Category: CCSL

What Is a Dialogue List & other list types?

In 2020, the film industry generated about $25.9 billion. That’s a lot of money, but making the larger chunk of this change is more than about raw filmmaking talent. It’s about preparing your film for distribution, a process involving a dialogue list.

What is a Dialogue List?

A dialogue list is a time-coded post-production script that is created after the film is completely ready to be delivered. Frame precise time codes are marked at the beginning and end of when sound or dialogue occurs in a movie. It would be submitted to television or cable networks or film distributors as part of the distribution package for the film. Dialogue lists are commonly used in translation to assist translators in creating a spotting list (subtitle file) for foreign languages.

What It Looks Like

There isn’t one perfect dialogue list format. But generally, the dialogue lists will ask for the following information: timecode in and out, duration, character name, and dialogue text. Some templates incorporate other features to specify dialogue in greater detail. But generally, these are the essential pieces of information included in nearly every dialogue list template. Dialogue lists also include lyrics, music descriptions, on-screen signs, vocal sounds, and more. Dialogue lists are typically formatted and downloaded in Microsoft Word .docx format. However, many dialogue lists are also generated as PDF and XLS files.

Other List Types

Post-production scripts differ from original screenplays in function, content, and script format. Other popular post-production scripts sent to production and network companies include As-Broadcast Scripts (ABS), Combined Dialogue and Spotting List (CDSL), and Combined Continuity and Spotting List (CCSL).

The Benefits

So, why should you bother with making a dialogue list? And how can a template get you ready for distribution? For starters, there are many ways to improve the accessibility of the film-viewing experience. Creating dialogue lists for your movies is just one of them, but it’s a significant step. Subtitlers use these dialogue lists to create closed captioning on screen. Another benefit? It saves time. Doing dialogue lists yourself strikes a happy medium between efficacy and peace of mind for those in charge of film production. Other benefits of creating and using a dialogue list are that it can typically cut down on translation costs, it can improve overall quality control of the production, and offer globalization/streaming opportunities!

Creating Great Lists

Creating an excellent dialogue list doesn’t have to be a daunting task. But for those who aren’t sure how to get started, we’ve got a few tips on writing an effective dialogue list.

Verbatim or not: First, decide if the dialogue list needs to be verbatim or not. By verbatim we mean should every sound be transcribed? Including false starts, mumbles, and stutters. While having a verbatim dialogue list can be very helpful, in fact, it is critical, for dubbing purposes, it can actually be detrimental for subtitles.

Duration of the dialogue: This will be tricky for you if you are creating a dialogue list yourself. We manually capture the in and out time codes using our captioning software and the duration is just simply calculated by the software. Having accurate duration is also critical for dubbing.

Accurate description of sound effects: Another tip? Make sure you specify the details for all the sound effects. The descriptions must be specific enough to properly immerse viewers who aren’t listening to the movie but just seeing it in their minds by only reading the dialogue exchange between characters. Remember: it’s not about making your prose look pretty. It’s about correctly communicating the aesthetic events of your movie to your film’s audience.

And finally, we encourage you to not just double or even triple-check for errors. but to quadruple-check. This will save you a ton of time and free you from frustration when everything reaches distribution.

At Back to the Paper, we understand the importance of a film reaching a broad audience. That’s why we offer plenty of professional, sleek dialogue list templates! Check them out today. And if you enjoyed the video, then be sure to like, comment, and subscribe!

You do paper to film. We do film Back To The Paper — CCSL.

Dear filmmaker,

Why a CCSL is the last impediment to being a filmmaker.

(Or our cheeky, tongue-in-cheek, boorish, below-the-belt, impudent, cheeky, Back To The Paper CCSL writing team who were given this chance to write something they actually don’t first see and then write).

Let’s face it. Your journey to be a filmmaker will eventually pass through the halls of a television network or a film distributor. ‘Cause they hold the keys to your film being shown to the world. (More or less, loosely speaking). Sure, you can make a wonderful movie and you would technically be a filmmaker. But if nobody sees it, would anyone else call you a filmmaker other than you? Like, if a tree falls in a forest and nobody hears it, did it really fall? Kinda sorta the same way your making a movie that nobody sees. And what would it take for a network or a distributor to air or project your movie?

