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A great video intro kicks start a great video.

Within the precious 8 seconds of our average memory span, a video intro takes up BIG TIME, so we are not gonna mess it up.

Like any other ‘intro’, a video intro is the abstract of your video. It should allure people in and keep them for what it is to come.

A well crafted video intro would come in handy especially if you have a series of videos to present, whilst it has potential to be yours – your opening idents that audience can immediately recognize out of a sea of content.

Oh right, we have some video intro templates for you to dive in already.

Why do video intros matter?
1. It’s a memory point (people recognize you)

A castle, a logo mark, a dreamy audio track complied in plain background of color white and blue – yes, it’s a video intro, and yes, you’re probably a Disney movie lover from 70’s.

(Disney logo opening in 1970s)

If you have this 15 secs video intro pop out in your mind without checking it up, it proves Disney has done at least one thing right – imprint their opening idents forever on your life.

Even if you’re not that into Disney movies, from a quick look at this iconic video intro – you know what content it probably is, and it’s under Walt Disney Pictures’ production.

So this is what a great intro does – build recognition and brand awareness.

Interestingly, very often when an intro gets way too popular, any adaption made would not go too far from the original elements. (Can you BELIEVE this is the castle kids see now?)

(Disney logo opening in 2000s: 00.00~00.05)

2. It’s your branding colors

Out of millions – nay, trillions – of intros, where do you find yours?

A video intro brings out your branding colors – from audio to text fonts on screen, from color tone to visual effect, they all imply the style of your video content. You want to make a video intro that shows it all and rightfully so.

(Friends’ opening title, funko version)

We love Friends, and we also have love for its opening title. It uses bright colors, happy music with catchy beats and it completes the fun atmosphere for our beloved comedy series.

We say, a fantastic video intro should reflect the true colors of the content itself.

3. It sets the right expectation

Whatever you put together in video intro should set the right expectation for the audience. From text on screen to the intro music you use, they should all match up with your core content. An intro doesn’t go too far from the video entity.

Hence, if you’re expecting a group of audience interested in news, try to broadcast the fact your videos are all about news in your video intro before they go away.

4. It sorts it out

Let’s say you have heaps of great video content that goes into separate directions, except for description, what else can you do to tell them apart for your audience?

Well, video intros can sort it out for you.

(‘Secret Talent Movie Theatre’ series. Source: Vanity Fair Youtube channel)

(‘Nano-Impressions’ series. Source: Vanity Fair Youtube channel)

Vanity fair, a magazine of pop culture under publisher Condé Nast, is shifting lots of interview content onto YouTube. Their massive, broad content is visually categorized into several series simply by different curated intros given.

3 Steps to an intro that wows
Step 1: decide your video genre

So, where do we start to make a video intro? A video genre guides the way.

Are you vlogging (video-blogging) your trips on YouTube? Are your videos more of an informative ones, clipping lots of information together?

For the former genre, we’d suggest you make a video intro that has more lively, colorful tone to it to keep your audience interested in a 3-day trip material.


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However, if your video belongs to the latter category – in which you have a lot to tell – you’d probably prefer a sleek, clear video intro that pops out the main deal, yet not taking up all that 8 secs memory span.

(Source: Last week tonight with John Oliver YouTube channel)

Each episode of Last week tonight with John Oliver (YouTube version), a well-known online American late-night talk and news satire television program, is usually less than a solid 20 minutes.

And…how long is its video intro? 20 secs.
Does it say it all for YouTube audience? We think it’s a yes.

In this 3 secs, we see a clear, neutral background, with the program name on, and a quick supporting intro music. Simple and precise. It also matches the style this online news program aims for.

Step 2: build the mood

How do you want your viewers to feel when they see the intro?
Hyped up? Or, relaxed and calm?

Whichever vibe you’re after, you need the right video intro music and visual effect to build the mood for your visual communication. When the music categories can fall in between generic and subjective ones, visual effect would help build the right mood you aim for.

For instance, if you’re looking into a fast-paced opening, visual effects are your good friends. A variety of transition effect – fade, cut, zoom in, out – keeps the elements aptly condensed, but not losing track of, at your desired speed.

Step 3: find the perfect one

A good opening title doesn’t need be an intricate intro, but it must conclude all the right elements.
For choice of intro music, you must consider its role before jumping into sea of royalty-free music.

The 101 question is: how big of a presence do you expect the intro music to own? Is it supporting your title, not snatching the stage? Or does it have the important mission of dropping the beat, drawing attention between secs?

Your call.

You are the master

Behind every video intro is a great video creator, understanding what it is to be conveyed. It is high time to make a free video intro to test the water for your video production.

Find a perfect start with our intro/opener template and master this video intro game!