Our videos should be engaging and reflective of our brand personality: authentic, ambitious and fiercely purposeful.
Context for the video should be provided in the copy of the social post, email, website, or event where the video is displayed, and that’s why we don't use intro slides. Our goal is to engage the viewer with the story as quickly as possible.
Lower thirds are used to identify people in a video. They include the subject's name and their job title.
I.e
Professor Sharon Pickering
Vice-Chancellor and President
The subject’s honourific should be spelled out in full. E.g. ‘Professor’, not ‘Prof’ or ‘Doctor’ not Dr’.
We don’t include Monash University in the title unless the video also includes people external to Monash, in which case all organisations should be listed.
Lower thirds are traditionally placed on the bottom third of the frame; however, they should be positioned to ensure legibility and not obstruct faces.
Fonts:
If you don’t have access to the Helvetica Neue LT Pro font family, please use Arial Bold for the name and Arial Regular for the title.
Lower thirds should be text only. Please don’t add panels of colour behind the text or position logos beside the lower third. Text colour should be chosen from the primary colour palette, and ensure there’s enough contrast between the text and footage – see examples.
Text drop shadows should not be used but you can darken/lighten the area behind the text to increase legibility.
Monash lower-third templates for Photoshop can be downloaded here.
Please refer to our clothing guidelines when filming.
Dimensions:
Delivery format:
For larger productions where b-roll has been filmed specifically for the video, please provide a video split. This is a version of the video that includes only the interview footage, b-roll and dialogue, with all graphics, titles, music and sound effects removed.
Social media delivery formats:
As of late 2024, the most effective delivery formats for each channel are:
For Instagram, we are no longer creating carousels. Instead we are using slideshow videos
SRT files are caption files that contain timecoded, written text of the speaker’s dialogue.
Why do we need captions?
We’re committed to improving the user experience and ensuring our videos are accessible, so all web and online videos with spoken dialogue are to include captions. Click here for more accessibility information on captioning.
Ordering captions
Caption (.srt) files can be ordered from Rev. Captions cost USD $1.99/minute. Turnaround time may vary depending on the length of the video. Typically, they take a couple of hours to a day.
Subtitles (foreign languages)
Foreign-language subtitles can be ordered from Rev at a cost of between USD $6.49 to $15.99/minute. We advise double-checking the subtitles with a local speaker where possible.
Editing captions
If you need to change the captions, you can edit them in the Rev caption editor, or directly using a text editor. For this we recommend Text Edit for Mac users, and Notepad for PC users.
Note: Only edit the written text dialogue. Don’t edit the timecodes or an error may occur in the SRT file.
By default, the following caption styles should be used for each channel:
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The easiest way to apply these styles is to use these Premiere text styles presets.
Fonts:
If you don’t have access to the Helvetica Neue LT Pro font family, please use Arial Regular and Arial Narrow Bold instead.
style, there are exceptions for when the content is more serious in nature. The white text on black may be more appropriateCaptioning best practices
Colours for video overlays, animations and motion graphics should be aligned with the Monash colour palette.
For all in-video text, use Monash’s brand font, Helvetica Neue. If you don’t have this font installed, use Arial as an alternative. For more details, visit monash.edu/brandbook/brand-elements/fonts
Overlay, or ‘B-roll’, should be captured during production to ensure the story can be communicated visually with footage that’s current and specific to the narrative. Requests for existing video should be made via photography@monash.edu before filming to ensure availability and relevance.
Pacing is when the editor varies the length of the shots, therefore guiding the viewers in their emotional response to the scene.
Be mindful to match the pacing with the context of the video. Long-form documentary-style videos are slower-paced in order to educate viewers about a complex topic. Short-form social videos are fast-paced in order to grab their attention quickly and communicate a single message.
Your audience type should also be considered when looking at the pace of your video. This is a guide only.
| Slow pace | Medium pace | Fast pace |
|---|---|---|
Suitable for long-form over five minutes
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Suitable for mid to long-form over two minutes
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Suitable for short-form under one minute
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Slow-Paced Content Examples
Medium-Paced Content Examples
Fast-Paced Content Examples
Seizures and fast-paced content
When creating fast-paced content, please ensure transitions and animated graphics adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 on Seizures and Physical Reactions. This includes avoiding elements that flash more than three times in any one-second period.
Music should be selected to suit the audience, the content of the video, and our brand personality:
Music needs to have royalty-free licensing and authorisation for use. We don’t give credit in our videos. Please source music that doesn’t require a credit for use.
There are two Monash University animation styles. Please refer to the illustration guidelines for more information during the planning and design process of your animation.
Like our illustrations, both animation styles are minimal and modern, and feature the Monash brand colours. Monash Blue should be the dominant colour, with pops of secondary colours. Use neutral background colours to help draw attention to the key animation.
Character, object and text animation should be suitable for your audience, including other elements such as sound, music, voiceover and pacing. For example, an animation for students could include fast, lively animation, a fun and upbeat music track, and a youthful voiceover to fit the demographic. An alumni or government animation could feature a mature voiceover, a music track suited to a specific industry, and subtle and sophisticated motion design.
People/characters should reflect who we are and should celebrate our diversity and inclusiveness.
Examples
A straight cut is preferred over the use of transition devices. This helps communicate an evergreen look and feel throughout our video content.
Over-elaborate or showy transitions (such as the age-old star wipe) can distract audiences from your key messaging. Heavy or extreme effects should be avoided.
In an interview setting, it’s important to frame your subject so the viewer can easily see their eyes. When filming an interview subject, position them on the left-third or right-third of the frame. Ensure the subject’s eyeline is level with the camera.
Alternatively, if the subject is speaking directly to the viewer, they can be placed in the middle of the frame, looking at the camera.
With most videos being produced for social media, it’s recommended that you frame your interview subject a little wider to allow for vertical cropping when exporting vertical or portrait deliverables.
Left-framed
Centre-framed
Right-framed
If a call-to-action is required using text, it should be placed on a separate frame directly before the outro.
Your video may prompt your audience to visit your website, register for an event, or seek more information. The call-to-action frame typically includes a URL, on-screen text, voiceover, hashtags, or a combination of these elements.
When using URLs, keep them simple and as short as possible. Remove the ‘www’ from the start of Monash University URLs.
Credits for production companies, crew or music aren’t permitted in promotional/marketing videos.
Monash-branded outro clips are to appear at the end of all Monash University videos/animations. They’re available for landscape, vertical and square videos. The clips include the Monash University logo, the multi-audience lockup device, and the Monash University CRICOS code. Text overlay or alterations to the outro or the CRICOS code aren’t permitted.
Please ensure you use the correct outro. The folder is broken into two sections:
For social outros, please use the guidelines below:
The Monash outro is to be used on all videos posted on the brand channels, except approved brand vox pops
The three student channels, Instagram (Student Info), Facebook (Student Info) and TikTok are exempt. The CRICOS code is displayed on the profile page of these three channels.
It’s a requirement that any featured talent in the video sign a consent form. You can access the new talent release form here.
Exceptions to these guidelines for specific campaigns may be used only if approved by the UMAC brand team.
For further information, please complete the Brand requests form.
