• Location: Australia
  • Joined: August 6, 2012

Topic: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

Well with thumbnails, obviously they need good aesthetics, but simple or complex? If you click this link: ( https://www.youtube.com/user/nasrsarian ) and scroll down to the max and will playlist, I made a standard thumb yesterday  for the series but change the colour for each episode. My buddie Metaldog280 said it looked really good, but I feel like theres something missing. You guys check it out and tell me what your opinion is, and how it could improve or if its fine. Thx mini/bigsmile

"With those bricks we know and love, anything is a possibility!"-Smoky Air Studios
  • Joined: September 10, 2010

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

Imo, thumbnails should be simple and straightforward just to get the message across unless there's a valid reason to complicate it. It's not worth the effort because the video should speak for itself.

Moving on to your thumbnails, I'd say it's sufficient enough. Although I think the title should be a little more contrasted from the background colour, because it's not really clear. Make it stand out.

Hope I helped. mini/smile

Back In Black!
  • Location: Australia
  • Joined: August 6, 2012

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

Thunderbolt wrote:

Imo, thumbnails should be simple and straightforward just to get the message across unless there's a valid reason to complicate it. It's not worth the effort because the video should speak for itself.

Moving on to your thumbnails, I'd say it's sufficient enough. Although I think the title should be a little more contrasted from the background colour, because it's not really clear. Make it stand out.

Hope I helped. mini/smile

Alright Ill edit it and change the text colour, thanks a lot mini/tongue

Everyone else feel free to tell me what you think!

"With those bricks we know and love, anything is a possibility!"-Smoky Air Studios
  • Joined: September 10, 2010

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

No problem, glad to help. mini/wink

Back In Black!
  • Location: Australia
  • Joined: August 6, 2012

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

Thunderbolt wrote:

No problem, glad to help. mini/wink

mini/tongue
Anyone know how to do silhouettes?
WITHOUT a black fig.

"With those bricks we know and love, anything is a possibility!"-Smoky Air Studios
  • Location: atx
  • Joined: December 16, 2010

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

Select the outline and fill it with black on Photoshop or Gimp. Thank u.

I think the thumbnails should be little works of art in their own right, not super complicated but yeah definitely do more than a pic of batman on a colored background (forrestfire...)
Definitely have fun with typography but keep it simple and iconic so it's recognizable. Logos are nice sometimes, you don't always need a photo. For example if I was making (god forbid) a Batman film, I'd probably make the thumbnail a variation of Batmans logo.

http://topitmunkeydog.tumblr.com/tagged/frames

topit's Website

  • Joined: November 26, 2011

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

topitmunkeydog wrote:

But yeah definitely do more than a pic of batman on a colored background (forrestfire...)

lol


I've often wondered about this too. I mean it's good to keep it simple (depending on what kind of style you prefer, of course), but you also want to catch the viewers attention. If say your film shows up on the "suggested list" next to a video someone is watching and they see big flashy colors, that might get their attention. But I prefer minimalism. Keep it simple and to the point. But I think it's really up to the individual to decide what he/she likes best. So, Nasrsarian, it's up to your liking.

"I wear black even when I'm not animating. I'm like a walking funeral parlor."
-PushOverProductions
  • Location: Australia
  • Joined: August 6, 2012

Re: Thumbnails- Should they be simple or complex? Aesthetics is the key?

What cloniac said ^ And please, call me Smoky Air mini/wink
I reckon it shouldn't be toooooo basic, but over complicated is too much. "Less is more' Would apply here, so I'd be agreeing with topitmunkeydog too.

"With those bricks we know and love, anything is a possibility!"-Smoky Air Studios