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Category: Content Creation

May 8 2023

5 Ways To Tell Your Brand Stories Through Videos

by Team illusto
3 min

The memorability of a good video plays a FANTASTIC marketing tool simply because it tends to stick with customers more than other forms of content. It’s a fact: video content is engaging in a way like no other content has ever been: according to a Facebook/Nielsen study, even if a consumer watches a video for under 10 seconds, it ‘still helps increase brand awareness and purchase intent.’ The use of video in marketing strategies definitely allows customers to create a connection with your brand and subsequently, allows you to understand what form of content works best: animated, humorous, how-to videos, etc. 

What’s important to understand here is that video can really help accentuate what you’re selling to your customer to create a loyal attachment: your video doesn’t just have to be centered around the product you are selling. A brand storyline includes everything from history, inspiration, and vision to values – basically, everything that has convinced you to market this in the first place. 

We’ve all saved several video posts that we want to revisit for several reasons such as an emotional connection to their storyline, a certain angle used to enhance cinematography or the crazy transitions from frame to frame. It’s why a video is only as good as its edit. If you can’t get your brand story right through a compelling video editor, you’ve already lost 50% of the battle…err your consumer base. 

Devoting time and resources to create and then edit meaningful content can be a daunting prospect for many. But we’ve got you covered. With illusto, converting videos into well-edited story content has never been easier. Our free online video editing tool gives you all you need to create compelling videos. Check out our platform and try it out for yourself: we have plenty of editing hacks available for you. However, before you graduate to editing your video content, here are some things to keep in mind while creating videos specifically for your brand. 

1.   Know your audience: Who is the content geared towards? What are their desires, aspirations, values, and struggles? Why should they watch what you are offering? 

Your videos need to resonate with your target audience – if you wouldn’t click on a video you’ve created, why should your audience? An intimate understanding of your consumer base will help you create content that is meaningful to them. APPEAL to their emotions. After all, you’re not merely selling a product, you’re telling a story. And stories should always be magical. 

2.   Consider every element in your video: Every frame of the video should reflect your brand. The people, the setting, the wardrobe, colors, and animations: each element should be in harmony with your brand’s story. All these elements leave a subtle but lasting impression on your audience. Here’s a small example: avoid wearing too many contradicting patterns when shooting a video because it can look blurry over the screen. Instead stick to solid, pleasing colors.

3.   Let your visuals do the talking: ‘Show, don’t tell,’ is classic storytelling advice. Let your visuals convey your brand story. Unlike a blog post, you do not need to state every detail about your product or story explicitly. Your visuals need to convey your brand story subtly but powerfully. Remember the use of the classic flower emoji that is subtly placed over something taboo like a couple kissing? It conveys a pretty strong picture that this is not for your eyes, and leaves more to the imagination.   

4.   Keep your videos short: To sustain your audience’s attention, video content should be short and to the point. There are exceptions of course, but well-made, concise videos typically perform better than longer ones. There is no dearth of content vying for your audience’s attention, so keep your videos crisp and compelling. Clever transitions, filters, and text can really help with this.  

5.   Edit like a pro: Editing is the final piece of the puzzle. You need to pay close attention to the selection of shots, effects, transitions, background music, and all other elements during the editing process. An edit can make or break your video. Our free online video editor illusto is perfect for all your editing needs. Apart from the standard editing tools, we’ve also got an extensive collection of stock images and videos for you to choose from. The best part? You need no prior experience to edit videos here, so go on check it out.   

Here’s a final tip: Always work backward: envision your story from the final edit and then work it to how you should shoot your content to get it right without too many edits. With a little bit of preparation and the right tools, you’ll be on your way to sharing your brand’s story with the world!

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May 8 2023

A Guide To Becoming A Successful Content Creator.

by Team illusto
4 min

Many aspire to become influencers, but here are some mantras to success.

Gone are the days when celebrities were only film actors, politicians, and sports players. Content creators have increased the spectrum of professions under celebrity status.

Using social media as a platform, many have started to portray their hidden talents by creating content.

With more content creators creating content on social media using online editing software like illusto, many others want to follow in their footsteps.

A tried and tested route is not the only way to succeed in content creation. Nevertheless, we have narrowed down the things most of the successful content creators have done and listed them below.

Double down on your niche

Figure out what kind of content you want to create. For instance, if you’re going to make social media content about film reviews like Jeremy Jahns or Chris Stuckmann, stick to the reviews.

If you upload a film’s review on a Friday and then a list of restaurants to visit in Barcelona on a Sunday, your audience may lose you.

