Watch these videos in full. Edit like this.

This is the quality we’re striving for:

•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjlKIjLWq-Y
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2O7blSSzpI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sM3KOYPL_A
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czgOWmtGVGs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CLttw5dl5w
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY1BFv8qEeM

General Guidelines:

FONT:
Whenever showing text, make sure its formatted like this:

• Font = Gotham bold.

• Capitalise all text (all letters capitals)
• Add a black border to the text when there's low contrast between the background and text.
o Examples: 2:59 - https://youtu.be/G_Q3KNLwW0A?t=179

Symbols over text.

Visually animate scenes with symbols rather than text where possible.

• E.g. Greater/less than: 2:51 - https://youtu.be/intru3RGdwY?t=171

• When questioning something: Animate question marks over it, like this video at 9:40 -
https://youtu.be/G_Q3KNLwW0A?t=580 You can just remove/screen/keylight out the black background
easily from here https://www.videoblocks.com/video/question-mark-particles-b3-xnyz

Panning/Cropping: People prefer to watch moving videos.

• Make sure to crop/pan on all images through the video to give the illusion that the video content is moving.
Panning isn't necessary for videos.
• Here are a few tutorials to help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRRTyqqB680
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6_Jisp69w0
• DO NOT pan too fast. DO NOT pan in un-uniformly. In other words, zoom directly in or outwards, unless you
want to focus on a particular part of the image, in which case you may pan into that.

Outro:

• The outro should last for its entire 20 seconds. No shorter, no longer. Reason being, the 'end cards' on
YouTube only last a maximum of 20 seconds.
• The narration can play over the outro, but make sure the background music doesn't play over the outro.
Only the outro SFX should play, with the narration if there's a remaining amount of narration necessary.
• E.g. 10:06-10:26 - https://youtu.be/intru3RGdwY?t=606 12:03-12:23 - https://youtu.be/7800MEmZYpI?t=723

Image Selection:

• This is essential. The images/videos you show should match the voice-over perfectly.
• You shouldn't just be pasting in lots of loosely related video clips and footage. What you SHOULD be doing is
ANIMATING exactly what's being said by the narrator.
• For example, when he refers to certain things, those things should be shown/animated on screen:
o E.g. 1:11-1:28 - https://youtu.be/mmoQcL99Vng?t=71 --> in particular focus at 1:22, how the
animate actually animated someone falling into it, exactly as explained. Afterwards a question mark
was animated in-sync with the narrator questioning what would happen.
o E.g. 0:29-0:33 here https://youtu.be/ykQ1anehO_A?t=29
o E.g. 0:35 - 0:45 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_Q3KNLwW0A
 • To demonstrate the location of certain things, animate a box or circle located on the object with a line.
o E.g. here at 2:44 - https://youtu.be/gMSICTf9RqQ?t=164
• If the narrator is referring to a specific section of the image/video shown, then they should be identified with
red arrows or red circles.
o Check out 0:47 - 1:23 https://youtu.be/JuYYsmQ2ulI?t=47 and 8:49 - 9:00 from this video
https://youtu.be/JuYYsmQ2ulI?t=529 You need to visually explain what's being said by the
narration with your animations, exactly like that video is demonstrating.
o E.g. 0:42 - 0:50, 1:00 & here https://youtu.be/1W7SEx1Lsxc?t=42
• If the narrator says something isn't possible, animate a red x over it, and if it is possible, you can animate a
tick with a tick sfx. e.g. 7:49 here https://youtu.be/uSVtVXHLzjU?t=469 this sfx:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZC5gtOw3DU
• If the Narrator is comparing two things, show them side-by-side
o E.g. 1:47, 8:45 - https://youtu.be/gMSICTf9RqQ?t=107 + here at 8:45 - https://youtu.be/gMSICTf9RqQ?t=525
o E.g. 0:38 here https://youtu.be/ykQ1anehO_A?t=38
• Animating scientific concepts:
o E.g. 6:08-6:13 - https://youtu.be/G_Q3KNLwW0A?t=368
• Even if the footage/image you use isn't the exact same as what's being talked about its fine as long as it
explains the story well.
o e.g. in this video the script talks about a specific dolphin called 'Kelly' (2:18:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9RZFbn8PXU ) . Only 1 of the pictures used was a picture of
the exact dolphin, because there were hardly any pictures of her, so the editor used pictures of
other dolphins instead and it worked out great.
• If you can't find a picture you're looking for, you'll probably have to Photoshop it.
• It's great to cut out images and superimpose them over other images to illustrate your point.
o 8:03-8:05 & 8:10 - https://youtu.be/Y7nymZEXjf8?t=483
• DON'T SHOW THE BOXES! Use 'refine edge' in PS. Refer to 'Essential Photoshop Skills' section.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/5444a023cb9269a3d90e2f3d7b17fb6c
2D parallax animations
• I'll pay you more if you edit with these type of animations.
o E.g. 3:40-3:48 - https://youtu.be/6sM3KOYPL_A?t=220 & 0:03-0:07 -
https://vimeo.com/196270562
• This is a basic tutorial, there are more out there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETeAO8BktIE Another
good tutorial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xDI6D5GW_k
Make 2D Faces 3D:
• This is an incredible effect. Follow this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhDCPlAFoAY

