Creating a Video from Scratch

In this article:

➤ Basic Overview of the SundaySky Platform

Launching a New Program

1.	Log in to your account and add a new program.
2.	In the story template gallery, click Start From Scratch.

3.	Enter a name for the program.
4.	Select the aspect ratio that you want to set for your video (horizontal or vertical). ▶ Note that the aspect ratio cannot be changed once you create the program.

5.	(Optional) If you are creating a video for paid media, select Video for programmatic advertising.
6.	Click Apply.

Basic Overview of the SundaySky Platform

After clicking Apply, the new program opens in the SundaySky platform, ready for you to work on. One scene (designed for a single message with media) is automatically added to the video. If this scene is not relevant to your use case, you are free to remove it. If this is the first time that you are creating a video, you should familiarize yourself with several components in the platform. Click through the tabs to read descriptions of the corresponding components in the screenshot below.

Workspace
This is the main work area, where you create your video.

Scene Line-up
This is the area at the bottom of the page where the scenes appear in consecutive order. The scene line-up provides a global overview of the video's flow. While you work on an individual scene, the thumbnails in the line-up always remain visible.

Brand Configuration
A brand configuration is a set of design definitions (including colors, text, and logo) that are applied to the entire video. To learn more about brand configurations, see Creating a Brand Configuration.

Right Panel
The panel on the right side of the page is used for configuring the content of each scene. This content includes text, media (images and video footage), and narration. The panel will change depending on the content that you are working on.

The screenshot above represents a video created with a horizontal layout. When using a vertical layout, the workspace (a) and the scene line-up (b) change accordingly.

Creating the Video

1.

Begin by editing the components of the brand configuration: logo, colors, text styles, fonts, and button shape.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to the brand configuration.

2.

(Optional) If you are personalizing the video with data, set up the data library with the values that you want to use.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to using data for video personalization.

3.

Add scenes to the video according to the story that you are building. For help in getting started, see Spark Your Creativity with Scene Templates.

Show me how

1.	Select the Scenes tab in the toolbar.

The scene templates library opens, displaying all the scene templates that you can choose from. ▶ The orientation of the scene templates in the library—horizontal or vertical—is based on the aspect ratio that you selected when launching the program.

2.	Explore the scene templates and then select those that you want for your video by hovering over the template and clicking Add Scene.

The scenes are added to the program and to the scene line-up.

4.

(Optional) Give the scenes in your program meaningful names for reporting purposes and quick identification.

Show me how

1.	From the scene line-up, select the scene that you want to name.
2.	In the right panel, select the current name.

3.	Enter a meaningful name and then click anywhere outside the text field to save.

5.

Configure the content in the scenes according to your preferences. Following are the major actions that you can perform:

Add media assets—images, video footage, and icons.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to working with media assets.
Add on-screen text.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to adding on-screen text.
Add the voice-over script.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to adding the voice-over script.
Choose an automated voice for the voice-over.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to choosing an automated voice.
Choose the background music.
Jump to step-by-step articles related to choosing the background music.

6.

When you have finished creating the video, continue to publishing.

Helpful Tips

1.	To see different layouts for a scene, select the Layout tab in the right panel.

2.	To remove a scene from the video, hover over the scene in the scene line-up and then click the trash icon.

3.	Currently, it's not possible to switch to a different aspect ratio after you have launched a new program by clicking Create. It is also not possible to switch the aspect ratio in an existing program.
4.	If you are using a vertical layout to create a video for social media, do not select a scene template with buttons as the buttons will not be clickable when the video is played in the social media platform.
5.	We recommend that you preview your video as you work. If your video is using data for personalization, you can preview the video using viewer profiles to see how the video will play for specific audiences.

Help Center Resources

Topic	Articles
Brand Configuration	Creating a Brand Configuration
	Configuring a Logo
	Configuring Brand Colors
	Configuring Brand Text Styles
	Uploading a Font
	Selecting a Button Shape
Using Data for Video Personalization	Video Personalization—How it Works
Using Data for Video Personalization	Setting up the Data Library (CSV)
Working with Media Assets	Uploading Assets to the Media Library
	Adding a Stock Image to a Scene
	Adding Stock Video Footage to a Scene
Add On-screen Text	Adding Text to a Scene
	Configuring 1:1 Personalization
	Configuring Messages for Different Audiences
Add the Voice-over Script	Scripting the Voice-over
	Scripting a Voice-over with 1:1 Personalization
	Scripting a Voice-over with Audience Messaging
Choose an Automated Voice	Adding an Automated Voice to the Video
Choose an Automated Voice	Previewing a Voice-over
Choose the Background Music	Adding Music to a Video
Choose the Background Music	Adjusting Sound Volumes