# Lower Thirds Source: https://mimolive.com/technology/lower-thirds/ Last updated: 2023-01-04 Section: Technology  *Lower Third created with mimoLive® for Mac®* ## Lower Thirds A lower third is a graphic element that appears in the lower portion of the screen during a video or television program. Lower thirds typically display information about the person speaking or the content being shown on screen. They can include the name and title of the speaker, a brief description of what is being discussed, or other relevant information. Lower thirds are often used to help viewers understand and follow along with the content of a video or program. They are commonly used in news, talk shows, and other types of programming where it is important to provide information about the people and topics being discussed. #### LOWER THIRD DEFINITION ##### What is a Lower Third? In the [television](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television) industry, a **lower third** is a graphic overlay placed in the [title-safe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_safe) lower area of the [screen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_device), though not necessarily the entire lower third of it, as the name suggests.In its simplest form, a lower third can just be text overlaying the video. Frequently this text is white with a [drop shadow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_shadow) to make the words easier to read. A lower third can also contain graphical elements such as boxes, images or shading. Some lower thirds have [animated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation) backgrounds and text.