Here are my tips for writing and using title cards in your game trailers!

The tl;dr:

Title cards can be a powerful tool to augment the messaging of your game and make the game stand out. If the title cards describe your game alone they're doing a great job! If they make your game sound like many many other games, then they're going to make your game sound very generic.

My quick tips!

- First try making the trailer without using title cards
- See if the title cards work for your game when unstylized
- Make title cards SPECIFIC to your game
- Avoid listing and quantifying features

Don’t List Content Quantities in Game Trailers
   • The Biggest Mistake of Indie Game Tra...  

Blog post version:
https://www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2020/...
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Video Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
00:23 - What title cards get used for
00:36 - Pedigree title cards
00:57 - Explaining mechanics with title cards
02:09 - Story title cards
03:26 - Game feature & generic title cards
05:15 - Hype title cards
06:13 - Tips for using title cards
07:20 - Inspiration and outro
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Links
SUPERHOT Launch Trailer -    • SUPERHOT LAUNCH TRAILER  
Heaven's Vault Story Trailer -    • Heaven's Vault - Story Trailer | PS4  
Afterparty Nintendo Switch Trailer -    • Afterparty | Nintendo Switch Trailer  
If Found... Release Date Trailer -    • IF FOUND... | Release Date Trailer  
The Last of Us VGA 2011 Trailer -    • The Last of Us Exclusive Debut Trailer  
District 9 Trailer #2 -    • District 9  Trailer #2  
Hades v1.0 Launch Trailer -    • Hades - v1.0 Launch Trailer  
Broforce February Update Trailer -    • Broforce - February Update Trailer  
Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator -    • Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator - Of...  
Neo Cab Story Trailer -    • Neo Cab — Story Trailer — June 2018  
Sayonara Wild Hearts Launch Trailer -    • SAYONARA WILD HEARTS | Launch Trailer  
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Dana Trebella
Spoke and Wheel Strategy - http://spokeandwheelstrategy.com


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Website: http://www.derek-lieu.com
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ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Derek Lieu and I make indie game trailers! I got my start in the movie trailer industry as an assistant editor at a house which produced trailers for: The Matrix Trilogy, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean and many more.

Over many years I worked as an editor and started making fan trailers for games, until eventually I got jobs at game trailer houses in Los Angeles where I worked on games like Mortal Kombat X, Shadow of Mordor and lots of LEGO games. Independently I've helped make trailers for games like: Half-Life: Alyx, Firewatch, Dead Cells, Subnautica, Spelunky 2, Ooblets, BattleBlock Theater and a lot more.

I'm using this channel to teach people about the art of making trailers via video essays, tutorials, reviews, and behind-the-scenes looks at my own work. I think about trailers a lot both for work and fun, so I have A LOT to say about them.