Read text create audio and convert text to synced subtitles in mp4

[Philip Lean]

I have a project to make spoken audio files from texts/ pages that I read - that part is easy.

I want to read text and sync it to subtitles created from that text.

Then I want to put the subtitles as the main content of otherwise blank video files, so that the text can be viewed and the voice heard on mp4 players - ie large scrolling text.

For this project I need to read the project at a slow speed so that people learning English have time to read and listen and catch the meaning.

I know how to do most of these steps, record audio, create and burn subtitles. But I am not sure how to approach the voice to text sync for the subtitles. Is this where teleprompt software is needed ?

Also, is there a simple way to create subtitles onto a full sized blank video?

Any help appreciated.

[Philip Lean]

Progress so far.

I tried a number of methods, each works, but not easily.

1 - Paste the text to be read into notepad.

2 -Insert line breaks (enter) to create short lines of text.

3- Open a subtitle program and create a new subtitle, insert the text.

4 - Open another subtitle in program that will allow time (duration) to be changed to match the the time needed for the audio.

5- Open VirtualDub, insert a blank video (previously made from a blank image), adjust the frame rate to give the time needed, insert the subtitles using the Textsub filter. Using the filter, adjust the position and size of the subtitles.

6 - Save the file as an AVI (resize and compress if required).

7 - Import the video file into an audio dubbing programs such as DubIt, read in the audio.

Whew !

An alternative approach is

1 - Import the prepared text into Powerpoint or OpenOffice Impress,

2 - Arrange the layout as required and then export the file to an image format (producing a series of images) for importing into VirtualDub.
Powerpoint will export directly to images. Open office can produce a pdf with uncompressed images (each image is a page). The pdf can be extracted to images using Irfanview.

Both approaches have their merits and difficulties.

Questions that still need answering

1- is there a way to batch this process, assuming that a text file with appropriate line breaks has already been prepared.

2 - What is the best free program for the audio dubbing /voice over stage