Animating 2D images:

• Sometimes you need to demonstrate something that cannot be demonstrated with images. In this case,
animate it with 2D graphics.
• Learn and use the 2D puppet warp - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-ct0HjugQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWaxoI212Ko
o E.g. here at 8:00 &8:04 - https://youtu.be/gMSICTf9RqQ?t=480 E.g. 9:44 & 12:03 -
https://youtu.be/JzR83Vbd784?t=584
o Loads of free 2D Vector sites out there: https://www.vecteezy.com https://www.freepik.com
https://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/best-places-free-vector-art-1012985
Intro Sequence:
 • If/when the narrator says something like 'the clips coming up' during the intro, then show a video like this in
the background, with the title above it: https://www.videoblocks.com/video/multimedia-wall-g75ivav e.g.
0:09 here https://youtu.be/5aQkj60ubEM?t=9

Drop Shadow:

• Drop shadows are the best way to cleanly add depth between separate video tracks. e.g.
https://gyazo.com/fc22849a32a5af9c9d064895d315a226

Blurring:

• Blurring is a great way to divert focus to new images. Blur behind images that appear in the foreground, e.g.
3:26 - https://youtu.be/mmoQcL99Vng?t=206

Finding better quality images:

• If you've got an image you want to use, but its poor quality, you need to find it in better quality. Usually its
because the image has been copied and posted online multiple times, hence the quality becomes bad. So, to
find better quality versions of the image, use Tineye and google reverse image search to find better
quality/more images.
o E.g. Google reverse image: https://gyazo.com/99363ba19d4d7b98c795f0032a19d1b9
o E.g. Tineye reverse image: 'Biggest' or 'Oldest' would usually work to find the best quality ones:
https://gyazo.com/8042a8a9e8026c457641cd2f012e500f?token=3c2b62a65bc3f574f1907fbecde21
b02
Green Screens:

• Green screen graphics are great to use. You can find all sorts of YouTube, from explosions to snow falling etc.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/dbcf835e96fb024c01587cf0b9883584
• There are loads of tutorials out there to help out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXdrh7wo590
o E.g. 9:55 - 10:00 - https://youtu.be/d-xJL9lgMbw?t=595
• Great to animate a 'fake' stamp green screen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed9YqT8UUso , E.g. this
video at 11:22 - https://youtu.be/wG_lTdNedRA?t=682 (Write 'FAKE' and not 'HOAX')
Maps:
When the narrator talks about the location of something, animate over Google maps satellite images.

