How do I get video thumbnails (cover images)?
Ask for thumbnails when you record by setting the Thumbnails count on the recorder, and the team's Thumbnail specialist designs a set of cover-image concepts. They show up in the project's Thumbnails tab, grouped by concept, ready to open, review and use. The Standard edit scope makes four by default and the Full scope makes twelve.
Before you start
- Thumbnails are made during editing, so set this when you record with automatic editing on, or ask the team afterwards.
- The very quick and quick edit scopes make no thumbnails. Choose Standard or Full, or set a number yourself.
Step by step
- Open the recorder (the rec button, or Film footage on a project).
- With Edit automatically on, find the Thumbnails slider and set how many concepts you want, from 0 up to 20. none means the team makes none.
- Record and stop. The team designs the set as it works.
Already recorded, or built the project by hand? Click Run team and ask for thumbnails in the note, for example "make 6 thumbnail concepts". See How do I run the video team?.
Finding and using them
Open the project and click the Thumbnails tab.
- The concepts are grouped, each group showing the different formats of the same idea side by side.
- Use the Format chips at the top (All, 16:9, 9:16) to filter, and the Concept chips to focus on one idea.
- On any image, Open views it full size and Reveal shows the file in Finder so you can upload it.
- If the team wrote a short rationale for a concept, it shows under the group title.
The 16:9 thumbnails suit YouTube and widescreen players. The 9:16 ones suit TikTok, Reels and Shorts. If you asked for a vertical video too, you will usually get vertical covers to match. See How do I get a vertical version?.
How do I know it worked?
The Thumbnails tab shows a gallery of concepts instead of the empty "No thumbnails yet" message, and each image opens with Open or reveals in Finder with Reveal.
Common problems
"The Thumbnails tab is empty." Either you asked for none, or the edit scope was too light to make any. Run the team with a thumbnail count, or choose Standard or Full.
"I only got widescreen covers." The team makes vertical covers when the video has a vertical format. Ask for a 9:16 version as well. See How do I get a vertical version?.
"I want a different style of thumbnail." Say so in the Run team note, for example "bolder text, my face on the left", and run it again.