Public Domain Videos at Your Fingertips: Best Download Sites

Best Websites to Download Public Domain Videos

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What is Public Domain Video?

If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What is Public Domain Video?

If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

What is Public Domain Video?

If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Conclusion

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Title Design Made Easy: A Final Cut Pro X Tutorial

How to Add Titles in Final Cut Pro X

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We add text titles to our projects to tell the audience something they can’t figure out on their own, such as the title of our program, the name of the person speaking, or technical details about a subject.

This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Final Cut Pro X has almost 200 different text effects that we can add, but the process of adding titles is essentially the same. Adding titles is what this article is about.

DEFINITIONS

Just to keep us all on the same page, here are my definitions of key terms related to text:

Text or titles. Words placed on the screen. I use these terms interchangeably.
Superimpose. Text displayed on the the screen with other video below it. These are also called “supers” or “keys.”
Full-screen. Text which occupies the entire screen.
Lower-third. Text which fits below a person talking; in the “lower-third” of the screen.
Info-graphics. Full-screen text which is superimposed on a graphic, generally used to convey technical information. Typical uses are sports statistics or other information which is easier to convey using text than having someone read the words.

JUST THE BASICS

I’d like to introduce “Yertle,” he’s a sea turtle and the star of this article. (Footage courtesy of Jim Walker and Lobsters Gone Wild Productions.)

At its simplest, we use titles to display his (its?) name.

In the Timeline, put the playhead where you want a title to appear and type Shift+Control+T. This inserts the default lower-third title at the position of the playhead. The title, like almost all titles, has a default duration of 10:00 seconds.

Look at the Browser and see the results of your work. A lower-third title is superimposed over the video in the lower left corner. (I’ll talk about formatting the text in a few paragraphs.)

NOTE: The big limitation of this lower-third title is that it can only be positioned in the left corner. Moving it to the center or right corner requires manual adjustment.

You position or trim a title the same as any video clip: drag the clip to a different location, or drag an edge to change its duration.

Select that title and delete it by pressing the Delete key.

This time, type Control+T and the default full-screen title appears in the center of the screen. Again, this has a default duration of 10 seconds.

If you look right in the center of the screen, you’ll see the word “Title.” Yes, its darn near invisible. And, yes, it looks, um, ugly. However, we have a TON of formatting control to make this look however we want.

Select and delete that full-screen title.

There’s one more way to apply a title: dragging from the Titles Browser.

Click the Title icon in the Toolbar. This displays the contents of the Title Browser. The column on the left displays title categories, the icons on the right indicate individual titles, the search box at the bottom allows you to search for specific titles by name, while the number in the lower right indicates the number of titles currently displayed. (Your number may not match mine because I’ve added a few custom titles to my system.)

Let’s add a totally ridiculous title to our turtle - drag Clouds from the Title Browser and place it above the clip at the point where you want a title to appear.

NOTE: I’m using a marker in the Timeline to help me find the same place in a clip so my screen shots are consistent. Markers are not needed in any way for titles.

Um, yeah. So, some titles look more professional than others… You can delete this title now.

So, we:

Add titles using keyboard shortcuts
Drag titles from the Title Browser
Change position by dragging the title
Change duration by dragging the edge of the clip
Delete a title by selecting it and pressing the Delete key

CHANGING TEXT

Add a new full-screen title (type Control+T) to the Timeline. To change the text in a title, double-click it in the Viewer. Here, I’ve changed my title to “An Undersea Adventure.”

NOTE: We can also change the text using the Inspector. I’ll show you how in a few paragraphs. Pick whichever method is easiest for you.

All text, in any title, can be changed by double-clicking it in the Viewer to select it, then typing the new text you want to use.

FORMATTING TEXT

You can format any text that you can select. This means that you can format entire phrases, words, or individual letters differently. For this article, I will format everything the same, because once you know how this works, you can experiment on your own.

Here, I selected my entire title and opened the Inspector (shortcut Cmd+4). Click the Text tab at the top. This section of the Inspector allows you to format the text.

NOTE: The text box near the top of the panel is the second place you can select text for formatting.

