Caption with Intention© is the product of a collaboration between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Rakish Entertainment, and the Chicago Hearing Society.
It began six years ago, sparked by a hard-of-hearing designer’s insight at the agency: captions weren’t just functionally broken—they were emotionally flat. Partnering with the Chicago Hearing Society helped shape the system with real community input. Soon after, Rakish Entertainment—led by acclaimed director Marc Forster—joined, bringing industry reach and a bold vision: if the system became part of the Academy’s standards, it could reshape accessibility across global cinema.
“A REVOLUTION”
“Inspiring”
“Artistry
and innovation”
“compelling experiences”
INTRODUCING
CAPTION WITH INTENTION©
We introduced a dynamic subtitle design system that transforms the viewing experience for the Deaf community. Featuring precise word-by-word synchronization with dialogue, expressive typography to reflect tone, timbre of voice, and volume, and color-coded character attribution for speaker clarity. Instantly giving them crucial information they missed from audio cues. Brought to life through a 10-month iterative design process that included the Deaf community as co-creators. Creating a new standard for how entertainment can be experienced, without compromise, by everyone.
THE design SYSTEM & creation
ATTRIBUTION: Identifying who the active speaker is.
SYNCHRONIZATION: Keeping time with when a word or phrase is spoken.
INTONATION: Visualizing how dialogue is delivered.
BEHIND THE TECH
TEST STIMULUS
FEEDBACK SESSIONS
