Blog

Caption Key: hand captions to editors as an alpha overlay

How to · Stop rebuilding captions in After Effects. Hand over a Caption Key.

7 min read
  • Studio
  • Captions
  • Editors
  • Caption Key

Every time captions are rebuilt by hand, you pay twice: once for AI/captions in create, again for someone to recreate them in the edit suite.

Why the usual approach fails

  • Export a burned-in caption file and pray the editor can undo it
  • Send a transcript and ask them to retime everything
  • Rebuild caption styles from screenshots
  • Skip captions in the handoff and lose accessibility

Burned-in captions lock the picture. Plain transcripts lose timing and style. Both create friction between marketing create and finishing editors.

A better system

The winning workflow is simple: make or upload your video → put it on a branded Share Page (your video + a next-step button) → if you have a list, give each person their own tracked link with a Campaign → see who watched → only send the next video to people who engaged, using a multi-step video sequence.

  • Generate and style captions in Vyrol Studio
  • Export Caption Key as an alpha overlay for the editor
  • Keep transcript files when they need searchable text
  • Your brand caption look travels with the handoff
  • Publish a Share Page version for stakeholders who only need to watch

How to run it in Vyrol

  1. 1Finish captions and styles in Studio
  2. 2Export the Caption Key (alpha overlay) with your package
  3. 3Send the overlay + picture to your editor or agency
  4. 4Use the same master to publish a Share Page for client review
  5. 5Update the page if the finished edit replaces the draft later

What good looks like

  • Caption Key is a first-class Studio output — not a hack
  • Editors get timing + look without rebuilding from zero
  • Transcript .txt / .json still available when text is the deliverable
  • Stakeholders can review on a Share Page while finishing continues

Who this is for

In-house video teams and agencies who create in Vyrol and finish (or archive) in a traditional timeline tool.

Handoff should move work forward — not force someone to rebuild what you already paid to create.

Keep going: feature → how-to → decision → free template → pricing.

More from the blog

Put your next sales video on a Share Page

Create a free account, publish one real clip, and see who watches. Add Campaigns when you need a personal link per prospect.