If you want a fast way to format text, click the word “Normal” at the top. This displays a menu filled with different text formats. Some of these formats look pretty dreadful; the rest look worse.

NOTE: You can create your own text styles. Refer to the Help for information on how.

The Basic section of the Inspector allows you to change fonts, size, alignment… all the standard font settings we see in other programs. Here, I’ve changed the font to Hobo Std, at 167 points.

While many of these settings you already know there are a few you may not:

Line spacing. Adjusts the vertical distance between lines within the same paragraph.
Tracking. Adjusts the horizontal spacing between letters.
Baseline. Adjusts the vertical spacing of text compared to the horizontal line running thru the center of the white circle in the Viewer.

The Face section allows us to change font color, opacity and blue. Outline and Glow allows us to add, not surprisingly, outlines and glows. You can adjust these as you see fit - I tend not to add outlines or glows.

However, I STRONGLY recommend adding drop shadows to all text that you want viewers to read. Video, even HD video, is low resolution compared to print. Drop shadows make your text much easier to read. These are the settings I recommend for drop shadows.

After making a few changes in the Inspector, here’s the final result. Very cool - and very different from where we started!

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

Since television was first invented, we needed to compensate for the differences in TV sets by designing graphics to stay within Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries.

While much of today’s video is designed for the web, your titles will look the best if you follow the same guidelines.

Titles015

Go to the Switch in the Viewer and select “Show Action Safe/Title Safe Zones.”

This displays two pale rectangles in the frame. The outer rectangle is called “Action Safe,” the inner one is called “Title Safe.” Action Safe is 5% in from all edges; Title Safe is 10% in from all edges.

When designing text and graphics for the web, keep all essential elements inside the outer rectangle. When designing graphics and text for broadcast or cable, keep all essential elements inside the inner rectangle.

Here, for example, notice that my title is fully contained within Action Safe.

SUMMARY

Titles give our programs character and personality, plus they explain what’s going on to the audience. Final Cut Pro X provides a wealth of formatting options to make our text look great.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Final Cut Pro X has almost 200 different text effects that we can add, but the process of adding titles is essentially the same. Adding titles is what this article is about.

DEFINITIONS

Just to keep us all on the same page, here are my definitions of key terms related to text:

Text or titles. Words placed on the screen. I use these terms interchangeably.
Superimpose. Text displayed on the the screen with other video below it. These are also called “supers” or “keys.”
Full-screen. Text which occupies the entire screen.
Lower-third. Text which fits below a person talking; in the “lower-third” of the screen.
Info-graphics. Full-screen text which is superimposed on a graphic, generally used to convey technical information. Typical uses are sports statistics or other information which is easier to convey using text than having someone read the words.

JUST THE BASICS

I’d like to introduce “Yertle,” he’s a sea turtle and the star of this article. (Footage courtesy of Jim Walker and Lobsters Gone Wild Productions.)

At its simplest, we use titles to display his (its?) name.

Look at the Browser and see the results of your work. A lower-third title is superimposed over the video in the lower left corner. (I’ll talk about formatting the text in a few paragraphs.)

NOTE: The big limitation of this lower-third title is that it can only be positioned in the left corner. Moving it to the center or right corner requires manual adjustment.

You position or trim a title the same as any video clip: drag the clip to a different location, or drag an edge to change its duration.

Select that title and delete it by pressing the Delete key.

This time, type Control+T and the default full-screen title appears in the center of the screen. Again, this has a default duration of 10 seconds.

Select and delete that full-screen title.

There’s one more way to apply a title: dragging from the Titles Browser.

Let’s add a totally ridiculous title to our turtle - drag Clouds from the Title Browser and place it above the clip at the point where you want a title to appear.

NOTE: I’m using a marker in the Timeline to help me find the same place in a clip so my screen shots are consistent. Markers are not needed in any way for titles.

Um, yeah. So, some titles look more professional than others… You can delete this title now.

So, we:

Add titles using keyboard shortcuts
Drag titles from the Title Browser
Change position by dragging the title
Change duration by dragging the edge of the clip
Delete a title by selecting it and pressing the Delete key

CHANGING TEXT

Add a new full-screen title (type Control+T) to the Timeline. To change the text in a title, double-click it in the Viewer. Here, I’ve changed my title to “An Undersea Adventure.”

