Add some day-to-day reality into your https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=3Y_BsZFx7w0 next video project by including eye-catching on-screen text message visuals. Heres how to do it the right way.
Over the past few years, audiences have embracedon-screen text messages that pop up over a shot of a character holding a phone. Before the messages started appearing alone on the screen, filmmakers relied on showing footage of a phone. The technique was cumbersome and not visually interesting.
Before going further, heres a great look at the history of the on-screen text message from Every Frame A Painting. The video includessome of the best examples of this technique from television and film.
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What Works and What Doesnt
The shot/reverse shot of a character and a phone is visually boring. Not only must you rely on a clear and legible shot of the phone, the image must stay up long enough for the audience to read. There are many problems with this. On set, you will waste countless hours trying to get a clean shot of the phone especially if its handheld. This is why so many studios have switched todigitally replacing the screen.
There have been attempts to make the phone shot more engaging by replacing the text with a video chat. However, this often endswith terrible results. The conversations feel forced and awkward.
Image:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via Nickelodeon Movies
Another issue:phones are a product of their time. If you are working on a futuristic sci-fi film, but your actor is using a phone thats three years old, it ruins the aesthetic. It can also beover-the-topproduct placement.
Now that audiences have embraced on-screen text messaging, its actually become weird to see the actual phone face. Filmmakers can also showcase much more information using this technique. The audience can read the text and see the actors reaction to a message all at once. It also cuts down on runtime. The boring static shot of a phone no longer wastes an extra ten seconds, allowing you to quickly move the story forward.
Image:House of Cards via Netflix
How to Add Text Message Speech Bubbles
The easiest way to add on-screen text messages is to use After Effects. Now, you can certainly create and animate your own text bubbles or you can just use the new MessengerAfter Effects template from RocketStock.Its totally FREE.
With thisfree After Effects template, you can create just about any on-screen text messaging combination you can think of. Instantly simulate the feel of Android or Apple iOS text messages. Customize the color and bubble size, insert photos and text messages, adjust the timing, and then youre done. Just take a look at all the options in this demo.
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Download Now at RocketStock.com
Big fan of free After Effects templates? Be sure to check out the other After Effects template freebies on RocketStock.
http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-create-realistic-on-screen-text-messages/
