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Importing Subtitles to Premiere Pro

Community Beginner ,
Aug 31, 2013 Aug 31, 2013

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Hello everyone! I've been lurking around for sometime now looking for answers on how to import subtitles to PPro.

So far, as of writing this post, PPro does not handle subtitle files. Fortunately, I found a quick and dirty workaround to importing all kinds of subtitle formats to PPro as PNG. But firstly, please know that there are 3rd party plug-ins that lets you import srt files into PPro and let's you edit it in PPro, but there's a price, and my solution is free

NB: Subtitles are better as a seperate file. But in case you really need to burn your subs on the video, then follow the steps below.

Steps:

1. If you have a long project and and don't want to use PPro's title module, then you must go and download Subtitle Edit. - it's a great FREE software that has an video monitor and audio waveform where you can scrub to the specific time you want.

2. Once you're done subtitling, go to File > Export > Final Cut XML + PNG (i know it's FCP but it works well with PPro too) You can then set the desired style for your subtitles, font color, size, etc. Once you've exported, it's going to output 2 main files: one, the PNG files and two, the XML file.

3. Import the XML to PPro. It's going to generate a Sequence with the subtitles as PNG in it.

4. Relink the PNGs. For whatever reason, when you import the XML, the PNGs are not linked yet.

5. Place your subtitle sequence on your main timeline. Reposition and reframe as needed.

6. Render. Might take 10% longer than usual.

That's it! I hope this has been helpful.

My software:

Subtitle Edit

Premiere Pro CC. I'm pretty sure it would work on older versions too.

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LEGEND ,
Aug 31, 2013 Aug 31, 2013

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Subtitles that can be turned on and off typically handled by Encore in the Adobe work flow.  Subtitles that are always there are just 'titles' and typically use the titler for the job.

Closed Captions can be handled by PP.

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 10, 2013 Oct 10, 2013

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A superb tip that solves a problem I've been trying to figure out for months.

One note, in case anyone else encounters this weird behavior:

On my machine (Windows 7 x64), when exporting the XML/images, the Subtitle Edit program usually crashes about 250ish images in.  However, as I figured out, it will continue to export all the images the XML if you just hold off on closing the program until it's finished.  (You can look in the output folder and make sure the right number of images are there along with your XML file.)

I'm not sure why it crashes, but at least it does complete the work in the background. 

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New Here ,
Jan 06, 2015 Jan 06, 2015

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Thank you for this valuable assistance

(Excuse the mistakes, I only translate from French to English)
When I first matter on pro cc xml file Final Cut, Premiere Pro imports just 240 image!
In the folder or there is the xml and images, I find all this images. All images are referenced in the xml file.

How to import all the images on the Premiere pro cc?

thank you very much

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New Here ,
Feb 18, 2014 Feb 18, 2014

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Hi Roadiedude, All

When I import the XML file, it then askes me to re-connect. All that works great, but it does not generate a sequence with the subtitles.

I have a company create subtitles for my company and they use swift/softel program. They send me the XML + all associated PNG files. We've been using Final Cut for years, but are trying to switch to AP. In FCP it generates a sequence that matches the timecode they exported.

I'm on a Mac OS X 10.7.5 using Adobe Premiere CC.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dennis

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New Here ,
Mar 24, 2014 Mar 24, 2014

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Hi Roadiedude and All

Can you send me thin link you used to download the Subtitle Edit. I can't find it!

I had tried with Jubler and Aegisub and any of these programs worked.

I'm on a Mac OS X 10.9.2 using Adobe Premiere CC.

Any help would be fantastic!

João

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New Here ,
Oct 22, 2015 Oct 22, 2015

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+ 1 for Jubler.  I'm on Mac and Jubler has much improved over the years.   It a little tricky to get used to but now it's my go to app for srt editing.

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New Here ,
Mar 09, 2015 Mar 09, 2015

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Thanks!

I've been looking for a solution this simple for a very long time!

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New Here ,
Mar 18, 2015 Mar 18, 2015

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Beautiful trick. Anyhow, I have problems with FCP+image files generated by SubtitleEdit if they are more than 1000 pixels width, due to the fact that I am working in HD (1920x1080) but Première reads the XML ouput as PAL. If I change the subtitles Sequence settings to HD, no problem, but now, when I carry the XML to to timeline, the second part of the subtitles (the last 300 subtitles) is ignored and they don't appear. Any suggestion?

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New Here ,
Mar 18, 2015 Mar 18, 2015

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Solved. The trick is to use "Open in the timeline". Then, no missing subtitles. Afterwards, it's necessary to apply a Motion effect to set the right position for the subtitles in the screen. After applying it to the first subtitle, it's possible to paste the effect and to apply it to the rest of the subtitles.

