Day 27: Blender tutorial for making illustrations – Adding Subtitles and Annotations in Blender (for Illustrative Videos)

Step 1: Prepare Your Voiceover/Audio

1. Record Your Voiceover:
• Ensure your voiceover is clear and well-paced. If you’ve already added it to your video (as done in Day 19), make sure it is synced properly with your animations.
2. Transcribe Your Voiceover:
• Listen to your voiceover and type out the script for subtitles. This will be the text you'll use for the subtitles. Make sure the transcription is accurate.

Step 2: Switch to Blender’s Video Sequencer

1. Open the Video Editing Layout:
• In Blender, go to the "Video Editing" workspace from the top of the interface or by selecting it from the workspace dropdown menu.
2. Add Your Animation:
• Load the animated video created in previous days by clicking Add > Movie or Add > Image Sequence if you rendered your animations as image frames.

Step 3: Add Text Strips for Subtitles

1. Add Text Strips for Subtitles:
• In the timeline (lower area), go to Add > Text. A text strip will appear in the sequencer.
2. Adjust the Duration:
• Drag the text strip to match the timing of the relevant spoken words in your voiceover. Make sure the text strip starts and ends exactly when the dialogue is happening.
3. Edit the Text:
• With the text strip selected, click on the Modifiers tab in the properties area. Here you can type the subtitle text you want to display. Add the transcribed sentences, one by one.
4. Customize the Appearance:
• Change the font, size, and position of the text by selecting the text strip and adjusting the options under Strip > Transform or in the text strip properties panel. You can position the subtitles at the bottom of the screen, change their color, or add a background for better visibility.

Step 4: Sync Subtitles with Audio

1. Play Through the Sequence:
• Use the timeline play button or press Spacebar to play your video and make sure the subtitles appear at the correct times.
2. Adjust Timing if Needed:
• Adjust the text strips by dragging them along the timeline to fine-tune their start and end points to ensure synchronization with the voiceover.

Step 5: Add Annotations

1. Use Grease Pencil for Annotations:
• Switch back to the 3D View workspace, and use the Grease Pencil tool to draw or write annotations directly onto the video.
• Create a new Grease Pencil object, and then use the Draw Tool to write notes, labels, or arrows that highlight key parts of your illustrations.
2. Animate the Annotations:
• You can animate these annotations by using the keyframes function. For example, you can make an annotation appear at a specific time and disappear later. This will guide your audience to focus on the important parts of the visual content.
3. Add Text Annotations:
• Another option for adding annotations is through text objects. In the Add Menu, choose Text, and position it within the 3D scene to add notes or explanations. You can animate the text objects similarly, using keyframes.

Step 6: Preview and Fine-Tune

1. Preview the Full Video:
• Play through your entire animation to ensure that subtitles and annotations are appearing correctly at the intended moments and are synchronized with the voiceover.
2. Fine-Tune the Appearance:
• Adjust the text size, timing, and appearance of annotations if needed to improve clarity and readability.

Step 7: Rendering the Final Video with Subtitles

1. Set up the Render:
• Once satisfied with the timing of subtitles and annotations, set up the final render. Switch to the Output Properties panel, choose your desired format (MP4, AVI, etc.), and set the resolution and frame rate.
2. Render the Animation:
• Click Render > Render Animation to export the video with subtitles and annotations embedded.

Step 8: Export as SRT File (Optional)

• If you want to upload subtitles separately, you can manually create an SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file for platforms like YouTube. Tools like Subtitle Edit or Aegisub can be used to add the same subtitles, and the timings you adjusted in Blender can guide your SRT creation.

Source:

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