NOTE: We can also change the text using the Inspector. I’ll show you how in a few paragraphs. Pick whichever method is easiest for you.

All text, in any title, can be changed by double-clicking it in the Viewer to select it, then typing the new text you want to use.

FORMATTING TEXT

Here, I selected my entire title and opened the Inspector (shortcut Cmd+4). Click the Text tab at the top. This section of the Inspector allows you to format the text.

NOTE: The text box near the top of the panel is the second place you can select text for formatting.

NOTE: You can create your own text styles. Refer to the Help for information on how.

The Basic section of the Inspector allows you to change fonts, size, alignment… all the standard font settings we see in other programs. Here, I’ve changed the font to Hobo Std, at 167 points.

While many of these settings you already know there are a few you may not:

Line spacing. Adjusts the vertical distance between lines within the same paragraph.
Tracking. Adjusts the horizontal spacing between letters.
Baseline. Adjusts the vertical spacing of text compared to the horizontal line running thru the center of the white circle in the Viewer.

After making a few changes in the Inspector, here’s the final result. Very cool - and very different from where we started!

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

Since television was first invented, we needed to compensate for the differences in TV sets by designing graphics to stay within Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries.

While much of today’s video is designed for the web, your titles will look the best if you follow the same guidelines.

Titles015

Go to the Switch in the Viewer and select “Show Action Safe/Title Safe Zones.”

Here, for example, notice that my title is fully contained within Action Safe.

SUMMARY

Titles give our programs character and personality, plus they explain what’s going on to the audience. Final Cut Pro X provides a wealth of formatting options to make our text look great.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Final Cut Pro X has almost 200 different text effects that we can add, but the process of adding titles is essentially the same. Adding titles is what this article is about.

DEFINITIONS

Just to keep us all on the same page, here are my definitions of key terms related to text:

Text or titles. Words placed on the screen. I use these terms interchangeably.
Superimpose. Text displayed on the the screen with other video below it. These are also called “supers” or “keys.”
Full-screen. Text which occupies the entire screen.
Lower-third. Text which fits below a person talking; in the “lower-third” of the screen.
Info-graphics. Full-screen text which is superimposed on a graphic, generally used to convey technical information. Typical uses are sports statistics or other information which is easier to convey using text than having someone read the words.

JUST THE BASICS

I’d like to introduce “Yertle,” he’s a sea turtle and the star of this article. (Footage courtesy of Jim Walker and Lobsters Gone Wild Productions.)

At its simplest, we use titles to display his (its?) name.

Look at the Browser and see the results of your work. A lower-third title is superimposed over the video in the lower left corner. (I’ll talk about formatting the text in a few paragraphs.)

NOTE: The big limitation of this lower-third title is that it can only be positioned in the left corner. Moving it to the center or right corner requires manual adjustment.

You position or trim a title the same as any video clip: drag the clip to a different location, or drag an edge to change its duration.

Select that title and delete it by pressing the Delete key.

This time, type Control+T and the default full-screen title appears in the center of the screen. Again, this has a default duration of 10 seconds.

Select and delete that full-screen title.

There’s one more way to apply a title: dragging from the Titles Browser.

Let’s add a totally ridiculous title to our turtle - drag Clouds from the Title Browser and place it above the clip at the point where you want a title to appear.

NOTE: I’m using a marker in the Timeline to help me find the same place in a clip so my screen shots are consistent. Markers are not needed in any way for titles.

Um, yeah. So, some titles look more professional than others… You can delete this title now.

So, we:

Add titles using keyboard shortcuts
Drag titles from the Title Browser
Change position by dragging the title
Change duration by dragging the edge of the clip
Delete a title by selecting it and pressing the Delete key

CHANGING TEXT

Add a new full-screen title (type Control+T) to the Timeline. To change the text in a title, double-click it in the Viewer. Here, I’ve changed my title to “An Undersea Adventure.”

NOTE: We can also change the text using the Inspector. I’ll show you how in a few paragraphs. Pick whichever method is easiest for you.

