What should I include in a lower third?

A standard lower third graphic usually consists of two key lines of text, often differentiated by size or color, and a graphic background element: Primary Line (Title): The main piece of information (e.g., "Dr. Eleanor Vance"). Secondary Line (Context): The supporting detail (e.g., "Chief Technology Officer"). Graphic Bar/Box: A colored or semi-transparent background box that the text sits on. This ensures the text is legible regardless of the background video.

Can I use my logo in a lower third?

Yes, incorporating your logo into a media frame or directly onto the graphic is highly recommended for increasing brand recognition and adding a professional touch.

Where should I place a lower third graphic?

The standard placement is the bottom-left corner of the screen. However, you can use the bottom-right corner if the action or subject is on the left. The key is to keep it out of the center and top two-thirds of the screen.

What are common mistakes when creating lower thirds?

The two most common mistakes are poor readability (text color too similar to the background) and incorrect timing (the graphic appearing before or after the speaker starts talking).

How to Create Lower Thirds in Minutes: Examples & Tutorial

How to Create Lower Thirds Examples & Animoto Tutorial (1)

TLDR: With a simple video editor like Animoto, you can drag and drop your way to professional lower third graphics in minutes. Just add your text, highlight it or add a pre-made background element, choose your colors, and share.

What is a lower third, and why do you need it?

A lower third is a graphic overlay placed in the "safe zone" of the bottom third of a video frame. It serves as a visual identifier, providing context without blocking the main action.

Lower thirds are staples in professional video because they immediately convey key information:

Identification: Displays the name, title, or affiliation of a person being interviewed.
Context: Shows the location, a key statistic, or a website URL.
Branding: A clean design integrates your brand's colors and logo, instantly boosting the video's professionalism and recognition.
Accessibility: By displaying speaker names, they make your content more accessible to viewers watching without sound or those with hearing difficulties.

How to create lower thirds in Animoto

With Animoto’s text, elements, and timing controls, you can create lower third graphics that enhance your videos’s clarity, accessibility, and professionalism. In this blog, we’ll show you how to make them the easy way.

Here’s a preview of different lower third graphic designs to get the wheels turning:

Make a video

Step 1: Choose a template & customize

For this example, we’re going to be adding lower thirds to our Nonprofit About Us” template. You can browse our full template library to find the perfect starting point for your own tutorial, testimonial, explainer, about us video, or anything else you might want to add a lower third to.

If you have an existing video, you can just upload it to Animoto and edit.

https://customer-0fzvv8aftl8m8671.cloudflarestream.com/0eda0d61d93d4a53ae9f3d0ece473182/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg

Use this template

Step 2: Upload your media

Before we add your lower third, let’s get your media in place and ready to go.

Start by uploading your media straight from your device or the cloud. Then, just drag and drop it into your video. If you’re looking for additional b-roll style footage, you can always pull from our Getty Images library. Or, record your screen or webcam right in Animoto to create step-by-step tutorials and professional talking head videos.

This media will serve as the basis for your lower third graphic. So without further ado, here’s how to make it.

Step 3: Design the lower third background

First things first – you need a background. There are two ways to go about it:

1. The super easy way: Choose a text style with a background highlight so your text stands out.

Using text styles to create lower third graphics in Animoto

2. The creative way (using elements): Use the element library to create a custom background shape.

Place the element in the bottom-left corner.
Use the layer controls to position the element behind your text.
Adjust the opacity or use contrasting colors to ensure the text is highly readable.

Step 4: Add and style your text

Add two text boxes for the standard lower third format: the main Title and a smaller Subtitle.

Title: This is typically the person's name or the main topic. Use a larger, bolder font.
Subtitle: This is the person's title, company name, or website URL. Use a smaller, different font color for emphasis.
Branding: If you are not using a logo, incorporate your brand colors into the text or background elements.

Step 5: Adjust the timing

This is the most critical step: controlling exactly when the graphic appears and disappears.

Open Timeline View: Click on the text box or element and select the clock icon (or timeline icon) to open the block's timeline.
Mark Start Point: Drag the playhead to the exact second where the speaker begins talking or where you want the information to appear.
Sync Text and Elements: Drag the left "bumper" of your text box and any background elements to align with the playhead marker. This ensures they appear simultaneously.
Set Duration (4–6 Seconds): Drag the right bumper of the text and elements to ensure the graphic remains on screen long enough to be read and remembered (a suggested duration is 4 to 6 seconds).
Review: Preview the block to ensure the lower third appears and disappears smoothly and in sync with the video's action.

Lower-third design tips

If you choose to go the route of elements and media frames, you’ll have a lot of creative options. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you design:

Use the layer controls to position your elements behind your text.
Add your logo to a media frame to incorporate your brand into your design.
Place your lower third elements in the bottom left hand corner or experiment with different placements.
Change the opacity to make your elements stand out or blend in.
Try using two different elements together for the title and subtitle.
Use title and subtitle fonts and switch up the font color to emphasize the most important information.

It’s as easy as that! Now, you have a professional video with all the bells and whistles.

Lower-thirds FAQs

Make lower thirds with Animoto

Animoto takes the work out of video making for creators of all levels – no experience or credit card required! So if you want to create a professional video in a matter of minutes, not days, sign up for a free account, select a template, and drag and drop your way to your best videos yet.