With all of these options, you can make a lower third very complicated or extremely simple. The choices for each element are vast, including font, color, size, position, and movement, just to name a few. These assets can include any combination of typography, shapes, logos, images, motion graphics, and even video assets.Īs you would imagine, a plethora of design options are available when working with so many different assets. When done right, the varying elements of a lower third should come together harmoniously to properly supplement the message of the images on screen. Let’s take a closer look at the individual elements that make up a lower third. covering a person’s mouth in a close-up hugging too close to the screen’s edge etc.) Poor contrast between the lower third and the background.Random fonts that don’t match any other aspect of the film or video.Here are some things to avoid when developing lower thirds so they don’t suck: Ignore either of these and you might end up with lower thirds that just plain SUCK.
When creating your own graphics from scratch, you’ll need to think about the various elements of a lower third and figure out how to make them work for your project, all the while keeping a close eye on the entire project. Use the company style guide for inspiration for your 元s Big networks like the Public Broadcasting Service have their own style guides. Whether you’re trying to decide on using a lower third template or creating your own from scratch, it’s important to think of the project as a whole.įor instance, are you working with a particular brand? If so, do they have a strict style guide, or are they giving you total creative freedom to create your own graphics? How does the lower third fit in with the rest of the graphics, if any? If certain graphics already exist for the project, it might be best to base your design off of those. There are a variety of factors that play into making things work. If you’ve ever worked with lower thirds then you know that you can’t just take any template and slap it over your video. This is where the lower third serves as a great tool. Other times you just want to add additional information to form a more complete picture of what you’re trying to communicate. However, there can be times where you don’t have a soundbite or visual to use. Or, you could use a visual to communicate the identity, such as a shot of a name tag or a nameplate sitting on a desk. During production you can ask the interviewee for an introduction, which you can include as a soundbite in your final edit. Remember that there are a variety of ways to communicate the identity of an interview subject. In this case, a lower third could be very useful, maybe even necessary. Does the interview subject’s name add anything to your story? Perhaps they’re an expert discussing a very specific aspect of their industry. Let’s say, as an example, that you’re working on a documentary and you’re cutting together soundbites from an interview. The decision you need to make is whether to include the information via a lower third or not. Naturally, you can use text to communicate nearly anything, including a name, job title, time, weather, location, etc. Your lower thirds should be engaging and on-brand. Whether it’s a name, place, or some other tidbit of information, the lower third is a powerful filmmaking tool. When used properly, a lower third should supplement the main visuals, giving the viewer added context. A combination of text and graphical elements, an 元 is simply another way to provide an audience with information. But there’s much more to a lower third than meets the eye.
Lower thirds (also known as 元s) are usually only on screen for a few seconds.