any mention of money amounts in dialogue
Currency
should remain in the original currency.

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 If a subtitle contains dialogue from two speakers, use a dialogue dash (i.e. minus sign or hyphen)
Dual Speaker Subtitles
to denote the different speakers, with a maximum of one speaker per line.

There is no space between the hyphen and the dialogue in English style.

-I need to clean my room!

-It’s true, you are dirty.

-Are you coming?

-In a minute.

Text in each line in a dual speaker subtitle must be a contained sentence and should not carry
into the preceding or subsequent subtitle.

For example:

• Sub 1
-Has anybody delivered any artwork?
-I don’t think so,
• Sub 2
but let me check with Irene.

Should be reformatted as:

• Sub 1
Has anybody delivered any artwork?
• Sub 2
I don’t think so,
but let me check with Irene.

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 When including ellipses in templates and subtitles, please use the single smart character "…"
Continuity
(U+2026) as opposed to three dots/periods in a row.

Do not use ellipses without spaces at the end and at the beginning of subtitles when an ongoing
sentence is split between two or more continuous subtitles.

Subtitle 1 I always knew

Subtitle 2 that you would eventually agree with me.

Use ellipses to indicate a pause or dialogue trailing off. In the case of a pause, if the sentence
continues in the next subtitle, do not use an ellipsis at the beginning of the second subtitle.

Subtitle 1 Had I known…

Subtitle 2 I wouldn’t have called you.

Use two hyphens to indicate abrupt interruptions.

-What are you--

-Be quiet!

Use ellipses followed by a space when there is a significant pause within a subtitle of one second
or more.

She hesitated… about accepting the job.

Use an ellipsis without a space at the start of a subtitle to indicate that a subtitle is starting mid-
sentence.

…have signed an agreement.

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 When ongoing dialogue is interrupted by a narrative or another speaker, use an ellipsis at the end
of the sentence in the subtitle that precedes it and at the beginning of the sentence (without a
space) in the subtitle that follows it.

Subtitle 1 I worked on this movie…

Subtitle 2 Really?

Subtitle 3 …for a total of six months.

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 • Include and tag all narratives, burn-ins, and foreign dialogue (foreign dialogue if included in
Forced Narratives
the subtitled master).
• Forced Narrative files should not have more Forced Narrative content than the full subtitles
stream. All events included in a Forced Narrative file should be included in the full stream.
• Forced narratives that are covered in the dialogue must be deleted.
• The duration of the FN subtitle should as much as possible mimic the duration of the on-
screen text.
• When on-screen text and dialogue overlap, precedence should be given to the most plot-
pertinent message.
• Avoid over truncating or severely reducing reading speed in order to include both dialogue
and on-screen text.
• Narratives should be in ALL CAPS in regular templates, except for long passages of on-
screen text (e.g. prologue or epilogue), which should use sentence case to improve
readability. FNs for dialogue must always use sentence case.
• Do not end an FN for on-screen text with a period/full stop unless the FN represents long
passages of on-screen text which need to be punctuated.
• Do not use italics in an FN representing on-screen text, even if a title or foreign word is
present.
• Never combine a forced narrative with dialogue in the same subtitle.
• When a plot-pertinent forced narrative interrupts dialogue, use an ellipsis at the end of the
sentence in the subtitle that precedes it and at the beginning of the sentence (without a
space) in the subtitle that follows it.

Subtitle 1 I don’t think we should…

Subtitle 2 (FN) NO TRESPASSING

Subtitle 3 …go any further.

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 Follow the forced narrative instructions below when working on Acquisitions/Paramount TV
Forced Narrative
projects.
Treatment for
Acquisitions/Paramount • Forced narrative events must have a minimum duration of 20 frames.
TV • Burn-in and post-production forced narrative events must frame-accurately match the
duration on screen. There is no maximum duration.
• Principle photography forced narratives must follow the minimum duration of 20 frames.
Maximum duration of 6 seconds.
• Narratives must match the casing of the on-screen text.
• Dialogue takes precedence over narratives.
• Please include the Main Title

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 Foreign dialogue should only be subtitled if there are burn-ins in the subtitled or texted master.
Foreign Dialogue
The timing and translation should match the burn-ins.

