If you are creating videos online then you should think about creating an animated logo intro for your branding on your videos. Above is a animated logo intro I created for this blog and it only cost me about $20 to create it! That is a great deal considering other people are charging hundreds or even thousands of dollars for video logo intros! Warning: you do need some technical skills to be do this but with my post you can follow me step by step. Creating a video intro for your brand which can help position you as the authority online and on Youtube. People will begin to think of you as the expert in your own niche.
Here's How The Magic Happens
Step 1: Pick A Template
You are not going to custom code all of this for your video. We are going to pick a template and adjust it for our own logo. Just browse on over to Videohive and pick out a video template that you would want to use for your logo intro. This sounds like an easy step but there are thousands of templates of there and finding one that looks how you want it to can be a lengthy process. I picked this one called Simple Logo Reveal you can check it out here. I liked how the dot came in from the top of the screen and turned into the logo. The best part about this template is that is has multiple logo intros and you get all of them for just $10! So that is my template but once you find one you like you just purchase it and download the source file. You will have to edit the file in adobe after effects but that's not till later. Now you have a professional template and you got it for only $10…. Score! Now it's time for logo optimization.
Step 2: Logo Optimization
If you already have a logo then you are good and we just need to modify your logo for your video intro. If you don't currently have a logo for your brand then you need to get one. I don't recommend that you create your own logo but if you want to do it yourself then you can use Graphicriver to find a cool image to put next to the text in your logo. You can expect to spend about $30 on a good looking image for your brand there. ( *For all the accountants who will say that this cost of $30 blows my $20 budget let me just say that the price of a logo is not included in my animated logo intro project calculation since it is assumed that you already have a logo if you are creating a animated intro.)
Once you have your logo created you are going to decide what color you want your logo to be in your video intro. In my template I could have made my logo in green, yellow, white, blue, or red. I choose green because green is what matched my site design. You will have to decide for yourself what color you want and then edit your logo in Photoshop or a program like Photoshop to the color you want. So pick a color that you want to use and make sure it matches you other design settings otherwise it will look out of place.
Step 3: Picking Your Transition
Look at the video above and you will see how many different variations are available in this awesome $10 template however you will need a video editing program called Adobe After Effects (You don't have to pay to use After Effects. You can sign up for a free trial on Adobe's website) In Adobe After Effects you will load in the video template and then you will take out the stock logo and add in your own logo. It's not hard it just takes a little bit of time to figure it out but luckily the template developer (Victorybox) shows you how to work in the template. There is a file included when you purchase and download the template that has all the instructions of how to move around in the template. Try to keep your intro short and fast as people need your video to hold their attention. So add in your own logo into the template and it's time for your logo to come alive with some sound effects.
Step 4: Picking Out Your Sound Effects
Now you just need some sound effects to make your logo intro sound like a million bucks. Head on over to Audiojungle and start searching for a perfect sound effect for your video. I began to get overwhelmed since there are just so many different sound effects you can use for a logo intro. Be sure to check out the logo sound effects section as they have most any type of sound you will ever need. They all begin to sound the same after a while but they are all slightly different. The point in this step is to find a sound that complements your logo. If you have the logo coming in slower you might want a slow swoosh sound. If you have it coming in fast like my example logo then you want a sound that complements the visuals. It depends on your logo but find something that's appropriate and please don't go crazy with sci fi sound effects or long drawn out synth effects. (Your viewers will thank you later…) I picked up my sound effect for the one I used in my sample video for just $8 which brings the running total cost of this project to just $18.
Step 5: Putting it All Together in After Effects
Hey good work so far! You have all the other steps completed and now it's time to piece together the different parts of your video logo intro. Since this post is not a technical write-up I can't go into all the technical details for users who are not familiar with After Effects but I can offer a couple thoughts. If you have never used After Effects before then you can still complete step 5 if you just watch the training videos included with your template files. It's not hard just a bit time consuming as you navigate around the panels in the software. Let me just say that I am not an After Effects expert but I was able to create my own logo intro into the design. Basically you just need to play with the timings of your intro transition and then make sure you replace the stock logo with your logo and you are done. I used one of my other favorite programs to add in the sound effects but I think you can do it in Adobe. I used the very versatile and powerful Camtasia feel free to use whatever software you want or feel comfortable working in.
Total Costs for Animated Logo Intro
After all expenses were calculated including the $10 template and the $8 sound effects the total cost was only $18 for a beautifully designed animated logo intro! Yes, I did spend some of my time on the process but I didn't have to take on the costs of outsourcing this project and more importantly I stayed in control and got to get it exactly how I wanted it to look. In my experience of outsourcing you have to go through a couple series of edits. (Only in rare occasions do independent contractors nail your idea on the first take). So there you have it now get out there and create your own logo. Be sure and send me a link to your video logo intro so I can check it out!