Thumbnails YouTube

[Chi5C80]

Hi,

I was wondering how the attached files which represent thumbnails of games are made. I have photoshop and are a beginner but I really don't know where to start making these kind of thumbnails. 

I tried myself by making screenshots of the in game frames and working from there. but they come nowhere near the attached ones. 

To me they don't look like simply in game frames that have been exported with some game elements removed. Do you guys have any idea on where to start? 

[Trevor.Dennis]

I almost missed that those are videos, which makes it a lot more complicated, but I'd be surprised if there is not a template available.  I am not so sure it would be doable in Photoshop though. Do you want the thumbnails to be live video or stills? Where and how do you intend using the thumbnails?  i.e. on YouTube or on a website or what?

[Chi5C80]

The thumbnails are intended to be used on YouTube. When you upload a video you can add a thumbnail in the format of JPG or PNG. The timestamp is just added afterwards to tell people how long the video is and isn't a part of the thumbnail when created. 

Usually what I do is I grab stills in an application like Davinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere and work with those stills in photoshop. But I've never been sure whether it's possible to create those attached thumbnails in photoshop or if there's some other application being used that's more suitable for these kind of thumbnails. 

[Trevor.Dennis]

So they are just stills and won't launch the associated video when clicked on?  If that's the case, then it's easy peasy, but if they are video hyperlinks then you could do it in an app like InDesign and save out to Interactive PDF, but I have no idea if that could be hosted on YouTube and remain Intereactive.

If you could be really specific about what you'd like to achieve, or even if you could provide a link to one of this YouTube videos, then all would be much clearer.   Bother would be good.

[Chi5C80]

Hi this link goes to a playlist as an example: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLww7ZfHQivUWN2jglgcN4P3q5SdSsgl5E&si=nPbQsOcOYXL57pqO

The Thumbnails are links to the corresponding video. But have to be uploaded as a PNG or JPG. 

What I try to do is make a thumbnail for a video that has to be in JPG or PNG format but that thumbnail shouldn't just be a frame from the video itself but something looking as sophisticated as the ones I gave as an example. 

[Writerrise]

I't difficult to create gaming thumbnails that look professional but don't worry, here are the general steps to follow:

• Find a captivating image. This could be a screenshot from your video of an exciting moment, a funny scene, or a close-up of the game's title card.

• Add text to your thumbnail. Use clear and concise language to tell viewers what your video is about. You can also use text to create a sense of urgency or excitement.

• Keep it simple. Don't clutter your thumbnail with too many images or text elements.

• Use bright colors and high contrast. This will help your thumbnail stand out from the competition.

• Make sure your thumbnail is the right size. YouTube thumbnails should be 1280x720 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Check Your Thumbnail https://youtube-thumbnail-dl.com/thumbnail-validate

Here are some additional tips for creating great gaming thumbnails:

• Use a consistent style for all of your thumbnails. This will help viewers recognize your content at a glance.

• Experiment with different fonts and colors to find what works best for your audience.

• Use free online tools or templates to create your thumbnails .

• Get feedback from friends or other YouTubers on your thumbnails.

I hope this helps!

[Trevor.Dennis]

The reality seems to be that people look for a random image with an 11/10 sensational factor, add some equally random, but even more sensational text, and publish their videos hoping to attract maximum views and cheat the 'Algorythem'.  I suppose you can see why some of them do it.  $11.6M every month!  $139M a year!!