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How to Make CINEMATIC Thumbnails — Transcript

by Ice Guy · 3,020 words · 439 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00You see thousands of thumbnails [music]
0:01every single day, whether it's on
0:03Roblox, YouTube, or any other platform.
0:05These thumbnails only have mere seconds
0:07to catch your attention in such a way
0:09that you want to further investigate
0:11what lies beyond. [music] But, what
0:13makes a good thumbnail? More
0:14specifically, how can you make a
0:16cinematic image? I'm here to teach you
0:18all about it, including the composition,
0:20the scene, the lighting, and much more.
0:22You will soon know how to create
0:23masterpieces in both Roblox and Blender.
0:26Let's begin with thinking about what
0:28emotion you want this thumbnail to
0:30invoke in the viewer, whether it's
0:31curiosity or anger. The best images
0:33incite some sort of feeling in the
0:35viewer. If you can cause curiosity, then
0:37the odds of them clicking the thumbnail
0:39raises drastically. You should also
0:41think about where this thumbnail is
0:42going. A YouTube thumbnail might not
0:44work well for a game thumbnail and vice
0:46versa. There are lots of different micro
0:48adjustments you can do to optimize the
0:50CTR on every platform, but I won't be
0:53going over that. I'm simply just here to
0:55show you how to make a darn good-looking
0:56thumbnail. Now, once you know what you
0:58want to convey, start imagining what you
1:00want the scene to be. Creativity is an
1:02integral part of the thumbnail process,
1:04but a great way to help with
1:05brainstorming is using lots and lots of
1:08references. The best part is that
1:10references are incredibly easy to find.
1:12Just look anywhere and you'll be met
1:13with some sort of thumbnail or icon.
1:15Once you have a general idea of what you
1:17want, you can begin blocking out the
1:18scene. You can do this through adding
1:20simple parts in Roblox or using the
1:22terrain system. In Blender, you can
1:24press shift A and bring in any shape you
1:26want. Because this is just a block out,
1:28you don't need to heavily detail the
1:30scene. There's no point in wasting
1:31[music] time on areas that might end up
1:33being hidden by the camera. But, I would
1:35recommend adding in the main focus
1:36points in the scene, whether it's the
1:38main characters or general objects. That
1:40way, you can better visualize the
1:42composition of the scene. If this
1:43thumbnail is for a game, you probably
1:45already have all the assets you need for
1:47the scene. But, you can also import
1:49various assets from marketplaces. If you
1:52want to import something into Roblox
1:53Studio, then click on this import button
1:55and select the file you saved. In
1:57Blender, go up to file, then down to
1:59import, and select file type you saved.
2:01I would recommend saving either DLBs or
2:03FBXs if you do use a marketplace.
2:05Speaking of marketplaces, [music] let me
2:07segue into today's sponsor, the RBX
2:10Games Marketplace. At this marketplace,
2:12you can purchase professionally created
2:14pre-made assets, as well as place
2:16[music] commissions for your own game
2:18requests. The RBX Marketplace have been
2:20developing games for over 5 years. By
2:22clicking the link in the description,
2:24you'll be brought to their website where
2:26you can browse dozens of pre-made games
2:28and assets. You can even become a seller
2:30and list your own pre-made assets
2:32directly on their store. From obbys to
2:34tycoons, you'll easily find whatever
2:36game you need. If you like what you see,
2:38you can also join their Discord listed
2:40on the website for any announcements
2:42about the marketplace. Again, you can
2:43find the link in the description. Thank
2:45you to RBX Games for sponsoring this
2:47video. Now, let's get back into that
2:49video. You also don't need to spend a
2:51whole lot of time posing your characters
2:53at this point, but I would position them
2:55roughly where you need. I would also
2:57recommend saving complex posing until
2:59after you set up the camera composition.
