You can animate text in two ways. The first is to apply a transition to the beginning and/or end of the text and the second is to use the Begin/End keyframes to change the text properties over time.

To add a transition, just drop one on the beginning or end of the text event. So if you drop a spiral on the beginning of the text event, your text will spiral onto the screen. Drop a push and it will float onto the screen in the direction of the push.

For keyframing, set up your text the way you want. Then press the End button (top right corner) and change some of the parameters on the Placement or Properties or Effects tab. Try increasing the Tracking on the Properties tab for the End keyframe and watch the letters glide apart from each other as you play the clip. Add a fade to each end of the event and you have a rather nice title effect where the words fade onto the screen, the letters drift apart and fade off the screen.

Set the Begin color to red and End color blue and your text will fade from Red to Blue over the duration of the event. Try changing the shadow distance between Begin and End keyframes. You can get tons of effects this way. And speaking of effects, you can drop anyone of the Video FX on the text and change their behavior with the Begin and End keyframes. Try a Swirl FX and set Begin to None and End to maximum.

I think you’ll find Screenblast MovieStudio 3 is a very powerful NLE once you learn how to use it.

~jr