01
What happens to text that is already in the footage?
It is treated as picture, because that is what it is. A crop can cut through it, a corner mark can end up in the middle of a tall frame, and a lower third can land exactly where new words want to sit. None of it can be removed, so the practical work is choosing shapes and positions around it.
02
Where existing text ends up after a crop
Burned in text is part of the picture and cannot be removed, so the work is choosing stretches and positions around it.
| Element in source | Position when wide | After a 9:16 crop |
|---|---|---|
| Lower third name | Bottom left, wide | Cut through, and covered by the app anyway |
| Corner logo | Edge | Moves towards the centre, or is cut |
| Title card at the start | Full frame | Intact, and it spends the first second |
| Subtitles already burned in | Bottom centre | Kept, and it collides with new words |
| Ticker or crawl | Bottom edge, full width | Fragmented and unreadable |
03
Asking for a clean version
If the recording came from a production team, ask whether they have a version without graphics. Many editors keep a clean export or the original camera files, and clipping from those gives you full control over what text appears. It is worth one email before working around burned-in graphics.
For recordings you produce yourself, export a clean version alongside the finished one as a habit. It costs a few minutes and saves hours later.
04
Placing new words around old ones
If the source has a lower third at the bottom, put your subtitles higher up, clear of it, for the moments when it is visible. Two layers of text stacked on top of each other are hard to read and look careless.
A title card at the start of the source can often be skipped by beginning the clip a few seconds later, which also gets to the content faster.
05
Dealing with another channel's watermark
A logo from another channel or broadcaster in your clip suggests the material belongs to them, which it probably does. Before clipping, make sure you have permission to use the footage at all; the watermark is often a reminder that you need it.
If you do have permission, check whether the rights holder wants their mark kept for credit. Removing it without asking can cause problems even when the use itself is allowed.
06
Choosing moments without clutter
Recordings often show graphics only at certain times: names when a speaker is introduced, titles at the start of a segment. Moments in between are usually clean. Choosing clips from those stretches avoids the problem entirely.
When the text is useful, such as a guest's name, keep it and make sure your own words do not cover it.
07
Work around what is already there
- Look for existing text before choosing a shape. A name along the bottom changes where new words can go.
- Watch what corner marks do in a crop. A logo at the edge of a wide shot moves towards the centre of a tall one.
- Position new words clear of old ones. Two layers of text in the same band is unreadable.
Send footage with titles in it and see where they land.
Questions people ask
- Can burned in text be removed?
- No, because it is part of the picture rather than a separate layer. Choosing a stretch without it is the reliable route.
- Where do lower thirds end up?
- Usually in the band the interface also claims, which means they can be covered anyway. Worth checking in the app.
- What about a title card at the start?
- Starting a clip on a title card spends the first second on something that is not the content. Begin after it.
- Does a watermark in the source matter?
- It stays in the clip. Whether it matters depends on whose mark it is and where it lands after cropping.
- Can I position my own words around it?
- Yes. Position is draggable and visible in the preview before the clip is produced.