By Simon Davies, Post-Production Supervisor/Editor
In today’s “ad block”, “swipe right” and “skip intro” instantaneous gratification world that we all now live in, creating effective and concise video messaging can be difficult. There is so much content saturation and accessibility that, no matter what the platform, maintaining viewers’ focus grows more difficult by the day. The idea that our attention spans have decreased to less than that of a goldfish is wrong (just Google “goldfish attention span myth”). Rather, the competition for our attention has increased dramatically due to the non-stop onslaught of information bombarding us every waking hour. That’s why it’s absolutely vital to make sure your video stands out and will make viewers want to watch it all the way to the end.
When considering how long your video should be, there are three important factors to weigh: the content, the target audience, and the platform. Some content lends itself to long-form storytelling, some does not. The demographics of your target audience may suggest a shorter video will be more effective. And the platform itself may dictate the duration, as social media like Instagram and TikTok limit the length of videos that can appear directly in a user’s “feed”.
So how does one create succinct video content that clearly conveys the intended message and has lasting resonance with the viewer? As an editor, I make a concerted effort to keep my pieces short and as minimalist as I can (based on the content, audience and platform). I believe that shorter videos (2:30 or less) can be more effective than longer videos. Of course, I’m only referring to pieces where a specific idea or joke is intended to be conveyed. You may be making a documentary that deserves to be two hours long. There are no carved-in-stone rules.
It’s also important to “hook” the viewers in the first 5 seconds. Studies have suggested that most people can focus on a video only for roughly about 30 seconds before their minds may start to wander. A simple animated title card can make or break how the viewer perceives what they’re about to watch. Another great way to capture viewers’ attention is to use text in a large bold typeface. Many people view video content these days with their devices on “mute”. So don’t hesitate to put up some big, punchy words over your video in the first 5 seconds as an expositional device. (Obviously, there are NO SET RULES to this. I’m reminded of Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle, who uses very minimalist title treatments in his films that typically come up as a surprise after about 5-10 minutes of action or character development. See Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, etc.)
Videos have the power to change hearts and minds and also start movements. Try to maximize whatever length is appropriate, be as creative as possible to keep your viewers’ attention, and always put yourself in their shoes during the editorial process. We’re all inundated by content saturation; it’s what we choose to do with that new knowledge that makes creating video content so great.
