Working regularly on live captioning projects means that, now and then, we hear concerns with remote live captions and streaming remotely from clients or potential clients.
And we understand it, especially with clients who are new to live captions.
But rest assured, we’ve been in this industry for 12 years. We can be fully transparent about the process.
Whether your live captions are in-person or remote, they have the same quality and output. That is because our carefully selected stenographer guarantees quality and our experienced project managers provide the same dedicated support.
In this blog, we will explore:
- More about how the output and quality are the same
- In-person live captions in more detail
- Remote live captions in more detail
- A real-life example of when remote live captions went well
How the output and quality are the same for live captions
In both situations, the stenographer is sent the feed, executes their quality live captions, and the job gets done to the highest standard.
Our team works with our in-house vendor management team to carefully select the best person for the job to ensure a quality service.
The only physical difference between the two situations is that the stenographer is there in-person.
This includes:
- Attending the rehearsals
- Being in a WhatsApp group to answer any questions
- Organising with the captioner and the client
- Receiving the preparation material from the client and sending it to the captioner
- The project manager will also be on the same live stream from start to finish
We can appreciate that there may be potential clients out there worried about security; that is only natural when it’s your business. However, we offer a closed link so only they get the captions to keep it safe.
Remote live captions are also cheaper for the client. We can use our own reliable WiFi rather than using a shared Wi-Fi at the event. We would always recommend clients to have private Wi-Fi for the on-site crew. Otherwise, using a shared Wi-Fi in a place with plenty of people risks delays.
If needed, we can send a VoiceBox representative on-site to handle the remote captions project. That’s something we have done plenty of times.
In-person live captions: in more detail
For on-site events with live captions, note that for human captions, the stenographer must be on-site. However, a project manager is not needed on-site unless this is specifically requested and the client has budget for it.
Ahead of on-site events, the stenographer must be sent the feed so they can listen to it from their location in the building.
Additional considerations:
- Where to place the stenographer: They can’t be too close to the speakers, otherwise the noise may get picked up by a microphone. If they are too close to the audience, they could hear the clicking of the stenography machine. Their screens may also be distracting. The back of the stage is usually the best solution.
- Accommodation: The client will also need to ensure accommodation is available for the stenographer. It is up to them whether they book accommodation and supply food, or we pay for it and charge the client.
Remote live captions: in more detail
If it’s remote, we just need the client to send us the feed so we can attend and see the stream remotely, along with the stenographer, so they can bring the captions to life or with our AI system.
During a remote event, our project manager is remote. Don’t worry, they can still talk you through everything and they are on hand throughout the whole process.
Note that AI live captions are always remote.
An example of remote live captions
When we did live captions for a national campaign group for endangered historic buildings, SAVE Britain’s Heritage, we provided them remotely with “great success”.
For SAVE’s live event, we supplied human live captions for the full-day conference and panel sessions.
“We were really pleased with how VoiceBox helped deliver remote live captions for our conference”, said Stephen Sheriff, Creative Producer at SAVE.
“It was a great success.
“Even working remotely, the live captions were supplied brilliantly and helped make the event accessible to so many more people.
“VoiceBox explained all about remote live captioning for events to help us fully understand the process. They also sent us the transcript from the event. We can happily recommend the service.”
We don’t just leave you to it or let you get on with it; that’s not fair and it’s not good practice. As part of our dedicated support, we can explain the full process to you to help you feel at ease and support throughout.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Hopefully this blog provides some insight about why remote and in-person live captions are so similar and how the quality and output is the same.
If you want to read about live captions in more technical detail, check out our recent whitepaper.
Or if you want to chat more about live captions with one of our team, get in touch today.