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Step 3: Synchronizing the Text

a. In order to more accurately synchronize the text to the audio, you need to be able to listen to the movie while editing the roughly synchronized text file created in step 2. Open the roughly synchronized text file. Your file should look something like this:

{QTtext}{font:Geneva}{plain}{size:12}{textColor: 65535, 65535, 65535}{backColor: 0, 0, 0}{justify:center}{timeScale:1000}{width:160}{height:48}{timeStamps:absolute}{language:0}{textEncoding:0}
[00:00:00.000]
The story
[00:00:01.664]
I'm going to tell you
[00:00:03.327]
is a folk tale
[00:00:04.990]
called two ways to count to ten,
[00:00:06.654]
and this is a folk tale
[00:00:08.317]
from Liberia, West Africa.
[00:00:08.319]
And now for our story.
[00:00:09.982]

b. Quicktime Player allows you to watch and listen to a movie while monitoring the time lapsed. You will be able to use this information to edit the roughly synchronized text file you created in step 2. To do this, activate the roughly synchronized movie or open it if it is closed. Go to the "Movie" menu and select "Get Info". Select "Movie" and "Time" from the available options. Do not close the Get Info window.

Arrange the desktop so that you can see the movie, the Get Info window and the text transcript simultaneously.

Play the movie. Notice that the time lapsed is displayed in the Get Info window under "Current Time". Play the movie carefully. Note the start and end time that each line of text in the text transcript is spoken. Adjust the time stamps in the text transcript to reflect these start and end times. For example, The words "And now for our story" are first spoken at 10.26. The time stamp that precedes the words "And now for our story." in the transcript must be adjusted from 8.319 to 10.260.

c. The information in the header of the text transcript represents defaults created by MoviePlayer. It is necessary to modify these defaults. For example, in this exercise, we have determined that we would like the text track to occupy a space that is 160 x 25 pixels with a font size of 10 points. Take a look at the default header:

{QTtext}{font:Geneva}{plain}{size:12}{textColor: 65535, 65535, 65535}{backColor: 0, 0, 0}{justify:center}{timeScale:1000}{width:160}{height:48}{timeStamps:absolute}{language:0}{textEncoding:0}

Change the default values and save the results. Select this text to view/download a fully synchronized and edited text transcript. The header should look like this:

{QTtext}{font:Geneva}{plain}{size:10}{textColor: 65535, 65535, 65535}{backColor: 0, 0, 0}{justify:center}{timeScale:1000}{width:160}{height:25}{timeStamps:absolute}{language:0}{textEncoding:0}

d. The fully synchronized text transcript now needs to be imported back into the original movie.

• Activate the Quicktime Player application.
• Go to the "File Menu" and select "Import". Import the revised text transcript.
• Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Select All".
• Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Copy".
• Activate the original movie. If the version on the screen includes edits, close that window without saving the changes and reopen the original, unmodified movie.
• Hold down the "Option" key. Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Add".

You have now added the scaled, synchronized text transcript to the movie. Play the movie and note the synchronization of the text and audio tracks.

e. At this point, you should have a movie with a synchronized text track. Save your work. All that remains, is to adjust the position of the text track relative to the video track:

• Go to the "Movie" menu and select "Get Info".
• Select "Video Track" and "Size" then click "Adjust".
• Click and hold on the video. Drag to the upper left hand corner. Release.
• Return to the Get Info window.
• Select "Text Track" and "Size" then click "Adjust".
• Click and hold on the text. Drag to the lower left hand corner. Carefully position and release.
• Save your work.

Select this text to view or download an example of a movie with a synchronized text track.

Now that you have mastered the basics, you can review the material on Apple's web site to fine tune your movie. For example, you might want the text to scroll.

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