VIVA mi Brand

Free Tools to Create Animated Graphics for Video

rallen — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Free Tools to Create Animated Graphics for Video

*** This post may contain affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission when you click on the link and make a purchase. Don’t worry though, I only link to products and companies that I love and think that you will love, too.

If you think that making animated graphics for your videos is expensive, well, I’m here to tell you that it does not need to cost you anything.

In fact, a lot of the products that I have listed on my Etsy shop and that I have used in videos in the past have been created using free tools.

When I think of tools for creating graphics usually I think of them in 3 categories: tools that allow me to design things, tools that allow me to animate things, and tools that allow me to combine graphics with video footage.

FREE TOOL #1: Inkscape

If you want or need to create any custom designs for your video then Inkscape is the place to start.

Inkscape really is the free alternative to Adobe Illustrator.

It is a vector design program and normally it is one of the programs that I use to design logos, custom typography and other brand identity materials such as business cards.

To learn about Inkscape or download it, please visit: https://inkscape.org/

FREE TOOL #2: Keynote

Keynote is THE program that I use to create my animations. I have used it to animate logos, to create animated lower thirds, to create transitions, and even animated Gifs.

I have already written a couple of other blog posts on using Keynote to make animated graphics so if you haven’t already read them then I highly recommend checking these two posts:

I also have a Skillshare class where I go over how to do some basic animations with a lower third design. If you haven’t yet signed up with Skillshare before, you can use this link to start taking classes using their free trial, including the one that I’m teaching.

FREE TOOL #3: Canva

A lot of people talk about Canva being the place to go for graphic design if you are NOT a graphic designer. There are a ton of things that you can design on Canva with pre-designed templates in case you need a little design help or don’t want to design anything from scratch.

What I love about Canva is their library of graphics. They have a huge selection of both still and animated graphics to choose from and a lot of them have transparent backgrounds. Some of the graphics are free while others may have a yellow crown symbol on them that indicate they are for Pro members or that you have to pay for.

In Canva, there are two types of accounts that you can have. The Free account is likely the one that you’ll start with but there’s also the Pro account if you are wanting to take advantage of more features and premium graphics.

At the time of writing this, only Pro members can export designs with a transparent background. However, I do have a little hack to get around that and it basically involves turning your design into a green or blue screen graphic and then use the tools in your video editing program to remove that green or blue background.

If you haven’t done so already, start your Free account on Canva at: https://www.canva.com/

FREE TOOL #4: iMovie

If you are new to video editing then I highly recommend starting with iMovie. It is free and already comes installed on your MacBook or iMac computer just like Keynote.

There are a lot of basic video editing functions that you can do like trim video clips and add transitions, plus you can do some more advanced functions like slowing down or speeding up clips for time lapse or slow motion sequences.

If you are using iMovie on a computer then you will be able to use transparent MOV files as overlays on your video footage. If you created something in Canva and needed to save it with a green or blue screen, there is also the option in iMovie to remove that green or blue background.

FREE TOOL #5: DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a great free video editing program if you are needing to do more advanced functions than what iMovie is able to provide.

These advanced functions can include having the ability to layer multiple video tracks or audio tracks. I believe iMovie only allows for 2 layers of video and 2 layers of audio aside from the audio that is already attached to your video footage.

DaVinci Resolve also has the ability to remove green and blue screens and, unlike iMovie, you can make adjustments so there is no glow around whatever is not part of the green or blue background. Sometimes in iMovie you can end up with a bit of a glow around the graphic and there is no way to adjust it in that program.

Another feature that I love about DaVinci Resolve is the tracking function. When I was using Adobe programs I would do most of my video editing in Premiere Pro and to do something like tracking, I would have to do it in After Effects. Basically what tracking allows you to do is connect something to a certain point in your footage so that if it moves, the object that you connected to that point will also move.

To learn about DaVinci Resolve or download it, please visit: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

The listing above is basically everything that I use to create animated graphics for video overlays.

Are there any other tools that haven’t been mentioned that you use to create animated graphics? Join me on Instagram (@vivamibrand) and let me know in a DM.

Branding Your YouTube Channel

rallen — Thu, 06 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Branding Your YouTube Channel

So, you’ve probably heard about how important branding is for your YouTube channel but what does that mean and what does it involve?

Branding is really the idea of creating consistency with visuals and messaging on who you want to be and how you want to be known. With branding, someone could easily see a piece of visual design and be able to associate it with who you are either as a person or company.

When it comes to visually branding a YouTube channel, I like to break it down into 2 different areas: your YouTube Channel homepage and each of your individual YouTube videos.

