They always say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but you can judge a film or project by it’s opening graphics.

I mean there is another saying about first impressions, and what is that first 2-10 seconds of title or logo but the first impression of what follows. It should show how much care this project had put into it.

Sometimes though it can be the last thing to worry about, the product should stand on its own and the budget is gone. All that’s left is the change in your pockets, so time to bust out the sharpie and cardboard, that’s all that can be afforded for the opening titles.

Luckily there is Motion Arts Media, It’s a site that allows you to easily create top notch graphics and logo intros on the cheap. There’s easy to use templates, and even lessons on how to find, create, and attach the sequences you need.

They don’t only do graphics and logos either, they offer the ability to create short promo videos as well. What better way to ensure your product or service stands on its own than to show it. These are the kinds of services you would expect from someone who’s worked in the film industry for years.

Jeremy Simpson, creator of Motion Arts Media, has worked with big directors like Spike lee, and has a strong focus and love for special effects, 2D animation, and motion graphics so you know you can get top quality service from him.

On Motion Arts Media there’s also an extensive blog about how to create feeling, find inspiration, and gather statistics so that you can create the best graphics or video for your company. What good are creative tools if the muses don’t…muse?

The blog covers a ton of other topics and there’s also instructional videos for every thing Motion Flex has to offer. They want to help you show off your best you.

I wish I had something this easy in film school, I would probably have a full head of hair still. So If you want to save your follicles, then check this site out and create something new and catchy!

The Superbowl is a magical time of year – in part because of the big budget ads that air alongside it. From Amazon riffing off what we’d do without Alexa, to Bill Murray reprising his role in Groundhog’s Day (with the notable addition of a brand new Jeep), these ads come with the best writing, actors and production that money can buy. But did you know these and other ads might just be making us unhappy?

The Harvard Business Review recently covered this new study, which was headed up by researcher Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick. According to Oswald, “if you double advertising spending, it would result in a 3% drop in life satisfaction.”

3% doesn’t sound like much, but Oswald argues it’s a lesser version of what you’d feel if you were going through a divorce. If this low-grade unhappiness sounds worrying, brace yourself, because not only has the United States been steadily increasing advertising spending, it’s also the biggest spender on ads globally. Oof.

Part of the problem is that ads are often designed to make us feel like we’re missing out on something. In theory, ads should just point out areas where we might need help and then suggest products to fix the problem. For instance, if you have stains that are hard to clean, consider purchasing a specific cleaning product designed to remove those stains!

Except in most cases, advertisements are trying to fill a void we’ve already filled – which means making you feel bad about what you have. Sure, your car works, but it’s not “Bill Murray cruising through a snow drift” levels of fun. Oswald argues that constantly being bombarded with advertisements like this can leave people constantly comparing themselves to impossible standards. And try as you might, you’ll never live up.

In a way, Oswald concedes, this phenomenon is not unlike the trends we’ve seen with social media. Dr. Jennifer Lewallen explains that while there can be moments of positive feedback from comparison on social media, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of becoming overwhelmed by the unending stream of unrealistic body and beauty standards.

Now, Oswald’s studies is one of the first of its kind, so while it might hold some truth, it might not be entirely accurate. That said, the study was done meticulously and Oswald worked to account for other happiness factors in nations while studying the effects of advertising. In the meantime, it might be worth keeping an eye on your own happiness levels…and shutting off the ads if necessary.

Everybody and their brother has a podcast (it’s true, look it up). So, it only makes sense that tech companies would begin creating services to cater towards podcasters.
Such is the case with Veed, a new tool created to turn audio podcast to video. This allows podcasters to share their audio in video files to attract a bigger audience, effectively enhancing their marketing strategies.

According to the website, “Easily create podcast videos online, add a soundwave and your artwork and reach bigger audiences. There is no native way to share your podcasts on social media. With VEED you can turn your podcast into a video, add your podcast artwork and add a waveform too. Now you can reach and grow your podcast audience across all your social channels. Our online video editor is the only place to create stunning animated waveform video in real time. Perfect for podcast videos, radio shows, poetry, music, spoken word and any other audio medium.”

Features include: podcast video maker, subtitles and captions, animated waveforms, podcast artwork, and live chat assistance. You can also crop and trim the video within the editor. For subtitles, you can add in auto subtitles, add text to video; with the editor you can also add in different video effects.

The creation is done in three simple steps of uploading the audio podcast, using the audiogram generator, and downloading the resulting video.

Additionally, the audiogram generator allows you to create a soundwave in order to help visualize the spoken work, radio, poetry, music, etc. This is ideal for making clips of audio to upload as video to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to potentially attract a new listener by grabbing their attention in an introductory, bite-sized way.

It can be hard to attract new listeners, so this is a way to let them dip their toe in the water without feeling like they’re fully committing to something. You can create a call to action of “check out more” by including the full link within the post.

Veed currently operates on desktop only. There are free options of use available that include watermarks. Non-watermark versions are $20 per month or $200 per year.