A thumbnail is a still image of your island that leaves a viewer wanting to find out more. It can be a screen capture or an illustration that includes elements from your game.
A video can be a promotional trailer, a flythrough that shows the island terrain or theme, or a round or two of play that demonstrates a game's mechanics.
For you, the creator, these are powerful ways for you to promote your game, either on your social media channels, or on Discover.
Each type of media has its own specific requirements (covered later in this document), but they all share certain elements.
When you're ready to start creating images for your island, take a look at How to Use the Replays Feature to see how it can support your video and image-capture efforts.
Whether you're making videos or still shots, here are a few points to keep in mind.
Assets and Resources
There are a number of Fortnite-branded assets and other resources available for your use when promoting your island, along with guidelines on how to use them.
If you plan to post your videos on social media, get familiar with this info!
Created in Fortnite
Instead of referencing Fortnite directly, or using the Fortnite logo, follow the guidelines in this blog.
Music
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You can download royalty-free tracks for a Fortnite Creative project. Outside of the tracks available through this link, Epic is not responsible for sourcing and clearing any music you use.
Content
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Making a Thumbnail
Your island thumbnail is your most important visual for promoting your island on Discover.
In the Discover UI, whether your island surfaces through algorithms or it's featured, three things are going to catch a player's attention: the Discover category, the game title, and your thumbnail.
Thumbnails are also useful for promoting on social media.
A few points to keep in mind when creating your thumbnails if you're submitting to Epic for publishing or a feature request on Discover:
- The image should represent your game.
- It should be engaging.
- The size should be 1920x1080 minimum (16:9 aspect ratio).
- For a square thumbnail, the size should be 1024x1024 minimum.
Filmmaking Basics
A scene is what happens in a single location and time. A scene can be made up of multiple shots.
A shot is a continuous view through a single camera, without interruption.
A take is a single version of a shot, and is usually numbered sequentially. Takes from different cameras, or angles of the same shot, can be marked then compared to see which one works best.
Composition
Composition is important for both still shots and videos. When composing a scene:
- Draw your viewer's eye with movement, using the camera settings and angles to push emphasis to that movement.
- Keep the most relevant characters at the front of the scene. Let them fill the frame.
- Think about the environment your characters are in. What's behind them, and how important is it to the story you're telling? Should that background be sharp? Or should it be blurred to keep the attention on the characters and their actions?
- Use foreground elements to create a natural frame. This also gives a sense of size.
- Choose a lighter background so your character stands out more.
- Incorporate the landscape for screenshots with depth and layers.
In this shot, you can quickly and clearly see two teams in a firefight.
Lighting
Lighting can totally change the tone of your video or image. Keeping a few lighting points in mind when setting up your shots can make a big difference.
- Stay away from dark areas in enclosed spaces.
- Place the sun or moon to create shadows and bring out shafts of light to build realism and depth.
- Account for time of day in your shot. If possible, shoot when the sun is at an angle and not directly overhead.
In Replays, under camera settings, you can toggle Storm Effects off to keep the storm out of view under the camera icon options. You can also select Time of Day to control the lighting under the clock icon. See How to Use the Replays Feature for more info.
Positioning and Choreography
- Stay away from focal lengths where both background and foreground are in focus unless you want a wide shot of points of interest or landscapes.
- Always be aware of what is around and behind the main character in a shot.
- Create dynamic moments that help push the story you want to tell.
Making a Trailer
Sharing videos that showcase interesting or unique aspects of your island is a great way to stand out on social media.
When you publish your island through the Creator Portal (or from Fortnite Creative to the Creator Portal), you'll get an island code that you can use to promote your island on social media once the island is published.
When making a video trailer, keep these points in mind:
- Keep it short. Ideally, your video should be 15–30 seconds long.
- What's important to highlight? When setting up your scene, what are the important elements to showcase? An island feature you're especially proud of? Some aspect of your game that's particularly fun?
- What's the best camera position to show this? If you use Replays, for example, you can move your camera to show characters from any angle. Take advantage of this to set up shots that catch the viewer's attention.
