Subtitles: Applying text layer to entire sequences

Question

Level 1

5 points

Subtitles: Applying text layer to entire sequences

Hi all,

Starting a new question here as it's a different topic - but please advise if you know!

I have been asked for the following:

There is a project called ‘Subtitle template’ which contains a text layer that you can apply to the entire interview section. We prefer this as it’s easier for us to edit and we can make it look nicer for the final output,

Having never used FCPX, I have been trying to apply this template manually, dragging-dropping to various places on my sequences to no avail. At the moment half of the sequences have just a normal captioning with Opt+C and default formatting.

Please I'm looking for the answers to

1) How to apply this template going for for all the new captions I will me

2) How to apply this template which is saved as a title to all the existing captions that have already been done

Here is the screenshot of the subtitle template given

Here is the screenshot of the default subtitles I have inputted

Any ideas, I would be really grateful! First time using this software and also functioning on two hours of sleep

Posted on Apr 1, 2019 4:08 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 1, 2019 5:21 AM in response to space1014

In one image you have titles, in the other you have closed captions.

You cannot for the most part determine how closed captions will appear to your viewers.

They serve a different purpose than titles. They can be turned on or off, and are separate from the video.

There is very little in terms of formatting options, and you cannot be sure that any of these options will be honored by the playing software.

Titles, on the other hand, are entirely under your control. They end up being part of the video itself.

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 1, 2019 9:08 AM in response to space1014

"And is there a quick way to turn captions into titles - or do I have to painstakingly create them all over again? "

I think you should take a look at the tools by "spherico" (Andreas Kiel), particularly in this case "X-Title Caption Convert"

http://www.spherico.com/filmtools/TitleExchange/XTCC/index.html

These tools rely on XML. Basically, XML is a textual description of your projects in a specific form.

FCP X can export and import XML and many interesting things can be achieved by manipulating that XML file and then importing the modified XML back into FCP X.

Reply