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136 P a r t I I Producing Your YouTube Videos

When deciding what transitions to use, less is more. That is, fancy transitions tend
to draw attention to themselves; kind of like, “Hey! Look at this gee-whiz transition
effect!” So, it’s best to avoid spins and whirls and shatters and the like. Simple old
school transitions, such as fades, dissolves, and iris ins/outs are best, even if you
think they’re a tad boring. Ultimately, the transition should go unnoticed by the
viewer; what’s important is moving seamlessly from one scene to the next.

In addition, know that transitions are less effective in the small YouTube video win-
dow, solely due to the size of the thing. Fancy transitions can also “choke” video
playback, especially for viewers with slower Internet connections. So, especially
where YouTube is concerned, simpler transitions are definitely better.

Inserting Titles and Credits

Just as important as scene transitions are the titles and credits you add before and
after the main body of your video. The main title, like the one shown in Figure
11.10, introduces the video to YouTube viewers. The credits provide more informa-
tion, direct the viewer to your website, and provide proper credit to the individuals
that worked to create the video.

Figure 11.10 Insert a title sequence before the start of your main video.

Most video-editing programs let you choose from various styles of titles and cred-
its. You can choose the font type, size, and color; the background pattern or color;
and the transition effect between the title and the main video. In most instances,
this is as easy as typing your text into the program and then selecting the desired
style or theme.