by Brad » Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:24 am
As a graphic design/typography nerd, I love to see really well designed and placed type in a video. But it should serve a purpose and be a part of the story you're trying to tell. Sometime's that means using it to push the atmosphere you're trying to create, or literally TELL a story with words.
If all you're trying to do is recreate the look of the Evangelion text cut-aways, I'd try and find the exact font they used and then do your best to actually recreate on of their frames (word for word). That way you'll know the size, tracking, color, glow effects, etc. With all that known you can then change it to whatever text you want.
If you're interested in learning about typography in general, I'd look at it from a traditional graphic design aspect first and foremost rather than a "how do I make text in my videos look good" one. One of my favorite sites on the subject is thinkingwithtype.com. It's basically a complete dictionary of all the fundamental principles associated with typography. But if you're looking for some quick pointers:
1) Learn to kern
2) Never stretch your text (either horizontally or vertically) unless you REALLY know what you're doing and are doing it for a specific jarring effect
3) Don't stack letters on top of eachother to spell out a word. If you need to have a word going vertically, rotate it 90 degrees.
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