10 Best Lower Thirds Templates for After Effects 2020
We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, but don’t underestimate the important role that text can play within your video content.
Find out why lower thirds should be a key element of your video toolkit, how to create them, plus our pick of 10 of the best lower thirds templates for After Effects.
What Are Lower Thirds?
Lower thirds are graphic overlays at the bottom of videos that help to introduce small amounts of text professionally and easily. They’re a great way to add important details without disrupting the narrative of the video content in question.
For example, they can work in news channels by highlighting breaking news, or within documentaries to introduce a person’s name and job title, or even to highlight the next show on a particular TV channel.
How To Create Lower Thirds
For these small but mighty graphic elements to serve any real value to the audience, they need to be updated regularly with relevant information about what’s on screen. It may sound costly, complex, and time-consuming, but thankfully today there are lots of tools available to keep this process simple without maxing out busting your budget.
You don’t need to have design or development experience to make lower thirds part of your video strategy. Instead, you can sign up to Envato Elements, an online library of creative assets with thousands of lower thirds templates that you can simply download before customizing with After Effects. With the subscription, you can download as many as you need, which is great if you’re looking for scale.
Read on for 10 of the best lower thirds templates for Adobe After Effects. All After Effects templates featured are available on Envato Elements.
10. Glitch Lower Thirds by CandyMustache
This is a cool After Effects template, which, as the name suggests, appears to glitch as it arrives on screen. You can easily change the colors too so you can make sure your lower third complements your branding or the wider look and feel of your video. You can also amend the position and size of the template based on how much information you need to share.
9. Lower Third Pack by ae-rocket
A more traditional lower third template than the previous choice, this one opts for clean lines and allows for main and secondary text as well as a space to add your logo. It’s easy to customize the length of time the lower thirds appear on screen and its classic design makes it perfect for news broadcasts.
8. Essential Lower Thirds by YETYYY
This After Effects lower thirds template is modern, fresh, and would work well for a young audience. Like the majority of templates, all colors can be edited, but the vibrant bursts of color in the template show what’s possible. Its simplicity means this template could serve a wide variety of purposes, including social media videos, vlogs, or TV interviews.
7. Hud Lower Third by PerryCox
Very different to the previous lower thirds examples, this one combines military-style imagery, text, and general design. The animated bars produce a sense of action and urgency. It would be a good match for video projects about war, weaponry, and other military topics.
6. Lower Third Stickers by MotionRevolver
Variety is the spice of life and, once again, this template is distinctly different to number 7 on the list. If you want your After Effects lower thirds template to have a more playful vibe, then this is a good option for you—they’re designed to look like stickers on the screen. This pack comes with a selection of four premade graphics and is fully customizable.
5. Lower Third Bundle by sonorafilms
This pack is full of choice, with 16 unique designs to play with. Although they’re all different, they’re connected by a preference for simplicity—a move that again makes the Lower Third Bundle a great option for a wide range of projects. Half of the designs are described as “multipurpose” or “corporate”, and the developers label the remaining styles as “retro-inspired” and “creative”.
4. Lower Thirds by JoelStarling
Another of the simple lower thirds templates, this one offers multiple designs with transparent backgrounds and minimalist text overlays. With a corporate feel, this is a good option for anyone looking to make work videos or presentations. Without sacrificing its simplicity, the team behind this template make the most of subtle animations.
3. Lower Third Maker by Space-Dog
With 100 variants, you can let your creativity run wild with this template! Again, this one offers the option to easily add your logo, plus you can choose between a main header or a main header plus secondary text. The selected animations give this a high-end and professional feel.
2. Lower Thirds by motionshape
Another of the great lower thirds available, this clean and simple design lets the copy do the talking. You can choose from a completely minimal design, focusing exclusively on the text, or you can incorporate color blocks and animations which spring into action as the graphic appears or disappears from view. The option to add secondary flecks of color will be useful if you’re trying to make the video reflect your wider branding.
1. Lower Thirds by _markon_
With 18 templates to choose from, you can pick the lower third that best helps you tell your story. You can see how the template adapts if you have longer content to share on screen, which could be used for longer statements shared on news channels for example. The template also supports simply sharing your logo—a useful tactic, especially at the end of a TV show.
These days, you can go in many different directions when it comes to the design of your lower thirds. There are plenty more templates to explore, so head to Envato Elements to check out the full selection.
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