Lower third

<h2 id="terminology">Terminology</h2>
<p>Lower thirds are also often known as "CG" (from <a href="/facts/Character_generator/yy0w2FAt">character generator</a>) or captions, and sometimes chyrons in North America, due to the popularity of <a href="/facts/Chyron_Corporation/1q8LR3SA">Chyron Corporation</a>'s Chiron I character generator, an early digital solution developed in the 1970s for rendering lower thirds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Other common terms include superbars (or simply supers) (US) and name straps and astons (after Aston Electronic Designs) (UK).
</p><p>Video with lower thirds is known as a <i>program as broadcast</i> or <i>dirty</i>. Video without lower thirds is known as a <i><a href="/facts/Clean_feed_(television)/Hyn1e9zk">clean feed</a></i> or <i>textless</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> For international distribution programs often include <i>textless elements</i> on the master tape: these are all the shots that lower thirds and <a href="/facts/Digital_on-screen_graphic/aknrwAPU">digital on-screen graphics</a> have been applied to, placed end-to-end so engineers can make a clean master if necessary.
</p>
<h2 id="tiers">Tiers</h2>

<p>Lower thirds are usually arranged in tiers, or lines:
</p>
<ul><li>One-tier lower thirds: Usually used to identify a story that is being shown, or to show a presenter's name.</li>
<li>Two-tier lower thirds: Used most often to identify a person on screen. Often, the person's name appears on the first line, with their place of residence or a description below that. Two-tier lower thirds may also be used as "locators" to identify where a story is taking place.</li>
<li>Three-tier lower thirds: These lower thirds add more information. Commonly, the first tier is used to tell when the video was shot, if it was not shot the day the <a href="/facts/Newscast/XfsX2zDC">newscast</a> is airing.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul>
<h3>Further elements</h3>
<p>Lower thirds increasingly include elements such as <a href="/facts/News_ticker/zctXolst">news tickers</a>, time and date, weather information, <a href="/facts/Stock_quote/6XUgu2LW">stock quotes</a>, or sports scores.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li>Television portal</li></ul>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Intertitle/yT8wplwn">Intertitle</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Television_news_screen_layout/CGdSdojj">Television news screen layout</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Telop/cr7MU24U">Telop</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Atkinson, Claire (11 August 2008). "The battle for the lower third". Broadcasting & Cable. New Bay Media. Retrieved 7 August 2016. <a href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/battle-lower-third/85019" target="_blank">http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/battle-lower-third/85019</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>See this usage in The New York Times blogs; for instance: Tozzi, Lisa (28 January 2008). "Giuliani's New Ad: 'Not Endorsed'". The Caucus. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2024. <a href="/wiki/The_New_York_Times" target="_blank">/wiki/The_New_York_Times</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Green, Jonathon (2 October 2013). Dictionary of Jargon. Routledge Revivals. Routledge. p. 632. ISBN 978-1-317-90818-0. OCLC 864414293. <a href="978-1-317-90818-0" target="_blank">978-1-317-90818-0</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Best Banner & Lower Third Competition". color tape international. Retrieved 7 August 2016. <a href="http://www.colortapeinternational.com/bestbanner.php" target="_blank">http://www.colortapeinternational.com/bestbanner.php</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Montgomery, Mark (April 2010). "Tips for Lower Third Titles". Videomaker. <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Lower third open-in-new

Lower third