Your YouTube Channel Homepage

The design elements listed in this area are for things that viewers would see when clicking on your channel’s name. It’s usually the page that lists all of your uploaded videos and also includes playlists that you’ve created (if you’ve chosen to include playlists in your Creator Studio).

When I’m deciding whether to subscribe to a channel or not, this is where I come to first before clicking on the red subscribe button. Why? Because I saw a video that I liked but I want to know if what I watched was random video content that won’t be repeated or if the channel is covering a related topic that I’m interested in watching.

Channel art

Channel art or channel banner is probably the first graphic that viewers will see when they visit your channel page.

When creating channel art for your YouTube channel the overall size should be 2560 x 1440 pixels. However within that size there are other dimensions to keep in mind because those are the display areas for different sizes.

2560 x 423 pixels for desktop

1855 x 423 pixels for tablet

1546 x 423 pixels for mobile

Aside from the dimensions, the other branding aspect to keep in mind is your messaging.

Your channel art image should address 2 major questions:

Who are you? So, your channel name
What is your channel about? So, what kind of videos are you posting, why should your viewers watch your videos or why would they WANT to watch your videos?

Profile Image

The profile image is what people will see when you comment or reply to comments, it’s what shows up below your video thumbnails on the homepage feed, it’s what shows up on the top of a mobile view of the subscriptions feed, and it’s what show up right under the channel art of your YouTube channel homepage.

You can choose to have this image as an image of yourself or a logo. However, in saying that, if YOU are the star of a lot of your videos then I would highly consider using an image of yourself in that profile photo rather than a logo.

Video Thumbnails

Since thumbnails are visible on your channel’s homepage, I have listed them here but thumbnails could be considered an aspect of visual branding that goes with each video you upload.

When it comes to thumbnails, think of them as a way to catch someone’s attention in the same way that a “SALE” sign in storefront windows catches the attention of shoppers.

Whether or not you decide to include text on your thumbnail will depend on the type of content that you are uploading. If you do include text then make sure it is a short amount of text, in a large text size, and in a colour that contrasts well its background.

Some people will find a single design template on places like Canva and continually use the same one for their video thumbnails but I think it is a better strategy to have a few templates that you can rotate between. Having a few templates available will allow you to maintain your branding and having different video cover images will prevent you from running into the situation of viewers or subscribers not watching your video because they think that they’ve already seen your video because the image looks similar to another video.

Your YouTube Videos

For each individual video that you upload to your YouTube channel, there are also ways to include visual branding so that viewers learn to associate a certain visual style with your channel and brand.

The visual branding that I’m including in this section are generally things that would be done in the video editing process.

Video Intro

There are some people that say “skip the intro and just get to the content” and others that talk about adding a short intro to your videos. I think it depends on what kind of content you’re publishing.

Video intros are a great way to remind viewers who they’re watching and what the channel is about.

The intro could be something as simple as just animating your channel’s logo or it could be a short montage of video footage that sums up what you make videos about.

The only thing that I would say about video intros is to keep it short, preferably no longer than 10 seconds and even better if it is less than 5 seconds long.

The people who say “skip the intro” generally say it because of the wasted video time that it can use up and the higher possibility of viewers clicking off your video because they get bored or impatient to watch the video content that they clicked for.

Video End Screen

Similar to the use of video intros, people seem to have mixed opinions on the use of end screens or outros for YouTube videos.

I think end screens are a great way to guide people to more of your video content and, if you have more than one YouTube channel, it’s a place to let them know about your other channels.

There are a couple of approaches to designing an end screen for your videos. One simple way is to create a still image that you can insert after your video content and add the end screen options that YouTube includes. Another way is to design an overlay that still allows you to keep playing your video content but then you have a space for your recommended video cards or some of the other options that YouTube lets you add to the end screen.

A big reason why people are against using end screens is because it can negatively affect your watch time for the video because many viewers will click off your video once this screen appears.

Personally, I believe that this is inevitable. Most people will leave once they get the content that they came for whether you include the end screen or not. I don’t like watching the default pop-up at the end of a video where it covers up part of the video that you still want to show and end screen designs help avoid that.

Custom graphic overlays

If you have not figured it out yet, I am definitely a supporter of adding graphic overlays to your YouTube videos. Adding graphics to your videos during the video editing process can add a lot of benefits to your video content and I’ve gone through them in this blog post.

How can you make graphic overlays for your videos that match your YouTube channel branding?

Establish a colour palette and stick to it!

One of the simplest ways to start creating branded video graphics is to stick to a certain colour palette.

