> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ozu.studio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Captions and Markers

> Subtitle overlays and named timecode bookmarks for navigating and annotating the Timeline.

Two tools turn a bare animatic into a document people can read and navigate: **captions** (on-screen subtitle text) and **markers** (named timecode bookmarks for jumping around the timeline).

## Captions

Captions are subtitle overlays that appear on top of the video during playback and in the exported MP4. Every beat can have its own caption with its own timing.

### Adding captions from a script

If your project has dialogue (pulled from your script), the fastest path is automatic:

1. **Open the Timeline editor.**

2. **Open the Captions panel** from the Inspector.

3. **Click "Generate from Dialogue"** — Ozu creates one caption per dialogue line, timed to match the line's beat.

4. **Review and tweak.** Generated captions inherit dialogue text verbatim. Edit wording, timing, or styling as needed.

This is the fastest way to caption a scene with dialogue — the timing is already derived from the script, so you just fix wording.

### Adding captions manually

For moments without dialogue (narration, scene headings, supertitles), add captions by hand:

1. **Scrub to the moment you want a caption to appear.**

2. **Click "Add Caption"** in the Inspector's Captions panel.

3. **Type your text.** Set start time, duration, and position (top, middle, bottom).

4. **Preview by scrubbing over the caption's time range.**

### Styling captions

Captions have a shared style for the whole timeline — font, size, color, background, and position. Set it once in the Captions panel; every caption inherits it.

<Tip>
  **Keep captions short.** One line, two at most. Subtitles that run over two lines force viewers to read instead of watching the frame. Break long dialogue into two consecutive captions instead.
</Tip>

## Markers

Markers are named timecode bookmarks. They don't render — they only exist in the editor, as navigation aids and notes to yourself or collaborators.

### Common uses

* **Scene boundaries** — "Scene 2 begins" at the first beat of scene 2
* **Review notes** — "Needs tighter cut" on a beat that isn't working
* **Client feedback** — "Client requested alt take here" with a note
* **Milestones** — "Act break," "Climax," "Resolution"

### Adding a marker

1. **Scrub to the timecode you want to bookmark.**

2. **Press `M`** (or click "Add Marker" in the Inspector).

3. **Type a label.** Keep it short — it displays on the timecode ruler.

Markers appear as small flags on the timecode ruler. Click a marker's flag to jump the playhead to it.

### Marker colors

You can color markers by purpose — for example, **red** for "needs fix," **blue** for "review note," **green** for "approved." Colors are purely organizational; they don't affect export.

## Captions in exports

<Note>
  Captions are baked into the MP4 when you export. There's no separate subtitle file — the text renders directly onto the video at the positions and timings you set.
</Note>

If you need a separate subtitle file (for re-use in an external editor or streaming platform), plan to re-caption in that editor after importing the MP4. Most professional editors have caption tools that round-trip to SRT or VTT.

## Markers in exports

Markers never appear in exports. They're editorial-only — a working layer for you and your collaborators, not an audience-facing element.

## Workflow: captioning a dialogue scene

The most common captioning case:

1. **Build the scene** with dialogue flowing through the Audio Node.

2. **In the Timeline**, open Captions → **Generate from Dialogue**.

3. **Review the generated captions.** Check that line breaks are natural and text fits the visible frame.

4. **Adjust the shared style** — for example, lowered captions and larger text for mobile viewing.

5. **Add markers** at scene boundaries and any notes you want to act on later.

6. **Export the MP4.** Captions render on the video; markers do not.

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Audio Node" href="/user/audio-and-music/audio-node">
    Where the dialogue that drives automatic captions comes from.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Color and Effects" href="/user/timeline/color-and-effects">
    The other editorial layer — grades, transitions, and keyframes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Export Formats" href="/user/export/export-formats">
    How captions bake into the final MP4.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Playback Controls" href="/user/timeline/playback-controls">
    JKL shuttle and in/out points for auditioning caption timing.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## FAQ

**Can I export captions as a separate subtitle file?**
Not directly. Captions are rendered into the MP4. If you need SRT or VTT, re-caption in a downstream editor that supports those formats.

**Why did my auto-generated captions pick up only some dialogue lines?**
"Generate from Dialogue" pulls from approved takes in the Audio Node. Lines you haven't approved won't appear. Approve the missing takes and regenerate captions.

**Can I have different caption styles on different clips?**
No. Caption style is timeline-wide. If you need a different look for one section, consider using a text overlay instead of a caption (future Effects feature).

**Do markers survive across sessions?**
Yes. Markers are saved with your Timeline and persist between sessions. They never export, but they're always there when you re-open the project.

**Can I see all markers in a list?**
Yes. The Captions panel includes a Markers list showing every marker with its timecode and label. Click any entry to jump the playhead there.

**Will captions display in the right aspect ratio?**
Captions position themselves relative to the visible frame. If your project is 9:16, captions fit the vertical frame; 16:9, they fit the widescreen. Position settings (top/middle/bottom) are consistent across ratios.