All text, in any title, can be changed by double-clicking it in the Viewer to select it, then typing the new text you want to use.

FORMATTING TEXT

Here, I selected my entire title and opened the Inspector (shortcut Cmd+4). Click the Text tab at the top. This section of the Inspector allows you to format the text.

NOTE: The text box near the top of the panel is the second place you can select text for formatting.

NOTE: You can create your own text styles. Refer to the Help for information on how.

The Basic section of the Inspector allows you to change fonts, size, alignment… all the standard font settings we see in other programs. Here, I’ve changed the font to Hobo Std, at 167 points.

While many of these settings you already know there are a few you may not:

Line spacing. Adjusts the vertical distance between lines within the same paragraph.
Tracking. Adjusts the horizontal spacing between letters.
Baseline. Adjusts the vertical spacing of text compared to the horizontal line running thru the center of the white circle in the Viewer.

After making a few changes in the Inspector, here’s the final result. Very cool - and very different from where we started!

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

Since television was first invented, we needed to compensate for the differences in TV sets by designing graphics to stay within Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries.

While much of today’s video is designed for the web, your titles will look the best if you follow the same guidelines.

Titles015

Go to the Switch in the Viewer and select “Show Action Safe/Title Safe Zones.”

Here, for example, notice that my title is fully contained within Action Safe.

SUMMARY

Titles give our programs character and personality, plus they explain what’s going on to the audience. Final Cut Pro X provides a wealth of formatting options to make our text look great.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Final Cut Pro X has almost 200 different text effects that we can add, but the process of adding titles is essentially the same. Adding titles is what this article is about.

DEFINITIONS

Just to keep us all on the same page, here are my definitions of key terms related to text:

Text or titles. Words placed on the screen. I use these terms interchangeably.
Superimpose. Text displayed on the the screen with other video below it. These are also called “supers” or “keys.”
Full-screen. Text which occupies the entire screen.
Lower-third. Text which fits below a person talking; in the “lower-third” of the screen.
Info-graphics. Full-screen text which is superimposed on a graphic, generally used to convey technical information. Typical uses are sports statistics or other information which is easier to convey using text than having someone read the words.

JUST THE BASICS

I’d like to introduce “Yertle,” he’s a sea turtle and the star of this article. (Footage courtesy of Jim Walker and Lobsters Gone Wild Productions.)

At its simplest, we use titles to display his (its?) name.

Look at the Browser and see the results of your work. A lower-third title is superimposed over the video in the lower left corner. (I’ll talk about formatting the text in a few paragraphs.)

NOTE: The big limitation of this lower-third title is that it can only be positioned in the left corner. Moving it to the center or right corner requires manual adjustment.

You position or trim a title the same as any video clip: drag the clip to a different location, or drag an edge to change its duration.

Select that title and delete it by pressing the Delete key.

This time, type Control+T and the default full-screen title appears in the center of the screen. Again, this has a default duration of 10 seconds.

Select and delete that full-screen title.

There’s one more way to apply a title: dragging from the Titles Browser.

Let’s add a totally ridiculous title to our turtle - drag Clouds from the Title Browser and place it above the clip at the point where you want a title to appear.

NOTE: I’m using a marker in the Timeline to help me find the same place in a clip so my screen shots are consistent. Markers are not needed in any way for titles.

Um, yeah. So, some titles look more professional than others… You can delete this title now.

So, we:

Add titles using keyboard shortcuts
Drag titles from the Title Browser
Change position by dragging the title
Change duration by dragging the edge of the clip
Delete a title by selecting it and pressing the Delete key

CHANGING TEXT

Add a new full-screen title (type Control+T) to the Timeline. To change the text in a title, double-click it in the Viewer. Here, I’ve changed my title to “An Undersea Adventure.”

NOTE: We can also change the text using the Inspector. I’ll show you how in a few paragraphs. Pick whichever method is easiest for you.

All text, in any title, can be changed by double-clicking it in the Viewer to select it, then typing the new text you want to use.

FORMATTING TEXT

Here, I selected my entire title and opened the Inspector (shortcut Cmd+4). Click the Text tab at the top. This section of the Inspector allows you to format the text.