Foreign words used in a mostly English line of dialogue should be italicized. Please verify spelling.

• This is very hard, n’est-ce pas?

Familiar foreign words and phrases which are listed in Webster’s dictionary should not be
italicized and should be spelled as in Webster’s dictionary (e.g., bon appétit, rendezvous,
doppelgänger, zeitgeist, etc.).

• What time is it, monsieur?

Proper names, such as foreign locations or company names, should not be italicized.

If any kind of non-verbal communication appears in the content, e.g. sign language, semaphore,
or Morse code, check to verify how it should be presented in the template.

Always use accents and diacritics in names and proper nouns from languages which use the Latin
alphabet where their use is seen in official sources, or in the source text for fictional names. For
example, Spanish names such as Mónica Naranjo, Pedro Almodóvar, Plácido Domingo should
retain their diacritics. Any proper names which have lost the use of accents due to cultural
reasons (e.g. Jennifer Lopez) do not need to have them added

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 Italicize text only in the following cases:
Italics
• Narration
• The voice of a visible character expressing unspoken thoughts or inner monologue
• Song lyrics when sung, not quoted (if rights have been granted)
• Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases which do not appear in Webster’s dictionary
• Dialogue that is heard through electronic media, such as a phone, television (especially if we
see the television and hear the audio), computer, loudspeaker, non-sentient robots, robotic
voices or AI, etc.
• Only use italics when the speaker is not in the scene(s), not merely off screen, behind a door,
or out of shot
• Titles of books, periodicals, works of art, albums, movies, TV shows, radio shows, video
games, etc. (for an episode title in a series, or song titles, use quotation marks)

In sections such as a phone conversation where the shot changes regularly between speakers,
always ensure that segmentation and timing rules are correctly applied so as to ensure italics are
used consistently and correctly

Proper names, such as locations, vessels names or company names, should not be italicized

Research the Internet for an official translation if it is a popular/well-known work. Make note of the
Titles of Published
source of the translation in the glossary or another easily accessible location. If no official
Works and Art
translation is available, leave the title in English. Examples are: books, plays, periodicals,
paintings, albums, etc.

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 Always keep text on one line, unless it exceeds the character limitation.
Line Treatment
Only break a line when the characters exceed the limit per row.

Ensure that subtitles are always segmented at a clause level and can be read easily in a logical
and fluent way.

Aim to favor bottom-heavy two-line subtitles where more than one option for the line break
presents itself:

Avoid:

I might become the first lady

of this church.

Prefer:

I might become
the first lady of this church.

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 • From 1 to 10, numbers should be written out: one, two, three, etc.
Numbers
• Above 10, numbers should be written numerically: 11, 12, 13, etc.
• When a number between 0 and 99 begins a sentence, it should always be spelled out.
Numbers over 100 which start a sentence can be written numerically
• Good judgement may be applied where there are space limitations or reading speed
concerns
• Ensure consistency in sequences which feature numbers and counting
• When writing percentages, always write in numerals and use the % symbol
• When adding symbols for units of measurement, either metric or imperial, follow the
appropriate SI style for the source language
• For long sequences of numbers, e.g. phone numbers or social security numbers, always
use numerals and follow the spacing and formatting appropriate to the region
• Always use numerals when writing units of measurement
• Always write out ordinal numbers as words when not used in reference to dates, e.g.
“They came first in the race”, “This is the second time I have told you”. Write ordinal
numbers numerically when in reference to date or when they need to be replicated in an
FN for on-screen text

Times of day:

• Use numerals when exact times are emphasized: 9:30 a.m.

• Use lowercase a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem) when mentioned in
dialogue
• Spell out words/phrases that do not include actual numbers:
half past, quarter of, midnight, noon
• When o’clock is mentioned in dialogue, always spell out the number:
eleven o’clock in the morning

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 Dates and Decades:

• Dates should always be written in the order in which they are said (i.e. as per the audio)
but omitting words like "the" and "of", i.e. 6th March or March 6th, not the 6th of March.

• Decades should be written using numerals in the following format: nineteen fifties should
be 1950s, fifties should be ‘50s.

• Centuries should be written in the following format: twentieth century should be 20th
century.

