Web Development: How to Make a Modern Minimal Slideshow Video in Final Cut Pro or Apple Motion

How to Make a Modern Minimal Slideshow Video in Final Cut Pro or Apple Motion

In this tutorial, we're going to use a template to create a minimal and modern slideshow video. You'll be amazed by how easy it is!

How to Make Video With a Modern, Minimal Design Style

"Modern and minimal" is a phrase you'll hear often in design circles, especially among video producers, but what does that style actually mean?

Here are three principles to consider:

Unadorned, quick transitions and animations that augment, not overwhelm
Clear color palettes that stand out from the crowd
Clean textures and un-busy backgrounds to keep the focus on your video content

In our example, we're going to make a minimal slideshow video. For this video, I'm going to work in my favorite motion graphics app, Apple Motion, using a template. Note: This template and tutorial work equally well with Final Cut Pro.

1. Choose a Template

Choosing a template might be the most important part of creating a minimal and modern video. If you try to tackle this process from scratch, you're sure to spend more time than needed and wind up with subpar results.

I'm going to source my minimal and modern slideshow template from Envato Elements, the all-you-can-download creative library. For a single flat rate, you unlock thousands of video templates that save you hours of design work.

Let's work with Colourful Slideshow. It's an easy-to-update template that embodies many of the modern and minimal design principles that viewers expect.

Envato Elements Colourful slideshow — We're going to work with a template called Colourful Slideshow, a minimal and modern video template for Apple Motion (used in conjunction with Final Cut Pro X.)

When you choose a template that includes all of the essentials, most of the work is already finished. Plus, Elements gives you stock photos and footage—all for a single flat rate!

2. Open it in Your App

After you download your template, you need to open it up in an editing app. That might be Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut, or Motion, like this one.

It's good to review any documentation that's included with the template. Many of the best templates on Envato Elements include detailed documentation for how to use the specific template you selected.

Colourful Template example — The template I chose is made up of a series of groups, each with easy-to-update placeholders.

As I mentioned earlier, this template certainly complies with my ideas of "minimal and modern." I don't have to tweak the style too much—just replace what's already there with my specifics. Read on to see that process in action.

3. Update the Placeholders and Trim the Video

A template is just a starting point for producing a minimal and modern video. Luckily, templates are typically flexible and easy to adjust with a few clicks.

Spend time familiarizing yourself with how the template is set up. I notice that my template is made up of a series of Groups, each with three layers:

A drop zone to add a replacement image
Text that I can type over to update with my specifics
Colorful layers that I can tweak to match my color palette.

Let's walk through editing those for each Group. Think of each Group as a scene as the slideshow progresses.

First, let's update the Color Solid layer. Expand the Group on the timeline, then click on the layer. Then, make sure you have the HUD open and select a new color from the wheel. That's it!

Color background selection — With a Color Solid layer selected, choose a new color from the **HUD** menu.

Next, let's add a replacement image. Click on the Drop Zone layer, then just drag and drop onto the canvas from anywhere on your computer. These Drop Zones are my favorite part of working in Motion and make it really easy to work with templates.

Drag and drop zone — Drag and drop an image onto the Drop Zone to update the video with new images.

The only thing that's left is to update text. When text is showing in the preview, double click on it to open the inspector and see the full options to adjust the text. Then, just type over the placeholder.

As you update the components, press the spacebar on your keyboard to play a preview. Then, re-adjust where needed.

From this point forward, just repeat the process for each group to totally customize this template. In just a few minutes, you can create an eye-catching slideshow. It fits the minimal and modern style beautifully.

4. Add Audio (Optional)

Most videos benefit from background audio that fits the style and genre. And again, this is where Envato Elements shows its value! Not only do you unlock video templates, but you also have background music and sound effects for no extra cost.

Envato Elements audio library — Use the music tracks on Envato Elements to add compelling background music to your video.

Download a track and drop it into your video production. You're covered, royalty-free, with tracks from Elements.

5. Export the Finished Video

Once you've finished tweaking and adjusting the template, it's time to export the finished video.

In Motion's case, I'll go to File > Share > Export Movie. Choosing settings is a balancing act between quality and file size. Typically, I export videos at the original Resolution (say, 1080p, for example) and add light compression by using a codec like H.264.

If you're uploading a video online, chances are that the site will add its own compression. YouTube, for example, will output your video in several resolutions that the viewer can choose.

The Best Source for Modern, Minimal Design Video Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

As you saw in this tutorial, a template is a secret sauce for creating a modern and minimal video. Outsource the work to talented designers by piggybacking on the work that they've already done.

Envato Elements is the best source for minimal and modern video templates. As you saw in this tutorial, more than 3,000 templates help make production a breeze.

Envato Elements creative library — The all-you-can-download option from Envato Elements means that your costs won't rise as you source more files for your video project.

Remember: Envato Elements is an all-you-can-download library with much more than video templates. It also includes stock photos and footage that round out a project nicely.