Subtitles projected above the screen (theater tradition) — in film: separate sidecar file for non-native languages. Never burned into DCP.
In cinema, this works differently than in opera—there, up on the balcony, hangs the screen with the surtitles, here, up in the frame. The crucial difference: while theater surtitles are fixed to the projection, in film we work with separate data streams. This means specifically that the surtitles are not embedded in the DCP but run as an independent subfile parallel to the image sequence. This gives us maximum flexibility in post-production and distribution.
Practically on set or in the edit, this means: surtitles are not our concern as the technical crew. That falls under localization and is usually handled by specialized companies or the distributor. What we need to know is that they are positioned at the top, meaning we must not overload the upper image area. No flickering lights there, no movements that are too distracting. When creating the DCP, we simply indicate that surtitle support is active; the rest is handled by playout servers in the cinema itself.
A detail that is underestimated: surtitles require a larger font size than classic subtitles at the bottom. The viewer is sitting further away from the upper corner, the eye movement is greater. Readability must still be guaranteed, otherwise it becomes an annoying ping-pong between image and text. Therefore, also consider this in our image composition—too much text at the top, too much action at the bottom = cognitive overload for the viewer.
In the distribution process, it has proven effective not to archive the surtitle file in the master but to store it separately and regenerate it as needed. This saves storage space, allows for quick corrections, and prevents us from facing the problem one day that the burned-in version is faulty. When discussing with clients for international festivals or limited releases, always make it clear—surtitles as an optional feature, not a promise for all versions.