Last week, Apple introduced Final Cut Pro 11, emphasizing the significance of its new features. The previous time the software underwent a complete version number change was with the debut of Final Cut Pro X (or FCP 10) back in 2011.
Final Cut Pro 11 boasts eight new features, with the AI-driven automatic captioning being a standout highlight…
Automatic Captions in Final Cut Pro 11
Apple showcased this feature during the Mac mini presentation before officially revealing it. The company claimed it was one of two AI-enhanced tools, alongside the magnetic mask, which simplifies the process of isolating specific elements in video clips.
According to Apple, auto-captioning has been a much-anticipated feature among users.
Transcribe to Captions is a highly sought-after functionality that delivers swift and precise closed captions. Closed captions can be auto-generated in the timeline utilizing an Apple-trained large language model that transcribes spoken audio.
Significance for Videographers
The last instance I created captions for a video was a rather tedious task. It required forming a caption box for segments of a few seconds, usually containing partial phrases. Aligning these with the appropriate segments of video clips had to be done manually.
Although AI tools exist to assist with transcription, I found MacWhisper to be an excellent choice. However, these tools only partially alleviate the workload: you still have to make the caption boxes and insert the relevant text manually, which remains a painstaking process.
With the new tool, the task is entirely automatic – and takes mere seconds!
Here’s how it works: select the video within the timeline, right-click, and choose Transcribe to Captions:
Then, just wait. For instance, to transcribe a 16-minute video on a 2021 M1 Max MacBook Pro, the total duration was under 11 seconds.
Once completed, the caption line appears as expected and can be adjusted as needed.
Naturally, no AI transcription tool is flawless and Apple’s captioning feature also requires some adjustments. However, I was truly impressed by its performance in a video featuring diverse nationalities and accents. My best advice is to edit the .ITT file in Text Editor rather than in Final Cut, as it simplifies the process.
To evaluate the quality yourself, here’s the video with entirely unedited transcriptions. You may use the chapter markers to navigate to different speakers and see how well it manages various accents (ensure you click the icon resembling an index card to activate captions).
After obtaining the transcripts in Final Cut, navigate to File > Export Captions to save the .ITT file.
When uploading to YouTube, simply click the Add Captions button in the workflow, select the upload option, and point to the file, opting for the ‘With timecode’ choice.
Importance for Accessibility
There are conservatively tens of millions of individuals who rely entirely on captions for videos. If you factor in those who experience partial hearing loss, struggle with dialogue, or prefer watching with captions, the number likely exceeds a billion.
While YouTube provides its own auto-caption feature, those who have tried it know its effectiveness can vary significantly.
By streamlining the process of adding high-quality captions, it becomes an essential tool for creators. With just a few seconds of automation and minimal manual editing, it’s hard to justify not utilizing the feature.
This is merely the beginning; currently, the feature is exclusive to US English, with other languages expected to follow in Apple’s broader AI initiatives.
If you’re a video creator using Final Cut Pro, I highly recommend trying this out – you might be pleasantly surprised!
Image: DMN
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