Creating .Srt files that can be imported into project

[Fin DePencier]

Hey everyone, 

So I have an interview that is in Portugese. I used Premiere's portugese transcription tool, which did a pretty good job. Is there a way to directly translate everything into English inside premiere? it doesn't look like it. Therefore, I had to export the transcription into a .txt file, then translate it into English with a different app. Now what I'm trying to do is turn that translated transcription into a .srt file, so that I can import it into premiere. I used a tool online that appeared to give me a .srt file, but when i tried to import it i got a generic error. I think as long as I can get the right kind of .srt file, it should work. 

Thanks!

[Stan Jones]

Fin,

The better workflow is to export srt and do the translation there, so that all the timecodes and formatting are in place.

When you export a text file, the timecodes are in the wrong form. So I wonder if that throws off the conversion. Here is a post where I discuss those issues:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/how-to-import-caption-txt-file-in-premiere-p...

And here's another type of example:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/problems-with-subtitle/m-p/13463858#M447603

It would help if you paste here the first few lines of your translated file. I can look to see what type of conversion/editing might work.

Stan

[Fin DePencier]

Thanks for your quick reply, 

So you think I should export an SRT file? I actually don't see that as an option. See the two screenshots attached, my export tab not showing SRT as an option, and some lines from the translated .txt file. 

[Stan Jones]

Fin,

My apologies; I overlooked that you are working with the transcript. You can only export srt for captions, not the transcript. And while they are working on importing an edited transcript in the public Beta, I don't think it will work for this process yet.

Can you also paste the beginning of the exported transcript?

Stan

[Fin DePencier]

I see. I can't say i'm aware of the difference between exporting transcript and captions though? The captions make up a transcript... anyway, attached is the beginning of the transcript. 

[Warren Heaton]

While a Premiere Pro Transcript file (.pttranscript) and a SubRip Subtitle file (.srt, but it is plain text with the .txt extension changed to .srt) might seem like the same thing, functionally they are different.

A Premiere Pro Transcript file is in sync, word for word, with a corresponding Sequence in a Premiere Pro project and text selection in the Transcript panel controls the Playhead.  It's meant for being able to read what's been spoken separate from the Sequence (separate from the picture and sound) but always in sync while in Premiere Pro.

A SubRip Subtitle file is also in sync with a corresponding Sequence, but it consists of segments of words to be displayed as the Sequence plays and once a Captions Track is created from an SRT the playback tracks with which Caption Clip is being edited.  It's meant for being able to read what's been said with the Sequence (with the picture and sound).

For translation, create Subtitles from the Transcript and then export the Subtitles as an SRT.  Name it with an abbreviation for the spoken language.  It's common to use DVD-Video language codes.  So, an English SRT file might be named sequencename_en.srt.  Have the SRT file translated (any text editor can open it) and saved with an abbreviation for the translation like sequencename_pt.srt.  If possible, send the person doing the transcript a low resolution video file with the English subtitles burned in for reference.  This helps to make sure the translation is done in context.  It Import that into the Premiere Pro project and drag and drop it into the corresponding Sequence.  If the person who did the translation was not able to watch the video, have someone check the translation prior to publishing.

[Stan Jones]

A practical difference is that the transcript usually includes text for multiple captions in one transcript segment. Yours are unusual in that each transcript segment is only a few seconds.

Since they are very short, you might be able to modify the file to srt format, and import them as captions.

As I say in the first link I gave above, "Your "edited" version, like the export, has 3 problems to be in the srt format. 1) There is no subtitle number (the 1, 2, 3, 4 above). 2) There is only a dash, not a double dash plus arrow. 3) The timecode has frames, not milliseconds." See that link for a method for fixing this.

An alternative is to do what Warren suggests: create captions from the original transcript; export srt; modify to the translation. Note that when using this method, it is very important that the translator/editor not modify any of the caption numbers or timecodes.

Stan

[Fin DePencier]

So I think my biggest problem with the suggested workflow right now is that I'm not sending the transcript to a human to do the translation. My boss wants me to do this using deepL, a translation AI tool, or something of the equivalent. 

When I export the .srt file from captions, deepL will not allow me to import the .srt file. Therefore, (unless I want to try translating the whole thing by hand in the .srt file), I need to create a .txt file, import it into deepL, and then reconvert the .txt file that deepL spits out into a .srt file, then import into Premiere. I hope you're following me here, any suggestions?

[Stan Jones · Accepted solution]

First, just rename the srt file to txt. Will that import? But it may mess up the timecodes. Since DeepL is paid, I only test so far.

Second, as a test, try using Subtitle Edit to do the translation. It uses Google. Just import the SRT, then translate. It should keep the srt structure.

Stan

[Fin DePencier]

Just changing the file name from .srt to .txt, and then back again actually works! Thanks!

[Warren Heaton]

Having the translation done automatically is fine, but it's really important to have someone who literally speaks the language check the subtitles in context with the Sequence before publishing it.

[ProfTonyLima]

Just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this discussion.  I learned a lot.