When I create colour palettes for branding projects I tend to pick about 5 main colours. Those colours do not include the basic black and white version that I often use for text depending on the background colour. So if you include the black and white then you end up with 7 colours to work with.

Be consistent with your graphic style

What do I mean by this?

Well, if you are someone that uses a lot of doodles and hand-drawn imperfect shapes, then be consistent in using those throughout your video.

If you are someone who likes minimal, black and white, straight horizontal or vertical rectangles, then repeat the use of those shapes in your videos.

Narrow down your fonts

When adding text to your videos, I would say limit the number of fonts that you use in your videos to no more than 3.

Choose one that you would like to use for titles or headings or short pieces of text. For example, if you are a food/recipe vlogger then this might be used for the name of a recipe.

Choose another one that you could use for longer pieces of text. Continuing on with the food vlogger example, this particular font would be used for the ingredient list and maybe even the step-by-step preparation instructions.

Then, a third, but optional, font could be something that you use as an accent. So, maybe in your recipe ingredients you want to indicate that a certain ingredient is optional. You could use this third accent font for the word “optional” so that it stands out among the rest of the list. Same thing goes for ingredients that are VERY IMPORTANT, you could use this accent font to highlight the fact that you cannot omit or replace that ingredient.

If you haven’t noticed a pattern by down, in this section, it’s really all about limiting the variety of design aspects in your video. Then, once you have that limited design set to work with, it’s all about repeating them throughout your video and channel.

If you are interested in working with me to create a custom brand identity for your YouTube channel, visit this link so we can get started.

How to Use Keynote for Animated Social Media Posts

rallen — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000

How to Use Keynote for Animated Social Media Posts

When it comes to creating social media posts there are plenty of platforms and apps that allow you to create designs but not many people would think of Keynote as a place to create designs.

Although you can create still images in Keynote, what I love about it is the ability to create animated social media posts.

Yes, certainly one of the most popular places to go to for designing social media posts is Canva. I love Canva and use it often to create certain types of templates for my graphics BUT it does have its limitations when it comes to animations.

Yes, you can animate your posts in Canva BUT you can’t isolate objects and give them a different type of animation. When you choose an animation style then it will be applied to the entire artboard or page that you’re working on.

With Keynote, you can animate objects differently and change each object’s animation timing, and that’s why I prefer to make animated social media posts there.

How to Create Animated Social Media Posts in Keynote

For social media, it’s likely that you’re probably going to create one of 3 types of animated posts:

Instagram Stories
Instagram Feed Post
Pinterest Animated Video Pin

Honestly, the process for creating each post is similar with the exception of the first step, which is setting up the Keynote document.

STEP 1: Set up your Keynote file for Social Media Posts

Similar to what I covered in the Keynote Animations Basics blog post, when choosing a theme, pick one from the Basic category. My default is to choose a theme with a white background because then I can change the colour to whatever I want after.

The presentation size doesn’t matter as much because we will be changing it once the document opens.

Once your new document has opened, go to the Document tab and change the Presentation Type to Self-playing and the delay to “0.0 s” for both Transitions and Builds.

Then, right below that there is a drop-down box below Slide Size. Choose the option that says “Custom Slide Size”. A pop-up box will appear that will let you enter the custom dimensions that you want.

Depending on the animated social media post that you are wanting to make you will enter the following:

For Instagram Stories, the width will be 1080 and the height will be 1920
For Instagram Feed Posts, the width will be 1080 and the height will be 1080
For Pinterest Animated Video Pin, the width will be 1000 and the height will be 1500

STEP 2: Add objects and/or text

This is where the design fun begins.

You can add premade shapes from the collection that Keynote includes in the program.
You can add text and use a font that is installed on your computer.
You can import an image or graphic that you have saved on your computer.

When bringing in images or graphics saved on your computer, I like to drag and drop the file into the program when I have the Finder open.

If you use one of the button links on the top of the Keynote screen then you’ll want to choose the Media button then select the option that says “Choose…” in the dropdown menu.

One thing to keep in mind when creating your design is to place objects or text where you want them to be AFTER they enter the screen.

For example, if you know that you want a shape to enter the screen from the left side and stop in the middle, then initially position your shape in the middle of the slide.

STEP 3: Animate your objects and/or text

Animations in Keynote are divided into 3 categories:

Build In
Action
Build Out

What animation type do you choose?

If you want an item to enter the screen or slide for the first time then you will select an animation from the Build In category.

If you want an item to leave the screen or slide then you will select an animation from the Build Out category.

