DCP with subtitles is one of the most common screening deliverables for festivals, distributors, and international showings. Subtitles that look “fine” on a laptop can become unreadable in a cinema: the screen is larger, viewing distance changes, and contrast varies scene to scene.
Our team supports a clean workflow: provide a final .SRT, and the team will ingest it into the DCP and run technical checks for cinema playback. Text proofreading or rewriting is not included.
What festivals/cinemas care about most
1) Readability on a big screen
Problems that often appear in theatres:
- subtitles too small
- subtitles too low (cropped by masking)
- low contrast in bright scenes
- overly long lines
2) Character integrity
Accents, punctuation, and special characters can break if the file is not clean.
3) Timing and pacing
Good timing is critical in a theatre. Late/early cues distract immediately.
The SRT workflow that avoids rework
- Deliver a final .SRT (approved text)
- Include language and version name
- Team ingests SRT into the DCP
- Team performs technical checks:
- timing sanity check
- character integrity
- legibility / placement suitability
Again: subtitle text corrections should be done before sending the final SRT.
“Burned-in subtitles” vs SRT in DCP
- Burned-in: embedded in the picture; changes require re-export.
- SRT-based: separate file; updates are simpler before the final DCP is locked.
Copy/paste delivery checklist
- Master file/link:
- Runtime:
- Deadline:
- Subtitles (.SRT): attached + language:
- Audio (5.1 available? yes/no):
Link hints (Rank Math)
- Internal link to your “DCP for Film Festivals” post.
- External link to a reputable “SubRip (.srt)” reference page.
Need a DCP with subtitles ready for screening?
Send runtime + deadline + SRT. The team replies with timeline and quote.