How to do rolling credits in a video

Rolling credits come from the Graphics menu in Video by Zaweba. Choose rolling credits and the app adds a clip that scrolls your text up the screen; type the names in, set the clip's length on the timeline, and the credits roll at the end of your film. It's free and offline, with nothing to install.

End credits are a small thing that makes a film feel finished. A school project, a short film, a wedding video or a YouTube series all look more complete with the people who made them listed at the end.

Adding the credits clip

Move the playhead to the end of your film and choose rolling credits from the Graphics menu. A credits clip appears on the timeline. Put it on its own track above the last shot if you want the credits to roll over the picture, or after the last shot over black for the classic look.

Type your credits into the clip. Keep a clear order: roles and names, usually starting with the most important and ending with thanks, music and any copyright lines.

Getting the speed right

Credits are only useful if people can read them. Play the clip back at normal speed and try to read every line once, comfortably. If the names rush past, trim or stretch the credits clip on the timeline and check the pace again. If you find yourself bored, the roll is too slow for the list.

Long credit lists need time. It's better to let them run than to squash them into a few unreadable seconds.

Making them readable

Readability beats style for credits. Choose a plain font at a decent size with good contrast against the background. Titles in Video by Zaweba support outlines and soft shadows, which help when text rolls over moving pictures. Spelling is marked as you type, which matters here more than anywhere; a misspelt name in the credits is the one that gets noticed.

If credits roll over the final shot, consider darkening that shot a little with the colour controls, or putting a blurred copy underneath, so the text stands out.

Music and sound

Credits usually run with music. Put a track on a sound track below, and if it's longer than the credits, trim it so it ends with them. Drag the small square at the sound clip's corner to fade it out smoothly. The Re-edit music to a length feature can fit a piece of music to the credits' length on the beat, which saves an awkward fade in the middle of a phrase.

A crawl for something different

The Graphics menu also has a news crawl, which moves text sideways along the bottom of the screen. It's not for end credits, but it's the right tool for a ticker of headlines, a running list of thank yous during an event video, or a note that must stay on screen while the picture goes on.

If you make a series, keep the credits clip from one episode and copy it into the next, so every episode ends the same way and only the names that change need retyping. Then export with Ctrl+E and the credits roll exactly as they did in the preview.