If you want to add some action to an item while it is already on the screen or slide, so after applying a Build In animation effect, then you will choose an animation from the Action category.

In my blog post on making professional-looking Keynote animations, I go through what I use the most in Keynote so that it makes it hard to tell whether the animation was created in Keynote or a fancier motion graphics program like After Effects.

STEP 4: Refine your time delays

Once you have selected your animations, then the next part is just adjusting and re-adjusting the duration of each animation and the delay between animations until you get something that you’re satisfied with.

STEP 5: Export your file as a video

Once you have finished creating your animation, then it’s time to export it to a video file that you can import into your social media platform of choice.

Go to the “File” menu and select “Export to” and then “Movie”.

In the next pop-up window, from top to bottom, settings should be:

Self-Playing

All (for all slides)

0 seconds (for go to next slide)

0 seconds (for go to next build)

1080p

Then, name and save your file to your preferred location on your computer or hard drive and the file will be ready to upload to Pinterest and/or share to your mobile device for use in Instagram.

How to Make Professional Looking Animated Graphics using Keynote

rallen — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 15:00:00 +0000

How to Make Professional Looking Animated Graphics using Keynote

I have made quite a few animated graphics that are available for purchase on my Etsy shop and most of them are made with Keynote, not After Effects or any other fancy motion graphics program.

So, how do I do that without ending up with some cheesy looking slide animations?

Well, it’s not complicated.

I stick to a few basic animation types that are simple and often used in fancier motion graphics programs so it gives the illusion that it could have been created in that more expensive program.

What are those simple Keynote animations?

In case you aren’t familiar with animation options in Keynote they are divided into 3 categories: Build In (how objects ENTER the screen), Build Out (how objects LEAVE the screen), and Action (how objects move while they are ALREADY ON the screen)

Within those 3 categories, the animation effects are divided into 3 sections: Appear & Move; Flip, Spin & Scale; and Special Effects.

I almost NEVER use the animation effects in the “Special Effects” because they look cheesy and are dead giveaways that you created your effects in a program made for beginners or amateurs.

(We don’t want that)

The intention behind this post is to help you create video content that looks like it has been created in more advanced and expensive video editing programs, like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects or Final Cut Pro, when really you are just using free tools like Keynote and iMovie.

Keynote “Build In” Animations

For objects like photos and shapes, I like to use:

Pop
Move In
Appear (usually when the object is behind something else)

For text, I like to use:

Keyboard
Pop

For lines, I like to use:

Line Draw

Keynote “Build Out” Animations

For objects, I like to use:

Move Out
Fade and Move
Pop
Disappear

For text, I like to use:

Pop
Move Out

For lines I like to use:

Line Draw

Keynote “Action” Animations

If I am adding an Action to an object that is already on screen then I tend to use one of the following animation options:

Rotate
Jiggle
Move

Out of all of the animations that I have mentioned, the Actions are the ones that I use least often, mostly because a lot of the animations that I do are title animations.

In summary the animations that I use the most are:

Move In/Out
Pop
Keyboard (for text)
Line Draw (for straight or curved lines)

Yes, there are other animations that I sometimes use (like the Cube effect and the Wipe effect) but that all depends on the type of animated graphic that I’m creating.

To see other video animations that I have created, please visit my Etsy shop.

Keynote Animation Basics for Video Overlays

rallen — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:00:20 +0000

Keynote Animation Basics for Video Overlays

If you have a Mac computer and want to start creating video content, whether it is for social media or YouTube, then you already have access to two free powerful video making tools: iMovie and Keynote.

iMovie is a great program to start with when it comes to editing video. It’s easy to import videos and the program comes with a lot of pre-designed options for titles and transitions.

But did you know that you can create your own set of custom titles, transitions and animated video graphics with Keynote?

Yes, I mentioned Keynote, Apple’s version of the well-known presentation software called Microsoft Powerpoint but WAY better when it comes to features and capabilities.

Now that you know about Keynote’s ability to create animated graphics, how do you make those animated video overlays?

STEP 1: Set up your Keynote file

When choosing a theme, pick one from the Basic category, preferably with a white background, and make sure the format is set to Wide (16:9).

Once your new document has opened, go to the Document tab and change the “Presentation Type” to Self-playing and the delay to 0.0 s for both Transitions and Builds.

STEP 2: Add objects and/or text

Keynote has a variety of shapes that you can use in your animations or you can import your own graphics such as a logo or premade shape created in another program.

You can also add text and use a font that is installed on your computer.

When placing both objects and text on your slide, make sure they are in the position you want them to be in after they enter the screen.

