Canva is a beginner-friendly tool for making all kinds of video-related designs. You can use the platform to stand out on social media, and it’s also useful for creating templates for important client documents.

That’s just the starting point, though. If you’re curious to learn the coolest ways you can use Canva as a filmmaker or videographer, keep reading; this article will give you several ideas.

1. Making Thumbnails for YouTube

YouTube has allowed many filmmakers to make their creative dreams come true. The platform enables you to bring your ideas to life without a client’s expectations. However, being proficient with a camera is not enough to stand out. If you want to create a YouTube channel, you need to understand how the platform works.

Thumbnails are arguably the most important aspect of your video. Canva is an excellent tool for creating YouTube thumbnails, and you’ll find templates that are already the right size. You can also choose to make your design from scratch or alter a ready-made one.

To create thumbnails with Canva, select the YouTube thumbnail option under the You might want to try section. If you can’t see this, type “YouTube thumbnail” into the search bar.

2. Creating Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos

To grow a social media following for your filmmaking endeavors, you’ll need to know how to produce short-form video content. To make your Instagram Reels or TikTok videos look more professional, you might find Canva useful.

Canva has several templates for creating TikTok videos; the same goes for Instagram Reels. You can use the tool to customize your fonts, make minor edits to videos, and so much more.

Once you’ve created your short-form video on Canva, you can use the app to save it to your smartphone.

3. Producing Stories for Social Media

TikTok is still in its early days, and Instagram has only had the Reels feature since 2020. One feature that is more established on several social media platforms is Stories. If you’re a filmmaker, you can use Canva to provide helpful tips for your audience or show them behind-the-scenes footage via Stories.

Instagram and Facebook are two of the most popular social media platforms for using Stories. And with Canva, you can create content for both networks. Like Reels and TikTok videos, you’ll find plenty of pre-made, customizable templates. However, you can also create your own.

Canva lets you make Stories with video content, but if you prefer, you can also use it to put together stills. You can add text, change fonts, and so on.

4. Creating Contracts for Client Projects

Have you decided to turn your passion for filmmaking into a freelance career? If so, you’re about to do more than just create videos. Being a freelance creator involves knowing how to run a business, including handling client projects.

You must protect yourself legally when you’re commissioned to do work for somebody else. You can do so by creating a contract that both parties sign. If you want to make yours look more professional, use Canva.

Canva lets you change the colors of your contracts, and you can also add whatever text you want. To add an extra touch, include your business logo.

5. Making YouTube Channel Banners

You will compete with several channels in the YouTube space, regardless of your niche. As a result, you want users to instantly know what you talk about when they click on your profile. Doing so will help them decide if they want to subscribe quicker.

Of course, your videos should have a consistent theme. But another way to stand out is by adding a banner to your channel. You can include a photo of yourself and a brief explanation of the things you discuss.

When creating a YouTube banner with Canva, you have complete creative control. And since you can drag and drop everything, making one shouldn’t take too long.

6. Creating Invoices for Completed Projects

Once you’ve completed a filmmaking project, you must ensure that your client pays you as quickly as possible. To do this, you’ll need to send an invoice. And while you can make a simple one without any designs, doing so can make you look unprofessional.

To ensure you don’t damage your credibility, use Canva to make invoices. You can choose from several free designs; all you need to do is alter the information so that it’s specific to your business and the project.

When you create your invoices, you want to try and keep things as simple as possible. If it looks too flamboyant, you’ll stray from its solitary purpose: to get paid.

7. Making Video Ads

As your filmmaking career progresses, you might find yourself making ads on at least one occasion. If you’re trying to grow a YouTube channel, you might choose to run ads on the platform. You can also run ads on various social media networks, including Twitter and LinkedIn.

Alternatively, a client might ask you to film an advertising campaign. Again, this might involve various social media networks. Regardless of the reason, you can use Canva to resize and fine-tune your video ads.

Canva has templates for several platforms, including Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Depending on where the ads are going, you can choose to make them in either portrait or landscape.

Many of the ad templates in Canva are only available with a paid subscription. However, you’ll still find plenty of free ones if you’re not willing to purchase a plan.

Canva Is an Excellent Companion for Your Filmmaking Journey

Filmmaking is one of the most exciting hobbies you can have. And for many people, it’s also an exciting career. If you need to make designs or content for other platforms, Canva is one of the best tools you can use. It’s beginner-friendly, and you can use it across multiple devices.

When using Canva, you’ve got a lot of creative freedom to bring your filmmaking and videography ideas to life. You can choose from several templates, but making designs from scratch is just as simple.