Have you ever tried creating YouTube thumbnails with the perfect action shot, only to end up with blurry or out-of-frame images?
If yes, trust me, you’re not alone. Nailing the perfect action shot for your YouTube thumbnails can be tricky and tedious. But with the right tips, creating these high-quality thumbnails is possible.
Action Shots and Why Choose Them for Your YouTube Video Thumbnails
Action shots in YouTube thumbnails are high-energy shots that capture movement from a particular YouTube video. These shots convey emotions, actions, or key aspects of the video.
- Examples include a person captured in mid-jump, an object in mid-movement, or an exaggerated facial expression.
- YouTube thumbnails with action shots are impactful as they boost click-through rates, build curiosity, and engage the viewer. These thumbnails hook viewers and set the tone of the video.
- Whether you're capturing a key moment that tells the best story or a fast-paced moment, getting the perfect thumbnail makes all the difference.
Following are some quick tips and examples from the best YouTubers so that you can create YouTube thumbnails with perfect action shots that are a visual treat.
TIP 1: Get That Peak Moment of Action
You might have seen a YouTube thumbnail image where the creator is captured in mid-jump, or in that one second of action and emotion that makes you wonder, "How did they get that shot?" That crazy jump or stunt filled with tension and excitement grabs the viewer’s attention.
MrBeast is the guru when it comes to capturing peak moments of action. Just like his YouTube videos, his YouTube thumbnails often show the on-edge parts of his challenges. They scream, “You have to watch this to find out more.”
How to Capture the Best Action Moments
Always keep the camera going, be it key moments or insignificant ones. This will help you gain as much footage as possible, later allowing you to find your best frame for your YouTube video thumbnails.
Enable burst mode if you use a different camera to capture your YouTube thumbnail images. This will give you multiple in-action shots to choose from.
TIP 2: Bold and Bright
Just like your personality, your YouTube thumbnail design should be bold and bright. It needs to pop. Even if you’ve got the perfect action shot and the colors are not bright its of no use. Colors like red, yellow, and neon green make your YouTube thumbnails pop and draw attention.
The Infographics Show is a great example. Their video thumbnails don’t consist of action shots, but their color contrast is to die for. These bright thumbnail designs are impossible to miss.
How to Get That Bright Look
Aiming for a higher contrast in raw footage is difficult, so editing is your best tool.
Try to increase the contrast and enhance the colors. Using contrast and saturation will make your eye-catching YouTube thumbnail pop.
Ensure you don’t go overboard with editing, which may reduce the originality of your custom thumbnails.
TIP 3: Expressions = Emotional Connection in YouTube Thumbnails
Imagine how boring it would be to look at a face without expressions. Actions are necessary, but they only hold value with emotions. Viewers prefer YouTube video thumbnails with creators who openly show emotions, building familiarity and connection. These emotions also make your action shots more engaging.
Rosanna Pansino is an expert in building emotional connections. Her YouTube thumbnail template often features strong expressions—fear, happiness, excitement—that tell a story.
How to Ace the Emotions Game
Focus on your best emotions, but try capturing natural expressions that evoke curiosity. Don’t hesitate to exaggerate your expressions; sometimes, you must let your dramatic side shine.
Understand that viewers connect with emotions; eye-catching thumbnails with strong emotions get the best responses.
TIP 4: Focused Scene for YouTube Thumbnails
Have you seen those YouTube thumbnails crowded with elements? Instead, pick one or two essential elements that represent the action shot. A clean, focused thumbnail design is more visually appealing.
Dude Perfect is known for its clean action shots. Whether it’s a trick shot or a fun video, their YouTube thumbnails are always clean, with the focus directed toward the main action.
How to Get a Focused Scene
When setting up an action shot, determine your most important element. Is it a person caught in mid-jump? An intense reaction? Focus on your key element, and let others fade into the background.
TIP 5: Let The Object Be The Focus
Sometimes, it’s not about the people; it’s about objects that grab attention. If your YouTube video thumbnail needs an object to be the center, like sports gear or DIY tools, highlight it. This works well for channels focusing on sports, DIY, gaming, or cooking.
Mark Rober often lets objects take center stage in his custom thumbnails—from balloons to bowling pins, the key object always stands out.
How to Focus on the Object
Identify the most important object in your action shot. Highlighting the object shifts the viewer's focus and builds intrigue.
TIP 6: Use Multiple Angles
The angle you choose can transform a regular shot into an epic action shot. Experimenting with different angles helps highlight what looks best. Low angles make scenes look more powerful, while high angles build drama.
Casey Neistat is a master at using different angles in his YouTube thumbnails, whether he’s skateboarding or strolling through New York.
Why Shoot From Multiple Angles
Tip 7: Add Props For Extra Drama
You can use various tools and props in your background to make your action shot look a little more dramatic.
Simone Giertz is popular for adding various gadgets, tools, and parts of her inventions to add more drama to her action shots. In a thumbnail, she's holding a saw mid-motion while something's about to break, adding intensity and humor to the scene.
How To Add That Extra Drama
Use props that fit the action you want to showcase. For example, if you’re building something, hold a tool or object in the middle of a dramatic action. Make sure the prop is visible and adds context to the thumbnail's story.
Tip 8: Use Contrast To Highlight Movement
You can do this by blending your foreground and background elements. Just pick elements with visually opposing colors.