For example, if you know that you want a shape to enter the screen from the left side and stop in the middle, then initially position your shape in the middle of the slide.

STEP 3: Animate your objects and/or text

Animations in Keynote are divided into 3 categories:

Build In
Action
Build Out

How do you choose an animation type?

If you want an item to enter the screen or slide for the first time then you will select an animation from the Build In category.

If you want an item to leave the screen or slide then you will select an animation from the Build Out category.

STEP 4: Refine your time delays

Once you have selected your animations, then the next part is just adjusting and re-adjusting the duration of each animation and the delay between animations until you get something that you’re satisfied with.

STEP 5: Export your file as a video overlay

Once you have finished creating your animation, then it’s time to export it to a file that you can use in a video editing program such as iMovie.

There are a couple of ways to export your file as a video overlay: as a green screen video overlay or as a transparent video overlay.

Not all video editing programs support transparent video files so sometimes it’s a good idea to know about both methods.

To export your file as a GREEN SCREEN video overlay:

Change the slide background colour to green.

Make sure you don’t have any objects or text selected. Go to the “Format” tab and click on the rainbow circle that appears next to a coloured rectangle under the “Background” option.

I like to use the crayon colour options and usually pick Spring as the green colour.

Export your file as a movie

Go to the “File” menu and select “Export to” and then “Movie”.

In the next pop-up window, from top to bottom, settings should be:

Self-Playing

All (for all slides)

0 seconds (for go to next slide)

0 seconds (for go to next build)

1080p

Then, name and save your file to your preferred location on your computer or hard drive and the file will be ready to import into your video.

To export your file as a TRANSPARENT video overlay:

Change the slide background colour to NO FILL.

Make sure you don’t have any objects or text selected.

Go to the “Format” tab and select “No Fill” from the drop down menu under the “Background” option.

Your slide background should change and appear to be black when you select this option. Don’t worry, it won’t export as a black background.

Export your file as a movie

Go to the “File” menu and select “Export to” and then “Movie”.

In the next pop-up window, from top to bottom, settings should be:

Self-Playing

All (for all slides)

0 seconds (for go to next slide)

0 seconds (for go to next build)

Custom

1920 x 1080

30 FPS

Apple ProRes 4444

Make sure checkbox is selected next to “Export with transparent backgrounds”

Then, name and save your file to your preferred location on your computer or hard drive and the file will be ready to import into your video.

Why Adding Graphics to Your Videos is Important

rallen — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Why Adding Graphics to Your Videos is Important

Adding graphics to your videos isn’t just about making them look pretty. There are reasons for using graphics and once you learn their purpose in your video editing, it can result in a very effective video production.

So far, I’ve written posts about what types of graphics to add to your videos and where to find graphics online and what file types work best for graphic overlays.

To someone who is just starting to film and edit videos, it might seem like an unnecessary task to worry about. However, when you learn about the “why” for using certain graphics and what function they have, then it’s just about taking small steps to include them in your videos while editing them.

Reason #1: Remind viewers who you are

If you have a YouTube channel for a business or brand name, then it might be a good idea to introduce yourself as the individual behind the brand’s logo.

If you already have a YouTube channel for a personal brand then this could mean adding an overlay that communicates where else they can find you, like on Instagram, Twitter, or even your website’s domain name.

Why? Because sometimes people are coming across your video for the first time and don’t have any idea who you are or why they should watch your video.

Other times, people may have watched your videos before but they also want to connect with you on other platforms, so adding where else you’re active will help them get to know you more.

Reason #2: Encourage viewers to take action

Do you want people to subscribe to your channel? How about “leave a comment”? Or maybe you want your viewers to click on a link in your description.

You can add graphics that specifically tell people what to do and it doesn’t matter that you’re already saying it in the video. These graphic overlays will simply be that attention-catching, bright flashing sign with neon lights telling your viewers to DO SOMETHING.

Reason #3: Emphasize a message that you couldn’t explain in the video

There might be times where you record demonstration of something but don’t actually get the chance to explain why you did what you did.

I saw this recently on a Netflix documentary series who was demonstrating how to train dogs but then used a lower third text overlay to explain why he was doing it or what the reason was for using his particular technique

Another way to use this would be to add in a graphic to highlight something that you forgot to mention in your video clips. For example, maybe you have a crafting video or recipe video and forgot to mention a material or ingredient or maybe you made a mistake and mentioned the wrong thing. You could use a text overlay to mention the missing ingredient or include something like, “Oops, I meant to say this not that”.

Reason #4: Reference something that already exists

When you’re referencing something that already exists this could be seen in a few ways. You could be talking about a certain social media platform and one way to reference this platform is to include a graphic for the logo of that platform.

