Pixel, Peace, and Persistence: How I Made My First CapCut Intro

I recently wrapped up something that, while small on the surface, felt like a major personal victory: my first custom intro video using CapCut. I’ve never considered myself an “artist.” I can’t draw in the traditional sense, and until recently I wouldn’t have thought I’d be creating anything that feels even remotely creative. But here I am — and somehow, I pulled it off.

This project started with a single static image: a pixel-art version of me riding a motorcycle. That’s it. No animation frames, no advanced tools. Just one image and a head full of ideas. CapCut — which I’d never used before — became my animation sandbox.

Using keyframes, I manipulated the position and rotation of the character to simulate movement — including a moment where I try (and initially fail) to pull off a wheelie. That first failed attempt became a fun opportunity to add a bit of personality: I inserted a speech bubble using a graphic nod to Q*Bert’s classic censored “@!#?@!” outbursts. Just a little moment of retro frustration.

From there, I added a lightbulb graphic I created — my take on an 8-bit "idea" moment — then followed it up with a successful wheelie and a peace sign. That hand gesture? It’s not animated at all. It’s just one image, perfectly timed to appear at the right moment to give the illusion of movement.

I layered in chiptune music, masked out backgrounds, experimented with in/out animations, and even used compound clips to bring the whole scene together. I played with rotation, zoom, camera shake, and used sound effects like engine revs and “lightbulb moments” to make it all come alive.

Was it perfect? Definitely not. But the sense of accomplishment I felt finishing this was real. It was rough in places, but I made it. And that means something.

A Word of Encouragement:

If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s this:
Don’t be afraid to try something new.

You don’t need to be a professional artist or editor to make something cool. I started this knowing next to nothing, and the only reason I finished was because I refused to let that stop me. I had no formal training, no “talent” in the traditional sense — just an idea and the patience to figure it out one keyframe at a time.

So if you’ve been putting off a project because you think you’re not good enough — start anyway. You’ll surprise yourself. I know I did.

“If I can do it, you can definitely do it — and probably way better than me.”