• E.g. 1:29 here: https://youtu.be/dLWibcvCeXA?t=89 & 0:39-0:49 here:

https://youtu.be/mmoQcL99Vng?t=39
• 0:07-0:10 - https://youtu.be/uMXumMJZYYI?t=7 & 3:27-3:30 - https://youtu.be/Itjc14Fm-gs?t=207
• Some tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCc42kYNn2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCFF9emjYFc

Measurements / Perspectives:

• WEIGHT: Weighing something on a scale animation.

o E.g. 2:05 - https://youtu.be/G_Q3KNLwW0A?t=125
o E.g. 3:03 - https://youtu.be/d-xJL9lgMbw?t=183
• TIME: Animate time/dates on calendars and timelines
o E.g. Calendar here 2:20 - https://youtu.be/-CLttw5dl5w?t=140
▪ Or even better, show a calendar range like this video at 2:39 -
https://youtu.be/ZY1BFv8qEeM?t=159
o E.g. Timeline here 3:20-3:22 - https://youtu.be/h0GohGRRmD8?t=200
 ▪ If you want to show a time period of the year, show a timeline like this and shade the
relevant months in https://gyazo.com/a834c9c79963c783731531c76f80d297
o 1:30 - https://youtu.be/czgOWmtGVGs?t=90
• LENGTH: Animate a line and measurement (but write M instead of meters, or Ft instead of feet) and animate
something next to the object to give it perspective. Make sure its proportionately correct. E.g. if its smaller
you can animate a finger next to it.
• E.g. 4:32 here - https://youtu.be/ykQ1anehO_A?t=272
• E.g. 5:19 - https://youtu.be/U91Ram_jU4A?t=319

Money/temperature/dimensions etc:

• Keep English text to a minimum, since we translate the videos. SO, when the narrator mentions certain
prices, animate the price on screen without text. E.g. $1,000,000 NOT $1 Million.
o When a large value/price is mentioned, animate it like this: 1:51 -
https://youtu.be/ugPbYHzh8gI?t=110 except only write the number and dollar sign. Here's the
falling money overlay: https://www.videoblocks.com/video/slow-motion-falling-money-aupkig5
Also, here's the SFX: 0:18 - https://youtu.be/kz180ciMX00?t=18 or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHnoxtfF5_4
• With Measurements, type both imperial and metric values. BUT, write in short form (M not Meters)
o E.g. degrees C and Degrees F here at 2:31 - https://youtu.be/VSW55-88MMc?t=151
o E.g. ft and meters here at 2:37 - https://youtu.be/d-xJL9lgMbw?t=157

Essential Photoshop Skills:

• If you have an image, but its proportions are wrong, often it means you'll get gaps at the sides/bottom,
which is annoying. Increase the canvas size and use the 'content aware' fill in Photoshop to correct this, so
that it fits.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/42d19cfcd28d77e2829ebdaf3cdc35e2
• Similarly, if there's an image you want to use, but you want to remove an annoying aspect from it, use the
spot healing brush.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/122bfcc161481b6796d4566e7ea2fe69
o Here's a tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uJXWaKGeBc
• To cut out images, pen tool the selection, then 'make selection' and use the 'refine edge'
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/1baba3e8b41e78e54656743e67004aea
o Here's a great tutorial on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XATrDdkXzs

Transitions:

• Don't over-complicate it.

• Clean/simple transitions are the best.
• Here's a tutorial you can follow to use some amazing transition presets for free:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaEndem1kUg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6P-JKLyBrA
Some examples of great transitions:
• 4:26 - https://youtu.be/mmoQcL99Vng?t=266
• 1:50, 4:45, 4:54, 12:15 - https://youtu.be/Y8RigxxiilI?t=110

Rank format/synchronisation:

• Each rank should fade out and appear like this video from 3:00-3:03 - https://youtu.be/5aQkj60ubEM?t=180
(Except, make sure both the text and image below has a drop shadow, and make sure that drop shadow is
more uniform and neater than this example)
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/4eaf4990775956a0f074ba636130314a
 o Essentially, make sure the picture is centred with drop shadow, with the background graphic behind,
and its name above the image. The background and foreground images should rotate and zoom out
at different speeds to give a nice movement effect.
o This is old, and the graphics are outdated (as well as the text), but it shows the format well -
https://gyazo.com/ea1ef67bba722d0186527e5a64ad9bce
• Notice, the previous image/video of the rank before should fade out BEHIND the animated face. This
animated face clip is rendered in alpha channel, meaning that its black background goes transparent so the
other clips can fade out behind them, instead of just cutting to black.

