How to prep for live-subtitled comedy shows
Comedy, eh? It’s all improvised, isn’t it? They just think of it and say it, right? No. In a show that’s running over multiple dates and venues, the comedian will have written the material, and a broad outline of the script, and although the exact words might change each night (thus requiring live subtitling rather than captioning), the punchlines and overall structure will stay the same. Part of their skill is making it sound spontaneous.
Audio
The first thing you need is an audio-recording from the venue, ideally taken from the mixer. They might also be able to supply you with a video, however this is usually done from a free-standing recorder at the back of the room, so the audio won’t be as good. The files can usually be shared via Dropbox or Wetransfer, or by last resort sent on a DVD/CD in the post. Two recordings from different nights would be ideal.
Prep
Then you have a three-stage process:
Listen to or watch the show, and write down, electronically or on paper, all the funny phrases and repeated words or phrases. These are the most likely to stay in the show whereas the build-ups to each punchline can change. Use two columns for maximum use of the page.
Using your two-column list, add a steno/palan one-stroke for each phrase. Check spellings, hyphens and apostrophes. Insert page breaks to ensure your page turn doesn’t come during a particularly quick-fire routine.
Using your list of short forms, write the show on your machine. Stop and start the recording so you’re sure you have everything. Create a separate file for quotes/songs so you can output them line by line. You might find a smaller list, with words/phrases used throughout the show, useful on a Post-It to be somewhere in your eyeline.
Check with the Comedian
During your prep work, some queries may have come up: stylistic, when you can’t quite understand what they said, or “what would be funnier”, for example when trying to write out a pun. (eg “I’ve moved to Norfolk, now I’m a Norfolker/Nor-fucker”). Write a list and check with the comedian before the show. Also check with them whether there is any new material/topics, or if they’ve decided to omit some bits of the show? Reassure them that you’re writing live and won’t pre-empt punchlines. Write all the short forms on your machine to check there are no duplicates and they’re all in your dictionary.
On Screen
Put some words up on the screen, if possible using all the space that will be used during the show, so caption users can work out where best to sit. Use wording like. “This event will have live captioning, please sit where you can see the screen clearly”. If there are other events in the series, or a next captioned show at the venue, you could output that as well, toggling between the two.