Yes Theory has the best contrast game when it comes to action shots. They often use bright contrasts, colorful outfits with nature or urban environments. For example, in their thumbnails, someone might jump off a cliff into the ocean, where the bright swimwear contrasts against the blue water, making the action pop.
How To Get That Contrast
Choose clothing or backgrounds that are visually opposite. Bright colors work best against neutral or dark settings. This makes movement, such as jumping or running, stand out more in the thumbnail.
Tip 9: Incorporate Textures
A white egg is being shot at with a bullet. The bullet has already made a hole in the egg, and the egg is starting to crack and shatter.
This is the best way to add that extra layer for your thumbnails. This is also where your creativity can stand out.
The Slow Mo Guys are all about capturing textures in their high-speed shots. Their thumbnails often show textures like glass shattering, water splashing, or paint exploding, making the action look super dynamic and tangible.
How To Incorporate Textures
Capture moments when textures like water splashes, dust, or smoke are mid-action. You can slow down the movement or snap at just the right time to show particles and give your thumbnail depth and detail.
Tip 10: Make The Action Look Bigger
This tip is great when you want action shots to be dramatic and take center stage.
A YouTuber who makes the action look bigger is MrBeast; his thumbnails frequently exaggerate the action to make it more dramatic and intriguing. He uses elements like close-ups of reactions, large splashes, and big, bold objects to emphasize the intensity
How To Make The Action Look Bigger
Play with angles and zoom in on the main action. Use close-ups or wide shots with an exaggerated perspective to make even small actions feel massive and exciting, giving the thumbnail more energy.
Tip 11: Use Emphasis Lines
You can add fun overlays to emphasize the action shot in your thumbnails. This would draw the attention of your viewer, as it would highlight the shot and make them want to see what the chaos is all about.
A YouTuber who effectively uses speed lines in thumbnails is Markiplier, especially in his gaming content. When he’s playing fast-paced games or reacting to intense situations, his thumbnails often feature speed lines to emphasize action, urgency, or high-energy moments.
How To Add Emphasis Lines
Add speed lines, motion blur, or burst effects in post-production to highlight where the action is happening. Don't go overboard with this enough to guide the viewer’s eyes to the key moment in the shot.
Tip 12: Capture The Moment Of Surprise
The last one is an action shot but you can freeze the action moment to build that curiosity and intrigue.
Zach King’s magic tricks often have a “wow” moment, and his thumbnails capture that exact second. Whether it’s a card disappearing or a sudden transformation, his thumbnails freeze the magic trick just before it’s fully revealed, piquing viewers' curiosity.
How To Capture The Moment Of Surprise
To capture the moment of surprise, focus on freezing the exact second before a big reveal or unexpected twist happens. This builds curiosity and suspense, making viewers eager to click and see the outcome.
Creating the perfect action shot for your YouTube thumbnail combines creativity, timing, and technique. Whether it's catching that peak moment, expression, or focus, these tips can help you create the perfect action thumbnails.
However, creating a YouTube thumbnail design with balanced elements is a hassle.
The Long Road To The Perfect Action Shot: THUMBNAIL EDITION
Nailing that action shot in your thumbnails is time-consuming; now, you can design a free YouTube thumbnail by using simple editing techniques, but you might not get the desired results.
- First, you’ll have to capture the exact right moment
- Now, to get various angles, you might use different cameras that will accumulate a lot of footage
- Then comes the least interesting part: yes, I’m talking about setting the scene. Trying to figure out the right props, tools, and objects is a pain.
- And lastly, edit that shot till you no longer want to look at it.
- You might be wondering if there’s a quick tip to make these above tasks easy. What if you choose AI to create your thumbnails with the perfect action shots?
With these tips and the help of Rizzle AI, creating high-quality YouTube thumbnails can be easier than ever. Rizzle offers thumbnail templates, a thumbnail maker, a user-friendly interface, and ensures that you follow YouTube thumbnail best practices to create eye-catching thumbnails quickly.
While a free YouTube thumbnail may seem like a cost-effective solution, it can often result in low-quality designs that don't effectively capture your audience's attention. But Rizzle AI helps you craft your own visually irresistible thumbnails.
Why Rizzle's AI Editor is a Game-Changer for Custom Thumbnails
Optimized Image Balance
Rizzle's YouTube Thumbnail maker applies the Rule of Thirds and advanced compositing techniques to visually balance your thumbnails.
Eye-Catching Color Contrast
Rizzle’s focus on color theory ensures perfect contrast, making your video thumbnails stand out in crowded feeds.
Emotional Impact
Rizzle’s facial recognition technology helps you capture the best emotions for your YouTube thumbnails, engaging viewers instantly.
Text Readability
Rizzle’s AI ensures text on your YouTube thumbnail templates is always clear, even on smaller screens.
High Flexibility
Rizzle’s custom thumbnail templates adapt to any content type, ensuring brand consistency for your YouTube channel. You can choose from Rizzle's vast thumbnail templates to match your content theme.
You can easily find free thumbnail templates online, but those might not align with your brand. Rizzle AI understands this and provides you with a vast selection of templates.
Advantages of Using Rizzle
1. Time Efficiency
2. Professional quality
3. Customization
4. Consistency In Branding
5. Improved Engagement
6. Data-Driven Insights
7. Cost Effective Solution
Let Rizzle’s Custom Thumbnail feature do the heavy lifting so you can focus on creating fantastic content for your YouTube videos. Rizzle's AI-powered technology will help you create custom YouTube thumbnails with the perfect action shots in minutes.
.webp)
.webp)