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Contributor ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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Results: 25 frames PAL standard definition only. Can't do 1080. Subtitles also appear smack in the middle of the screen, which is showing only a 720x576 window of the 1080 video that the subs are overlaid on. Tried to change the sequence settings, but they're all greyed out. And the subtitles are rendered too small for HD.

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New Here ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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It's necessary to change "Sequence settings" for the subtitles XML file (Project window), after import.

Editing mode: custom

Frame size: 1920x1080

Pixel aspect ratio: Square pixels.

Then:

1. Open the subtitles file in the Timeline.

2. Select the first subtitle, go to the Effect controls (Motion: modify vertical position).

3. Copy that subtitle.

4. Select the rest of the subtitles and paste atribute (Motion only).

Now, I drag the video to the timeline and everything is OK.

I hope this helps.

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Contributor ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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That was my first thought, but all settings are greyed out and cannot be changed when I import the XML and it generates the sequence. It's stuck at PAL standard def!

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Contributor ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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Also, the subtitle files are sized for standard def and even if I bring everything into a new 1080 sequence, they are half of normal size. Subtitle Editor's export, despite choosing 1080i, is exporting SD titles as PNG files. Most of them are only 300 - 400 pixels wide.

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New Here ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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1. Subtitle Edit

Font size: 55

Video res: 1920x1080 (custom)

Border style: Normal width=2

Line height: 65

The resulting PNG size is 800-1000 pixels width, 142 pixels height.

2. Premiere

First, import the subtitles and modify the sequence settings. Then, import the video.

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Guide ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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Hi all! I'm trying to place the subs. Until now, without success. After imported them I got the sequence and applied the settings as suggested by Pedrober (my movie and sub use 25fps). When opening the subtitle sequence in the time line, the positions of the subtitle images are correct. First on at ~26 minutes. The timeline of the sequence ends at ~1h. But when I place the sequence on top of the movie, it only shows as a 24 minutes clip, which is too short.

Ok, so I thought I have to place the sequence at the position of the first subtitle's timecode. Doing so showed that the end of the sequence is before the end of the last subtitle. Plus the subs do not show up at the time codes in the movies where they supposed to show up. What could be wrong?

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New Here ,
Apr 04, 2015 Apr 04, 2015

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Hi,

I have the same problem, how did you solve them?


Thanks

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Contributor ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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All goes well up to font size and video res. But the import and modify is where I run into a wall. Import goes okay. But modify sequence settings--can't be done! All options greyed out.

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Contributor ,
Mar 25, 2015 Mar 25, 2015

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Even at font size 45, the images are rendering out the same as before, 408 pixels wide and sized for PAL SD TV, too small for HDTV. The program is stuck in PAL mode and ignores user selections of other modes.

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Guide ,
Mar 26, 2015 Mar 26, 2015

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MarkWeiss wrote:

Even at font size 45, the images are rendering out the same as before, 408 pixels wide and sized for PAL SD TV, too small for HDTV. The program is stuck in PAL mode and ignores user selections of other modes.

"Even at 45"? Why so small? I used 50, the subs come out perfect. See below. Video sequence is full HD. Why would a width of 408 (depends how many letters it shows) be too small?

prem1.JPG   prem2.JPG

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New Here ,
Mar 26, 2015 Mar 26, 2015

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I have received a follow-up that doesn't appear in this thread. I quote:

Pedrober wrote:

Now, I drag the video to the timeline and everything is OK.

What do you mean? To the timeline of the subs or to the timeline of the sequence for the video? Why dragging the video to the timeline AFTER the subs? Or if you drag to the subs's timeline, what if the timeline is much shorter than the video, like in my project?

I drag the imported video file from the project window (where the XML file and the PNG files are too) to the timeline, where the subtitles were previously opened (see my previous messages).

I am a complete ignorant in Premiere. My workflow was created via trial/error but it works (for me, at least).

I suffered the problem you have mentioned: part of the subtitles disappeared from the timeline. After modifying the sequence settings (PAL to HD), no more problem.

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Guide ,
Mar 27, 2015 Mar 27, 2015

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Pedrober wrote:

I have received a follow-up that doesn't appear in this thread.

That's because I deleted it.I didn't really notice that one step in your posts and then it first seemed silly to me that it only works when dragging the video to the subs sequence and not vice versa.

I think this is the most important step. You should probably make it bold.

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New Here ,
Mar 27, 2015 Mar 27, 2015

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Done, Doc Maik.

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Guide ,
Mar 28, 2015 Mar 28, 2015

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Nice try, but I think you emphasized the wrong text. Importing the video first or last doesn't matter. What's important is to drag the video onto the timeline of the subs, not vice versa.

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New Here ,
Mar 28, 2015 Mar 28, 2015

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It was impossible for me to edit the message (no Actions available). Anyhow, your last message already emphasizes the essential step.

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