Note that the above rules may be broken due to space limitations or reading speed concerns, as
well as for consistency when listing multiple quantities, for example

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 Do not subtitle opening and closing credits.
Credits/Disclaimers/
Dedications Subtitle all plot pertinent and otherwise relevant on-screen text that is not covered in dialogue,
such as: “Based on true events”, “In loving memory of Jane”, etc.

Text must display in a manner that does not interfere with plot-relevant on-screen action or text.
Positioning
Position subtitles at top of screen to avoid on-screen text, burned-in subtitles, and characters’
faces. In cases where overlap is impossible to avoid (text at the top and bottom of screen), the
subtitle should be placed at the bottom of the screen

Where opening credits require a sequence of subtitles to be raised, ensure that all subtitles in that
sequence are raised (for example, raise all 10 subtitles over an opening credit sequence rather
than raising some of them and creating a sequence where subtitles jump up and down and create
a difficult viewing experience)

Avoid using complex punctuation which could be hard for viewers to follow. For example, in
Punctuation
English, avoid using colons and semi-colons and instead use simple, clear sentence structures to
aid comprehension.

Double spaces are not permitted.

Hash symbols may be used when someone mentions a hashtag. Spell out the word “hashtag”
when used as a verb.

Ampersands may be used when part of an initialism such as R&B or B&B.

Do not subtitle words or phrases repeated more than once by the same speaker unless the
Repetitions
repetition is plot-pertinent

If the repeated word or phrase is said twice in a row, time subtitle to the audio but translate only
once.

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 Only subtitle plot-pertinent songs if the rights have been granted.
Songs/Lyrics
Opening and ending theme songs should only be subtitled if clearly plot-pertinent (e.g. for
children’s content when the lyrics tell a story) or if instructed by Netflix. Normally, adult programs
should not have the opening songs subtitled, except for SDH.

When songs are included:

• Italicize lyrics.
• Use an uppercase letter at the beginning of each line including the first letter of the first
word of the second line in a two-line subtitle.
• Use ellipses "…" (U+2026) when a song continues in the background but is no longer
subtitled to give precedence to dialogue.
• Punctuation: only question marks and exclamation marks should be used at the end of a
line – no commas or periods. Commas can be used within the lyric line, if necessary.
• Album titles should be in italics.
• Song titles should be in quotes.

Dialogue must never be censored and should always be transcribed true-to-audio within the
Special Instructions reading speed parameters

If profanity has been dipped or bleeped, replace the letters in the word that have been masked in
the audio with asterisks

Intentional misspellings and mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the transcription

unless plot-pertinent. Ensure any intentional errors are accompanied by an annotation highlighting
their presence and they are within quotation marks

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 Main titles: do not subtitle the on-screen main title card unless explicitly instructed
Titles
Episode titles: do not subtitle episode titles if they do not appear on screen/are not voiced-over

• If on-screen (either as part of the principal photography or burned into video), please add
an “EPISODE TITLE” forced narrative event

• If voiced-over, please subtitle in sync with the audio but following the FN rules of
capitalization.

Ensure all brand names are double checked and verified and are transcribed using the correct
Brand Names and official capitalization and stylizations

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 Quoted words, phrases and sentences are enclosed in double quotation marks; single quotation
Quotation Marks marks enclose quotations within quotations.

He told me: "Come back tomorrow."

He said: "'Singing in the Rain' is my favorite song."

If the quote extends beyond more than one subtitle, use an open quote at the beginning of the first
subtitle, quotes at the start and end of sentences within the quote, and an end quote at the end of
the last subtitle.
The quote Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it
be morrow would be styled thus:

Subtitle 1 "Good night, good night!"

Subtitle 2 "Parting is such sweet sorrow

Subtitle 3 that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

Use U.S. English rules:

Periods and commas precede closing quotation marks, whether double or single.

Colons and semicolons follow closing quotation marks.

Question marks and exclamation points follow quotation marks unless they belong within the
quoted text:

Which of Shakespeare’s characters said, "Good night, good night"?

Juliet said, "Good night, good night!"

Song titles should be enclosed in quotes.