Animating Articles:

• When the narrator is referring to a specific quote from an article it should look like this:
https://gyazo.com/d7e58d9c957e1e1ecb877ae4a2d235f0
• Animate a slightly blurred version of the article in the background, with the specific quote that's being
referred to in the foreground with a slight drop shadow. The title should still be readable.
o e.g. 1:47 - 1:57 & 3:37 - https://youtu.be/N9iw97U-DAI?t=107
• However, I'd prefer if you highlighted the text as its read out, much like this video at 1:57 -
https://youtu.be/OjlKIjLWq-Y?t=117
• When animating an article and you need to back what's being said by the narrator, without highlighting the
exact quote he's saying:
o Animate like this video at 1:28 - https://youtu.be/OjlKIjLWq-Y?t=88
o Another style that's great: 1:38 - https://youtu.be/mUP0tx7Ib2w?t=98
• When the narrator is talking about a story that has been touched on before, animate the headlines on
screen like these examples:
o 5:10 - https://youtu.be/1W7SEx1Lsxc?t=310

NOTICE:

• The articles have been 'cleaned' in Photoshop. In other words, the ads on the sides any any unnecessary info
have been removed, and the article has been centralised, so that its animated nice and neatly. Click the
PrtScn button on your keyboard and edit from there.
• If there are gaps on the side of the article, they should be the same colour as the page of the article, e.g.
mostly white.
o e.g. the image above used this article: https://www.thewrap.com/conners-premiere-drops-35-
percent-roseanne-ratings/ it looked like this:
https://gyazo.com/46882cdc66bf9936cebade2d89b3c888 Remove the ads and make sure you don't
show the black on the sides.
o Check this out: https://gyazo.com/43bca24daa8dbb21247a49c72b101611
• NEVER screen capture yourself scrolling through an article. Instead, Photoshop the whole article into a single
image and pan that image so that it is nice and smooth. Increase the 'canvas size' of the Photoshop
document to add spaces on the sides so that its the same background colour as the main article.
• These images show what I mean: https://gyazo.com/d635d1127b13e6b2efd2eddedf466a68 However, the
one on the right shows how you can create 2 almost identical articles in Photoshop, but one with highlights
to specific text. By transitioning from one image to the next, the highlights will appear.
• The highlighted colour should not change the colour of the text. Here's what I mean:
https://gyazo.com/b48e860c6f00907ba35112290b93e1ec The overlay shouldn't just be at a low opacity. The
text should merge through the highlight which is easily achieved by using an appropriate blending mode (in
this case 'multiply'

Animating official statements or quotes from people:

• For official statements by organisations or certain people, show an image of the organisations logo, HQ or
the person saying the statement etc. Above that, in a darkened box (with opacity of about 50%), write the
quote in quotation marks.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/714a6ee090d120e948cd67a92d989b81
• A few examples can be seen from this video, e.g. at 8:30 & 12:59 - https://youtu.be/N9iw97U-DAI?t=510
• To animate a story, or if the narrator says something someone said, use speech bubbles. You can use
thought bubbles if the narrator says someone thought/dreamt about something.
o E.g. 3:53 - https://youtu.be/G_Q3KNLwW0A?t=233

Animating social media posts:

• If it's a random persons post, show it in full screen like this:

https://gyazo.com/d102193405f78c56c47a1bc122270af9
• Notice: Their profile is in the background, and you can clearly see the post in the centre. Ideally their profile
in the background should VERY SLOWLY pan downwards as if its insanely slowly scrolling.
• If it's a famous persons tweet/facebook post etc, animate it over an image of that person. If its an
organisation, you can animate it over an image of the organisations HQ, building, or spokesperson etc.
o E.g. https://gyazo.com/247e137bbe3c25ea0900b2e833347477
• e.g. this video at 1:38 & 7:50 - https://youtu.be/N9iw97U-DAI?t=98
o Notice: the background image should move slowly, and there should be a slight drop shadow to the
post image.