Feeling like your content is a bit flat? Spicing things up with a bumper clip may be a great option for you.
A bumper clip is a short video or animation that is used to introduce or conclude a longer video. It is usually around 5-10 seconds long and can add some professionalism to your videos. Bumper clips can be used to promote your brand or product, but they can also tease upcoming content.
But how do you create a bumper?
1. Create a video or animation clip that is 5-10 seconds long
When creating a bumper clip, it's important to keep it short and sweet. The clip should be around 5-10 seconds long, any longer and people may not bother watching it, any shorter and they may not understand what it is.
There are a couple of different optional styles for your bumper video. The first is to have a cartoon-style reel created. This style uses a characterized version of you or your service to convey the value you provide. Unless you are an artist, this one will likely have to be outsourced. The in-house version in a quick-cut montage of your works. For this style, make sure to include several small (less than 0.25-1 second) clips of the type of work you do or the content you create. This will help give viewers a better idea of what kind of info they are about to get.
When creating your bumper, it's usually best to just play with it until you get what works. Every video editing program has its preferred default video type, and it won't matter much in the end what video format it is, it will matter greatly while you are trying to work with it though. While .m4a and .mov are more common with iOS devices, .wmv and .avi tend to show up more on Windows machines. Mp4, however, is one of the more universal video formats. If you do end up with a format unreadable by your video editor, you may have to use a converter. I would definitely recommend https://video-converter.com/ if you are dealing with unwieldy files.
2. Add text or a logo to the clip
Typically, the logo will go at the end of a clip. This should be about twice the duration of any of the little blips from the rest of the bumper. Rember, this is your brand impression moment. Make it pop!
3. Add BMG to set the tone
One last thing you may want to add is some BMG (background music). Your BGM sets the tone for what it is you are going to be working on. Have a piece of content your client should be jacked about? Find a techno/EDM hook to throw in there. Is it more somber? Maybe go for some sympathetic melody. Are you going for the hardcore metal mechanic vibe? There are metal clips available for free as well. Check out https://freesound.org to see what you can find. Trust me, something there will match!
4. Export the clip as an .mp4
As we mentioned above, .mp4 is the most universal video format. Exporting the video as an .mp4 ensures you will be able to utilize the bumper you've created, even if in the future you do decide to change video editing software. Whatever you choose, it doesn't really matter what the final file format is for Grahamity. We should be able to deliver it for you regardless of your clients' devices.
5. Add the clip to your longer videos
Once you have the clip in a usable format you will simply need to attach it to your videos at the beginning to maximize impact. Focus on the content you are producing, and once it's done, simply add this on as a flourish to the front of that video.
Viola! You have a more professional-looking video. And the best part is that you can reuse that same bumper with every piece of content you produce.
Share your favorite bumper with us! We'd love to see what you come up with.