So it is better to stick to your domain and make videos on it. Look at the others creating similar content, learn how they go about things, and make your content strategy accordingly.

Listen to your audience.

The social media comment section with negative comments can sometimes be tricky for content creators. Criticism in the section can be over the limits at times. But to become a successful content creator, it is essential to listen to your audience, take criticism, and use it to improve your content.

Keep engaging with your audience through Instagram live sessions or Q and A’s. Learn what they want in your future content. Make them a part of your future content strategy plan.

Build relationships with your followers. Don’t just get obsessed with the number of followers. Try and give them a personal touch and make them feel like they are part of the family. 

The content creation space has accelerated during the COVID times; one of the main reasons behind it is how audiences and brands regularly interact during lockdown times and create a bond. With things returning to normal, connecting with the audience may take a little while, but it will be good practice to continue interacting with the audience.

Identify targeted audience

Heather Crockett Oram, Dana Harvey, and Rachelle Chapman are some famous content creators focusing on motherhood. The content is targeted at a specific viewer group which is young mothers. These influencers are relatable to many young mothers. And their range is relatable to all the struggles young mothers face, and the influencers give information about vital things for a mother to do.

Similarly, one has to identify the demography one is targeting and make content accordingly. Look at the average age group of your viewers and what they are looking for; 

You can be a teacher on YouTube for primary and high school students or teach physics for graduation-level students, understand their age psyche, and make videos relatable to them.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Don’t be obsessed about the number of followers right from the word go. Concentrate more on making good content and build your portfolio slowly. Have a sound plan and stick to it. 

It is all about the journey rather than the destination. By going slow and creating good content, there is a higher chance of building a loyal followers base. And on top of that, it gives you and your audience a family-like connection as they have been part of your journey from the beginning.

Some content creators even try to buy followers for their Instagram pages which is against the policies of the App. One must be careful about Instagram bots too, which can genuinely hinder the growth of the influencer.

Different content for different platforms

Despite having the same niche, try and deliver different content depending on the platform used.

Make use of all the social media platforms to spread your content across. The message at the end, which the viewer might receive, maybe the same but told in a different way that suits each platform.

Be thorough with the features of social media platforms on which you make content. Strategize how to use a particular part to make your content more appealing to your audience.

Understand the diversity of users on social media platforms. For instance, many Gen Z*is no longer use Facebook. Make your content suitable for them on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Similarly, there may be millennials* and Gen X* categories that use Facebook to adapt your content accordingly to them and Facebook.

Edit your content well

Editing is as important as all the steps above. One might even say to rectify all your shortcomings in making content here, and at the same time, all the hard work done can go wrong if the editing part is not done correctly.

However, do not worry; the best online editing software for desktops, Illusto, can be used to solve the problem. The user-friendly video editor has many perks that can improve the quality of your videos.

 One of the best features for content creators is that videos edited in the software can be exported up to 4K resolution. 

illusto allows adding cover photos to the videos that would automatically be picked as thumbnails by TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, making your content suitable for social media.

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May 8 2023

The Ever-Evolving Tale Of Video Editing As A Craft

by Team illusto
3 min

There are a lot of modern methods to edit a video but let’s look at it how it all began

The film Dune has won the Academy Award for best film editing. The man behind the wheel was Joe Walker. Anyone who has witnessed the visual marvel wouldn’t disagree with the decision made by the jury.

American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman said, “The film is made in the editing room”.

Whether a film is for large or smaller screens, the storytelling sequence makes the film stick to the audience. That’s where the art of cutting and pasting the frames becomes the heart and soul of the film.

These days everyone can access video editing software like illusto for desktops and other editing apps for mobiles. The craft has gone through a lot of evolution alongside filmmaking techniques.

ACT-1

Let’s see what happened in the year 1890 first.

 A device named Kinetograph was invented. The machine was invented by Thomas Alva Edison and his apprentice William K.L Dickson. It is called the world’s first motion-picture camera.

Then came the Lumiere Brothers, who invented the Cinematograph. By the way, Lumiere Brothers are the first-ever filmmakers in history. 

The Brothers used a cinematograph similar to a camera to capture pictures. The pictures later were put in a Kinetograph for editing.

FLASHBACK

D.W. Griffith made a massive contribution in laying the foundation for the art of editing. His films were shown in film institutes to inspire the students who wanted to make movies back in the 1920s. His films were shown repeatedly to the students to show them primitive editing techniques.

