Semi-opaque background rectangle for subtitles

If you use the Lower Third text generator there is an option to add a colored background and adjust it's opacity directly from the text window.

OR -

If you like the text you've created you can add... Matte - Color and crop it down.

Use the OPACITY keyframes in the Motion tab for that track and you'll be good to go.

CaptM

Hi Kim,

This might help.
In your "Viewer" window click on the frame A icon on the bottom right of the window (looks like a film frame with the latter "A" in it). Now choose "Matte" and "Color" this will give you a grey box that fills the entire screen. Simply drag it into your timeline, double click it to open in the viewer window again, and select the "Motion" tab and modify the "Crop" and "Center" settings. This will let you create a small box to place behind your lower third text - or if you have LiveType, select one of the "Lower Third" templates....

Hope this helps,

In addition to the other posts, make sure the matte is on a lower track than the text on the timeline i.e. between the text and the background.

I want to have subtitles for a documentary using FCP HD (no plug-ins) and have succeeded creating the text. But I want a transluscent box in which the text appears, to help its readability... darkish box for white text, or whitish box for black text.

This might not be feasible if you've already created all your subtitles - as opposed to having created only a few for testing purposes - but what you want can be accomplished all in one spot: the Outline Text generator in FCP.

If you go via the 'A' button in the Viewer: Text > Outline Text. If you prefer the Effects tab: Video Generator > Text > Outline Text.

Anyhow, once Outline Text is loaded into the Viewer...

1. Hit the Controls tab and scroll down, to reveal the Background Settings
   
2. By default, the background is 'turned off.' That is, Horizontal Size and Vertical Size are both set to 0.
   
3. To get it working, I usually set Horizontal Size to 106 and Vertical size to 102.
   
4. Alter Back Soft to 2. (That is, unless you want a hard edge to your box)
   
5. Adjust Back Opacity if you want, though I find that setting Opacity to less than 40 starts to get counter productive. I usually leave it at 50, myself.
   
6. Optional: alter your Text Settings to move away from (or completely eliminate) the not-so-subtle default settings for Outline Width. (50!!!)
   (Not to mention adjust all the other font settings to your liking, but I think you're old hat at all that now.)

Like I said, not the easiest adjustment to make if you've got all your subtitles done, but certainly the simplest way to do what you're asking (if it helps in the future).

Hi Kim,

I'm aware that you said 'no plug-ins',
but at least consider to have a look at Belle Nuit's subtitler, if you need to do a lot of subtitling...
adjusting the shape of the titles is much easier than from within fcp...

http://www.belle-nuit.com

Rienk

Kim -- we'd LOVE to hear from you on this. Let us know what worked for you.

Also -- if any of these posts were helpful, give them the helpful tag. Thanks

CaptM