How to Write Speaker IDs
First, don't think about what their title is. It doen't matter if they are plaintiff or defense.
The person sitting on your left will get your left speaker and the person on the right will get your right speaker.
Your first left speaker is SNAO. I have mine defined as SPEAKER 1. You can change the name for each job. But leave the default as something simple like that.
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:SPEAKER 1}
Your second speaker is *IFPLT. This will be for the speaker on your right side or your second main speaker.
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:SPEAKER 2}
Then there is JAO and *IRKS. Those are for your second left and second right or just third and fourth speaker.
In Eclipse, you can define them as {S:SPEAKER 3} and {S:SPEAKER 4}
Then there is the Court. I do SGL-FRJTS for them.
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:THE COURT}
There is also the witness. I do W*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:THE WITNESS}
There is also one for the deputy/bailiff. I do B*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:DEPUTY}
Last one of the main ones is the clerk. I do K*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:THE CLERK}
In school, you only have to worry about QA; speakers 1, 2, and 3; and the Court. If you were really wanting to get fancy in school, you can use the witness. That one is easily changed during editing, though, when it needs to be THE WITNESS instead of an answer symbol.
The person sitting on your left will get your left speaker and the person on the right will get your right speaker.
Your first left speaker is SNAO. I have mine defined as SPEAKER 1. You can change the name for each job. But leave the default as something simple like that.
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:SPEAKER 1}
Your second speaker is *IFPLT. This will be for the speaker on your right side or your second main speaker.
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:SPEAKER 2}
Then there is JAO and *IRKS. Those are for your second left and second right or just third and fourth speaker.
In Eclipse, you can define them as {S:SPEAKER 3} and {S:SPEAKER 4}
Then there is the Court. I do SGL-FRJTS for them.
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:THE COURT}
There is also the witness. I do W*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:THE WITNESS}
There is also one for the deputy/bailiff. I do B*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined {S:DEPUTY}
Last one of the main ones is the clerk. I do K*FRJTS
In Eclipse, it is defined as {S:THE CLERK}
In school, you only have to worry about QA; speakers 1, 2, and 3; and the Court. If you were really wanting to get fancy in school, you can use the witness. That one is easily changed during editing, though, when it needs to be THE WITNESS instead of an answer symbol.
What if you have more than four speakers?
A student asked on our Facebook group "What if there are more than four speakers?"
Here are Chase's and Tami's answers:
Here are Chase's and Tami's answers:
Chase: You have the basic four, SNAO, JAO, *IFPLT, and *IRKS. When I was covering a courtroom a couple months ago, there were seven attorneys present for one case. It was calendar, so it was quick, but this is what I did:
The two people sitting on the left, I used SNAO and JAO. The main two people on the right, I used *IFPLT and *IRKS. Then the extras on the right, I used SN*IFPLT, J*IRKS, and *IFRJTS. I try to use the vowels to help me remember which side they were sitting on. So if they're on the left of me, I would use AO. If they're on the right of me, I use EU.
But that was also because I wasn't used to that courtroom. A lot of the times, you will see the same attorneys in a courtroom on a regular basis. You start to remember their names. So you can use their name to designate them. I add the number bar to their name. So MR. SMITH I would do SM*IT#. Or you could double-stroke their name. If their name is Fredrickson, I might do FRED/FRED and define it as MS. FREDRICKSON.
In captioning, I usually identify people by their first name, so I have a ton of speakers in the dictionary who have common names. You can search the dictionary for them. If someone's name is Chase, I do KHAI#, and it comes up as a speaker CHASE.
When you start working, you will probably find what works best for your main working situation. If you're doing depos, just get the names of the attorneys before you start, make a speaker stroke for them based on where they are sitting, and then you should be good to go. When they move seats is when it gets annoying.
I captioned a three-day workshop with 15 people in the room, and I had to identify all of them. They all spoke throughout the day. Each day was 8-10 hours of the workshop. The first day I was still learning the names, but I had it down by the second and third. I just identified them with their first name. There was a David in there, so I did DAIVD#.
I captioned some of the NFL pregame shows this season. There are nine speakers I have to identify mostly by voice and not visual. That's a bit difficult. Here's what I do for that:
James Brown is the main host, so I have him as SNAO. Then there is Bill Cowher. I have him as *IFPLT because he sits on the right side. Then there is Phil Simms who sits on the left, so I have him as JAO. Then we have Nate Burleson who sits on the right also. I have him as *IRKS. Those are the main four. Then there is also Boomer Esiason. Since I was out of the main speakers, I just made him BAOM#.
I can't remember the other people in the show right now, but I had them identified by writing their names with the number bar.
Tami: My advice is please do not worry about anything over four voices, but I will tell you how I handle the courtroom I am in every day.