NOTE: The text box near the top of the panel is the second place you can select text for formatting.

NOTE: You can create your own text styles. Refer to the Help for information on how.

The Basic section of the Inspector allows you to change fonts, size, alignment… all the standard font settings we see in other programs. Here, I’ve changed the font to Hobo Std, at 167 points.

While many of these settings you already know there are a few you may not:

Line spacing. Adjusts the vertical distance between lines within the same paragraph.
Tracking. Adjusts the horizontal spacing between letters.
Baseline. Adjusts the vertical spacing of text compared to the horizontal line running thru the center of the white circle in the Viewer.

After making a few changes in the Inspector, here’s the final result. Very cool - and very different from where we started!

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

Since television was first invented, we needed to compensate for the differences in TV sets by designing graphics to stay within Action Safe and Title Safe boundaries.

While much of today’s video is designed for the web, your titles will look the best if you follow the same guidelines.

Titles015

Go to the Switch in the Viewer and select “Show Action Safe/Title Safe Zones.”

Here, for example, notice that my title is fully contained within Action Safe.

SUMMARY

Titles give our programs character and personality, plus they explain what’s going on to the audience. Final Cut Pro X provides a wealth of formatting options to make our text look great.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Cutting Large Videos on Mac? Here’s How to Do It Quickly and Effortlessly

Easily Cut Large Videos Faster on Mac

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Recording and cutting unnecessary scenes from a large video is a daily task in video editing. When users require cutting large videos, they are often found researching questions like “how can I edit videos faster?”, “what are the methods to edit large videos without losing their quality?”, “how much time does large video editing takes?” on different forums.

Understanding the importance of this issue, we decided to elaborate on how to edit large videos faster and lossless by introducing some of the best video editing tools in this article. Before we delve into the software tools, let’s first understand the basics of video limits that video editors can handle, ensuring its quality.

Section1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?
Section2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

Section 1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?

Videos recorded with iPad, iPhone, or any other iOS device can be larger than individuals expect. If your video limit exceeds your desired social media platform’s size limitations, you can opt for video compression using the editing software tools to meet the standards of the required social platform.

1. For cutting Small or Middle Video Size - Online Editor

Video size limitations vary in every online video editor. Since these are free video editing tools available online, therefore they have restrictions and limitations to edit, download, and export videos. However, they are effective in terms of editing as they maintain the quality of the edited videos.

On the other hand, there are several with different video size limits such ranging from 100MB to 1GB.

2. For Cutting Large Video Size - Video Editing Software

Video editing software tools are unlike online editors. They have no limited video size

requirements and come with multiple inputs and output formats for video editing with several built-in features.

These video editors guarantee exceptional editing without declining the quality of the original video. Individuals can edit large videos faster and easier. In addition, software editing tools will be more advantageous for quick and high-quality video editing.

Section 2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

One common way to handle large videos is to compress or downsize them. If you are facing difficulty in transferring, uploading, and editing the HD video files you’ve shot, you require an introduction to high-quality video editing software tools that can let you edit the video hassle-free on Mac.

1. Filmora X

Being one of the most popular freemium video editing software tools for both Mac and Windows, Filmora X can edit high quality up to 4k video footage, you can cut large video on this software easily. It features a variety of professional video tools, effects, and transitions that can be easily found on its user-friendly interface. Upon editing, users can select from the multiple options to save the video which can be directly shared on famous social media platforms.

Similarly, video compression is easy through Filmora X following the below steps:

Click on the “New Project” to begin with the compression
Import the video by clicking on the option on the top left corner

Carry out any of the four experiments to compress the file including cropping the video screen, shredding the video length, tailoring the video resolution, or converting the video file format to MP3

PROS:

Simple to use, great for Mac and Windows users
Easy application of elements, overlays, and filters
Supports multiple input formats and many export options
Has over 400+ different transition effects
Contains built-in music and sound effect
Stylish text title editor (basic and advance edit)
Affordable perpetual license price

CONS:

The color grading tool is limited
No freehand masking tool

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the HD editing tools for all Mac and Windows Users. Providing a professional video production solution from the beginning to the end facilitates users with a wide range of editing tools. The creative tools and integration of this application assist you to make footage into polished videos and films.

