Creating a gender reveal video using Doodly is a fun and creative way to announce the gender of your upcoming arrival. Whether you plan on showing the video at a physical party or sharing it on social media for friends and relatives who can't be there in person, Doodly provides a unique and memorable way to share this exciting news.

When creating a gender reveal video, your video should be short and sweet, building a bit of anticipation while still getting to the point quickly - aim for around 20-30 seconds.

The traditional colors for gender reveal are pink for girls and blue for boys, but gender neutrality is becoming increasingly popular. If you plan on raising your child without gender-specific expectations, you can use the gender reveal video to educate loved ones on this decision and not reveal the gender. In today’s blog, we will focus on the traditional pink and blue options and how they can be incorporated into a Doodly video.

Let’s start with the most important element in your video: the pregnant character. This can be a cartoon character or a photo of yourself and your partner.

There are several ways to obtain a pregnant character:

1- Use a character from the Doodly library.

You could start by searching for relevant images in the enterprise by typing a keyword on the search bar. When you type in “pregnant,” for example, you’ll be met with dozens of relevant images which you can use for the video. Now, this does require the enterprise version. So if you don't have that, you might have to look for alternative image sources.

2. Search the internet for a pregnant cartoon character that fits your style and aesthetic. 

This could include searching for illustrations or drawings on stock image websites, or searching for vector graphics on graphic design marketplaces like Shutterstock or iStock. Another option would be to hire a freelance illustrator or graphic designer to create a custom pregnant cartoon character that meets your specific requirements. This could be a more expensive option, but it would allow you to have complete control over the look and feel of the character.

3 - Upload your own image.

If you want to make your gender reveal video even more personalized and special, you can upload a photo of yourself and your partner to Doodly. This will allow you to use the image of you and your partner as the main characters in the video, making it more personal and relatable for your friends and family. This can make your gender reveal video more memorable and meaningful.

4 - Use your sonogram.

In addition to characters, incorporating an image of your baby's sonogram into your gender reveal video can be a great way to make the video more personal and meaningful. The sonogram image is a representation of your baby and it can be an emotional and sentimental moment when you reveal the gender of your baby using that image.

One way to include the sonogram image in your video is to include it as a still image or as a slide. You can place it at a specific point in the video and use it as a reveal moment to show the gender of the baby. Doodly allows you to import pictures so you can easily upload your sonogram image and use it in the video.

If you're having twins and want to incorporate this into your gender reveal video, you can use a variety of techniques to do so. One option is to upload a photo that indicates that you are expecting twins. For example, you could use an image that shows both a boy and a girl, indicating that you are having a boy and a girl.

Alternatively, you could use text or other graphics to convey the news of your twins in a creative and visually appealing way.

Whatever route you choose, be sure to have fun and get creative with your assets to make the video truly unique and special.

After looking for the right characters or photos, it's time to add more details to your video. You can start by adding text to your images to convey messages to your viewers. To do this, click on the text menu in the upper-left corner of the screen and choose from a variety of font styles.

For this example, we’ll have our characters saying: “We’re excited to share the gender of our little one!”

“Are you ready to find out?”

“It’s a GIRL!”

These are basically a few phrases, but when timed correctly and paired with relevant visuals, it can really make your video exciting and captivating. Another great feature of using text in Doodly is the ability to animate it, which can add an extra layer of visual interest to your video. You will learn more about this as we move on.

After you got the assets and the scenes arranged, you can now start making animations. For this video, we’ll be using a couple of effects to add an element of anticipation.

1 - Adding a photo fade effect.

So, let's start with scene one and figure out what we want to do. What if we’d like this photo to fade on instead of having it come out on the default scribbles effect?

You can do this by doing the following steps:

Step 1 - Click on the asset that you want to animate. A menu with different icons will appear on top of the asset selected.

Step 2 - Choose the first icon from the menu which is a pencil icon.

Step 3 - The Edit Asset view will appear, where you can change the action properties of the image. Here, you can set the “Reveal Mode” to either Fade or Draw, depending on what suits your style.

Step 4 - After you have made the necessary adjustments and are satisfied with the changes, you can save them by clicking the "Save and Return" button. This will save the changes you have made and take you back to the previous screen.

2 - Achieve a photo zoom effect.

For the second scene, we want to add a photo zoom effect. You can set it to focus on the sonogram as the video start while slowly zooming out. We can achieve that by doing the following steps:

Step 1 - Click on the “plus” icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. This will add the fx option on the timeline which you’ll have to drag depending on where you want the camera view to start and end.