I write the names of all my regular attorneys, which probably are at least fifty. They are not all there on the same day, but that probably is a good estimate of the number of probate attorneys and family law attorneys who come in regularly or occasionally into my courtroom. I write their names, as I write realtime every day to my judge, and I want his realtime feed to be as clean as possible. I do two stroke names, and you probably know how we feel about two stroking speaker IDs, etc. Never two stroke the SNAO or JAO or the court symbol, the witness, etc.
Every day we get attorneys I do not know, and I go to my SNAO (petition for mer) or my *EUFPLT for my respondent. Again, I work the same courtroom, so my judge makes the attorneys stand behind their correct sign which is on the counsel table. I am a little bit spoiled. We usually have just about 25-30 cases on every morning at 8:30, and usually another three to five at 10:00 a.m. So lots of parties. Sometimes I go to THE MOTHER: or THE FATHER: of THE GRANDMOTHER: or THE GRANDFATHER or THE MINOR:
And then I try to keep them consistent throughout their case, so I keep my speaker IDs clear.
If I am not in my regular courtroom, I find out before we start the plaintiff/petitioner side of the counsel table and the defendant/respondent side. They I use *EUFPLT and *EURBS for defense and SNAO and SKWRAO for plaintiff side. If you get in the situation where eight attorneys approach the counsel table at the same time, you might need to start talking stabs at RED/RED for the guy with the red tie, etc. I actually go to numbers sometimes. I have two people on petitioner side, and I have four people on respondent side. I will use SNAO and JAO or THE GRANDMOTHER: of THE GRANDFATHER: (just by their looks) and the four on respondent's side, I will use *EUFPLT for the first one in line, *EURGS for the second one, then maybe go to THRAOE/THRAOE and FOUR/FOUR, FAOEUV/FAOEUV, etc. My judge has everyone who approaches state their appearance (their name and who they represent, if they are an attorney, and he actually has them go from left to right. I really am spoiled. I started working for him probably before you were born. ;)
Your court symbol should be STKPWHR*FRPBLGTS. I include the asterisk because it helps differentiate it from the occasional stack of the QA, which unfortunately seems to happen too often to the best of us.
Going back to what we want from you at this stage, the goal is for you all to get to speed. Knowing these things will help you remember in the future this discussion came up, and they are excellent questions. BUT we need you all to focus on the meat and potatoes of getting to 225 and passing the RPR and then, if need be, to your state test. So we really want to focus on the meat and potatoes of writing. I know it might not sound like it, but when you get up to 225, you will be SO prepared as far as being exceptional writers. It is such a benefit to get up to 225 with the slow hand speed you will have, as it leaves you so much room to grow. When students are tapped out on hand speed at 225, longhand writers, there is so much more stress involved in the day-to-day job, and they have very little ability to gain more hand speed. Most are just about tapped out at 225, depending on how long they have been taught to write.
When I say I write the attorneys' names, I will go SMITH/SMITH, etc. With the common names, I add the asterisk *flower* for the girl. I'm sure you've heard me go off on those little tangents in one of my classes. So we have district attorneys who are married, and their name is "Smith." So SMITH/SMITH gets me MR. SMITH: and SM*ITH/SM*ITH gets me MS. SMITH:
Student: What would you do if a 10th speaker unexpectedly started talking, and all your speaker IDs were being used, and you didn't have a speaker name with the number bar already set up?
Chase: In captioning, I just use >>, which is my Q and A bank so that I can use QA extensions still.
If it is a depo or court, you would maybe do RED/RED if they have a red shirt on or something and then during a break define that as their speaker.
Tami: TEN/TEN
RED/RED
Whatever you will be able to remember to write the next time he speaks. So GLASZ/GLASZ, NO*ES/NO*ES. HA!
The two people sitting on the left, I used SNAO and JAO. The main two people on the right, I used *IFPLT and *IRKS. Then the extras on the right, I used SN*IFPLT, J*IRKS, and *IFRJTS. I try to use the vowels to help me remember which side they were sitting on. So if they're on the left of me, I would use AO. If they're on the right of me, I use EU.
But that was also because I wasn't used to that courtroom. A lot of the times, you will see the same attorneys in a courtroom on a regular basis. You start to remember their names. So you can use their name to designate them. I add the number bar to their name. So MR. SMITH I would do SM*IT#. Or you could double-stroke their name. If their name is Fredrickson, I might do FRED/FRED and define it as MS. FREDRICKSON.
In captioning, I usually identify people by their first name, so I have a ton of speakers in the dictionary who have common names. You can search the dictionary for them. If someone's name is Chase, I do KHAI#, and it comes up as a speaker CHASE.
When you start working, you will probably find what works best for your main working situation. If you're doing depos, just get the names of the attorneys before you start, make a speaker stroke for them based on where they are sitting, and then you should be good to go. When they move seats is when it gets annoying.