3:02The composition of the scene is arguably
3:04the most important component to a
3:06cinematic render. Luckily for you, there
3:08are a few simple tricks you can use to
3:10quickly create fantastic thumbnails. You
3:12don't even need good posing for a great
3:13shot, just good camera composition. In
3:16Roblox Studio, the regular viewport is
3:17your camera, but you can finally tune
3:19the position and rotation if you go into
3:21workspace and find the camera
3:22properties. You can change position in
3:24the transform tab. Now, in Blender, you
3:26can add in a camera by pressing shift A
3:29and clicking on the camera. Then, you
3:30can press number pad zero to snap into
3:32the camera view, or you can press this
3:34icon. A trick you can use to quickly
3:37reposition the camera in Blender is
3:38going into camera view and pressing
3:40shift and the tilde key, which allows
3:42you to freely move around the scene. Or,
3:44you can simply grab and move the camera
3:46as you would any other object. If you
3:48don't know the basic Blender controls,
3:49then watch this video. Now, let's move
3:51on to the easy composition tricks you
3:53can use to spice up your renders. Let's
3:55say you have two characters. If you
3:57position the camera over the shoulder of
3:59a character and have it look down, it
4:00will create a sense of dominance over
4:02the other character, rendering them
4:04smaller. However, if you have the camera
4:06low and looking up, it creates the
4:08inverse of this effect, showing one
4:10character as a more towering and
4:11threatening individual. Next, let's talk
4:13about the classic rule of thirds. If
4:15you've done any form of animation,
4:17photography, or really anything visually
4:19creative, you've probably heard of this
4:20rule. Simply imagine your screen is cut
4:22into a 3 by 3 grid. You can align the
4:25different focus points to one of these
4:26grid lines. If you have Moon Animator,
4:28you can go into camera settings and
4:30enable the grid there. In Blender, if
4:32you click on the camera, then click on
4:33the camera, then go into the viewport
4:35display, you can view various
4:36composition guides. Now, let's talk
4:38about the focal length and FOV. In
4:40Roblox, if you go to the camera
4:41properties again, you'll see the field
4:43of view. This is Roblox's version of
4:45focal length. In Blender, if you click
4:47on the camera, then click on the camera,
4:48then in the lens tab, you can change the
4:50focal length. You can also toggle it to
4:52field of view if you want to be more
4:53consistent with Roblox. There are many
4:55different uses and feelings caused from
4:57changing the focal length. The human eye
4:59roughly sees 40 to 50 focal length. So,
5:01by using this, it creates a sense of
5:03familiarity. A focal length of 60 to
5:05100, or even 200 in some severe cases,
5:08caused a squashed perspective. This is
5:10great for focusing or highlighting one
5:12object. However, it can ruin the depth
5:14of the scene. So, I personally never
5:16done more than 60 mm. For lower focal
5:19lengths, such as 20 to 30, will show
5:21more of the environment of the scene. It
5:23can also be used for unsettling shots
5:25with a warped-like perspective. Now, if
5:27you were to rotate the camera slightly,
5:28it will convey an erratic, scary, or
5:31fast movement. If you have a horror
5:32scene, tilting the camera slightly can
5:34add a sense of unease. Conversely, if
5:36you were to perfectly align the camera
5:38with the scene, it creates an eerie
5:39sense of perfection. There are dozens of
5:41ways you can use the camera to convey
5:43different emotions. So, experiment and
5:45see what works. Pardon the interruption,
5:47but I'm trying to get 10,000 subscribers
5:49by the end of the year. So, if you found
5:50this video at all helpful, then consider
5:52subscribing and like it. I also have a
5:54Discord where you can join events, help
5:56with future videos, and even more. I
5:57hope to see you there. Anyways, let's
5:59continue. [music]
6:00Once you're happy with your camera
6:02setup, you can begin to refine your
6:04scene a little bit The important thing
6:05is adding [music] props and objects that
6:07will amplify your scene without
6:09distracting from the main focus points.
6:11If a viewer has to think and scan the
6:12image to find the centerpiece, then the
6:14thumbnail has effectively failed. So,
6:16keep it clean and obvious. You can also
6:18now begin with more complex posing. For
6:20Roblox, I typically just insert a rig
6:22and use the default transform tools to
6:24rotate and move the limbs. You could use
6:26animators because they tend to be more
6:28intuitive, but since it's only a still
6:30frame, I usually don't. If you want to
6:32bring a simple R6 rig into Blender, what
6:34you can do is go into Roblox, right
6:36click on the model and export as OBJ.
6:38Then, you can go into the description
6:40and download the free Roblox starter
6:42rigs. This is what I use for all of my
6:44Blender Roblox renders. Then, unzip the
6:46file and go into the starter blocky rig
6:48Blender file, or you can drag the save
6:50onto a pre-existing scene and append it
6:52by going into the collections and
6:54clicking on the starter blocky rig.