A CCSL my friend.

Your movie ain’t going to see the light of day, or the darkness of a cinema theater, unless you deliver to them a CCSL.

That’s where we come in. We fulfill your dreams of being a filmmaker. We are the last step to you getting the Oscar or an Emmy. Without a CCSL you’ll be back home watching others get awards on your TV screens.

And don’t even think about creating a CCSL yourself. Or getting your free intern to do it. We challenge you to do the CCSL for just the first 10 minutes of your movie and not give up filmmaking for ever.

What goes into a CCSL? I’m glad you asked.

– First, each time code of a visual shot is to be captured to the exact frame.

– Each end time of the shot is to be captured to the exact frame.

– The duration of the shot is to be calculated, exact to the second and frame.

– Each graphic is to be written in.

– Each chyron is to be copied.

– Each visual shot is to be described in great detail.

– Each time code of each dialogue is to be written exactly the way it is heard.

– Each time code of each dialogue is to be written exactly the way it ends.

– The exact duration of the dialogue is to be added

– Every dialogue is to be written as it’s spoken. (not approximately, verbatim).

– Each sigh is to be mentioned, and each snort and snuffle, cough, sneeze (even describe the sneeze).

– Each dialogue is to be described how it’s spoken (whispers, whimpering, mumbles, dejected).

– Each speaker to be indicated.

– Also name the character to whom is the speaker speaking to.

– The scene descriptions and the dialogue have to be running concurrently side by side.

Here, see some of our samples for CCSL with prices.

You stick to what you do best — make movies. And we’ll do what we do best — unravel your movie.

Shot by shot, frame by frame, word by word.

I am being told ‘unravel’ is not the right word. OK, we’ll take your movie and put it back where it all started — Back To The Paper.

Now you see why you need our help in becoming a filmmaker?

You’re welcome!

You can keep the awards. Just pay us our $18 per minute for the CCSL. Or $7.00 per minute for a dialogue list.

Many thanks,

– The highly tongue-in-cheek, boorish, below-the-belt, impudent, cheeky, Back To The Paper writing team who were given this chance to write something they actually don’t first see and then write.

Let us know if you accept our challenge to do the first 10 minutes of your CCSL in one go and we’ll do the CCSL for free. There are conditions, my friend. You have to tape the entire session without a cut or a pause.

Call yourself a filmmaker? You need to go Back To The Paper, my friend.

Finally, you have a great idea for a movie.

You write, write, write…

And then you pitch, pitch, pitch until someone gets your genius and gives you the money!

Now the real work starts. You produce, you direct, you shoot, you edit

And one fine day your movie is ready. And it’s a masterpiece!

You go hopping with joy to hand it over to the network or the distributor.

“Where’s the CCSL?” they ask.

What the hell is that, you think.

“A Combined Continuity and Spotting List? It’s part of the deliverables”, they say.

“Go back to the paper”, they say.

Now, that’s another great idea, we think 😉

Go on. Click below.

BackToThePaper.com

Add closed captioning for only

an additional $2.00 per minute.

When you are ready to move ahead, this is what we’ll need from you:

– A low resolution downloadable proxy video with window burn (BITC). Anything around 2GB is fine (but the smaller the better as long as the audio is clear and visuals are sharp).

If you send us a Vimeo or a Dropbox link, please make them downloadable.

If you send us a Google drive link, please send it to ttvideodrive@gmail.com .

– Any shooting script or text of the movie that you might have. It helps us with names etc.

– End credits in MS Word or .txt

This is what you will get from us:

– Our standard non-disclosure agreement/contract and invoice.

– CCSL (or Dialogue List) in MS Word and closed captioning files in SCC, SRT, .cap, or any format that you need.

Back To The Paper is dba for our company ‘Talking Type LLC‘.

BackToThePaper.com

TalkingTypeCaptions.com

10411 Motor City Dr., Ste. 750, Bethesda, MD 20817

301-500-2123 projects@backtothepaper.com