However, it wasn’t Griffith who gave this craft a name. It was Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein who named it Montage. Montage is a way of putting together shots at a quick or slow pace depending on how the director wants the audience to perceive the film. V.I. Pudovkin, another Soviet filmmaker, used the Montage too.

“The Great Train Robbery” is a film made in 1903 by Edwin. S Porter was the first to demonstrate to the audience of more advanced editing techniques. The 10-minute movie experimented to see the viewer’s reaction to editing.

ACT-2

The experimentations were happening with films on how editing could be used in filmmaking. 

Around the 1920’s Russian Filmmaker, Lev Kuleshov took the art of editing to the next step.

Lev Kuleshov came up with the idea of sequencing two shots to give a more holistic picture of how the story moves forward. For example, Shot One is a man-eating. The second shot is of his wife cooking a meal. Combining those two shots gave a holistic idea of this editing method. It is known as the Kuleshov effect.

The phenomenon revolutionized the concept of film editing and the filmmakers’ perception of how editing can be used to enhance their storytelling.

Nevertheless, Only in the 1920s, In a film named The Jazz Singer synchronize audio was used for the first time. Before that, any movie made had an orchestra accompanied to play in the theatres.

However, even before The Jazz Singer, filmmakers tried to add audio to their films but were unsuccessful. The Jazz singer laid a marker for synchronized sound for feature films.

ACT-3

In 1956 the first modern tool called Ampex VTR came into public usage. Instead of the previous methods, which were cutting and pasting pictures and with a drawback of no backing up process, editing was tuff on editors. However, this tool could be used for backing up audio and video with many other perks.

This tool made editors’ lives easy and gave them more room to experiment with their edits.

In the early 1970s came the CMX System, which revolutionized how filmmakers wanted to make films. The system used a non-linear editing method.

The method meant the director could locate any frame of the film in a blink of an eye and go back to the edited film and change it. This equipment gave an option not only for the editors but filmmakers as well to experiment with their crafts.

Then comes Harry, the equipment that laid the foundation for modern digital editing we are accustomed to. However, the system, unlike current editing software, was relatively primitive. 

The neverending strive to improve from the editors, filmmakers, and a few computer geeks build the base for modern digital editing by inventing Avid Technology. The technology was user-friendly, which the editors loved, and efficient at the same time.

End Credits

Since AVID, many editing software has been brought to the market, and the evolution and updating have been relentless. With the advent of PCs, high-speed internet, and social media, the software market is not just limited to the filmmaking industry 

So here is one modern, user-friendly online video editor for desktop users- illusto. 

To use illusto for editing, the user need not have prior expertise or knowledge of editing. The online video editor has many features, including adding effects, text, animations, and many more.

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May 8 2023

How To Create Your First Youtube Video

by Team illusto
5 min

Congratulations on making your first move. If you are here, it is probably because you want to step foot into content creation as a career. Youtube is a massive platform today – for earning revenue, building a community, getting lots of engagement, and having your own voice. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t want to hop on this train. 

With more than 2.6 billion active users worldwide, YouTube is a vast community of its own. YouTubers like Casey Neistat, Klossy, Neil Patel, Marie Forleo, Roberto Blake, and many more made it big through their influential yet distinct content. Creators like WheezyWaiter who answer the curiosity of the people, or Nathaniel Drew who ‘searches for mental clarity’ through his video content surrounding self-improvement. 

The 15-year-old platform has seeded the careers of thousands of different creators over the years. Creators of every age, ethnicity, nationality and interest are present on the platform, putting out content every day. One of the most subscribed channels, PewDiePie, started when he was in college. He was on a student loan and couldn’t even afford a proper computer. He worked on a hotdog stand to be able to do YouTube. 

This shows that anyone can do it, you just have to find your motive and your own distinct color of content that you want to put out. So if you’re inspired by these creators around you and want to start your YouTube journey, we are here to help. Here are some ways you can avoid facing initial hiccups and create your YouTube videos smoothly.

Know your audience

If you’re just starting out, you’ve got a clean slate, to begin with! So pick a genre you feel you can generate content for in the long run, not something that will die out after a couple of months. Then, once you’ve picked your field, you’ve got to highlight your USP – what makes you stand out from every other content creator? What does your audience feel the need to see that they haven’t already watched? 

Reel your audience in with a bang! Sweat the details to make your first few videos stand out. 

You, as a creator, may be charismatic, talkative, and handsome, but more is needed to guarantee that it would make for appealing content to the audience.

Learn about the competitors that have been successfully targeting your audience for a long time. Observe their videos and try to gauge how they engage the audience, which will help you formulate your strategy depending on your strengths and weaknesses.

