<p>You can use <code>ffmpeg</code>. Make your subtitles with <a href="http://www.aegisub.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Aegisub</a> or manually with a text editor. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubStation_Alpha#Advanced_SubStation_Alpha" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ASS</a> subtitles are fancier, but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubRip" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SRT</a> are simpler if you want to manually make them.</p>

<h1>Alignment &amp; Margin</h1>

<p>The default settings will likely work, but you can control the general location, or <em>alignment</em>, using the "keypad" coordinates. For example, <code>2</code> is bottom center. For more granular control you use the vertical <em>margin</em>. In Aegisub these options are available in <em>Subtitles</em> > <em>Style Manager</em> > <em>Edit</em>.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/YrA9u.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/YrA9u.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>You can also choose the font and font size in this screen.</p>

<h1><code>ffmpeg</code> examples</h1>

<p>Now run <code>ffmpeg</code> with the <a href="https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#subtitles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">subtitles filter</a> to make your hardsubs:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -i input -filter_complex "subtitles=subs.ass" output
</code></pre>

<p>Or if you want to avoid using Aegisub you can use the <code>force_style</code> option:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -i input -filter_complex "subtitles=subs.ass:force_style='Fontname=Arial,Fontsize=20,Alignment=2,MarginV=10'" output
</code></pre>

<p>Resulting in:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/JYMHy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/JYMHy.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>If you do want to use <code>ffmpeg</code> make sure to output from Premiere using a lossless format, such as <a href="http://umezawa.dyndns.info/archive/utvideo/?C=M;O=D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">UT video</a>, because <code>ffmpeg</code> will re-encode it which is required when filtering.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T17:31:42.023Z
Very cool. Thanks! And I'd never heard of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ut_Video_Codec_Suite Interesting. Thanks.
Ryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T19:39:32.377Z
@Ryan It's a decent format and works well as an intermediate file. It's main advantage on Windows is the ease of installation and easy integration into Premiere.
llogan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T17:02:24.153Z
2017-04-19T17:02:24.153Z
llogan
<p>How can I easily create captions that look like this?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4n76a.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4n76a.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoachMatthewHussey/videos/1373545812664485/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Click to see a video that shows a good example.)</a></p>

<p>I have a video that is 1280 x 720 pixels but converted to a square of 1280 x 1280 pixels so that there is empty space above and below.</p>

<p>Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017, I've then added a "Default Still" Title to the top.</p>

<p><strong>Given an <code>.srt</code> or other file of captions, how could I import them to be shown in the bottom band of the video at the appropriate time?</strong></p>

<p>I want them "burned in" so that they are always visible regardless of the device used to play the video.</p>

<p>(So maybe they're called "open captions" instead of "closed captions".)</p>

<p>I want to be able to choose the font style and size.</p>

<p>I want to avoid creating a "Default Still Title" for each sentence of text manually—that would be a lot of hassle for a long video.</p>

<p>I have Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017 but could buy other software if necessary or could use <code>ffmpeg</code> if that is capable.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T16:45:18.947Z
Can be easily done with ffmpeg. But Premiere, IIRC, can do it too.
Gyan
<premiere><ffmpeg><subtitles><closed-captioning>
How can I import subtitles/captions into a letterboxed video like this?
Ryan
# How can I import subtitles/captions into a letterboxed video like this?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-19)

How can I easily create captions that look like this?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/4n76a.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/4n76a.png)
[(Click to see a video that shows a good example.)](https://www.facebook.com/CoachMatthewHussey/videos/1373545812664485/)

I have a video that is 1280 x 720 pixels but converted to a square of 1280 x 1280 pixels so that there is empty space above and below.

Using Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017, I've then added a "Default Still" Title to the top.

**Given an `.srt` or other file of captions, how could I import them to be shown in the bottom band of the video at the appropriate time?**

I want them "burned in" so that they are always visible regardless of the device used to play the video.

(So maybe they're called "open captions" instead of "closed captions".)

I want to be able to choose the font style and size.

I want to avoid creating a "Default Still Title" for each sentence of text manually—that would be a lot of hassle for a long video.

I have Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017 but could buy other software if necessary or could use `ffmpeg` if that is capable.

**Tags:** premiere, ffmpeg, subtitles, closed-captioning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can be easily done with ffmpeg. But Premiere, IIRC, can do it too.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-04-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

You can use ffmpeg. Make your subtitles with Aegisub or manually with a text editor. ASS subtitles are fancier, but SRT are simpler if you want to manually make them.
Alignment & Margin
The default settings will likely work, but you can control the general location, or alignment, using the "keypad" coordinates. For example, 2 is bottom center. For more granular control you use the vertical margin. In Aegisub these options are available in Subtitles > Style Manager > Edit.

You can also choose the font and font size in this screen.
ffmpeg examples
Now run ffmpeg with the subtitles filter to make your hardsubs:
ffmpeg -i input -filter_complex "subtitles=subs.ass" output

Or if you want to avoid using Aegisub you can use the force_style option:
ffmpeg -i input -filter_complex "subtitles=subs.ass:force_style='Fontname=Arial,Fontsize=20,Alignment=2,MarginV=10'" output

Resulting in:

If you do want to use ffmpeg make sure to output from Premiere using a lossless format, such as UT video, because ffmpeg will re-encode it which is required when filtering.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Very cool. Thanks! And I'd never heard of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ut_Video_Codec_Suite Interesting. Thanks.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 It's a decent format and works well as an intermediate file. It's main advantage on Windows is the ease of installation and easy integration into Premiere.  

---