Step 2 - Click on the fx bar to open the “Pan and Zoom Settings”.

Step 3 - Configure the start and end frames of your initial scene. To begin the video with the sonogram in focus, set the keyframe to only include the sonogram. Remember to adjust the end frame to encompass the entire screen, allowing your viewers to see the rest of the video.

Step 4 - Lastly, don't forget to hit Apply to save your changes. For more information on the pan and zoom feature, you can refer to our previous blog, "How Does Pan & Zoom FX Work?".

3 - Changing The Hand Style

In Doodly, you can also customize the hand style used in your video. To do so, click on the "Video Settings" button located in the bottom left corner of the screen. Select a hand style that complements the theme of your video and then click on the save button.

4 - Adding audio to your video

After you have set up the visuals, texts, animations, and effects, the final step is to add some background music or voiceover to make your presentation lively, personalized, and fun.

If you plan to add a voice recording to narrate throughout the video, make sure to match the animation timing with the voice-over. This will make the video feel more cohesive. Additionally, a well-done voice-over can add to the excitement of the gender reveal.

If you decide to add background music, you can time your animations based on the music you have chosen. Choose a cutesy or bubbly music depending on the tone you want to achieve.

If you decide to include both a voice-over and background music, make sure to adjust the music volume to keep the voice-over audible to your viewers. You can do this by clicking the speaker icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. Adjust the volume until you are satisfied with the mix.

5 - Adjusting your timing

You’re almost there! Now that everything else is ready, it's time to adjust your timing using the Extra time,Delay, and Duration set-up.

Extra Time

The Extra Time menu is a useful feature that allows you to add more time to the end of your video. This can be helpful in various situations, such as when you want to delay the transition between scenes. For example, if your voice-over is longer than the duration of the scene, or if you want to align the transition with a specific part of the background music, adding extra time at the end of your scene can help achieve this.

Adding extra time is easy, you just need to click the Scene Settings located on the black action column on the right side of the Doodly screen. Once you access the Scene Settings, you will see the option to add extra time. You can use the + and - icon or input a specific time in seconds.

Keep in mind that the extra time is added to the end of your selected scene and not the entire video. By using this feature, you will have more control over the timing of your presentation and can create a more polished and professional final product.

Delay

Delay is an important element that can add depth and meaning to your animations or images. It is the amount of time that elapses before the animation or image is displayed on the screen. By adding a delay, you can build anticipation or suspense before revealing a text or a character, making the animation or image more engaging and impactful.

To add a delay, you simply need to click on the asset that you want to apply the delay to and increase the delay seconds from the Layers menu. This will determine how long the animation or image will remain hidden before it appears on the screen. Keep in mind that the delay time is measured in seconds, so you'll need to experiment with different values to find the right balance for your animation or image. With the ability to adjust the delay, you can create a more dynamic and engaging experience for the audience.

Duration

Duration is another important element that can affect the overall flow and pacing of your animation or video. It refers to the amount of time that an animation or photo will appear on the screen. By adjusting the duration, you can make the assets appear slower or faster in your video.

Duration is useful when you want to emphasize a certain character or topic in your video. By adding more time to the duration, you can give your audience more time to take in the information or image. However, it is important to be mindful of the overall length of the video, as adding too much time to the duration of each asset can make your presentation drag on and lose its effectiveness.

Note: When customizing your video, you may choose to also add an entrance or exit animation, set up an erase mode, or apply scene transitions. These options can enhance the overall look and feel of your video. However, it is important to remember that you do not need to use all of the available settings and tools in Doodly to achieve the desired outcome. It is best to only use the necessary settings that are relevant to your video.

Once you have finished editing your video and are satisfied with the final result, you can save and export it in your desired format. To save the video, click the "Save" button in the upper-right corner of the screen. To export the video, click the "Export" button located next to the "Save" button. This will allow you to choose the format and settings for the exported video.

Let's take a look at a sample video:

When customizing your video, your personal preferences and aesthetic style will play a crucial role. If you believe that you can create something even better, don't hesitate to experiment with different effects and explore the various options available to you.

We hope this tutorial has inspired you to create your own unique and personalized gender reveal video using Doodly. With its user-friendly interface and various customization options, Doodly makes the video editing process simple and efficient. Plus, with the available resources such as tutorials, a Facebook group, and support desk, you can easily get help if you ever need it. So, don't wait, start creating your own gender reveal video today and make the celebration even more special.