Having said that, Adobe Premiere Pro has a simple process to reduce the video file size so that it is easier for you to upload on the required platform. Follow the below steps to compress your video on the application.

Import the footage and add it to the timeline
Open the export settings and reduce the size
Click export to compress the video if everything looks acceptable

PROS:

Correct and convenient work with all Windows and macOS devices
High-quality video and audio editing
Supported by a variety of formats such as HDV, HD, and Flash video
Built-in non-linear video editing
Video content editing in real-time

CONS:

Works for free only for 30 days
Quite resource-intensive system requirements

Video editing has become a simplified procedure with several features and options available. Whether it is about changing formats, reducing video size limits, or speeding up the video, everything is possible utilizing these advanced tools.

If you are confused about choosing the most suitable video editing tool, Wondershare Filmora X is an excellent Mac video editor that can meet both basic and advanced needs. The sense detection function lets you cut the large video easily. Download it today and experience the high-quality editing yourself before choosing any other pricey video editor.

Learn More: Tips for Shortening Video Length

An Alternative Way to Cut Large Videos Faster on Mac with Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is the most used video editing software in all around the world. It can endure very large files and provide a great experience for video editors, facilitating every aspect of video editing. The software works on both Mac and Windows. In case we have large files, we usually turn to Adobe Premiere Pro, so, one of the most important things to do might be to cut large videos faster there. Actually, it is something not at all difficult – the steps are as follows: first, you need to import your footage and add it to the sequence (referred also as timeline, to the long horizontal window below);

then, you don’t need to do anything there, just open the export settings (the shortcut for which would be ctrl+m),

and reduce the size;

and finally, you need to click on export button to compress the video if this is already the result that you needed.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Section1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?
Section2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

Section 1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?

1. For cutting Small or Middle Video Size - Online Editor

On the other hand, there are several with different video size limits such ranging from 100MB to 1GB.

2. For Cutting Large Video Size - Video Editing Software

Video editing software tools are unlike online editors. They have no limited video size

requirements and come with multiple inputs and output formats for video editing with several built-in features.

Section 2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

1. Filmora X

Similarly, video compression is easy through Filmora X following the below steps:

Click on the “New Project” to begin with the compression
Import the video by clicking on the option on the top left corner

Carry out any of the four experiments to compress the file including cropping the video screen, shredding the video length, tailoring the video resolution, or converting the video file format to MP3

PROS:

Simple to use, great for Mac and Windows users
Easy application of elements, overlays, and filters
Supports multiple input formats and many export options
Has over 400+ different transition effects
Contains built-in music and sound effect
Stylish text title editor (basic and advance edit)
Affordable perpetual license price

CONS:

The color grading tool is limited
No freehand masking tool

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

Import the footage and add it to the timeline
Open the export settings and reduce the size
Click export to compress the video if everything looks acceptable

PROS:

Correct and convenient work with all Windows and macOS devices
High-quality video and audio editing
Supported by a variety of formats such as HDV, HD, and Flash video
Built-in non-linear video editing
Video content editing in real-time

CONS:

Works for free only for 30 days
Quite resource-intensive system requirements

Learn More: Tips for Shortening Video Length

An Alternative Way to Cut Large Videos Faster on Mac with Adobe Premiere Pro

then, you don’t need to do anything there, just open the export settings (the shortcut for which would be ctrl+m),

and reduce the size;

and finally, you need to click on export button to compress the video if this is already the result that you needed.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Section1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?
Section2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

Section 1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?

1. For cutting Small or Middle Video Size - Online Editor

On the other hand, there are several with different video size limits such ranging from 100MB to 1GB.

2. For Cutting Large Video Size - Video Editing Software

Video editing software tools are unlike online editors. They have no limited video size

requirements and come with multiple inputs and output formats for video editing with several built-in features.

