How to make professional text overlays (Lower Third) in the video
Lower thirds appear frequently on television, for example in news programs, interviews or documentaries. Lower thirds are also known as lower thirds because text is displayed in the lower third of the film or video recording. This can be, for example, the name of an interviewee and their function.
Do you already have some experience in editing videos, but creating professional lower thirds is still new territory for you? With a video editing program like Camtasia, installing lower thirds is no problem and can also be mastered by beginners. We explain step by step how to create a lower third and give tips for the design.
What is a belly band and what is it for?
You’ve probably seen these video elements before: text overlays in a TV show or video in the lower third of the frame. A lower third (also called a lower third) is a graphic with text that provides cues related to the film or video content. It is often used in news programs, interviews, documentaries or instructional videos, where it provides contextual information such as speaker names or location information.
The texts in lower thirds are kept short, clearly structured and do not distract from the actual video. Here are some examples of well-placed, informative lower thirds:
How is a lower third (lower third) made? Instructions
Creating a lower third is very easy with the right tool. Video editing programs like Camtasia already have suitable templates and text tools that also give you creative freedom. Follow our guide to create a lower third step by step.
Video editing – simple, intuitive and with extensive functions
Camtasia is a professional video editing tool. Trim and crop your videos and add lower thirds, intros and sound like the pros. Get your full-featured trial now.
Download Free Trial
Step 1: Import the media
Open an existing project or start a new project and first import your regular video clip into the clip bin on the left of the canvas (1).
From there, drag the media onto the blank canvas (2).
Step 2: Inserting Shapes and Text
Click the Notes tab on the left of the screen. Under the callouts, choose a shape (usually a rectangle) and place and resize it on the canvas as needed.
Now enter your text. You can adjust the color, opacity of graphics and text in the properties area to the right of the canvas.
Step 3: Texts with special effects
On the left side of the program you will also see a Behavior tab. There you will find special special effects that you can use to make the text move. The letters can, for example, hop, jump, fall or slide into the picture one after the other.
Drag the desired behavior effect directly onto the lower third clip on the timeline (1). Adjustments can be made via the properties area (2).
Templates and design tips for lower thirds
- Camtasia includes a rich collection of predefined Lower Thirds that are free to use in video projects. Windows users will find these pre-installed in the Camtasia library; Mac users can download the moving graphics from the TechSmith website for free.
- Lower thirds, or lower thirds, usually consist of two lines of text. The first line should be slightly larger than the second. Example: speaker’s name on the first line and title on the second.
- Make sure the length of the lower third and the fonts used are consistent throughout the video.
- Don’t put the lower third at the edge of the screen, but a little more towards the middle. This prevents text from being accidentally cut off.
- When all content has been inserted, you should adjust the exact timing and positioning on the timeline.
- Try a shadow effect to make the text stand out even more.
- If a speaker appears multiple times in the video, you usually only need to show the lower third the first time.
A lower third can be created in just a few steps and immediately gives the video a very professional touch. You can display additional information without distracting from the actual video content.
Free Trial
We invite you to try Camtasia by TechSmith. This video editing software is easy to use and there are free tutorial videos to get you started quickly.
Download Free Trial