Video Production – Lower 3rds Any title that is in the lower third of the frame is considered a lower 3rd. A simple white text with a drop shadow is the simplest variety with animated graphics and morphing fonts being the current state of the art. Back in the day, text generating hardware would by default float the text along the bottom so that faces would not be covered. This is probably why it got its name. Most non-linear editing programs have plug-ins and/or complete stand alone programs dedicated just to animating text and lower third graphics. So long as the animation doesn’t compete with the focus of the program, lower third graphics can add to the overall professional look of a video.