Participant

Question

Editing subtitles without editing original captions

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
November 26, 2018
4 replies
1031 views

Working on a documentary with subtitled interview sequences that we then edit into the main film timeline. I imported an srt file into Premiere, then added it to my original sequence - captions file that works just fine. But when we add pieces of the interview with subtitles into the main timeline, I want to make small changes to some of the subtitles. However, when I do that, it makes changes in every timeline, because it is changing the original captions file. I've even tried duplicating the original captions file and editing the duplicate, but still it changes both the duplicate and the original. Anyone have a work around? Or am I missing something?

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Stan Jones

Community Expert

I don't recall your workflow being asked about before. We need a more complete description.

I assume you are using the caption tool/caption streams, either by creating them in PR or by importing (.srt or similar).

I don't see how a "master clip" can have a caption stream, unless you are importing embedded captions? But I have not played with this before.

Describe what you have a bit more, and I'll see if I can describe a method that will work.

Stan

Stan Jones

Community Expert

mollym,

I have not reviewed this thread except to note that it is older, and does not contain the most accurate information.

I discovered some time after this, and other threads, that it was possible to export a timeline-modified caption stream. That provides the best option for these types of problems.

Select the SEQUENCE in the Project Panel. Then File -> Export -> Captions. Or, as of PR 2020.1, you can export a sidecar file from the sequence using Export -> Media. All the captions must be in the same video layer, but can be in different caption streams (e.g. cut and moved).

Stan

M

mollym29484332

Participating Frequently

I'm sure the answer for me is in here, but I'm not completely clear on it
yet. So to be clear, I have cut a sequence that uses subtitled clips.
Sometimes I've used only part of the clip that has a longer subtitle, so
want to cut the subtitle so that it reflects just the part I've used, but
when I do that, it changes the subtitle on the source clip. Are you saying
that to do that I have to output the subtitles and then re-import them?

okay, no I have a strange thing where if I change the master clip caption,
the caption in my sequence is not changing.

Any help would be much appreciated!

M

mollym29484332

Participating Frequently

I wonder if you ever got an answer to this question, as I'm dealing with exactly the same issue (and it doesn't look like you got your answer here).

M

mollym29484332

Participating Frequently

Although maybe it's just that I really didn't understand what Stan Jones was proposing...sounds complicated and labor intensive. No offense, Stan.

Stan Jones

Community Expert

The imported captions are Open Captions?

Are you burning in? Or exporting for what type: closed captions, sidecar etc.

Different caption streams behave differently, and there are important limitations.

katherineg64944329Author

Participant

I think they are Open Captions - when I open them in the captions panel, it shows "open captions" in the window, but it is greyed out and can't be changed.

We're using them for translations for various interviews in the project, from which we copy and paste portions and put in the main film timeline. So I guess that means burn in? Definitely not closed captions.

Thank you!

Stan Jones

Community Expert

Caption streams just do not lend themselves well to splitting that stream as occurs when you cut, copy, and paste in sequences that have caption streams. Some observations...

Open captions allow for many fonts, sizes, and colors, positioning on the screen, etc. They can only be exported as srt from the project panel, not from the sequence as in export media. Accordingly, they are primarily useful for burning in the captions to the video, or to exporting more basic formatting of the text from the project panel. No matter where they occur in one or more sequences, the timecodes re relative to the caption stream, not the sequence.

Closed captions allow fewer fonts and formatting, since playback devices allow fewer options and may override them anyway. The important advantage for your purpose is that you can export what is in the timeline as a sidecar file.

You can convert Open Caption to other forms. Right click in the project pane, and Modify-> Captions. But you cannot convert any others to Open Captions.

A workaround is to use Subtitle Edit or similar to combine the various srt streams and reimport to PR.

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