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Chapter 11 Editing and Enhancing Your Videos 137

Creating Other Onscreen Graphics

Titles and credits don’t have to be the only onscreen text in your video. You can also
superimpose other text and graphics on your picture, anywhere in the course of the
video.

For example, Figure 11.11 shows a subtitle added to a piece of video. You can typi-
cally choose from a number of different colors, themes, and effects for these
onscreen graphics.

Figure 11.11 Add onscreen graphics to identify what’s happening onscreen.

Adding Background Music

Many video-editing programs let you enhance the video you shoot with back-
ground music. This is typically added as a separate track to the program’s timeline
or storyboard; just drag and drop the chosen music file (typically in MP3 format)
into the proper position. You can then adjust the sound level of the music track to
best blend the background music with the foreground speaking.

When choosing background music, make sure the music you choose is the right
length for the accompanying video—you don’t want the music to end before the
video or scene is over. The background music should complement the onscreen
action, not overpower it in terms of volume level, lyrical content, and beat/feel. For
example, you don’t want to accompany an emotional confessional video with an up-
tempo hip-hop beat. Select carefully and sympathetically, and remember that it’s the
main content that matters, not the music in the background.