If it is an actual website, leave it in English. If it is made up and relevant to the plot, translate.
Websites
If real literature is quoted, the official translation should be used in the subtitles.
Quoted Literature and
Movie Titles

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Closed Captions (CC)
This section refers to elements required specifically for Closed Caption (CC) files.

NEVER UPLOAD A SPELLCHECK FILE TO PARAMOUNT CLOSED CAPTION (CC) STREAMS.

Closed Caption Specific Rules:

• The subtitle specifications on page 2 of this guide also apply to Paramount Closed Caption files.
• Closed Captions should be sentence case. When reformatting closed captions from a source file that is all upper-case,
the casing should be updated to sentence case.
• Captions are limited to a maximum of 3 lines per event.
• Streams are micro-positioned to be placed on a grid underneath the speaker. See below for specifics and style rules.
• Include as much of the original content as possible.
• Do not simplify or water down the original dialogue.
• Truncating or paraphrasing dialogue should be limited to instances where reading speed and synchronicity to the audio
are an issue.
• Any stylistic issues not addressed below should follow the template rules from the previous section.

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 • Each character’s dialog shall be placed on separate rows of the captions grid.
Micro-Positioning
o Individual lines must be moved and placed on the grid appropriately. A blank line cannot
be inserted between 2 speakers by hitting the return/enter key in the event itself.
• If necessary, it is permissible to caption multiple on-screen speakers simultaneously, as long as:
o Those captions are never on the same row in the caption grid, and
o There are never more than 3 total rows of text between the 2 captions/speakers.
• Captions must be placed underneath the person speaking. Sound descriptors should be placed
underneath or in the direction of the sound’s origin.

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 Paramount Closed Captions DO NOT use dialogue dashes. On-screen placement is used instead to
Dialogue Dashes
convey this information to the viewer. A line break should be placed on the grid between the speakers’
lines of dialogue.

When including ellipses in a CC file, please use three dots/periods in a row. Do not use the single
Continuity
smart character (U+2026).

Use first name only for speaker identifier (when available).

Speaker IDs
Capitalized with colon:

JOHN:

LAURA:

Use when it is not obvious who is speaking or when the speaker changes but they are not on
screen.

If the voice is unknown/you don’t know their name:

MALE VOICE: / FEMALE VOICE:

or profession – INSTRUCTOR: / MALE TEACHER: etc.

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 SDH descriptors need to be added whenever there is a plot pertinent sound, or a sound that adds to the
Sound Descriptors
atmosphere of the scene.

While watching the video, imagine that you are hard of hearing. Would you miss something if there wasn’t
an SDH descriptor? Would the scene be effected it certain sounds weren’t addressed?

If there is a sound that a character to reacts to, e.g. a phone ringing, shouting, footsteps, there need a
descriptor to make them obvious to a deaf or hard of hearing viewer.

They should be capitalized and in parenthesis with NO space:

(CRYING) (MOANING) (HORN BLARING) (PHONE RINGING)

If the sound comes from a person who then speaks, these appear on the same line as dialogue.

Sounds need to be labelled in a certain way. If you can see the person and they are grunting use
(GRUNTS), if you don’t see them but hear grunting, use (GRUNTING)

Speaker IDs and descriptive events in same sub should be formatted like:
Speaker and Sound KAREN: (SIGHING) This is getting complicated.
in Same Event
Check the ZOOcore project notes for specific song instructions. If songs, or certain songs, are to be
Music/Songs/Lyrics
captioned, follow these rules:

• Subtitle all audible song lyrics that do not interfere with dialogue, especially when sung by a
character.
• Use song title identifiers when applicable - song titles should be in quotes, for example:
(“FOREVER YOUR GIRL” PLAYING). Use the name of a musical number or classical piece only
if widely known, for example: (“THE NUTCRACKER SUITE” PLAYING).
• Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪) at the beginning and the end of each
subtitle.
• Use ellipses "..." (three dots) when a song continues in the background but is no longer subtitled.

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Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH)
This section refers elements required specifically for Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) files.

SDH Specific Rules:

• The subtitle specifications on page 2 of this guide as well.

• Two lines maximum.
• Follow all applicable rules from the English Template section on page 4.
• Include as much of the original content as possible.
• Do not simplify or water down the original dialogue.
• Truncating or paraphrasing dialogue should be limited to instances where reading speed and synchronicity to the audio
are an issue.
• Please note, the below rules are taken directly from the Netflix SDH style guide.

