ELO2 - Cutlines and Captions
(add a checklist)
Cutlines and captions
defined
The definition for cutline is the
same as caption. The two are synonyms.
Here is the
Merriam-Webster definition:
- the explanatory comment or
designation accompanying a pictorial
illustration
Writing
captions
Readers need captions. They must have
them to understand what a picture is about. As a general rule never
allow a picture in the paper without some identification, even if
it's just a one-line name.
You cannot assume that your readers
know or recognize a particular face. Even in these days when papers
use more pictures, and more and more faces appear on television,
many readers will not recognize people like Vice-President Dick
Cheney.
Do not assume that because a man or
woman is well-known to you that they must be equally well-known to
your reader.
Captions should be made as interesting
as possible. With a few facts you can bring to life a fairly dull
picture with an intriguing caption.
Almost every picture can be injected
with life if a subeditor uses words cleverly to give a bright,
lively, emotional or intriguing meaning to the picture. Nothing puts
the final nail into a dead picture's coffin than a caption under it
that reads:
"The scene yesterday at the ceremony
for..."
or
"Mr. Stanley Jones is presented with
…"
How do you brighten a dull caption?
Examine each picture carefully. Pick something which grabs the
feeling or the mood of the picture. Use that to lead the reader into
the medley of facts later. You can use anything: a youngster's
gesture; a VIP's grimace; any small detail which the casual viewer
might miss.
Types of captions
One picture, one caption is a good
workable maxim. Newspapers contain three main kinds of
caption:
1 A label. This is usually for a
single-column picture of a person and usually used to illustrate a
story. You'll often find them on single-column pix. How much you
write will depend on the width of the pic and how many lines you are
allowed to work with. Labels usually consists of the name, plus a
little of what the person had done or said.
For example: Arthur Brown, the
$3million Lotto winner.
Or: Arthur Brown ...winner of
yesterday's $3million Lotto draw
Or: Arthur Brown ..."I badly
needed the money" was his only comment after winning $3million in
yesterday's Lotto draw.
2 A caption that tells the
significance of the picture. Usually the caption repeats part
of the story that accompanies the picture. It consists of a little
of the obvious (what can be seen) plus extra information. This type
of caption should be self-contained.
It should (at least briefly) contain
all the points the reader needs to know so that it makes sense
without needing to read the accompanying story. That is, the
5W&H. Why? Because many readers look at the photos before
reading the story.
You may get a bright idea to bring both
the picture and the caption to life, or you may have to write it
"straight". For example, you're asked to provide a caption for a
picture of a girl aged 10 playing in a rugby trial match.
Straight: Susan Smith, 10,
makes her rugby debut playing for …
Bright idea: Susan Smith shows
she's a match for boys her own age in a representative rugby trial
for under 11s at Geelong's Arthur Daly memorial oval
yesterday.
3 A caption that's a complete story
in its own right. It's written like a news story, with a news
angle tilted towards the picture. This is called an extended
caption. In this type of caption it's often necessary to include
words like above or above left to indicate where in
the picture you can find the person or thing being read
about.
How to write captions
Here is a suggested process:
- Make sure you see the actual
picture.
- Take a photocopy if you're
nearing deadline, in case the original needs to be taken away to
be processed.
- Check all the details:
names, order of people in the picture, ages, location, date, the
event.
- Take extra care with facts. If
defamation occurs because of a picture, it's usually because of
the caption.
- Find out how much space you
have, or the number of words expected/required.
- Think of writing the caption
as writing an intro. This should give you a starting point for
your first sentence.
- As with all intros, aim to get
the important or key words into the opening phrase.
- Study the facial expressions.
Sad? Happy? Jubilant? Quizzical? Devastated? Can any emotions be
brought into the picture?
- Ask yourself: What's the
message or tone or feel of the picture? Aim to capture the
atmosphere.
- Is there a chance for a play
on words? This is OK with some captions, depending on the
tone.
- In the parlance of writing for
TV, write off. Give the readers something more than what's in the
picture.
Unless it's a story caption, be miserly
with words. Come straight to the point. You need to be even briefer
than if you were writing a news story. While being concise, try to
avoid being disjointed or stilted. If you have a mood picture, allow
yourself some good emotional descriptive words, but again aim to
avoid the obvious.
Make absolutely sure that everyone in
the picture is clearly identified. If you are naming from left to
right, say so. Don't leave the reader to guess. And remember to put
in the time and place.
Further reading: "Captions: Text
and pictures combined" in Digital Sub-editing and Design. See
chapter 4, (Focal
Press).
