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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:
- Keynote Animation Basics for Video Overlays
- How to Make Professional Looking Animated Graphics using Keynote
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.