I captioned a three-day workshop with 15 people in the room, and I had to identify all of them. They all spoke throughout the day. Each day was 8-10 hours of the workshop. The first day I was still learning the names, but I had it down by the second and third. I just identified them with their first name. There was a David in there, so I did DAIVD#.
I captioned some of the NFL pregame shows this season. There are nine speakers I have to identify mostly by voice and not visual. That's a bit difficult. Here's what I do for that:
James Brown is the main host, so I have him as SNAO. Then there is Bill Cowher. I have him as *IFPLT because he sits on the right side. Then there is Phil Simms who sits on the left, so I have him as JAO. Then we have Nate Burleson who sits on the right also. I have him as *IRKS. Those are the main four. Then there is also Boomer Esiason. Since I was out of the main speakers, I just made him BAOM#.
I can't remember the other people in the show right now, but I had them identified by writing their names with the number bar.
Tami: My advice is please do not worry about anything over four voices, but I will tell you how I handle the courtroom I am in every day.
I write the names of all my regular attorneys, which probably are at least fifty. They are not all there on the same day, but that probably is a good estimate of the number of probate attorneys and family law attorneys who come in regularly or occasionally into my courtroom. I write their names, as I write realtime every day to my judge, and I want his realtime feed to be as clean as possible. I do two stroke names, and you probably know how we feel about two stroking speaker IDs, etc. Never two stroke the SNAO or JAO or the court symbol, the witness, etc.
Every day we get attorneys I do not know, and I go to my SNAO (petition for mer) or my *EUFPLT for my respondent. Again, I work the same courtroom, so my judge makes the attorneys stand behind their correct sign which is on the counsel table. I am a little bit spoiled. We usually have just about 25-30 cases on every morning at 8:30, and usually another three to five at 10:00 a.m. So lots of parties. Sometimes I go to THE MOTHER: or THE FATHER: of THE GRANDMOTHER: or THE GRANDFATHER or THE MINOR:
And then I try to keep them consistent throughout their case, so I keep my speaker IDs clear.
If I am not in my regular courtroom, I find out before we start the plaintiff/petitioner side of the counsel table and the defendant/respondent side. They I use *EUFPLT and *EURBS for defense and SNAO and SKWRAO for plaintiff side. If you get in the situation where eight attorneys approach the counsel table at the same time, you might need to start talking stabs at RED/RED for the guy with the red tie, etc. I actually go to numbers sometimes. I have two people on petitioner side, and I have four people on respondent side. I will use SNAO and JAO or THE GRANDMOTHER: of THE GRANDFATHER: (just by their looks) and the four on respondent's side, I will use *EUFPLT for the first one in line, *EURGS for the second one, then maybe go to THRAOE/THRAOE and FOUR/FOUR, FAOEUV/FAOEUV, etc. My judge has everyone who approaches state their appearance (their name and who they represent, if they are an attorney, and he actually has them go from left to right. I really am spoiled. I started working for him probably before you were born. ;)
Your court symbol should be STKPWHR*FRPBLGTS. I include the asterisk because it helps differentiate it from the occasional stack of the QA, which unfortunately seems to happen too often to the best of us.
Going back to what we want from you at this stage, the goal is for you all to get to speed. Knowing these things will help you remember in the future this discussion came up, and they are excellent questions. BUT we need you all to focus on the meat and potatoes of getting to 225 and passing the RPR and then, if need be, to your state test. So we really want to focus on the meat and potatoes of writing. I know it might not sound like it, but when you get up to 225, you will be SO prepared as far as being exceptional writers. It is such a benefit to get up to 225 with the slow hand speed you will have, as it leaves you so much room to grow. When students are tapped out on hand speed at 225, longhand writers, there is so much more stress involved in the day-to-day job, and they have very little ability to gain more hand speed. Most are just about tapped out at 225, depending on how long they have been taught to write.
When I say I write the attorneys' names, I will go SMITH/SMITH, etc. With the common names, I add the asterisk *flower* for the girl. I'm sure you've heard me go off on those little tangents in one of my classes. So we have district attorneys who are married, and their name is "Smith." So SMITH/SMITH gets me MR. SMITH: and SM*ITH/SM*ITH gets me MS. SMITH:
Student: What would you do if a 10th speaker unexpectedly started talking, and all your speaker IDs were being used, and you didn't have a speaker name with the number bar already set up?
Chase: In captioning, I just use >>, which is my Q and A bank so that I can use QA extensions still.
If it is a depo or court, you would maybe do RED/RED if they have a red shirt on or something and then during a break define that as their speaker.
Tami: TEN/TEN
RED/RED
Whatever you will be able to remember to write the next time he speaks. So GLASZ/GLASZ, NO*ES/NO*ES. HA!
Here is the link to the original Facebook post in the Champion Steno Students page.