Video editing software nowadays are very different from what they used to be. Many are far more user-friendly than they were in the past – making it possible for non-professionals, hobbyists and beginners to edit and produce amazing videos.
But aside from the improved user experience, one of the main reasons why anyone and everyone can create videos is due to the many attractive video templates that are available in editing software.
What is a Video Template?
Think of a video template as a pre-made, sample video. It will normally consist of stock footage that is already edited and includes elements like intros, layouts, transitions, background music, visual effects, animation, text captions, credits, and more.
If you use a video template, all you need to do is customize it to suit your needs. For example you could swap out the stock footage with video of your own, select a custom background music, edit the text captions, or add a voiceover.
Simply put, the extent to which you customize the template is entirely up to you.
Benefits of Video Templates
Templates can come in many different forms, but in general the benefits of using them are similar:
- Makes it easy to create videos as a lot of the work is already done. All you need to do is decide what elements you want to alter.
- Saves time as there is a lot less work to be done and you won’t need to start from the ground up. Most of the elements that you need should be in the template.
- Unifies the look of your videos which is especially useful if you’re building a brand or creating a video series and want some consistency.
All in all video templates will let you easily and quickly create videos. On top of that if you choose a good template it may even look more professional than if you attempted to create a video of your own from scratch – especially if you have little or no prior experience.
How to Choose the Right Video Template
Because there are so many video templates out there nowadays – trying to choose one can be a bit overwhelming. While you could just browse through templates and hope that one jumps out, it is better to be a bit more methodical and look at several factors:
- Type of video and its goals
Ask yourself what type of video you’re trying to create. Do you want to create a how-to video guide? A promotional video for your brand? A portfolio video to showcase your work?
Try to clearly define the type of video that you want to create and what you expect it to achieve. That will narrow down your choices and let you look for the specific type of video templates that you need.
Most video templates (and videos) use a 16:9 (HD widescreen) aspect ratio. However some may use a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio that is popular on some social media platforms, or a 9:16 (vertical) aspect ratio that is designed for mobile devices.
It is imperative that you choose a template that matches the aspect ratio you want your videos to be in.
If you identify the theme and overall aesthetic that you want your video to have, it will be a lot easier to find the right template. For example you could look for themes that are sports, nature, or holiday themed.
At times you may not be looking for a specific theme, in which case you should think about the overall aesthetic instead. For example it could be dark, bright, active, formal, casual, fast-paced, or anything else that you prefer.
The majority of video templates are set to background music. Good templates may even use the music to set the pace of the video and time its cuts and transitions.
Either you should look for a video template that already has background music that will be a good fit for your video – or one that is similar enough that you can replace it without affecting the video’s pace.
Although you can customize the layout of video templates, it helps to choose one that is close to what you prefer. Keep in mind that the layout not only encompasses the positioning of the video clips, but also the background, borders, images, and text elements too.
A good layout can set up a visual hierarchy and create focal points. It can also make your video look more creative and eye-catching.
If you take into account all these factors, it should be much easier to find the right video template. Be sure to take your time and imagine what the templates will look like when you add in your video footage and customize them.
Final Words
Now that you know what video templates are and how to find the right one, why not give it a try? If you already have your own video editing software you can use that, or you can look for one that makes it easy to use video templates and has a wide selection available.
With the right video template, you’ll find that creating videos is fast, simple, and fun. In fact odds are you won’t look back once you get the hang of it and realize just how powerful templates can be.
