Technique · Focus

Text reveal

A number, a date or a short phrase appears on screen as the narration says it, so the key fact lands and stays with the viewer.

01 · The picture

02 · The number builds

03 · The number holds

A text reveal gives a fact two ways in at once: the viewer hears it and reads it. Some people watch short videos with the sound off, and for them the words on screen are the only way the fact arrives. A number that appears on the beat it is spoken feels deliberate, and it is easier to remember.

Over a still picture the text is set as its own layer: it fades or slides in, or a number counts up to its final value, then holds long enough to be read. Keep it short, a few words or one figure, and place it clear of the app's buttons and captions.

The common mistakes are too many words and a wrong figure. A full sentence on screen competes with the narration, and the viewer takes in neither. And a number on screen looks certain, so it must match its source exactly, with its unit and its year.

When to use it

On the one figure the story turns on: a price, a date, a count, a record, or a short quote the viewer should keep.

Motion instruction (example)

The picture stays still; the number counts up from 0 to 1,000,000 and stops as the narrator says it. 3 seconds, then hold for at least 1 more. Keep the background still. Place the text clear of the bottom caption area.

Last reviewed 15 October 2026.