Motion titles can do wonders for your videos. Everyone who creates videos wants their finished product to look clean and professional. Part of that professional look comes from creating titles. But creating titles can be an arduous task. You may find yourself browsing through all of your available options for hours trying to come up with the right look and feel for your project. With a little help from Video-Editing-Software-Guide.com you can make it happen.
You are about to put together those video clips of your first born child to create a movie to remember. You want to have the perfect title to add to the intro. Which font do you use? Which background is best? Should you add motion or keep it static? Most video editing programs come with a wide range of fonts, backgrounds, and motion effects to add to your videos. You can add all kinds to options to your video, but when it comes to creating motion titles you want to make sure that the options you choose match the video you have created. If you plan on using a fire or flame title like the one below for a baby video, you probably will not have the effect you want on you audience and you might even confuse them a bit.
See how to utilize all of the motion titler functions of Pinnacle Studio 14.
This tutorial doesn't adhere to the concepts discussed on this page. It is simply an example of how to create motion titles.
Make it Easy on Your Audience
The first mistake that most editors make is that they want to show off the capabilities of their software. Video editing software comes with a lot of options to give you the flexibility to create the right look for multiple types of projects. It does not give you the options to show off what it can do on every video. Many video editors make a mess out of their titles by adding multiple motions, different colors, and a bunch of graphics to all of the titles in their video. These videos are not aesthetically pleasing to the audience, they take attention away from the subject of the video, and they do not have a theme. If your motion titles are not well thought out, your video will not be received well.
Let's use the baby video as an example. You'll want to choose one color and font that you will use throughout the video. Let's say the baby is a boy. Our text might read "It's A Boy!" in a light blue Arial font. Since the video is about a baby you'll want to go with a nice gentle motion. Maybe a fade in, scrolling left to right, stopping in the center of the screen, and fading out. Add a gentle lullaby to the music track and presto! A professional looking motion title! When you keep things simple you will create a better title.
Backgrounds Make All the Difference
You put the text on the screen for your viewers to read it. Why make it hard for them to do so? Pay attention to the color and the graphics on your background. Try not to use busy, multi-colored backgrounds. If you have to use a busy background, making the background seem out of focus can help your text come through. Adding a Gaussian Blur to the background should do the trick. Never use colors that blend into the background. If for some strange reason you have to use a color that is similar to the background add a white or black border to your text so it stands out.
As the saying goes...less is more. The best option is to use a simple, single colored, or uncluttered background whenever possible.

Good Graphics...Great Results
Options for graphics are truly limitless. You can use the graphics in the video editing program, graphics from an alternate program, photos, or pics from the internet. You want to choose a graphic that compliments your title without distracting the audience. The graphic should match the theme of the video or scene as well.
Let's go back to the baby video and motion title. Using a white baby rattle or pacifier to contrast the light blue font would be a good choice. Once again using a gentle motion would be best. For this example the motion of the graphic should take place after the text has come to a stop. Possibly a fade in, spinning in slowly from the rear to the front, and landing directly over the last word of the text.
Finding a Functional Font
Take a look at the options for fonts in any text editor or video editing program. There are so many options it can make your head spin. A lot of video editors like to choose a font that looks cool or different. Fight the temptation to pick a creative font. Pick one of the tried and true fonts that will make your entire title creative. The simpler the better. When your audience is trying to figure out what the text reads it takes away from the video. Select a font that matches the theme of the title and does not have too many small details. Most Serifs have small details and should be avoided due to their tendency to flicker. Sans serif or thick serifs are best. De-interlace your video or add a Gaussian Blur to the text to help reduce flickering.
Creating motion titles can be a chore, but the finished product can be a masterpiece that a video editor can be proud of. The key to creating professional titles is to always focus on the meaning of the title. This will force you to think carefully about your choices. You may not always come up with the right choice, but through trial and error you will get the hang of it and eventually you'll be creating titles like the pros.
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