Extended subtitling with sound cues and speaker identification — [Music], [Door chimes], [JOHN (v.o.)]. Conveys entire audio landscape in text form.
In editing, we constantly work against the assumption that the image alone tells the story. Those who produce SDH subtitles must radically rethink: sound becomes image, music becomes information, silence gains weight. This is not simply subtitling with more details—it is a complete recoding of the soundscape into text.
On set and later in editing, this means concretely: every musical cue is noted ([Ominous orchestral music]), every sound is captured ([Footsteps on gravel], [Car brakes screeching to a halt]). Speaker attributions are mandatory—not just for dialogues in foreign-language films, but everywhere the voice cannot be immediately attributed to the mouth: [ANNA (v.o.)] for voice-over, [POLICE RADIO (indistinct)] for background elements. Atmos work becomes text work—the editing suite becomes a description workshop.
The practical challenge: timing is even more critical than with standard subtitles. A musical dramaturgy only works if [Music swells] enters precisely when the visual tension rises. In DaVinci or Final Cut, you not only determine the cut but also the moment the SDH information reaches the eye—too late, and the emotional impact misses its mark; too early, and the viewer waits for something that hasn't happened yet. An audio track that runs imperceptibly quietly in the standard mix can become central in the SDH description if it carries the mood.
Especially important: distinguish between descriptive sounds (what is happening) and dramatic sounds (what it means). [Heavy door closes] is not the same as [Door slams shut—hopelessly]. The first is information, the second interpretation. In editing, you must feel which reading the film needs—and this is only possible if you constantly listen to the film with different ears, with the ears of those for whom the sound must remain invisible.