{"id":22030,"date":"2020-04-13T14:57:17","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T14:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/auto_generate_video_previews_with_great_results_every_time"},"modified":"2025-02-16T10:00:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T18:00:48","slug":"auto_generate_video_previews_with_great_results_every_time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/auto_generate_video_previews_with_great_results_every_time","title":{"rendered":"Automated Generation of Intelligent Video Previews on Cloudinary\u2019s Dynamic Video Platform"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s human nature for most to want a sneak peek at upcoming content whenever possible. Think movie trailers or the \u201con next week\u2019s episode\u201d part of your favorite show. For video producers<\/a>, an essential goal is to attract more views and clickthroughs.<\/p>\n

Time is precious, however, so viewers invariably want to ensure that a video is relevant for them before watching it. A simple thumbnail is often not adequate to convey enough details of a video<\/a>; this is where a short video preview could prove to be much more effective.<\/p>\n

Cloudinary offers intelligent automatic generation of video previews to give viewers a preliminary look at the most interesting content. A powerful feature well worth adopting. All you need to do is add the preview<\/code> effect (e_preview<\/code> in URLs), like this:<\/p>\n

\n Loading code examples<\/span>\n <\/cld-code-widget>\n \n\n\n\n <\/video><\/p>\n

While platforms like YouTube have their own ways of auto-generating thumbnails, it’s vital for content creators to take charge and ensure that their video thumbnails stand out. One could use tools like Photoshop or Canva to add text, icons, or enhance the screenshot taken from the video. In YouTube Studio, creators can even choose between auto-generated thumbnails or upload their own customized thumbnail, making sure it accurately represents the content and grabs viewer attention. Here’s how one can go about it:<\/h3>\n

    \n
  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.\n
  2. Select Content from the left menu.\n
  3. Click the video you want to edit.\n
  4. Select an auto-generated thumbnail or click Upload thumbnail.\n
  5. Click SAVE.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This emphasizes the importance of customizing video thumbnails, even if the platform provides an auto-selected preview. Remember, an engaging thumbnail could be the difference between someone clicking on your video or scrolling past it.

    \n

    This is part of a series of articles about Marketing videos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Why Static Thumbnails Just Aren\u2019t Enough<\/h2>\n

    As a rule, developers spotlight videos on web and mobile apps with thumbnails. The simplest way to do this is with the video poster, which is often the first frame of the video\u2014an image that could show nothing or be completely irrelevant to the video content, however. Not great for garnering more views!<\/p>\n

    Why not extract a relevant poster image from the video or create a completely different but eye-catching image instead? Many YouTube videos use the latter to try and grab your attention. Both options are time-consuming, manual jobs, though. In the case of managing a multitude of videos, especially if they are created by third parties, automation is the answer.<\/p>\n

    Below are some examples of the various approaches to creating poster images:<\/p>\n
    \n

    \n
    \n\"First<\/a>\n

    First frame<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\"Middle<\/a>\n

    Middle frame<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\"Manually<\/a>\n

    Manually selected frame<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n\"Custom<\/a>\n

    Custom thumbnail

    \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n

    Bringing Thumbnails to Life<\/h2>\n

    For a richer user experience with thumbnails, the best solution is to make them move. You could play a short preview of the video content on thumbnail hover. That setup has proven to be extremely effective in increasing engagement, leading to more views of the full video.<\/p>\n

    Similar to creating thumbnails, generating short video previews is often a manual, time-consuming process. The following are two common options:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Take a few seconds from the video, either at the beginning or the middle. That\u2019s a formulaic, but by far not ideal solution.<\/li>\n
    2. Pick the most engrossing moments that last a few seconds from the video. In many cases, you must extract those moments from several scenes, necessitating more time and effort.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The case for a more efficient solution for spotlighting videos is obvious.<\/p>\n

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