Another way to implement this is to include a graphic of a YouTube thumbnail for a video that you’re talking about.

If you are talking about products that you’ve bought and used, include a screenshot of the product you purchased.

Reason #5: Give viewers a visual break from a long video clip

Usually this reason for using graphics will come into play when you have a video clip where you are in one place for a long time.

For example, you may be seated in front of the camera talking about some tips and tricks for doing something. Well, instead of just having your viewer watch you talking, switch it up and add in a graphic that visually represents what you are explaining.

Another situation where you may want to use this is in some kind of video clip that shows a long process. I always think of DIY renovation videos where you’re watching people paint a room or something like that. You could add a voiceover to the video clip and that could add an interesting element to that part of the video or you could add a pop-up graphic like an emoji or lower third that describes how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking in that moment.

Reason #6: Summarize a long explanation into short key takeaway points

Have you ever come across those Powerpoint presentations in school where people write an entire paragraph of text on a particular slide? Powerpoint presentations are intended to highlight short point form pieces of summarized information and including text graphics in your videos will work in the same way.

You can speak for as long as you want on a particular topic but the text graphic might summarize what you’re saying into a few words.

A graphic image could also be used in the same way. For example, maybe you’re talking about how bad it is to use plastic bags for shopping. Well, instead of including a text overlay as your graphics, you could use a graphic with a plastic bag and that red circle with a diagonal line to symbolize “no plastic bags” while you’re speaking.

Reason #7: Make your videos accessible to those watching your videos without sound

When it comes to making your videos accessible, that’s usually in the form of using captions. Some places, like YouTube, may generate captions for you but that’s not 100% of the time.

There are a lot of reasons to use captions in your videos. Most of the time it’s so that people can know what is going on in our video by reading, instead of listening.

For me, I tend to watch a lot of videos with the sound off, especially on Facebook and Instagram, and only turn the sound on when I’m truly interested in listening to the full video and I’m in a moment where I can listen to the video without distractions.

Another way that I’ve seen captions used is for translations. You might be targeting an audience that only speaks English but maybe you are able to communicate in another language and end up including video footage in that foreign language. In this case, you could add a custom caption graphic to the bottom of the video with the English translation.

Are you looking for some custom designed graphics to match the branding for your business?

Let’s connect and see how we can make that happen!

Understanding File Formats and What to Use for Video Overlays

rallen — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 06:55:00 +0000

Understanding File Formats and What to Use for Video Overlays

Whether you are designing graphics or you’re purchasing pre-made designs, sometimes it can be confusing to know what file format to use with your videos.

I’m going to list out some common file types that you may come across if you go to save a file that you’ve designed or if you decide to download a graphic designed by someone else and aren’t sure whether the files they send will work for your needs.

Image File Formats

JPG or JPEG

A jpg or jpeg file is a common file type that is used for saving photos.

A lot of the time photos saved from your digital camera will be saved in a jpeg so files don’t take up so much space on your memory card.

When it comes to finding graphics on the internet in jpeg format, most of what you will find will be stock photography or even some types of background patterns.

If you’re not looking for stock photography, I would stay away from the jpeg format because it’s less versatile.

PNG

A png file is probably my favourite image file type to work with. Unlike a jpeg file, a png file has the ability to save files with a transparent background.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that all graphics are created or saved with transparent backgrounds.

If you wanted to create something with a transparent background then png file would be the best way to save it.

When it comes to searching graphics to use in videos, this would be the file format to search for.

Some files may include other files types but as a minimum requirement I would say look for a png file and make sure it says somewhere that it has a transparent background.

PSD

Files with the extension “psd” are actually Photoshop files. In order to use and modify these files you would need to have Adobe Photoshop installed on your computer or there are online options to open and edit these file types such as Pixlr and Photopea.

If the file doesn’t already come with a transparent background, you will usually have the ability to remove the background so that you can export the file as a transparent png and use them in your videos.

There may be the odd file that has some kind of background with it but there are tools you can use within Photoshop to remove that unwanted portion of the image.

AI

Similar to the psd file type, files with the extension “ai” are those created with the Adobe Illustrator program.

If you have Illustrator then you are good to go and can edit and export images as transparent png files to use them in your videos.

If you don’t have Illustrator then you will need to use an online program like Inkscape to open and edit these files.

What’s great about using Illustrator files is that they are vector files rather than raster files. In a nutshell, that just means that you can resize it to a much larger size and it will still be crisp and clean. If you resize a raster file (like jpg, png, and Photoshop files) to a size much larger than its original size then it will become blurry or pixelated.

