Table of Contents
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9.1 [Keep It Under 2 Minutes]
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9.2 [Maintain a Visual Theme]
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9.3 [Be Mindful of Font Readability]
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9.4 [Use Royalty-Free Assets]
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9.5 [Layer Order & Playback Performance]
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1. Introduction
Creating a memorable birthday video is about capturing emotions, memories, and moments in a compelling, heartfelt way. The Alight Motion app offers a versatile platform for mobile content creators to craft pro-level videos, complete with animations, motion graphics, and cinematic transitions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything from setting up your first birthday video project to sharing the final masterpiece on social media.
2. Why Choose Alight Motion for Birthday Videos?
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Mobile — yet powerful: Alight Motion runs smoothly on smartphones and tablets, no desktop required.
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Flexible editing tools: Keyframes, layers, vector shapes, text effects—you have full control.
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Animation & motion: Add life to still photos and text with easing, paths, and curves.
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Audio control: Layer background music with sound effects, jingles, or voiceovers.
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Custom exports: Tailor settings for Instagram Reels, YouTube, or high-resolution keepsakes.
3. Getting Started: Preparing Your Project
3.1 Installing Alight Motion
Download Alight Motion via the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Install, open, and grant permissions for access to photos, media, and storage. A basic free version is available, but for access to premium features like advanced animation easing and exporting at higher resolutions, consider subscribing.
3.2 Understanding the WorkspaceFamiliarisee yourself with the four main sections:
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Timeline — where you layer photos, clips, and audio
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Preview — to instantly see the results of your edits
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Media Panel — for importing assets: media, effects, shapes, Lotties
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Inspector — settings for playback, opacity, blend, keyframes
3.3 Setting Aspect Ratio & Resolution
Tap “+” to begin a new project. Choose your aspect ratio according to your target platform:
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9:16 — Reels, TikTok
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1:1 — Instagram grid post
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16:9 — YouTube or widescreen playback
For premium users: set the resolution up to 4K for crisp videos.
4. Sourcing Birthday Assets
4.1 Video Clips & Photos
Pick from recent clips of the birthday person: unwrapping the gift, blowing candles, candid laughter.
4.2 Background Music & Sound Effects
Choose heartfelt background music or an upbeat party track. Sound effects (e.g., crowd cheers, camera shutter) add immersion.
4.3 Stickers, Animations & Lottie Files
Browse Alight’s built-in effects or download Lottie JSON files (e.g., balloons, confetti) from sites like LottieFiles.com.
5. Editing Workflow Step–by–Step
5.1 Creating a Project & Importing Assets
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Tap “+”, select ratio & resolution
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Name your project (“Anna’s 5th Birthday”)
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In Media Panel, import clips, photos, audio tracks, and Lottie files
5.2 Building the Timeline
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Drag clips/ photos to the timeline as a clip track
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Add audio to a separate track
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Trim clips: Use scrub handles to select key moments
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Reorder clips to craft a narrative flow
5.3 Applying Transitions
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Tap clip end → Effects → Transition
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Choose from fade, slide, or wipe
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Adjust duration (0.3 – 0.7s for a clean look)
5.4 Text Customisation & Animation
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Text with name, age, and “Happy Birthday!” message
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Font size, colour, drop shadow, stroke
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Animate via keyframes: “Hello!” can pop, spin, pulse
5.5 Motion Graphics & Keyframes
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Move photos: keyframe position from off-screen to centred
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Use an easing curve for smoother motion
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Rotate gifts, bounce balloons with scale transforms
5.6Colourr Grading & Filters
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Apply LUTs: “Warm,” “Kodak,” “Memories” styles
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Adjust brightness, saturation and contrast
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Use a vignette to focus on the subject
5.7 Layering & Blending Modes
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Overlay confetti as a top layer
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Use blend modes like “Screen” or “Lighten”
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Set opacity to 50–70% for a subtle effect
5.8 Sound Syncing & Audio Finesse
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Trim music audio, align the peak with the emotion
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Tap audio → Fade In/Out
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Fine‑tune volume levels to balance dialogue & music
6. Adding Polished Touches
6.1 Particle Effects & Confetti Overlay
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Load confetti Lottie JSON
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Extend across timeline (duration ~3–5s)
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Use Fade controls for a gentle appearance
6.2 Photo Collage Animations
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Stack multiple photos
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Use shape masks to animate a reveal
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Keyframe clip path to dynamically feature each image
6.3 Birthday Themed Lottie Animations
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Balloons, cake, candles using Lottie files
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Adjust scale & position for natural entrance
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Layer multiple Lottie files for a depth effect
6.4 Final Title & Outro with Call-to-Action
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Text overlay: “Thanks for watching!”
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Include a voiceover or upbeat outro music swell
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GIF-like motion: infinity loop or bounce animation
7. Exporting & Sharing
7.1 Selecting Export Settings
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Tap Export → choose MP4/mov or GIF
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Resolution: 1080×1920 for Reels, 1080p or 4K for YouTube
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Frame rate 30 fps (or 60 fps for smoother motion)
7.2 Saving the Video & Reproducing Presets
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Save a frequently-used export template for future projects
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Create a duplicate project to adjust for the next birthday
7.3 Uploading to Social Platforms
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Upload to Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube
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Add captions, birthday hashtags: #HappyBirthday #BirthdayVideo
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Use a thumbnail featuring a celebratory smile or candles
8. Optimising for Different Platforms
8.1 Instagram Reels & TikTok
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Ratio: 9:16, keep dynamic intro in 3 seconds
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Add trending music; place hashtags and stickers in Alight first
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Preview as a side-by-side split if multiple clips
8.2 YouTube & Facebook
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Ratio: 16:9, allow space for dialogue and background elements
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Include a clear title card in the first 5 seconds
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Provide subtitles using a free SRT file exported separately
9. Bonus Tips & Common Pitfalls
9.1 Keep It Under 2 Minutes
Short & sweet holds attention; highlight highlight-worthy moments only.
9.2 Maintain a Visual Theme
Stick to two complementary colours, one font throughout for cohesion.
9.3 Be Mindful of Font Readability
Avoid using tiny or overly stylised fonts; test with 4–5 seconds of playback.
9.4 Use Royalty-Free Assets
Choose music licensed for social media use, and avoid copyright strikes.
9.5 Layer Order & Playback Performance
Rename layers clearly and merge non‑animating layers to reduce lag.
10. Troubleshooting FAQs
Q: Why is my export blurry?
Ensure resolution is at least 1080p; under 720p looks grainy on most screens.
Q: My animation stutters—what gives?
Simplify complex keyframe curves or reduce overlapping layers; preview at lower resolution if needed.
Q: Imported Lottie file freezes—help?
Confirm JSON file supports mobile format; sometimes, embedded after-effects data causes issues.
Q: Music doesn’t sync—how to align audio?
Use waveform scrubber; adjust start time frame-by-frame in the audio clip properties.
11. Conclusion
With Alight Motion, you have the power to produce emotional, playful, and visually stunning birthday videos—all on your mobile device. From importing heartfelt clips to adding animated balloons, confetti, and keyframed transitions, this guide covers every step to craft a polished birthday celebration video. Remember: stay creative, maintain a cohesive theme, and keep it concise.
It’s time to bring those memories to life—happy editing, and have a fantastic birthday celebration! 🥳
