I’ve been putting off making a proper YouTube intro for longer than I’d like to admit. Nothing fancy. Just a logo, some text, done. Turns out DaVinci Resolve makes this pretty straightforward once you know where things are.
Here’s exactly what I did.
Step 1 — Set up your project
Open DaVinci Resolve and create a new project. Head to the Edit page and create a new timeline. Set it to 1920×1080 at 30fps (or in my case I create a 4k as I shoot and edit in 4k). You only need about 5–8 seconds for an intro so keep the timeline short.
Step 2 — Add a background
Open the Effects Library panel on the left side of the Edit page. Search for Solid Color under Generators and drag it onto your timeline as the first layer. Click on it and pick your background color from the Inspector panel on the right. That’s your canvas.
Step 3 — Bring in your logo
Import your logo file — PNG with a transparent background works best. Drag it onto a track above the Solid Color layer. Use the Inspector to scale and position it. Center is usually the cleanest look for an intro.
Step 4 — Animate the logo
The animation doesn’t have to be complicated. I just put my cursor on the edge of the logo clip in the timeline. When you hover close enough the cursor changes. Then drag inward to create a fade in. Same thing on the other end if you want it to fade out. Simple, clean, and you don’t have to mess with keyframes at all.
Step 5 — Add your text
Go to the Titles section in Effects Library and drag a Text+ element onto a new track above your logo. Type your text, style the font and size in the Inspector.
If you have a second line of text, a URL or a tagline, repeat this on another track above the first text layer. Use a smaller font, position it below, and delay it by seconds (up to you).
Step 6 — Add a sound effect
A short whoosh or chime sound file under the whole animation makes a surprisingly big difference. Import it and drop it on the audio track. Don’t skip this step.
Step 7 — Export
Go to the Deliver page, select the YouTube preset, and hit Render. H.264, 1920×1080.
Note that it took me longer to decide on a font than it did to actually build the thing. Which tracks. 😂