EPS

An eps file is a vector image file. Sometimes when you purchase a collection of graphic designs and it comes as an eps file, all of the designs will be included and saved together in the eps file. In order to isolate and only use the one you want, you will have to open the file ideally in Adobe Illustrator and export the specific design that you want as a transparent png.

You can also open eps files using Photoshop and then just crop out and save the specific design that you want but it tends to make the program run a little clunkier than usual.

Video File Formats

MP4

An mp4 file is a common video file type and is largely accepted by most devices, both desktop or mobile. One of the good things about this file type is that it keeps your file size small.

One important thing to note about this file format is that it doesn’t allow you to create something with a transparent background.

In terms of video overlays, if you were to create or purchase a design in this format, make sure it has a chroma green or blue screen in the intended transparent area. With the chroma green or blue screen, you could then eliminate the colour during the editing process.

MOV

An mov file is a Quicktime movie file. I remember back in the day when mov files were sometimes hard to open if you didn’t have an Apple computer or the Quicktime movie player. I used to have to convert videos online from mov to mp4 but nowadays you can view the files with video players like VLC.

One thing to note about this file type is that not all mobile devices are able to open these videos.

What is good about this file format is that it does allow you to save videos with a transparent background. This is awesome for video overlays but do keep in mind that the video file size can be a bit large.

AEP

When you purchase special effects templates or motion graphics templates for videos online, they will often be delivered as an aep file. In order to open and edit these files you will need Adobe After Effects, so if you do not have that program installed on your computer you may want to reconsider your purchase.

It’s not likely that you will use After Effects with an iMovie project, but if you do then you’ll probably have to render and export the movie file from After Effects and import it into iMovie.

PRPROJ

Some video files available for purchase online are specific to use with Adobe Premiere Pro and those files have the extension prproj.

FCPX

If you purchased a file and it came with the extension fcpx then you have probably purchased a video file specific for Final Cut Pro video project.

Other File Formats

PPTX

A pptx file is a Powerpoint presentation file. Normally, most people are used to thinking of this software as a place to create presentation slideshows but there is also the option to create a video file of your Powerpoint presentations (as long as you specific timings and not have it as an “on click” action)

You can only save Powerpoint files as an mp4 or wmv video and can choose to save it as a resolution of 480p, 720p, 1080p or 4K.

KEY

If you have a file with key as the extension then you probably have a Keynote presentation file. This file type is Apple’s version of Powerpoint but with a lot more fun features and animation options.

Similar to Powerpoint, you can export an animation in Keynote as a movie file. Unlike Powerpoint, you have a lot more file formats to choose from.

By default, movies will save as an mp4 file and you can choose the resolution size as 720p or 1080p. However, there is the option to choose a custom resolution size and in that area you can change the size ratio to 4k and even choose the file format that allows for a transparent background (an mov video file).

PDF

A PDF file may not be a foreign file format since it is often used to save documents and forms that you can fill out.

You can save PDF files with a transparent background but the transparency won’t be preserved when you import the file into your video editor.

Another important note is that some video editing programs may not support PDFs as a media file that you can add to your project.

When I did a test, I was able to add a transparent pdf to iMovie but the image was not transparent. Adobe Premiere Pro, on the other hand, did not let me add a pdf file into my project.

GIF

Technically this file format could be listed under the images or video categories but since I couldn’t decide which one it applied to most, I’m considering it an “other” file format.

A GIF is an animated image file that plays automatically and repeats continuously.

If you have ever tried to add a GIF to your movie project, you may have noticed that it will only upload one image frame from the GIF. In order to add a gif to a movie project, you usually have to screen record it on your phone or computer so it ends up saving as a movie file like mp4.

When it comes to using and adding transparent GIFs to your movie project, the best work around is to add the GIF on a green screen or blue screen and eliminate that coloured background in the editing process.

There are a lot more file formats out there when it comes to image and video files but I just wanted to talk about the more common ones.

Summary

If you’re looking to add an image to your video project, the best image type to import is a transparent png.

If you are wanting to add an animated video overlay to your project, then you will need to work with an mov file. If your video editor doesn’t support that file format then a good work around is to use a green screen or blue screen as the background and then edit that colour out when you are editing your video project.

If you have questions about adding a file format to your video project, whether it’s one of the ones included in this post or a different one, please feel free to contact me.

6 Places to Get Graphics for Your YouTube Videos

rallen — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 20:44:00 +0000

6 Places to Get Graphics for Your YouTube Videos

I am a graphic designer so when I need graphics to use in my videos, I will just design them myself.

