The template is the difference between a video that looks like everyone else's and one that feels made for your topic. CelestiAI ships a range of motion looks — from clean explainer diagrams to archive-style documentary and kinetic short-form typography — plus a choice of caption styles. Pick well and your script punches harder; pick wrong and even a great script feels off. Here's how to choose.
First, understand what a template controls
A CelestiAI template sets the visual language of your video: how scenes are built, how text and figures appear, the colour and texture palette, and how motion is applied line by line. Caption style controls how your word-timed subtitles look — font, weight, and animation. Together they carry the mood of the piece.
Match the template to your topic
Each look is built for a kind of story. Match accordingly:
- Explainer — diagrams that build one idea per line. Best for how-tos, concepts, and product walkthroughs.
- Documentary — archive photographs, atlas maps, and serif titles. Ideal for history, true stories, and "where it happened" narratives.
- Story — a cast of cartoon or block-world characters acting out your script. Great for relatable, emotional, or playful stories.
- Data / Money — charts and counters that grow with the narration. Perfect for stats, finance, and comparisons.
- Top list — a countdown with giant rank numbers. Built for "5 best…" and "top mistakes" formats.
- Bold Shorts — huge kinetic words for vertical video. Made for 9:16 hooks on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
- Neon tech — a sleek, futuristic look for tech and gadget content.
Match the template to the platform
Format shapes the look as much as the topic:
- 16:9 (YouTube): Explainer, Documentary, Data, and Story templates have room to breathe with chapters and titles.
- 9:16 (Shorts/Reels/TikTok): Bold Shorts and vertical variants front-load kinetic type and keep captions thumb-stopping.
Decide the platform first, then narrow the template.
Match the caption style to the voice
Captions are read while the audio plays, so they should feel like part of the same performance:
- Calm narration pairs with clean, minimal captions.
- High-energy shorts pair with bold, animated word-by-word captions.
- Documentary pairs with restrained, elegant type.
Caption timing is word-accurate, so whatever style you pick stays readable and on-beat.
A quick decision routine
- What's the topic? → narrative, explanatory, data, or list.
- What's the platform? → 16:9 or 9:16.
- What's the tone? → serious, playful, urgent, calm.
- Pick the template that sits at the intersection of those three.
- Pick a caption style that matches the energy.
- Preview one scene before rendering the full video.
Tips
- Consistency builds a channel. Reuse one template family across a series so viewers recognise your look.
- Don't over-decorate. The template should serve the script, not compete with it.
- Test two looks on a short clip when you're unsure, and keep the one that reads better.
- Remember the pricing includes 16 templates and caption styles on paid plans — experiment freely.
Common mistakes
- Cinematic template, list script. A dramatic documentary look on a buzzy "top 5" feels mismatched.
- Busy captions on a calm voice. The energy clashes.
- Ignoring aspect ratio. A 16:9 template squeezed into a vertical slot wastes the frame.
Wrapping up
Template choice is a creative decision, but it doesn't have to be a hard one: read the topic, check the platform, sense the tone, and pick the look that sits in the middle. Then match the caption style to the voice and preview before you commit.