Caption Style Lock (Onboarding)

Caption Style Lock (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Collect the client's existing brand assets before any auto-caption run

   Request logo files, licensed typefaces, hex codes, and two examples of captions the client considers on-brand. Without these, every platform defaults to its own preset and the feed drifts toward generic.

2. 02

   Define a caption style sheet with fixed parameters the whole team can apply

   Specify font family, weight, stroke width, highlight color, safe-zone margins for TikTok and Reels UI overlays, and maximum characters per line. Lock it in a shared doc so a junior editor and a senior producer produce the same output.

3. 03

   Test the style sheet against three real client clips before batch production

   Run one talking-head clip, one screen-recorded demo, and one b-roll-heavy segment. Caption engines handle each differently, and the style sheet usually breaks on the screen-recorded case first.

4. 04

   Set the brand-voice review checkpoint that automation cannot own

   Assign one named reviewer per client account to read every caption track for tone, jargon, and claims. Automated transcription mishears product names and turns hedged statements into absolutes, which is a compliance problem on regulated accounts.

5. 05

   Document the platform-specific export matrix

   Record the aspect ratios, duration caps, and caption burn-in settings required for each destination channel. A single 9:16 export rarely satisfies LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, and Reels at once, and re-exporting after delivery burns retainer hours.

6. 06

   Agree the volume ceiling and revision allowance in writing

   State how many clips per month the retainer covers and how many revision rounds each clip includes. Volume-first tooling invites scope creep because generating 40 more clips costs almost nothing, but reviewing them does not.

7. 07

   Archive the approved style sheet with the client's onboarding record

   Store the locked parameters alongside the brand guide so a new producer joining the account in month six does not rebuild the look from scratch or quietly introduce a second visual language.