However, I get that not everyone has that same ability to create their own graphics for their videos.

Does that mean that you shouldn’t use graphics in your videos altogether? No, no, no.

The beauty of the internet means that you have a world of resources available. That doesn’t mean that you are free to use whatever you find on the internet in your video – that’s stealing!

I have put together a small list of places where you can download graphics. I’ve listed some that are free and others that charge you a purchase price.

FREE Graphics Resources for Your Videos

1. Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/

Pixabay is a place where you can find photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, and music.

If I were looking for something to use in videos, I would search for something in the vectors section of the website.

I haven’t explored all categories on the website but the ones that I did look at were free for commercial use (very important, especially if you are or plan on monetizing your channel) and you’re not required to give credit or attribution to the source.

2. Rawpixel

https://www.rawpixel.com

Rawpixel has resources that are listed as free, premium or public domain. You do need to join the website in order to download their resources and you are limited to downloading only 10 free images per day. Free resources can be used for personal or commercial use.

You can find some neat graphics on this website but they are harder to find. Basically you have to know what you’re looking for. After you enter the search term you can narrow results down to showing free graphics only and even limit the search result to a certain file type.

3. FriendlyStock

https://friendlystock.com/free-clipart/

FriendlyStock seems to have a lot of vector graphics available on their website. They have a section of free clip art that is available for personal or commercial use and no attribution is required. You don’t need to open an account in order to download their clip art graphics.

The only thing that I don’t care for about this website is that you can’t do a search within their free clip art section. Basically, you just have to keep browsing through each of the pages until you find something you like. When I did I search from the main page, the search results only showed clip art that you have to pay for.

4. Canva

https://www.canva.com/

Although Canva isn’t a marketplace for clipart like the previous options, they do have a good range of graphics to choose from in their library. Yes, you do get more options if you’re a paid Canva Pro user but there is still plenty to choose from if you’re on a free Canva account.

What I like about Canva is that you could probably use it to create all of the graphics that you need for your video. They have animated graphics as well as still graphics. They have essential social media logos and shapes you can use for buttons. They even have templates you can use if you still need some help coming up with ideas.

PAID Graphics Resources for Your Videos

5. Creative Market

https://creativemarket.com/

Creative Market is a graphic designer’s paradise when it comes to searching for templates, graphics and fonts. Their website is separated into categories: graphics, fonts, templates, add-ons, photos, and 3d.

When I’m searching for graphics on this website, I tend to enter the search terms I’m looking for and then use their filters to narrow down search results.

To purchase graphics from Creative Market, you can either pay with a credit card or purchase credits with your credit card or Paypal and use those towards purchasing files. According to their website, each credit is worth $1 USD.

6. Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/

Normally, I wouldn’t think to go to Etsy to search for digital assets for YouTube videos but there’s actually a lot of listings for video related items.

The good thing about Etsy is that some sellers upload listings that they can customize for you. For example, you may find a listing for a subscribe button with your channel name and the seller can customize it with your information before sending you the movie file.

Other listings include ready to use graphics like transparent png files or already animated graphics for a general subscribe button.

Did you know that VIVA Mi Brand is on Etsy?

If you are interested in purchasing pre-made graphics for your videos, please check out the Etsy shop.

If you are interested in some custom designed graphics for your videos, please contact me using this form.

Location Pin Video Animation

rallen — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:59:45 +0000

Location Pin Video Animation

The Location Pin Video Animation was created with the travel vlogger in mind.

Travel vloggers can talk about a lot of topics that relate to the travel industry. One of the most obvious video topics to talk about are places to visit.

The Location Pin Video Animation can be used when talking about places in general, like cities in countries. This animation can also be used when talking about more specific locations within a city like places to eat or attractions to visit or hotels to stay in.

This video animation was created in Keynote and can be edited by anyone using a Mac computer.

The Location Pin Video Animation is currently available for purchase in the Etsy shop and includes a link to a video tutorial on how to edit and export the Keynote file as a video overlay.

Flip Clock Time Stamp Animation

rallen — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:59:45 +0000

Flip Clock Time Stamp Animation

The Flip Clock Time Stamp animation was created with the everyday lifestyle vlogger in mind.

A lot of the times vloggers include time stamps in their videos to show what their doing at different times of the day.

This time stamp mimics a flip style clock and adds a bit more visual interest to videos, as opposed to just posting a static text graphic of the time.

This file was created in Keynote and can be edited by anyone who has a Mac computer.

This editable file is currently available for purchase in the Etsy shop.