Why use a checklist
Experienced reviewers still forget things. Checklists work because they move the list of what to check out of memory and onto the page, so attention goes into doing the checks. They are common wherever a small slip is costly, and a subtitle file has many small things that can slip: a wrong language tag, an old version, a name misspelled in one place.
A checklist also makes the standard visible. Everyone on a project can see what “ready” means, and a client or colleague can see what was checked. It does not replace judgment, and it cannot guarantee a file is free of errors. It reduces the chance of missing something predictable.
What a typical checklist contains
Every project needs a slightly different list, but most contain the same families of items. The examples below are phrased as questions so each can be answered yes, no or not applicable.
Source and version
- Is this the latest version of the video, and does the file match it?
- Is the file named according to the project’s rules, with the right version number, in line with your version control habits?
- Were any supplied materials, such as scripts or term lists, used and checked against?
Text accuracy
- Do the subtitles match the speech, or the intended meaning in translation?
- Are numbers, dates, units and amounts correct?
- Are names and specialist terms spelled correctly and consistently, and do they match the glossary?
- Has nothing important been dropped in condensing?
- For sensitive material, has a qualified human checked it?
Language and style
- Are spelling, grammar and punctuation correct?
- Is the project’s spelling convention used throughout?
- Are italics, quotation marks and similar conventions applied as the style guide says?
- Are numbers and symbols written consistently, following the number formatting rules?
- Are speaker changes shown where needed?
- If non-speech information is required, is it included and written consistently?
Timing
- Does each cue appear close to the start of speech?
- Is every cue on screen long enough to read, according to the reading speed rule in the style guide?
- Is there a minimum gap between cues, and are there no overlaps?
- Does the sync hold at the start, middle and end?
- If the video changed after timing, were the affected parts rechecked?
Layout
- Do lines stay within the maximum line length and number of lines?
- Are line breaks placed at natural points?
- Is text clear of important on-screen content?
- Are position and any styling consistent?
- Is the text legible on a small screen?
Technical
- Is the file in the requested format and does it open in the target player?
- Do special characters display correctly?
- Is the language code or track label correct, so viewers pick the right subtitle tracks?
- Are all required languages and tracks present?
- Does the file play correctly when delivered the way the audience will receive it, whether as a separate file or built into the video?
Final sign-off
- Have open queries been resolved or recorded?
- Has the right person approved the file?
- Has the glossary been updated with any new terms?
- Is the delivery note clear about what is included?
Adapting a checklist to your project
Start from a general list and trim or extend it.
Add what has gone wrong before. If last month’s file went out with the wrong language label, put that on the list. The most useful checklists grow out of real mistakes.
Remove what does not apply. A list of 60 items will be skimmed and ticked without thought. Aim for a list that takes a few minutes for the routine items, with deeper checks reserved for heavy material.
Group by stage. Some checks belong at the draft stage, such as terminology, and some at the final stage, such as file naming. One list per stage is often easier to follow than one long list.
Match the risk. Entertainment clips and clinical training videos do not need the same depth. For higher-risk content, add items for specialist review and for sign-off by a named person.
Match the audience and delivery. Content for broadcast, a learning platform, a social feed and a live event each have their own requirements. A checklist for burned-in subtitles, which cannot be changed after delivery, should be stricter than one for a separate file that can be replaced.
Using it well
Write each item so it can be checked without interpretation. “Good timing” is vague; “no cue shorter than the minimum duration in the style guide” can be tested.
Tick items only after doing them. A checklist completed from memory at the end of the day gives false comfort.
Keep the completed list with the file, so there is a record of what was checked and by whom.
Review the list from time to time. When the style guide changes, the list should change too, and when a type of error keeps appearing, it deserves an item of its own.
What a checklist cannot do
A checklist catches what it asks about. It will not notice a mistranslated joke, a sentence that is grammatical but misleading, or a tone that is wrong for the audience. Those need a reader who understands the content. Think of the checklist as the floor under the review, not the ceiling above it.