Create Stunning Highlighter Effect in Videos

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Highlighting Text in Final Cut Pro
3. Using the Camera Flyover Effect
4. Introducing Envato Elements
5. The Benefits of a Subscription to Envato Elements
6. Step 1: Adding a Screen Shot Clip to the Timeline
7. Step 2: Adding the Custom Generator Clip
8. Step 3: Changing the Color of the Generator
9. Step 4: Making the Text Underneath Visible
10. Step 5: Selecting the Text to Highlight
11. Step 6: Applying the Crop & Feather Effect
12. Step 7: Adjusting the Size and Position of the Highlighted Area
13. Step 8: Adding Animation to the Highlighter Effect
14. Step 9: Creating a Compound Clip
15. Step 10: Adding a Camera Flyover Effect
16. Step 11: Adding Depth of Focus Blur
17. Conclusion

Highlighting Text in Final Cut Pro

In today’s video, we will discuss how to highlight text and bring your boring old screenshots to life with a camera flyover effect. We'll explore how to achieve this right in Final Cut Pro without the need to download or install any plugins.

But before we dive into the details, let's take a moment to talk about the sponsor of this video, Envato Elements. Whether you edit videos for a living or it's just a hobby, a subscription to Envato Elements can be a game-changer. It offers an all-in-one subscription service that provides access to over 56 million digital assets. With Envato Elements, you can download unlimited stock video, royalty-free music and sound effects, video templates, graphic templates, custom fonts, and more. Plus, new items are added every week, all included for one affordable monthly fee. Whether you're trying to grow your business or YouTube channel and don't have an unlimited budget, Envato Elements can help you make better videos.

Step 1: Adding a Screen Shot Clip to the Timeline

To begin highlighting text in Final Cut Pro, start by grabbing your screen shot clip and dragging it down into your timeline. This will serve as the base for our highlighting effect.

Step 2: Adding the Custom Generator Clip

Next, open the titles and generators browser and expand the generators dropdown menu. From there, select the Solids category and grab the Custom generator clip. Drag it down into your timeline and place it above your screen shot clip. Make sure to adjust the length of the Custom generator clip to match the length of your screen shot clip using the Ripple trim function.

Step 3: Changing the Color of the Generator

Now, to change the color of the generator to the color you want to use for the highlighter effect, press Command 4 to open the inspector window. Once the inspector window appears, select the generators inspector and click on the color square. Choose your desired highlighter color from the color picker. For example, you can select a vibrant Lemon color for the highlighter effect.

Step 4: Making the Text Underneath Visible

To make the text underneath the highlighter effect visible, select the video inspector and change the blend mode to Darken. This will allow the text to show through the highlighter and create a more realistic effect.

Step 5: Selecting the Text to Highlight

Press Command 5 to open the effects browser and search for the Crop & Feather effect using the search bar. Once you locate the effect, apply it to your Custom generator clip. In the video inspector, adjust the Height & Width sliders to define the size of the highlighted area. Use the position controls to position the effect over the text you want to highlight. If needed, zoom in on your viewer window for more precise adjustments of size and placement.

Step 6: Applying the Crop & Feather Effect

Once you have selected the text to highlight and positioned the effect, you might find the adjustment sliders to be a bit too sensitive. In that case, you can click on the number beside the slider and manually enter a specific value. After getting the highlighted area exactly where you need it, use the feather slider to soften the edges of the effect. This will enhance the realism of the highlighter effect.

Step 7: Adding Animation to the Highlighter Effect

To animate the highlighter effect, zoom out on your viewer window and place the playhead on the frame where you want the effect to start. From the transform dropdown under the viewer window, select Crop and click on the Trim Tool. Grab the handle on the right side of the trim frame and drag it to the left, just to the left side of the effect. Add a keyframe at this point. Then, move the playhead ahead by about 20 frames and drag the crop handle to the right until the full highlighter effect is revealed. Click "done" to complete the animation.

Step 8: Creating a Compound Clip

Next, we'll focus on animating the screenshot with a camera flyover effect to further enhance the visual appeal. Command click both your clips and use the keyboard shortcut Option G to make them into a compound clip. This will allow you to apply transformations and effects to both clips simultaneously.

Step 9: Adding a Camera Flyover Effect

With the compound clip selected, go to the transform dropdown and choose the distort tool. Zoom out on your viewer window and use the corner handles to give a bit of perspective to your image. If you want the perspective to be symmetrical, manually adjust the similar value in the inspector window to ensure both sides are equal. This will add a sense of depth to the shot.

Step 10: Adding Depth of Focus Blur

To make the camera flyover effect look even more realistic, let's add some depth of focus blur. Select the compound clip in the timeline and create another compound clip. Then, go back to the effects browser, choose the Blurs category, and add the focus blur effect to the clip. With the playhead at the start of the clip, adjust the height slider to 100 and the width slider based on the amount of distortion in your screen shot. Generally, a value between 15 to 20 will provide a subtle and realistic blur effect. Use the on-screen controls to move the center point to an area you want to be in focus at the start of the clip.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Final Cut Pro provides a range of tools and effects that allow you to highlight text and create dynamic visual effects without the need for additional plugins. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily enhance your video content and make it more engaging. Experiment with different colors, animations, and effects to add your own creative touch and make your videos stand out. Start exploring the possibilities and take your video editing skills to the next level with Final Cut Pro.

FAQ

Q: Can I achieve the highlighted text effect in Final Cut Pro without using the Crop & Feather effect? A: While the Crop & Feather effect offers a convenient way to highlight text, you can also experiment with other effects such as color masks or shape masks to achieve a similar effect.

Q: Does Envato Elements offer a free trial? A: Envato Elements does not offer a free trial, but considering the vast library of resources available, the low monthly fee provides excellent value for money.

Q: Can I use Envato Elements for commercial projects? A: Yes, you can use assets downloaded from Envato Elements in commercial projects. The subscription includes a commercial license that allows for the use of assets in projects intended for commercial purposes.

Q: Can I cancel my Envato Elements subscription at any time? A: Yes, you can cancel your Envato Elements subscription at any time. If you cancel, you'll still have access to the assets for the remainder of the billing period, but you won't be charged for the following month.

Q: Are the assets on Envato Elements royalty-free? A: Yes, all the assets available on Envato Elements are royalty-free, meaning you can use them in your projects without incurring additional fees based on the number of views or usage.