How to Use Graphics & Special Effects

Graphics and special effects have the ability to transform ordinary footage into something extraordinary, but can also take heaps of time to produce. There are also so many ways that you can add these elements to enhance your videos. So how do you decide when it is worth the extra efforts?

Essential Graphics for Busy Beginners:

Let’s break it down into the most impactful graphics that won’t require a wizard’s apprenticeship:

1. Text Overlays:

Start with simple text overlays. These can be your character’s names, key points and locations, or call-to-action (CTA) messages. Use bold fonts and contrasting colors to make them pop. Try to avoid using fonts with serifs (the little hang-y bits).

Text overlays are typically an easy addition to your content, so I would use them when they are relevant. Be sure that the positioning, and font follow some sort of rules of consistency within each video, even better if across videos.

Save CTA presets to an easy to access folder for repeated use.

2. Maps:

In the adventure sector, maps are crucial and definitely worth your time. I personally do this using Canva. I apply a green background with can easily be removed in any software, and then I add the map and a pin for where I am on top of that.

If you want to get extra fancy, I also have a zoomed-out map of the world that I zoom into another map of New Zealand. I use keyframing to do this, which I’ll go into more below. It takes a bit to understand the first time, but is an easy and effective graphic to add.

3. Green Screen Magic:

A while back, I bought a green screen, basically a big green sheet I could hang anywhere so that I could separate any subject from the background. A key to good green screen usage is good lighting.

Would I recommend this? NO. It was fun, it gave me a lot of creative freedom, but overall, it was time-consuming, and the final product can look very tacky if you don’t do it right.

4. Overlay Effects:

Overlay effects refers to things like light leaks, lens flares, or particle animations. These subtle touches can add a bit of fun to your video and increase viewer engagement. One example of the use of these effects is when Sailing Good Bad and Ugly did a pirate skit (I can’t seem to find the exact video). They had a flash go across the scene, the screen went black and white, and then various effects came on screen that helped enhance a historical story they were telling. I recall being highly amused and appreciating the creativity they put into the skit.

Would I recommend it? Sparingly. If the effects are already part of your software and easy to access, then yes. For example, I always put an old film overlay on my clips when I am talking about something in the past. In Episode 1 of my new channel, I briefly used a swirly screen effect because I was trying to emphasise how disoriented I was.

The key in using overlay effects is to be INTENTIONAL and THOUGHTFUL about them. Do the overlays match the point in the story? Do they enhance the emotion? Are they distracting? Do they detract or add to what you want your audience to focus on?

5. Keyframing

I mentioned keyframing above, but it’s worth giving a section on it’s own as it is the most common way you can add graphics in advanced software.

Keyframing is when you go to a specific point in a video and define the properties of an object or graphic, such as its position, scale, rotation, opacity, and more. These keyframes act as anchor points that dictate how the graphic should change over time. In Davinci Resolve, you can tell a keyframe has been set by the red dots in the Inspector:

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To use a keyframe, follow these steps:

1. Select the Graphic: Choose the graphic or object you want to animate in your video editing software. This could be a text element, logo, image, or any other graphic.
2. Set the Initial Keyframe: Go to the starting point of your animation timeline. Set the initial keyframe for the chosen property (e.g., position, scale, opacity) at this point. This keyframe marks the graphic’s properties at the beginning of the animation.
3. Move to a Different Point: Move to a different point on the timeline where you want a change in the graphic’s properties. This could be a few seconds later or any desired time in your video.
4. Adjust Properties: Modify the properties of the graphic at this point. For example, if you’re animating position, move the graphic to a new location. The video editing software will automatically create a new keyframe at this point.
5. Smooth it out: Smooth out the keyframe for a more natural look. Below is an example of how to access this function in Davinci Resolve. The first arrow enters the area of the clip where you can do this. The second arrow chooses which smoothing out option you’d like to use. And the third arrow allows you to move around the little handle to adjust the smoothing feature. (third arrow). You can see the middle arrow is creating a curve (look at first arrow) that makes the changes in the second keyframe happen in a more smooth curve rather than an abrupt change.

Keyframing is easily where graphics can become time-consuming, so I recommend using them sparingly, and being conscientious of the amount of time you spend on a scene. Yes, the graphic will add to the story, but this is the last place you should spend your time.

Practical Tips for Implementation:

Like I said at the beginning of this newsletter, I am aware graphics take heaps of time with not very big return on effort. Below are some practical tips to get you started and save you time.

1. Template Magic

Create reusable graphic templates. Once you’ve designed an intro, outro, or text overlay style, save it as a template for future use. This streamlines the process. I have heaps of graphics I have saved in Canva, and I just reuse them over and over again.

2. Don’t Get Caught Up in Details

Yes, you don’t want to look tacky, but you also don’t need it to look perfect. Be aware of when trying to get everything perfectly aligned is taking away from other, more effective improvements you could be making.

3. Think of Contrast

Graphics and text can be hard to see if they are the same color as the background. Try to always have contrasting colors. Another tip is to add a bit of shadow to your graphic or text so it pops a bit from the background. Only a tad though, or it will look cheap!

4. Consistency in Branding

Whether it’s colors, fonts, or graphic styles, a cohesive visual identity strengthens your brand and makes your content more recognizable.

5. Less is Often More

While it’s exciting to experiment with graphics and effects, remember that subtlety is a virtue. Avoid overwhelming your video with too many flashy elements. Let each graphic be intentionally chosen to progress the story and serve a purpose.

Action

Don’t be afraid to experiment with graphics, especially maps! There are heaps of tutorials and resources available to help you master graphics and special effects, but also, don’t try learning everything at once so you get overwhelmed!