6:55Then, if you want the clothing of the
6:57character, go into the shading tab. You
6:59can change the texture by clicking right
7:00here and then simply selecting the image
7:02you exported. Now, let's talk about
7:04color theory, beginning with
7:05complementary colors, which are colors
7:08that sit on the opposite sides of the
7:10color wheel. This creates the highest
7:11possible visual contrast, which makes
7:13each color even more intense. This is
7:15commonly seen in movies and shows as
7:17blue and orange, but you could also do
7:19it in yellow and purple or red and
7:20green. You should use complementary
7:22colors if you want to grab attention or
7:24create a punchy image. Now, let's move
7:26on to analogous colors, which are groups
7:28of colors that sit directly next to each
7:29other on the color wheel, such as blue
7:31and green or yellow and orange. Using
7:33these types of colors creates a sense of
7:35cohesion that's often used for nature or
7:37to show temperature. This is effectively
7:39the opposite of complementary colors, so
7:41it can lack harsh contrast. Because of
7:43this, you'll probably want to vary the
7:45values and saturation of colors in order
7:47to bring back that contrast. You can
7:49also add a small pop of color, which
7:51will contrast nicely and be an easy
7:53focus point.
7:54Now, for lighting, the main goal you
7:55should have is to show the scene,
7:57unless, of course, you're making
7:58something mysterious or horror-oriented.
8:00But still, at the very least, you should
8:02highlight the main focus points and make
8:04them stand out from the background. Now,
8:06there are three main types of light that
8:07you'll be using. A key light is the main
8:09light of the scene and serves to light
8:11up a character, usually from a slight
8:13angle. Then, there's a back light, which
8:15is also commonly referred to as the rim
8:17light because it adds a nice rim of
8:19light around the character. The third
8:20light type is the fill light. While it's
8:22not always necessary, it can be used to
8:24fill in some of the shadows caused by
8:26the key light. Fill lights should also
8:27typically be pretty dim, so they don't
8:29overpower the key light. In Roblox
8:31Studio, I would recommend using
8:32spotlights for most of your precise
8:34lighting needs and point lights for
8:35general lighting. If you're indoor, of
8:37course. Otherwise, just use the sun.
8:39I've made a very comprehensive lighting
8:40guide that you should definitely use. In
8:42Blender, you can bring in a light by
8:44pressing shift A and then choosing one
8:46of these options. The point light,
8:47spotlight, and area light are all
8:49comparable to Roblox's versions. If you
8:52want to adjust the light, then click on
8:53the light, then click on the light, then
8:55adjust any of these settings. If you
8:56can't see the light working at all, it's
8:58probably because you're in solid view.
9:00If you hold the Z key, you'll get a
9:01pop-up of all the different shading
9:03styles. To see the lights, use the
9:05rendered option. We will go over all of
9:06the rendering and cycles settings later.
9:09Now, how should you go about lighting
9:10your scene? What I would recommend is
9:12starting with the brightest or most
9:13prominent light sources, which, if
9:15you're doing an outdoor scene, will be
9:17either the sun or the moon. You can
9:18tweak the lighting of the outdoor scenes
9:20easily by using lighting tab in the
9:22workspace. In Blender, you can do shift
9:24A to add in a sun. Then, it doesn't
9:26matter where the sun is positioned
9:27because it doesn't function as a regular
9:28light. The way to get shadows cast by
9:30the sun is by simply rotating it. Once
9:32you're done with this, move on to the
9:34next most prominent light source. This
9:36is commonly street lights, candles,
9:37ceiling lights, windows, really just
9:39anything that could cast light. Then,
9:41once you have that done, you could do
9:42something I call cheat lighting, which
9:44basically is just adding in lights that
9:46logically shouldn't be there. These
9:47lights should be used to amplify and
9:49highlight the characters. Lights don't
9:51always need to make sense as long as it
9:53looks good. Now, when you're adding in
9:54lights, you can choose if you want to
9:56color them. You can make them feel
9:57slightly warm or slightly cold. Or in
9:59some instances, you can even create a
10:01nice contrast by having two unique
10:02colors. Having different colored
10:04lighting in different parts of the scene
10:06could signify different teams or good
10:08versus evil. Lighting can add so much to
10:10a scene. So, play around with different
10:11lighting styles. Now, in my professional
10:13opinion, Blender creates a much more
10:15realistic and generally fancier lighting
10:17when compared to Roblox. That doesn't
10:19mean Roblox can't be used to create
10:21amazing lighting setups. So, don't be
10:22discouraged by what [music] program you
10:24end up using.
