Word by word subtitles in After Effects with AI
Yes, you can make word by word subtitles in After Effects with AI: ChatGPT, Claude or any MCP client connected to Prism transcribes the clip and builds timed text layers in your open composition, the spoken word highlighted.
The Hormozi look, the TikTok pop, the Shorts karaoke line: every page that ranks for them sends you out of After Effects. There are no presets here. Describe the style; the AI builds it as text layers you can change.
What you say, and what lands
| You type | What appears in your comp |
|---|---|
| "Transcribe this clip, then make Hormozi-style captions: Anton, all caps, white with a thick black stroke, three words at a time centred low in frame, the spoken word pops to yellow." | One text layer per three-word group, in and out on the words, a text animator that turns the current word yellow on its timestamp |
| "One word at a time, big, centre frame, each word scales in from 80%." | One text layer per word, timed to its start and end, a scale pop keyframed on each |
| "Same captions, but Montserrat Black, and highlight with a rounded box behind the word instead of a colour." | The layers restyled in place, a shape-layer box moving with the highlighted word |
Test it on your own project. A Free account is enough to start: Sign up, then connect your AI and ask for this.
How to do it
[Transcript] guide layer appears above it with one marker per word.The style, named
| Element | The usual choice | How to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Anton, Montserrat Black or Bebas Neue | by PostScript name, no spaces, for example Montserrat-Black |
| Case | all caps | "all caps" |
| Stroke | thick black, sometimes yellow | "thick black stroke" |
| Words on screen | 1 to 3, at most 4 to 6 across two lines | "three words at a time" |
| Highlight | the spoken word in yellow or green, or a box behind it | "the spoken word pops to yellow" |
One transcription, many styles
Transcription is a Prism AI capability, paid from your balance. Every restyle afterwards reuses the word markers and costs MCP actions only.
What it needs
| After Effects | 2024, 2025 or 2026, macOS or Windows |
| AI client | any MCP client: ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and others |
| Plan | Pro with a Prism AI balance for the transcription; the caption layers use MCP actions |
What it does not do
It does not ship a caption preset pack, and it does not import an SRT or copy a style from a reference video. The look is a description; a second look is a second sentence.
Common questions
Related
Subtitles
Auto subtitles in After Effects with AI: transcribe the voiceover inside AE, get a marker on every word, and caption text layers timed to the speech.
Kinetic typography
Kinetic typography in After Effects with AI: the words and timing come from the transcript, the type animation is what you ask for, and lyrics land on the beat.