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 Use a hyphen without a space to indicate two speakers in one subtitle, with a maximum of
Dual
one speaker per line.
Speakers/Multiple
Events -Are you coming?
-In a minute.

When identifiers are needed, they should follow the hyphen as follows:

-[Kimmy] Are you coming?

-[Titus] In a minute.

-[Kimmy] Are you coming?

-In a minute.

Hyphens are also used to indicate a speaker and a sound effect, if they come from different
sources:

-[Joe laughing hysterically]

-[Maria] I can't believe you did that!

-[Joe laughing hysterically]

-I can't believe you did that!

If the sound effect emanates from the speaker themselves, no hyphens are needed:

[Joe laughing hysterically]

I can't believe you did that!

Use hyphens to distinguish two distinct sound effects emanating from different sources:

-[horse neighs]
-[engine starts]

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 When including ellipses in subtitles, please use the single smart character "…" (U+2026)
Continuity
as opposed to three dots/periods in a row.

Use two hyphens to indicate abrupt interruptions.

-What are you--

-[bomb explodes]

• If foreign dialogue is translated, use [in language], for example [in Spanish]
Foreign Dialogue
• If foreign dialogue is not meant to be understood, use [speaking language], for
example [speaking Spanish]
• Always research the language being spoken – [speaking foreign language] should
never be used
• Accents or dialects require the same treatment, for example [in Spanish accent]

• Subtitle all audible song lyrics that do not interfere with dialogue.
Music/Songs/Lyrics
• Use song title identifiers when applicable - song titles should be in quotes, for
example: ["Forever Your Girl" playing]. Use the name of a musical number or
classical piece only if widely known, for example: [“The Nutcracker Suite” plays].
• Song lyrics should be enclosed with a music note (♪) at the beginning and the end
of each subtitle.
• Use ellipses "…" (U+2026) when a song continues in the background but is no
longer subtitled.

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 • Use brackets [ ] to enclose speaker IDs or sound effects.
Speaker ID/
• Use all lowercase, except for proper nouns.
Sound Effects
• When describing hesitations and nervousness, avoid using labels such as [stutters],
[stuttering], [stammers] and [stammering] unless the speaker in question has a
stutter/stammer. Instead, represent hesitations in the transcription (e.g. I… I said
no!) or using sound labels such as [hesitates] or [spluttering], for example.
• Only use speaker IDs or sound effects when they cannot be visually identified.
• When a speaker ID is required for a character who has yet to be identified by name,
use [man] or [woman], or [male voice] or [female voice], so as not to provide
information that is not yet present in the narrative. If the same identifier is used
multiple times in one scene, numbers should be added to distinguish them, for
example [man 1].
• Use a generic ID to indicate and describe ambient music, for example [rock music
playing over stereo].
• Use objective descriptions that describe genre or mood identifiers for atmospheric
non-lyrical music, for example [menacing electronic music plays].
• Sound effects should be plot-pertinent.
• Sound effects that interrupt dialogue should be treated as follows:
Subtitle 1: However, lately, I've been…
[coughs, sniffs]
Subtitle 2: …seeing a lot more of this.
• Never italicize speaker IDs or sound effects, even when the spoken information is
italicized, such as in a voice-over.
[narrator]
Once upon a time, there was…

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 • Dialogue must never be censored.
Special Rules
• Deliberate misspellings and mispronunciations should not be reproduced in the
translation unless plot-pertinent.
• When the word “black” appears in reference to someone’s race or ethnicity,
capitalize it as Black. Use this form when referring to an African American or Black
person, when referring to the African diaspora, and when referring to collective
groups or institutions, e.g. Black cinema, the Black community, a Black person.
Please follow this rule when writing in or transcribing all variants of English. Always
follow the word order and choice of the audio when working with SDH.
• Similarly, please capitalize the following words when used in reference to people
and communities: Deaf, Indigenous
• When transcribing usage within the English audio: the n-word should only be spelled
with the -er ending in historical contexts or as a racist slur; its use in slang, non-
racist conversation, or song lyrics should be handled with the -a ending.

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