Before making a video for the targeted audience, ensure your video answers these questions – what are the issues going around? How can my content solve their problem? How can I add value to them with my content?

To further enhance interest levels, you need to initiate tie-ups and collaborate with other brands and channels to widen your audience. Make sure to keep your posts light in text in order to avoid jargon.

Dabble In SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical battle that needs to be won by content creators. Look for keywords the targeted audience is searching for and use them appropriately. Keyword optimization plays a vital role in helping you to actively solve your prospective customer’s problems. For example, if the target audience is searching “how to make YouTube videos”, keywords that you should look out for are “how to make videos for YouTube”, “how to make videos online”, “how to make videos online free”, etc. Including relevant and popular keywords in your video title is one of the best practices that can help your video grow. Check this link for some websites that can help you.

Andrew Kane of TubeBuddy said, “Many people spend time on broad terms with so much competition they’re never going to show up for.” He says if one can be more specific on the topics and use keywords accordingly, there is more chance of the video becoming accessible to the right audience in the early stages despite having fewer subscribers.

It takes time to master your craft. So do not hesitate to falter. Success will eventually come with practice. All you need is guidance and the correct tools to make it happen.

Create an identity

Why would you copy someone’s done-that already content when you can produce fresh, original content? So instead, get inspired by other content creators without emulating them. 

Technical elements help you find your style – it could be a particular form of animating your text, or the style in which you write your captions. It could be a catchphrase or even simply your own logo. 

Remember, balance is key – you don’t always have to go OTT but don’t be so subtle that your audience is not able to understand your signature style. Most importantly, stay consistent. It keeps your videos easily distinguishable over time. Next, understand the audience’s requirements and set your video’s tone accordingly. Finally, use the technical elements on your video needed for the style.

Acquire Good Editing Software

Here is where an online video editor like illusto can give amateurs a solid advantage.

All you need is a good internet connection to get started. Once logged in, you’ll have access to incredible, easy-to-use editing features. In addition, most of the features are located in one place, so you don’t have to go through extensive tutorials to understand how to use illusto. 

Bonus:  The software offers an excellent voiceover option and awesome audio edits. 

What’s more, you don’t have to worry about time-taking renders. illusto allows you to export 4K-resolution videos without any watermarks. In addition, the online editor enables you to select a frame from the video or insert an image as a cover photo to set your thumbnail for social media.

Understand the equipment.

Learning to walk first is more important than running fast. As a beginner, you may get disheartened with the quality of your YouTube videos when you compare them to professional videos.

Good equipment can create better-quality videos, but it’s more of a disadvantage if you need to learn how to use it. So take it one step at a time – start easy and keep enhancing your skill set to create better videos. Use the equipment in hand initially and later build from there. Good content is the foundation of long-term success on YouTube, not fancy equipment.

Try and start with instructional videos.

A recent TechSmith study says that 53% of YouTube viewers watch instructional videos twice as much as compared to other content. 

Starting with a unique instructional video would give an advantage over other new beginners. If your genre doesn’t require instructional videos, create a cool intro so your audience can warm up to you. However, it is optional to start with instructional videos if the genre doesn’t require it.

Prepare your script and dialogue – don’t wing it!

Have a clear idea of what your video should look like to the audience. Then, prepare the script accordingly and write the dialogues.

Improv dialogue can be fun, but that comes easier when you’re a seasoned expert. Winging it can end up costing you many takes and much more time, so it’s safer to stay prepared when you’re starting. 

Unlike taking many takes for a single shot, the audience only has one view of the shot in the video. Therefore, the only way to impact the viewers is by going prepared to the location with script and dialogue, executing it accordingly. If some conversations go differently than planned, use dubbing for editing those dialogues.

Finally…

Get started with illusto and go with your instincts. You’ve got this. Be smart, original, and authentic. Most importantly, make sure you have fun making your content as much as you expect your audience to have fun while watching it. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up on illusto and make your first Youtube video today!

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May 8 2023

How To Create A Fun Video Using Only Text!

by Team illusto
2 min

illusto’s online video-editing software offers fun text graphics for dynamic video production

Typography kills… metaphorically speaking. It is one of the most effective forms of advocating your message across multiple social channels. Ever seen those retro videos with neon signage that rotates and boldly screams fun? Adding text to your graphics can create a wholesome and impactful video on its own without the need for any heavy photographs or videos; here’s how illusto has simplified the process for you.

