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Working on Workflow
Here’s how I did sub-titling for a company in FCP7:
Take a 16×9 video (usually .mp4) and put it into a DV timeline and decline when asked if I wanted to conform the timeline to the clip. That gives me a 16×9 video in a 4×3 frame that’s letterboxed.
Tip: I also set the DV timeline settings > Field Dominance is set to ‘None’. That gives me PRISTINE text! And, there’s no apparent change to the video. No one has complained and many have complimented me on the appearance of the sub-titles.
I move the video to the top of the screen and that gives me room for three lines of text below.
I create a Text object in the Viewer and set it to the company’s font at 32 points, left justified and center that three lines to fill the black area below the video in the 4×3 frame.
Once the setup is done, sub-titling is done fast. I put the first text clip above the video on the timeline and make any final adjustments by double-clicking it to load into the viewer. Once the adjustments are made, I then MATCH the text clip into the viewer, copy-past in some text, and F10 to the track above the video.
The text clip remains loaded in the Viewer but because it’s not FROM the timeline, I can copy-past new text into it and F10. Play the timeline to where the next text goes, copy-paste to the text clip in the viewer and F10. Rinse and repeat.
Now, I’m trying to figure out a workflow to do fast sub-titling in FCPX.
No problem in creating a 4×3 Storyline without field dominance and putting in the text. Comes out pristine.
I’ve created a sub-title Text clip in Motion and exported it as a text effect template in FCPX.
Here, I have two issues I’m trying to overcome:
-How to get the text size and spacing to look the same between Roman and Kanji text. The text clip in FCP7 had no problem with that. Whether I paste Roman characters or Kanji text into the FCP7 text clip, it formatted the same. If I make the FCPX Text clip handle Roman, then Kanji has greater leading. If I set it to Kanji, then Roman characters have less leading.
-When pasting in Kanji, adjusting the leading (I published that control, called something else) and put itinto the Storyline, I have nothing prepared to take my next copy/past action. I can lay in a new text clip but have to adjust again. I tried blading the text object and copy/pasting into the new segment on the Storyline, but that leading change happens again.Also, not knowing the length of time any subtitle is going to cover, I need to overwrite the connected clip at the right point but FCPX wants to connect it above the previous text clip.
So far, it’s just far more work for me to sub-title in FCPX.
I hope I’ve explained this clearly.
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2 Replies
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When it comes to things like multiple title clips, I like to option-drag to make copies of the clips.
You can create one title for the Roman, and one for the Kanji, setting them up separately for the leading you like.
Give these two clips distinct names so you can identify them in the timeline index and turn them all on or off easily. That is, call the Roman title “Roman”, and the Kanji “Kanji”. ( you can also use video roles for this as well.)
Now once you have your first title in the timeline, use your selection tool (press “A”) then holding the option key down, select the title clip, and drag it to the next place you need the title, and let go. This should create a copy of the first clip. Now with the new clip selected, go into the text properties, and you can paste your text into the text box there. Now just trim the end of the text clip and you’re ready for the next subtitle.
Need a copy of the Kanji clip, use the opt-drag to create a copy of the first Kanji clip you made, and you can place it right over the Roman title.
Once you have your timeline populated with the subtitles, you can use the timeline index to select all of your roman titles, then disable them by pressing V. You can turn them back on and do the same thing with the Kenji clips to disable them.
Does this help?
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FCX. She tempts me, abuses me, beats me up, makes me feel worthless, then in the end she comes around, helps me get my work done, gives me hope and I can’t stop thinking about her.Mark Morache
Avid/Xpri/FCP7/FCX
Evening Magazine,Seattle, WA
https://fcpx.wordpress.com -
Just to add a few addendums to Mark’s great comments:
Apply Roles to your titles so that you have an English and Japanese translation. They can be automatically turned on and off in the roles area of the timeline index. No need to select them in the timeline.
Option dragging works fine, but I prefer the simple copy/paste technique. Select your first title, CMD+C to copy, move the playhead, CMD+V to paste. Paste all the titles in your timeline and adjust length. Then just go through each one and change the text.
Andy
https://www.timesavertutorials.com
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