FCPX how to show subtitles in browser

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Level 1

4 points

FCPX how to show subtitles in browser

Hi everyone

This is the first time I'm posting a question here, I've been looking up and down the net but couldn't find an answer to my question. I hope I'm in the right place, otherwise feel free to point me in the right direction.

I'm trying to find the best workflow to log over 30 interviews shot in a minority language for a feature length documentary, all shot in a two camera setup, close up and mid shot. I'm on FCPX 10.7.1.

In order to transcribe and log the footage I need to translate it first, as no software is able to transcribe it for me, there are only a couple of hundred people left who speak the language. That part is fine, I'm planning to add the close up shot of each interview into it's own project, record a English translation voice over directly into the timeline, use Captionator to create captions of the English translation right there, tweak and correct them where needed, so I'll have subtitles of each interview in it's own timeline. From there I can export the captions and create a script. So far so good.

But: I would love to be able to find a way to see the subtitles in the browser and from there in the viewer without having to burn the subtitles into an export and reimport that. Ideally I would love to create a multicam clip with both camera angles, including the subtitles, so I can add keywords to sections, reject, add favourites etc, all in the browser, whilst seeing the subtitles there over my original footage.

If I create for example a compound clip from the project of the close up shot where I've added the subtitles, then I see the little subtitles icon in the top left corner of that compound clip in the browser, but I can't for the life of me figure out a way of showing them there. I know I can show and extract them once in the timeline, but that's not where I need them. The same applies if I export a clip with embedded CEA-608 captions and reimport that. I can't see the subtitles in the browser until I add them into a timeline.

Is there a simple thing I'm overseeing? Or is it just not possible to show subtitles in the browser unless they are burned it?

The subtitles I'm referring to here are only for editing purposes, once the film is finished we will create proper subtitles and captions, so I'd rather not burn in anything at this stage.

However the only way around this, that I can think of anyway, is to export the close up shot of each interview with burned in subtitles, reimport them, create Multicam clips, log everything, edit the film, and in the very end reconnect the files to the original files without the subtitles. But I'm a little hesitant to go for this option.

I hope I found a way of explaining my issue here!

Thank you to whoever takes the time to read this, and thank you so much for any suggestions or input, it is greatly appreciated.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jun 18, 2024 3:55 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

terryb

Level 4

2,265 points

Jun 18, 2024 10:35 AM in response to Lapitschna

I did this for a project with long interview multicams and thought it might be useful as a jumping off point for you.

I wanted to have interview transcriptions show up as titles and be searchable, and I wanted them in the multicam so any logging or keywording would be applied to it.

(At the time I used X-Title to create the titles but the application and the author have since gone missing. Captionator should work as well or better.) I imported the transcription titles and set them to a new Transcription role.

I stepped into the A cam compound of the multicam and pasted the titles. The title text is the line of transcription so they are searchable in the Index. But searching them is only possible when stepped into the multicam--when you step back out to the top level of the multicam, these titles aren't available in the Index. So, I added a third, dummy angle to the multicam and pasted the titles there too. I turned off their visibility since I don't need them as an actual angle, just to be able to view and search them in the multicam's Index.

So now one can do a text search in the Index and then click a title to take you to that spot in the interview. I also made the title font pretty big so you can also just scrub through the video and speed read to get your bearings.

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Answer 2

BenB

Level 6

12,235 points

Jun 18, 2024 5:40 AM in response to Lapitschna

There's no way to do that. What you are referring to is Closed Captioning, it is code, it is highly regulated, a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It has to be enabled, and at present, FCP's Browser has no function to enable CC. But I think you're on to something there, it should be. Sub-Titles are simply text templates in the Timeline, and are visible in the Browser.

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Answer 3

Jun 18, 2024 7:59 AM in response to Lapitschna

I would love to be able to find a way to see the subtitles in the browser and from there in the viewer

I may not fully understand it because English is complicated, but I interpreted it as a question about where to manage captions. Sorry if I'm wrong.

The caption will appear in the index. ⌘F: Caption

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Answer 4

Lapitschna Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2024 5:54 AM in response to terryb

Thank you so much, this is really helpful, I'll definitely play around with what you have suggested! I'll post an update of my workflow once I have finalised it.

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Answer 5

Lapitschna Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2024 5:58 AM in response to BenB

Thanks Ben! Glad you've confirmed this. Looks like titles and compound clips will be the way forward for me.

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Answer 6

Lapitschna Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2024 6:03 AM in response to LocaAlicia

Thank you for taking the time to write! I know where to manage captions, my question was if it is possible to make them visible in the browser. Ben has confirmed that this is not possible yet.

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