How to Make a Dub Pack That's Fun to Play

A dub pack is only as good as its timeline. This guide covers what makes a scene fun to perform and how the Creator Studio on this site turns a clip into a playable scene. The Studio is the next feature on our roadmap; the principles below apply to any dubbing game.

Start with the right clip

• 15–60 seconds. Longer than that and a round drags.
• Clear dialogue. Avoid clips where music or effects sit on top of the speech.
• 2–3 speakers. One speaker is a monologue; four is hard to follow.
• A turn. The best scenes have a reversal or a punchline in the last line.

You must have the right to upload the clip. Original footage, clips you made, public domain material or content you have a licence for are fine. Copyrighted film and TV footage is not, and public scenes go through moderation before they appear.

Step-by-step in the Creator Studio

1. Upload. MP4 or WebM, under 90 seconds. Large files upload directly from your browser to storage.
2. Trim. Set the scene start and end so there is roughly a second of lead-in before the first line.
3. Mark lines. Play the clip and press Add Start / Add End around each spoken line. Aim for boundaries 100–200 ms outside the speech so players are not cut off.
4. Write captions. Type exactly what is said. Keep each caption to one breath; split long sentences into two lines.
5. Assign characters. Create each speaker with a name and a colour, then attach lines to them.
6. Add direction (optional). A short note like "deadpan" or "shouting into the helmet" tells players the intended tone.
7. Test play. Run the scene yourself. If you cannot comfortably deliver a line in its window, widen it.
8. Publish. Choose Private, Unlisted or Public. Public scenes are reviewed first.

Timing rules of thumb

Leave at least half a second between lines so the countdown and recording never overlap the next cue.

Characters that play well

Give characters contrasting energy. A calm one and a frantic one. A robot and a human. A judge and a contestant. Contrast makes each hand-off of the microphone funny on its own.

Before you publish

• Every line has a caption and a character.
• No two lines overlap.
• The scene has a title, a one-line hook and a short description.
• You confirmed you hold the rights and agree to the copyright policy.

Want to see what good packs look like in play? Browse the dub pack directory and try a few before building your own.