- Tell a story. When appropriate, awaken your inner cinematographer and tell a story with your video. What will your characters be doing, and where are they going to do it?
Your goal is to catch the viewer's attention and make them interested in checking out your island. And remember to add your island code so they can find it easily!
Video Specifications
These are the recommended specifications for submitting a trailer for your island when publishing. They also work well for social media. Trailers will also eventually be supported in the Discover UI, so it's good to get used to working within these parameters.
Requirements include:
- Length: 15-30 seconds
- File Type: MOV
- Codec: ProRes
- Frame rate: Native Source (don't change the frame rate)
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Audio Bitrate: Uncompressed, Stereo
Capturing the Video
There are a number of free and paid apps available that you can use to capture your video. For example, Windows Game Bar comes with Windows, and Quicktime is a part of the Mac OS. Other apps, like Flipgrid or Snagit, will also do the job.
Some of these apps will also give you tools to edit the video, to add music, and to add title cards at the beginning or credits at the end.
You can also use your video capture software to organize your takes into the story you want to tell, and to add audio, such as a voiceover and soundtrack.
If your video software supports it, add a Created by [your name] title card or watermark in your intro or outro to start building your brand!
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Only include images that use Fortnite original assets, or assets you own or have permission to use.
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The format should be JPG.
Demonstrating Gameplay in a Video
Video creation is an important part of the package when you're ready to request a feature for your island on Discover.
A video for requesting to have your island featured is not the same as a video for promoting on social channels. While you can also submit your island trailer, it is not a substitute for a video that shows your gameplay.
Your video should follow the specifications provided above.
When creating a video to submit when requesting to be featured on Discover, keep in mind:
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Don't use inappropriate creator names or inappropriate imagery.
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Follow the Community Guidelines.
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Don't include any exploits or unofficial content.
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Only use approved music found on Licensed Music Box.
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Don't use any other voice or audio, or sound effects not provided by Epic.
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No title or end slates, or text overlays in the video.
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Only include Fortnite original assets or assets you own or have permission to use.
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Your footage must be actual gameplay, without edits.
Your gameplay video should show what players can expect. Make sure your video represents your island. Keep things simple and clear. Reviewers are going to want to know:
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What does the player see when they first enter the game? Show the pregame lobby. Include all billboards and text.
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How does the game start, and what is the player's initial experience?
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How does the map flow from one area to the next?
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What are the most impressive or unique parts of your island, and why are these parts special?
Tailor the video to your game type. For example:
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If it's a PvP game, show the sight lines in different areas, and show how a player can navigate through the island.
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If it's objective-based, show the routes to the objectives, or areas between enemy bases. Simulate a player’s experience when navigating the island for the first time.
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If it's a solo or adventure island, give a sense of the island’s atmosphere. Run through the starting area, then show specific sections you think are important to the experience.
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If you have a skillrun or parkour experience, show how to get past the initial level, then any other specific levels or areas you think are cool, fun, or important.
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Demonstrate the difficulty curve.
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Show how to get past any parts that might look really impossible to a player.
Include multiplayer footage if it helps, but make sure it is from the player's perspective unless you really need a different view to convey what's happening.
Adding a flythrough will also provide more info on your island.
Making a Flythrough
A short flythrough video should show your overall island design and layout.
There are a couple of ways to set up a flythrough shot.
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On your island, while in Create mode, double-click the spacebar to fly, then start your screen-recording software. The camera will follow your movement.
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From Replays, use the Drone Free camera, then use the Drone Free camera and controls to move the camera up and down, left and right, and forward and backward. When you've worked out the movement you want to capture, start your screen-recording software.
Submitting Your Island to Discover
There are two instances where you will submit images and videos of your island to Epic:
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When you submit your island for publishing, and
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When you request a feature on Discover.
Publishing Your Island
When you publish your island through the Creator Portal (or from Fortnite Creative to the Creator Portal), you'll be asked to submit a thumbnail and a trailer. You can submit the trailer you make for social media use.
Request a Feature on the Discover UI
Visit the Creator Submission Form to submit your island for featuring.
Recently got rejected? Read our Common Mistakes blog to make sure you're giving your island its best shot at a feature!