How to Create Ali Abdaal-Style Videos in Tella (Moving Glow Border Tutorial)
Learn how to recreate the Ali Abdaal-style moving glow border, animated facecam border in Tella. Customize your face cam border, glow, color, speed, shape, and layout without Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.
VIDEO FOR STARTUPSSOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH
9/25/20264 min read
How to Create Ali Abdaal’s Moving Glow Border in Tella
Have you ever watched an Ali Abdaal video and noticed the glowing border moving around his face cam?
It’s a small effect, but it makes a simple talking-head or screen-recorded video feel much more polished and dynamic.
You might assume you need Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro to create something like this.
You don’t.
With Tella, you can create a similar animated glow border in just a few clicks, without hiring a video editor or spending hours learning complicated editing software.
I’ve been using Tella for around three years, and this is one of the easiest ways I’ve found to give screen-recorded videos a more professional creator-style look.
Here’s how to do it.
What Is the Ali Abdaal-Style Moving Border?
If you watch Ali Abdaal’s videos, you may notice that his face cam sometimes has a glowing light that travels around the edge of the frame.
I like to call it the “moving snake border” because the glow travels around the camera frame almost like a little snake. 🐍
Normally, an animated effect like this could require keyframes, effects, or plugins in a traditional video editor.
Tella has essentially turned it into a setting.
Step 1: Record Your Video in Tella
Start by recording your screen and camera in Tella.
Once you've finished recording, open your video in the Tella editor.
This is where you can customize the layout, camera shape, border, background, and other visual elements without having to export your recording into another editor first.
Step 2: Choose Your Layout
Go to the Layout options.
Ali Abdaal often uses layouts where his camera and content appear side by side or overlap each other.
Tella gives you several layouts to choose from, so you can create something similar without copying the exact design.
Personally, I like using the squircle shape for my camera.
It gives the video a clean, modern look while still letting me create my own style.
And that's important.
The goal isn't to completely copy another creator. Instead, you can borrow an idea you like and adapt it to your own videos.
Step 3: Add the Moving Glow Border
Now for the fun part.
Go to Style and look at the available border options.
Tella gives you several border styles, including shadows, solid borders, and the animated glow effect.
Choose the "snake" animated border.
You'll immediately see the glow begin to travel around your face cam.
And there you have it: the Ali Abdaal-style moving glow border without manually animating anything.
Step 4: Customize the Border
You don't have to leave the effect at its default settings.
Tella lets you customize things like:
Border color
Border thickness
Glow
Pulse length
Pulse lap time
Camera shape
For example, you can choose pink, purple, white, orange, or another color that fits your branding.
You can also change how quickly the glow travels around your camera.
I prefer slowing it down a little.
A slower animation makes the effect noticeable without letting it become the main character of the video. The border should support your content, not hypnotize your viewers. 😅
Step 5: Choose Your Camera Shape
Finally, choose the shape of your camera.
Tella gives you options such as square, round, and squircle.
I personally prefer squircle because it gives the camera frame softer edges without turning it into a full circle.
Once you're happy with your settings, preview the video to see how everything looks together.
That's it.
You now have an animated moving glow border without touching Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro.
Why I Like Using Tella for Videos
I've been using Tella for about three years, and one of the biggest reasons I keep using it is its simplicity.
You don't need to take an editing course just to figure out how everything works.
That's especially valuable if you're a solo creator.
Instead of spending hours editing a relatively simple screen-recorded video, you can record, customize your layout, add effects like this animated border, and get your video ready much faster.
It's particularly useful for:
YouTube tutorials
Screen recordings
SaaS product demos
Educational videos
Online courses
Product walkthroughs
Creator videos
You still get control over how your video looks, but without turning every recording into a complicated editing project.
Watch the Full Tutorial
Want to see exactly how I create the Ali Abdaal-style moving glow border in Tella?
I walk you through the entire process in my YouTube tutorial, including the layout, camera shape, border color, glow, thickness, and animation speed.
If you want to try it yourself, you can also try Tella free for 7 days.
And if you decide to upgrade, you can get 30% off using my link. For the biggest savings, I recommend checking the annual plan.
You don't need complicated editing software to make your screen recordings look better.
Sometimes, all it takes is one tiny glowing snake. 🐍
🧰 Creator Tools Worth Knowing (and Using)
These are the tools I genuinely use to run and grow my business. Whether you're building content, managing projects, or streamlining how people connect with you, this stack has been essential. A few include partner links with exclusive discounts.
1. Tella
Create polished screen recordings and video presentations quickly. Great for demos, tutorials, and sharing ideas with clarity.
2. CapCut
A free, intuitive video editor that’s surprisingly powerful. Ideal for both short-form content and more in-depth edits.
3. Dub
Perfect for startups looking to grow through affiliate programs. Set up, manage, and scale your affiliate strategy—get 20% off with my link.
4. Cal.com
Easy, free and customizable scheduling that integrates with your workflow. A professional way to make meetings seamless.
5. Notion
Your all-in-one workspace for notes, project management, documentation, and collaboration.
Some links are affiliate partnerships, which means I may earn a commission if you choose to sign up. I only recommend tools I’ve tested and actually find valuable in my own work.
5. Buffer
Convert video into powerful blog articles.
5. Video to Blog
Your all-in-one social media management tool.
I’m Novie, I become your marketing arm — content, video, positioning, and systems — so you can focus on building the product.