Editing videos can be both fun and simple with illusto’s online video editor. Before you begin, creating a blueprint or storyboard helps expedite the process. Jot down the idea for the font with a reference in mind so that your language or messaging is much more impactful this way. For example, fun fonts are in the style of Comic Sans (apt name right?) while more serious messaging requires Serif base fonts. Once the framework is built all you have to do is create a login with illusto and off we go.

Here’s a step-by-step process:

1. Select, “Create New”

2. Name your Project

3. Select the appropriate aspect ratio

4. When you land on the new page, upload the file or files you want to be edited. 

5. You can also use pre-loaded media and stock images if you like. 

6. You can now add text, stickers, filters, and effects.

7. Choose appropriate transitions and apply color corrections where necessary. 

8. The right-hand side video preview and play box display the results. 

9. The below video editor box helps with the editing of the video up to milli-seconds on the dot. 

10. Text, Music, and Overlay can be edited with the small box in the left corner below. 

So, Where Should You Place Text In Your Videos?

A strong introductory headline is required for all videos whereas a call to action at the end with a conclusion line is optional. Start with an introduction of the video in 4-5 words using the Caption or Title option. Having added the title, use the text option to add an introductory blurb to your video as well as paragraphs between clips in the video. If editing isn’t your strong point (yet), simply use transitions to deliver a heightened effect. Text transitions make editing seem more refined.

Make Your Texting Impactful

Creative text enabled with animations spells out the subject matter of your video making it the obvious choice when it comes to text-relying messaging.
Use Free text as a substitute for signs or texts that are loud like pronouns – product names and people names.
illusto’s Combination Text feature delivers a more playful look to your story by creating an energetic animated feel. If it is a self-made video like a vlog, it helps to add closed captions via the text options as well.
Bonus tip: If your video is purely based on images and plain graphic backgrounds, your text could play a huge role in getting your messaging across, in which case, animate your text as often as possible and choose multiple points based on the response you want to generate from the audience.

Stay tuned for more text options and many more visual effects on illusto’s video editing platform for you.

Remember a video without visual effects can be just as impactful with text. The role of text is crucial especially when it is a complement to your video or graphics in ads or vlogs, no matter the video, the typography can ace your game. Typography kills it… in a good sense.

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May 4 2023

The Importance Of A Good Video Transition

by Team illusto
2 min

Fade, Push To Top, Page Curl – a good transition is what pieces a good video together. Cut away from the standard transitions to experiment with illusto’s many varieties. 

With the evolution of video editing technology, transitions – a post-production technique used in video editing to connect one shot to another – have unsurprisingly undergone a series of transformations themselves to enhance the impact of the storyline. Recognizing this small, but integral requirement of any video editor worth their reels, illusto’s team has already provided a mesmerizing number of transitions – 28 to be exact — to avail while editing videos on illusto’s platform, with more coming your way. While, in the world of film editing, transitions still convey important pauses, a passage of time, and integral silences; in short videos, they can add a ‘wow’ element to make your storyline much more engaging than the usual paraphernalia of content. 

Alongside your essentials – fade, dip to black/ white, push to the right – illusto has also concocted interesting 2D and 3D transitions that can really amp up your video without having to divest too much energy.  

illusto’s ‘Shaking 1’ and ‘2’/ Zoom and Zoom Right are particularly interesting transition effects as they allow for a dynamic changeover in scenes that want to deliver a strong makeover or transformation effect. 


Remember the days of downloading those ‘interrupted signal’ effects to kickstart a video? Consider them eliminated with this cool ‘Signal Disturb transition’. It’s not something that might go in every video you edit, but it’s there if you need it. 

illusto’s 3D transitions are funky and can come in handy when you’re looking to create a video presentation. It’s an easy way to spruce up birthday or anniversary videos that can get quite boring with standard photographs and the same transition. It’s also an easy way to cut ahead of insta reel lovers, what with illusto’s larger variety.  The Lens Flare, Push To Top, and Star transitions are particularly reel-friendly. 

A transition is fun to use when you have the opportunity to film or edit the same scene that has been shot using different visual angles. The funk of a transition is, however, rendered useless, if it is not placed appropriately. The simple cut still retains its popularity because of the fact representation that less is indeed more. After all, you don’t want to annoy or distract your audience from the most important part of your video – its storyline. The role of a transition remains simple: to convey to the viewer that the scene has changed, with the added incentive of visual enhancement. Your transition also doesn’t have to be visual all the time – it can be conveyed with music or sound effects; something you can choose from our vast library of offerings. 

Remember, sometimes it is as important to not use transitions as it is to employ them. Great editing is what makes for an excellent video, and that starts here with illusto. Happy editing!

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