Adding animations to videos is so important today. If you are a content creator on YouTube, Twitch, or similar platforms, you know that you cannot just upload a raw video and hope that you will get noticed. You need animations in your video to make it more alluring to viewers. Even if you are running a simple podcast, you need an intro animation at the very least.
If you are new to the game, you might think that you need to spend years learning and practicing video animation software to create animations. Luckily, this isn't the case. With intuitive and easy-to-use video editing software like Wondershre Filmora, which is designed both for amateurs and pros, it is easier than ever. Let's get into it.
In this article
Types of Animations You Can Create for YouTube
Animations for YouTube can be categorized in a dozen different ways. Generally, the type of animation is directly related to its purpose in a video. We will try to list the most popular types of animations creators use on YouTube.
- Intro and outro animations: A short, simple animation happens when you open any Joe Rogan podcast video. It takes seconds, but it gets into your brain. That's the power of an interesting intro animation. Creating something like that will help users remember your channel more easily. And, when you have an intro, you undoubtedly need an outro.
- Text animations: At certain moments in the video, adding text to emphasize a particular point is a common practice. You can just add plain text, but adding text animations will be a much more efficient way to get your message across.
- Stop motion animations: This is a very effective storytelling technique. The process of achieving good stop motion results is challenging as you need to take about 20 images for only one second of footage, but when you combine all those images into one comprehensive video, the result is worth the effort.
- Countdown animations: YouTube creators use countdown timers for various reasons, but the most prominent one is to let viewers know when a particular stream or video premiere will occur. The timer counts down to zero, and the fun begins. These countdowns can be simple, but you can also go the extra mile and make a captivating countdown animation.
- 2D or 3D cartoons: Certain content creators use simple cartoon animations to tell a story. As an alternative to filming actors and hiring a camera crew, creators opt to tell a story using simple animated characters. These types of animations are usually done in two dimensions (2D), but certain creators go a step further and choose simple 3D animations. Out of all the types we mentioned here, creating cartoons is probably the most complicated.
There are many other types of animations, but these five are certainly the most frequent. After covering this, the next step is to explain how to add animations to your videos using Filmora, one of the best video editing tools on the market.
How to Animate Videos for YouTube with Filmora
Download and install Filmora, creating awesome, simple animations by following the guide.
- Superb video stabilization with low distortion.
- Vast video/audio effects and creative assets.
- Powerful AI for effortless content creation.
- Intuitive, professional yet beginner-friendly.
- Works on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Adding effects
When you add a particular effect to a video, this can be considered a type of animation. In Filmora, you can do this in three simple clicks.
Click on the Effects tab, then click a particular effect to see how it looks in the preview screen, and then simply click and drag the effect to the timeline. The screenshot below illustrates the process.
Adding transitions
Going from one scene to another can be done with a simple cut, but if you want to create something interesting, you should add a transition effect between two scenes. Transitions can be considered a type of animation as well.
In Filmora, adding a transition is as simple as adding effects. Again, it's a three-step process. Click on Transitions, find the one you like, and drag it to the timeline.
Adding stickers
Stickers are not a type of animation, but if you add an effect to a sticker, it quickly becomes just like an animated character. Stickers can add a sense of charm to a video, making it more appealing to a wider audience, especially the younger population.
Adding stickers in Filmora is the same as adding effects and transitions. Click on the Stickers tab, find a sticker you like, and finally — you guessed it — drag it to the timeline.
With all this knowledge, you are getting closer to creating the perfect YouTube animation for your channel. Let's move towards some editing features that are more closely related to animations.
Adding animations to images
Filmora offers several preset animations that you can add to images. When you import the image and add it to the timeline, double-click on it. You will see a new interface where you need to click on Animation and select the ones you like from the provided options.
Adding animations to videos
The process of adding animations to videos is similar to adding animations to images, but there is a slight difference. In the timeline, find a frame in the video where you want to add some animation, click there once, then go to Video > Animation and pick something from the preset library.
Add keyframes
Keyframes are defined as the beginning and end points of a particular animation. As you have already surmised, adding keyframes in Filmora is easy. Click on the frame in the video in the timeline where you want to add a keyframe, and simply click on the Keyframe button, as seen in the screenshot below. You can also use the Alt + Left Click shortcut.
When one keyframe is added, adding other ones is simple in the timeline. You need two keyframes, one for the beginning and one for the end of the animation. Just drag the other diamond icon to find the other keyframe. The screenshot below illustrates the process.
Filmora offers an abundance of other features that you can slowly explore as you continue using the software.
Best Practices for Animated YouTube Videos
Before we end, we would like to give you some important tips to pay attention to when developing an animation for your YouTube video.
- Identify your target audience: Understand what they like and choose an animation style that will compliment your audience's taste.
- Write a good script: The focus of video animations is storytelling, so before you embark on making your animation, you should sit down and write a good script.
- Keep it short and simple: YouTube animations are meant to be short. Consider the intro and outro animation. You don't want anything longer than a few seconds. Animated videos on YouTube are excellent but don't go overboard.
- Promote your work: When your video is done, instead of simply posting it on YouTube and waiting for someone to find you, you should promote your work on social media to amass a greater audience.
With all these useful tips and Filmora by your side, the perfect short animated video for your YouTube channel is only a few clicks away.
Conclusion
Investing your time and effort and experimenting with Filmora will give you a set of skills that will be very useful for a long time. Preparing animations for YouTube and other video content platforms is something more and more people are looking for. While you are helping yourself become a better YouTuber, you are also learning and becoming a professional video editor, which can land you high-paying gigs in the long run.
