End card generator
The end card is where an episode asks for the next one. Episode Maker renders it from the series name, the episode number and a one-line promise about what comes next, in the theme the series already uses.
What goes on the end card
The card has a label at the top reading END OF EPISODE with the number, the series name in large type across the middle, and a next-episode line underneath. The next-episode line is a short sentence you write or the draft tool proposes: under twelve words, phrased as a promise rather than a summary. If you leave it empty the card reads "Next episode coming soon" so it never shows a blank.
The card is rendered at the episode frame in the series theme and lasts two seconds. It is the final clip in the package, after the last take, so the episode does not end on a frozen frame or a hard cut to black.
Because the end card names the series, it also works as the thing a viewer screenshots. The series name is in the largest type on the card for that reason.
Writing a next-episode line
The best lines name a character and a consequence. "Ingeborg finds the second key." "Nobody drove up to the lodge." "The caller knew her name." They are not cliffhangers in the dramatic sense; the cliffhanger belongs to the last take. The line is the title-card copy for an episode that does not exist yet.
When you ask the draft tool for an outline it returns a next-episode line alongside the title, synopsis and chapter list. You can keep it or type your own. The line is stored on the episode and used every time you re-package, so it stays in step with edits.
Keep it under 120 characters. Longer lines wrap to two rows on the card and begin to compete with the series name.
Themes and consistency
The end card uses the same theme as the title card and the chapter cards. Telecast closes on black with the colour bars still across the top; Ledger closes on ruled green paper; Broadsheet closes on newsprint between the masthead rules. Picking a theme once at the series level is what keeps the open and the close of every episode matching.
An episode can override the series theme for one instalment. If you do that, all three card kinds change together; there is no way to mix a Marquee title card with a Brass Plate end card inside one episode, and that is deliberate.
Cost and re-packaging
The end card is rendered inside the two-credit packaging job along with the title card and any chapter cards. Changing the next-episode line and packaging again costs another two credits and replaces the previous cut; the takes are not re-rendered.
The runtime meter counts the end card's two seconds, so the figure shown in the studio matches the finished file.
Sample episodes
Packaged with cards, cut to a runtime target. Each one was made from a short written description.
Questions
Can I turn the end card off?
No. Title card and end card are always part of the package. Chapter cards between takes are the optional ones.
Does the end card show the next episode's title?
It shows the next-episode line you write or accept from the draft. If you want it to carry the next title, type that title into the line.
Who owns an episode that ends with this card?
You own the episode, cards and all, under the terms of service. Copyright protection differs by country; a lawyer where you live can confirm what applies to you.
Can the end card link somewhere?
Video files cannot carry links. Public episodes have their own page at /v/ and public series have a page at /series/ that lists every episode in order.
What happens to the end card if I delete the next episode?
Nothing. The line is text stored on the episode that carries the card, so it does not depend on another episode existing.
Ready when you are
Two free credits on your first sign-in. Every price is shown before you spend anything.