Smartphone Video Tip 3: Title Your Movie

The easiest way to let viewers know they’re about to see a real movie—and not just random video clips— is to title your movie.  Adding a title takes only a couple of minutes, and it can make a big difference.

A title lets viewers know what to expect—whether you’re offering a travelogue, a thriller, a documentary, a music video or…whatever. Orienting your audience to the material will enhance the viewing experience.

Your title can be very descriptive: “How to teach a kid to ride a bike in 10 minutes” or it can be slightly mysterious (“The Dahl Burglar”). Whatever your style, just having a title will draw your audience into the show.

In terms of graphics, there are many options. These include:

* White or colored words on a solid background:

White on Black

 

* Words  superimposed on a scene

Superimposed 3

 

* Words  that move (as done famously with “Star Wars”)

StarWars

 

Modern editing apps –such as iMovie–make it easy to title your work in a way that looks professional—even including drop shadows to make the titles stand out. You can find plenty of online tutorials to help you master the various techniques. One we like is from Ripple Training:  Learning iMovie 10: Transitions, Titles & Maps 

For more advanced effects, such as the bouncing title in the “Day of the Dead” you’ll need an animation program like After Effects or the Apple Motion app.

https://vimeo.com/146578500

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