I can't import .xml or .fcpxml files for editable captions

Question

Hi! I'm primarily a podcast producer, and I'm trying to make promotional videos using captions that are more flexible than Premiere's defaults. Basically, I'd like to be able to add effects to chunks of text. As these are for podcasts, it's not feasible to type out text manually like you would in a lyric video. I'm trying to used long sections of transcribed text, as you'd find it in an .srt file.

It's been very hard to find what I'm looking for, but this tutorial achieves exactly what I'm trying to do. (See from about the 9m25s mark.) His solution is to export .srt files as Final Cut Pro .xml documents, which should create text coordinated with speech.

I've tried to import both .xml and .fcpxml files with no success. I get these error messages:

.xml: "The importer reported a generic error."

.fcpxml: "File format not supported."

I've tried the methods suggested here and here, and all the other threads I can find in the Adobe Support Community. Nothing's working.

It's really important to me that I can make captioned videos efficiently that aren't just the standard fixed captioning Adobe sets for .srt files. If there's a workaround, please let me know – I'm desperate!

Stan Jones · Answer

> His solution is to export .srt files as Final Cut Pro .xml documents, which should create text coordinated with speech.

Frustrating, but thanks for the timecode for the "meat" of his tutorial. Long tutorial that, for your purpose, totally relies on a link that is not in the video, but posted in the "more" info. And the link "changed." The one he lists is not what he used - and did not work for me.

In any event, he is using an srt to xml converter to create an xml file containing the captions (srt) text as PR GRAPHICS text. But the converter MUST NOT be one that is converting srt captions to xml CAPTIONS. And not every FCP XML file will have the correct information to import, or, successfully imported, have the captions text you want.

The methods you gave forum links to are related to importing XML; if the XML file you are creating is the wrong type, it will not work.

The only converter I have in my list, that I have tested, is:

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/subtitle2xml/9N78158BN7XM?hl=en-us&gl=US

See these posts:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/faq-workaround-nesting-to-apply-effect-controls-to-caption-track/m-p/12237320#M360965

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/is-there-a-way-to-add-an-essential-graphic-template-to-all-my-subtitles-automatically/m-p/12919606#M409480

Upvote this feature request:

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/suggestions/43220409-i-want-the-automatic-transcription-function-to-be

Stan