Section 2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

1. Filmora X

Similarly, video compression is easy through Filmora X following the below steps:

Click on the “New Project” to begin with the compression
Import the video by clicking on the option on the top left corner

Carry out any of the four experiments to compress the file including cropping the video screen, shredding the video length, tailoring the video resolution, or converting the video file format to MP3

PROS:

Simple to use, great for Mac and Windows users
Easy application of elements, overlays, and filters
Supports multiple input formats and many export options
Has over 400+ different transition effects
Contains built-in music and sound effect
Stylish text title editor (basic and advance edit)
Affordable perpetual license price

CONS:

The color grading tool is limited
No freehand masking tool

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

Import the footage and add it to the timeline
Open the export settings and reduce the size
Click export to compress the video if everything looks acceptable

PROS:

Correct and convenient work with all Windows and macOS devices
High-quality video and audio editing
Supported by a variety of formats such as HDV, HD, and Flash video
Built-in non-linear video editing
Video content editing in real-time

CONS:

Works for free only for 30 days
Quite resource-intensive system requirements

Learn More: Tips for Shortening Video Length

An Alternative Way to Cut Large Videos Faster on Mac with Adobe Premiere Pro

then, you don’t need to do anything there, just open the export settings (the shortcut for which would be ctrl+m),

and reduce the size;

and finally, you need to click on export button to compress the video if this is already the result that you needed.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Section1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?
Section2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

Section 1. What Size Video Can an Ordinary Video Editor Handle?

1. For cutting Small or Middle Video Size - Online Editor

On the other hand, there are several with different video size limits such ranging from 100MB to 1GB.

2. For Cutting Large Video Size - Video Editing Software

Video editing software tools are unlike online editors. They have no limited video size

requirements and come with multiple inputs and output formats for video editing with several built-in features.

Section 2. Which Software Can Handle Large Videos?

1. Filmora X

Similarly, video compression is easy through Filmora X following the below steps:

Click on the “New Project” to begin with the compression
Import the video by clicking on the option on the top left corner

Carry out any of the four experiments to compress the file including cropping the video screen, shredding the video length, tailoring the video resolution, or converting the video file format to MP3

PROS:

Simple to use, great for Mac and Windows users
Easy application of elements, overlays, and filters
Supports multiple input formats and many export options
Has over 400+ different transition effects
Contains built-in music and sound effect
Stylish text title editor (basic and advance edit)
Affordable perpetual license price

CONS:

The color grading tool is limited
No freehand masking tool

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

Import the footage and add it to the timeline
Open the export settings and reduce the size
Click export to compress the video if everything looks acceptable

PROS:

Correct and convenient work with all Windows and macOS devices
High-quality video and audio editing
Supported by a variety of formats such as HDV, HD, and Flash video
Built-in non-linear video editing
Video content editing in real-time

CONS:

Works for free only for 30 days
Quite resource-intensive system requirements

Learn More: Tips for Shortening Video Length

An Alternative Way to Cut Large Videos Faster on Mac with Adobe Premiere Pro

then, you don’t need to do anything there, just open the export settings (the shortcut for which would be ctrl+m),

and reduce the size;

and finally, you need to click on export button to compress the video if this is already the result that you needed.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Video Content Creator

2024 Approved Public Domain Videos at Your Fingertips Best Download Sites

Public Domain Videos at Your Fingertips: Best Download Sites

Best Websites to Download Public Domain Videos

Liza Brown

What is Public Domain Video?

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Liza Brown

What is Public Domain Video?

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Liza Brown

What is Public Domain Video?

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Liza Brown

What is Public Domain Video?

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

1. Prelinger Archive

2. The Public Domain Review

3. The National Screening Room

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

5. Pexels

6. Vidsplay

7. The Moving Image Archive

8. PublicDomainFootage

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

10. Motion Elements

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Title Design Made Easy: A Final Cut Pro X Tutorial

How to Add Titles in Final Cut Pro X

Benjamin Arango

DEFINITIONS

JUST THE BASICS

CHANGING TEXT

FORMATTING TEXT

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

SUMMARY

Benjamin Arango

DEFINITIONS

JUST THE BASICS

CHANGING TEXT

FORMATTING TEXT

ACTION SAFE/TITLE SAFE ZONES

SUMMARY