Titles are always nice when a video starts. You give your viewers an immediate sense of reference. A title, such as the name of the place or the name of the event, helps set the tone/mood for the rest of the video
You don't have to have a fancy machine to make your title screen, and you don't have to shoot the title the first thing. This is a list of things you can do to make titles>
1. SIGNS
2. POSTERS
3. COVERS OF PROGRAMS
4. YOUR OWN HAND WRITING
5. BUY A GREETING CARD AND VIDEO THE OUTSIDE -AND- WHILE TAPING OPEN IT TO YOUR PRINTED OR HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE
6. LETTER ON CLEAR PLASTIC - SHOOT THROUGH THE PLASTIC AND SHOW THE LETTERING
7. LETTER ON A WINDOW BLIND - AND LET IT ROLL UP TO SHOW THE FIRST SCENE
8. LETTER A CARD - PUT THE CARD ON A RECORD TURNTABLE AND TURN IT WHILE SHOOTING IT.
You can dream-up your own variation of a title. This list should give you a few ideas. If you can't letter, the local sign shop will make you one, or one of the print shops.
I'm missing the obvious -- your using a computer to read this -- you can use your word-processor and print your own title.
You could even print it on clear plastic.
In the back of the video magazines, you can find a number of title making units. I own the 'VIDEONICS TITLEMAKER 2000' this is a good inexpensive titling machine, one which you could use for years. VIDEONICS current
manufactured TitleMakers models are TM3000 and Personal TitleMaker. "I wouldn't be surprised if Videonics is working on a DV titler." Please refer to my page on DV Cameras, I recomend the digital format if you are going to purchase a new camera.
The choices go on an on and the prices go up and up.
If you have a video out on your computer you could use 'POWER POINT' to title the video.
From this point there are titlemaking programs in most of the NLE editing systems, and those which don't have their own - plug-in programs exist.
Pick fonts - alphabet styles - which complement the mood of the video.
PLACES TO USE TITLES
1. AT THE BEGINNING - THE TITLE FOR THE WHOLE VIDEO
YOU CAN PUT TITLES IN THE MIDDLE FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
2. NAMES OF PEOPLE
3. NAMES PLACES
4. DATES AND TIMES
5. NAMES OF EVENTS
6. JUST FOR FUN - JOKES - SHAZOOM - POW - LOL - You may remember the Batman television program, which used the comic book style and flashed words on the screen to emphasize the action - it was pure camp - I loved it.
TITLE SCREENS AT THE END OF THE VIDEO
7. ALL OF YOUR CREDITS
8. LIST ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED -
9. PLACE YOUR SPONSORS MESSAGE HERE AND AT THE BEGINNING
10. COPYRIGHT NOTICE IF YOU COPYRIGHT YOUR PROGRAM.
I recently suggested, that a group, have a poster close to the camera for use as the title screen, to zoom out wide, and shoot the poster for a minute before the event started, then to simply pan 90 degrees to see the wide shot of the room. Centering the podium then zoom into the introduction of the meeting.
This technique would give a nice open for any video. I suggested a minute of time because CAT - programs need color bars and countdown screens for broadcast purposes. The minute of time at the beginning allows for the insertion of the color bars - countdown and CAT logos. CAT prefers their logo at the beginning and end of the program submissions.
