Choosing a thumbnail for your event video

Choose a thumbnail from a real moment in the finished film, check who is in it, and agree who picks it before the film is posted. That keeps the picture honest and avoids a request to take it down later.

What are a thumbnail and a poster frame?

A thumbnail is the small picture shown on a video link, a channel page or a search result. A poster frame is the picture a player shows before playback begins. They are often the same image, and many platforms let you set one for both.

Both tell the viewer what the video is about before they spend a minute on it.

How do you choose a frame that suits the film?

Start with the audience. A client who opens a link from a company email needs something different from a family opening a link in a group chat.

Good frames usually share a few traits:

• They come from the film. A viewer who clicks should see the moment the picture promised.
• They read at small size. One clear subject, such as a speaker at the lectern or a couple’s first walk, works better than a wide crowd.
• They are steady and well lit. A blurred or half-closed-eye frame looks careless, even if the shot is good in motion.
• They leave room for text. If a title will sit on the image, the frame needs a calm area for it.
• They do not mislead. Do not use a guest of honour who is not in the film, or a venue that is not the event.

Who needs to agree to the image?

The organiser decides. These checks help before posting.

1. People shown. A close-up of an identifiable guest, a child or a speaker is more sensitive than a wide shot. If you are unsure, pick a wider frame or ask the person.
2. Children and private moments. Schools and families should decide this before posting. Our permissions and privacy guides and the filming and publication responsibilities checklist set out who is responsible for what.
3. Brands and sponsors. A frame with a logo, product or sponsor banner can give that brand more attention than intended. Check with your sponsors if their banner is visible.
4. Private and public versions. If a private edit exists for guests, its thumbnail should not leak into the public one. See different edits for the public and a private audience.

Should the image be a frame or a designed cover?

A frame from the film is the simplest and most honest option. A designed cover, with a title, date or logo added, can help a conference series or a campaign look consistent.

If you want the designed option, say so when you request the quote, so it is part of the scope and not a surprise at the review stage.

What shape and size should it be?

That depends on where the film will be posted. A wide player, a square feed post and a vertical story each need a different crop, and platform rules change over time. Tell your videographer where the film will go, then check the result on the platform itself before you publish. Our guide to landscape, square and vertical deliverables and the format and framing planner help you list the shapes you need.

What we confirm for your event

• We suggest several frames, and you choose one or ask for another.
• The thumbnail from the film sits in the scope; a designed cover is a separate item.
• We name the platforms the image is prepared for.
• We leave room for a title if you add one later.
• A frame that shows a guest or child comes to you for a decision first.
• You receive the image files together with the film.

For a wider view of what to ask for, try the event video selector. If a still image is needed for its own sake, such as a printed poster, read stills extracted from video first.

When you commission an event highlight film, we can include the thumbnail choice in the same review as the film, so you see both together.