Video

Video produced for or by official University of Colorado Bouldercolleges, departments and institutes should follow consistent visualelements (logos, type, etc.) as laid out in these guidelines. Largerfonts should be used when necessary for legibility in smaller venues (phones, small players, etc.)

Closing Animation (Bumper)

Here are a couple of examples of an animated closing sequence that have been created for useby departments. The files are available for download through the digital asset request form.

Black Background WithUniversity Logo:

White Background, Unit-specific Lockup (Engineering):

These examples are shown at 10 seconds in length, but they can be trimmed to a shorter duration. To allow for recognition and recall, the closing sequence should not be shorter than 3 seconds.

Opening Title

Research on user behavior shows that videos with opening titles are less likely to be viewed in their entirety. We recommend using a closing animation rather than an opening title. An example of a branded title using a campus logo is shown below.The image may be made transparent and overlay an opening imageif needed. Again, using a opening title isnot recommended.

Video branding example of opening title with the CU Boulder lockup that says University of Colorado Boulder

Titling

The overall approach to text titling forvideo projects following the campus brand is topresent a very clean, simple and flexible look. Text titles shouldgenerally convey only the most necessary, easily understoodinformation and should not distract from the visual or narrativematerial in the piece.This style is most similar to a clean documentary film titlingaesthetic, providing only key information in a very straightforwardway. This style is deliberately not similar to commonbroadcastnews lower-third graphic styles. Do not include an interlocking CUlogo graphic (or any other logo graphic) with text titles.

There is no set template to be used for titling, as each project’sneeds are different and there may be special circumstances fromshot to shot. However, there is a specific set of guidelines for theeditor to create consistent, brand-compatible titles.

Video branding example of titling. The film's still shot shows Steven Pollock, with his name and title in the bottom left corner. Steven Pollock, Professor, Physics.

Font

All text should be Helvetica Neue, with Bold style enabled. This isthe official branded font of the university.

Sizing may vary as needed, but the primary title line—which isalmost always the person’s name—should be significantly largerthan any secondary lines. Conversely, no title text (either primary orsecondary) should be smaller than size 50. Common examples ofprimary/secondary line font sizes include 120/55 or 85/50.

Whenever possible, limit titles to two total lines of text (a primaryand a secondary line). If absolutely necessary, add an extrasecondary line for a person with a complex title or multipleroles/identities that are all essential to the story. Lines of textshould line up with each other flush left. In some cases, lines maybe centered relative to each other.

Color, Shadow and Location

All text should be white. Whenever possible, do not use dropshadows. Place text in an area of the frame where the backgroundis dark or allows the text to be easily readable without dropshadows. This might be over a person’s dark shirt, or off to the sideover a dark area of the background. If no such area exists, add adrop shadow to all of the text, with specs: opacity 70 percent, distance =10px, size = 15px, spread = 40px. Adjust for readability asnecessary.

Text can be located anywhere in the frame that is functional andaesthetically appropriate. In most cases it is good practice to haveall text appear within the title-safe and/or action-safe areas. This isnot a requirement, however, as our primary distribution venue isnot broadcast.

Video branding example of Jade Gutierrez that portrays title color, shadowing and location. The film's shot shows Jade's title in the bottom right corner: Jade Gutierrez, Junior, Studio Art and Art History.

Capitalization

Capitalize only the first word of title lines, as well as formal namesof people or organizations.

Animation

Use simple fades to animate text on or off the screen, if necessary.In many cases it works best to have a title onscreen immediatelywhen the video cuts to the speaker, making it unnecessary to fadethe text in. Titles should appear for at least 3 to 5 seconds, butshould not remain onscreen across an edit point in the underlyingvideo.

Consistency

Regardless of the stylistic choices made within these guidelines,make sure that every title is consistently styled. In Adobe Premiere Pro, it iseasy to create a new title based on the style of other titles withinthe same Premiere project, ensuring consistent font and relativesizing.

Common Title Formats

(The examples are not to scale)

Example: Student Title

Primary = Full Name
Secondary = Year, Full Major
Secondary = Role, Organization (line order depends on relevance tothe story)

A complete list of formal major names is available on the .

Video branding example listing 6 people's names and titles: 1. Florence Nightingale, Freshman, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; 2. Milton Friedman, Doctoral Candidate, Economics; 3. Pablo Picasso, President, CU Ski and Snowboard Club, Sophomore, Art History; 4. Susan B. Anthony, Masters Candidate, Women and Gender Studies; 5. Yo-Yo Ma, Participant, CU Student For A Day program, Junior, Central High School (Missoula, MT); 6. Rosa Parks, Botcher Scholarship recipient, Senior, PreProfessional Law

Example: Faculty/Staff Title

Primary = Full Name (Do not include “Dr.” unless they are an MD)
Secondary = Role, Formal Department Name (no abbreviations)
Include the appropriate prefix for professor titles (Asst., Assoc.)

Example: Alumni Title

Primary = Full Name (Do not include “Dr.” unless they are an MD)
Secondary = Role, Company (if applicable)
Secondary = Degree, Discipline (Year Graduated)