Tears Of Joy Video

As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words.  But if you’re telling a story with a video montage, titles can really enhance your video. Titles should be used to introduce the subject, but they can be used for much more, they can tell your story. 

An example of this is on our website www.tearsofjoyvideo.com, under samples.  Take time to watch the Anniversary sample, this video was done by the couple’s daughter.  She wrote a poem about her parent’s life.  Then in the video they arranged the pictures around the poem.  We used titles, as well as voice over on this video.  Her daughter (the couple’s only grandchild) read the poem on video and then we used the sound track as narration for the video, but along with that we used titles so it looked like the titles were being read.  In the end, the poem cemented the story, helping even strangers understand the story of this couples life.

Another example was a video I did for a lawyer who was having a party for a fellow lawyer who was becoming a partner in her firm.  She took pictures of his life and created captions for each picture, and with a combination of title pages and title overlays she told a humorous story of how this lawyers life lead him to where he was today.  A word of caution here though, do not make your titles too lengthy, because they can detract from the pictures.  However short to the point titles can enhance the picture and draw more attention to the subject.  In the end this video was one of my favorites, a good combination of humor and a well-rounded story.  The customer wrote me and told me it was a big hit at the party.

If you are doing a family history video, it can help to add overlay titles to name relatives or friends in the video.  You may know who those people are, but years from now will the grandchildren, or great-grandchildren know who these people are and how they were important to your family?  If you keep in mind the story is not just for you, but for generations to come, it can help you decide where appropriate titles should be placed.

Another way to use titles is to use quotes.  Juli did this on a sports video for a little league team.  The customer gave her pictures that the parents had taken through out the season and in the midst of the pictures they picked out famous quotes about baseball and added them within the video.  Some of the quotes seemed to be made for the pictures.  These quotes help tell a story, and they also add a bit of humor to the video.

Titles can be a powerful tool in helping you tell your story with a video montage.  So when you are planning your video, look at your pictures, and think of which ones could use a title to help your audience understand the story your trying to create.  Remember your not just creating a video; you’re creating a lasting memory.  You know you have accomplished your purpose if your story can move your audience to tears of joy.  We here at Tears of Joy Video love helping you create those lasting memories.

Cathie Dodd

Tears of Joy Video

www.tearsofjoyvideo.com