10:25Once you're happy with your Roblox
10:27scene, what I typically do is use a
10:29snipping tool and clip what I want. You
10:31could also go into the view tab [music]
10:32and take a screenshot there. However,
10:34Blender is more complicated. To begin,
10:36if you have a GPU, go into edit, then
10:38preferences, and system, and click on
10:40optics if you have an Nvidia GPU, and
10:42hip if you have AMD GPU. Then, go back
10:45into the main viewport and select the
10:47render properties. Set the engine to
10:49cycles for the most realistic look. Set
10:51the viewport noise threshold to 0.5 and
10:53100 max samples and enable denoising.
10:56This will make the viewport actually
10:57functional. Next, set the noise
10:59threshold in the render properties to
11:010.2 and the max samples to 1024. And
11:04make sure the denoiser uses GPU. Then,
11:06go into light paths and set the total to
11:08anywhere between three to six. If you
11:09notice a severe drop in lighting
11:11quality, then you can raise this. Next,
11:13go into performance and set the tile
11:15size to 512 and enable persistent data.
11:17Go into color management and set the
11:19view to filmic and the look to anywhere
11:20from medium to high contrast. Now, go
11:23into the compositing tab and we'll be
11:25adding in only two nodes. If you want a
11:26quick preview, then render out your
11:28image. Now, add in a glare node and set
11:30it to fog low and high. Then, increase
11:33the size to about nine and play around
11:35with a threshold and strength. Next, add
11:37in a lens distortion and make sure it
11:38fits and set the distortion to around
11:400.025 and the dispersion to 0.04. Now,
11:44you can re-render and save the new
11:45image. Now, let's move into your photo
11:48editing program of choice. I will be
11:50using Photopea because [music] it's
11:51free, but I've heard that it's very
11:53similar to Photoshop, so you can
11:54probably follow along there. I'd
11:56recommend using a canvas size of about
11:581920 by 1080. What I typically start
12:01with is adding a camera raw filter.
12:03Then, I increase and decrease these
12:04values until I get something that I
12:06like. Be careful to not crunch the
12:07colors. You want as much depth as you
12:09can. You can look at this color graph
12:11here. If the colors start to clip at the
12:13top, then they're being crushed. Next, I
12:15increase the vibrance and saturation and
12:17occasionally change the temperature if
12:18it fits the scene better. Then I add in
12:20a curves adjustment layer and bring it
12:22slightly down in the middle. Then I
12:23personally like adding in some film
12:25grain set to overlay and slightly
12:27transparent. Next, I add in a vignette,
12:29which just adds some darkness to the
12:31edges. You can find vignettes and film
12:32grain through a quick Google search.
12:34Then I sometimes add in a color lookup
12:37with a fusion 88, but you have to set
12:39this very transparent [music] so it
12:40doesn't overwhelm the scene. Then I add
12:42in the final curves adjustment layer.
12:44This is before and after. Now, that's my
12:46process for cinematic renders, but the
12:48process for thumbnails is a little
12:49different. I'll use my most successful
12:51thumbnail as an example. I start with a
12:53simple image and add in a camera raw
12:55effect. Then I add in the second focus
12:57point, which is just a generic spawn
12:59point with a highlight around it. The
13:00highlight was created by simply drawing
13:02around it and adding in an inner shadow
13:04with an outer glow. Then I add in some
13:06effects to the main scene, such as god
13:08rays and lens dirt. Next, I add in a
13:10vignette. Then I move on to doing the
13:12text, which is a simple font with simple
13:14colors. To add depth to this text, I add
13:16in an inner shadow, an outer glow, a
13:18drop shadow, and a 3D effect. Then
13:20finally, I add in a curves layer to make
13:23the final image a little more punchy and
13:24contrasty. Now, I'm not an expert on
13:26thumbnails, but I would recommend you
13:28don't clutter it. Stick to around two to
13:30four focus points, and there's a good
13:31chance it'll do well. Anyways, goodbye
13:33now.

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