What Goes in a CCSL?

CCSL is a Combined Continuity Dialogue and Spotting List and is a legal document that is used in the film industry.  Contrary to popular belief, the CCSL is not the same thing as a script because they have two very different jobs. 

Scripts undergo many changes before a final draft is approved, and the changes can take place at any time during the filming process.  It includes interactions between actors and descriptions of scenes to be shot. A CCSL contains all the actual content that is to be included in the film and is based on the final product.  These lists are so detailed that they can be used in court after production if needed.  Generally, CCSLs will have about four pages for each minute of content which makes them very lengthy, detailed documents.

They precisely record the elements of the film, including detailed descriptions of various scenes, information about the shots used, and most importantly dialogue by the actors in every scene, which is also timed and recorded. Additional visual items captured in a CCSL are elements such as lower-thirds or on-screen graphics. Audio cues that are recorded in a CCSL include sound effects, music descriptions and cues, and lyrics, along with the actors’ actual speaking roles.

The CCSL makes it extremely easy to find information that might be closed caption services needed about a film’s production. It is also used by distributors and broadcasters. A CCSL is used to create subtitles which can be especially important if a film is going to be screened in other countries where the speakers do not understand the language the film was shot.

In each CCSL there are detailed in and out timecodes of each scene which is used to calculate durations. When videos require things such as closed captioning or dubbing, narrators of those services are able to precisely know how much time they have to fit the textual audio into a scene. 

A CCSL transcription includes the following elements:

●  Action Continuity: Notes shots in the film that include what is visually going on on the screen with the film and the actors.

●  Speaker Identification: Indicates who is speaking and when a new line is spoken which also includes off-screen dialogue.

●  Time Codes: Each piece of dialogue is given an in and out timecode.

●  Subtitle Duration: Using the time codes, the duration of closed captioning and subtitles can be determined.

●  Speech Transcription: Spoken dialogue in the translated language with pauses.

●  Sound Effects: Includes any sounds that the speaker has made that are important to the overall narration of the video.

●  Music and Lyrics: Beginnings of musical elements and their lyrics.

The details provided in the CCSL make it easy for voice-over narrators and close caption professionals to know when and where content needs to be placed to synchronize with a video.  Companies that offer the best closed captioning services will be able to effectively use a CCSL to create closed captions and subtitles for any piece of video content.