Tips and Tricks
Published by Graham Walker on 1 Sep 2005 at 1:01 am.
3 Comments.
Filed under Tips and Tricks.
Vloggers version of the KISS rule (Keep it Short Stupid)
Remember, since you are demanding someone’s attention to download and watch your work, you should recognize the value of their time. We all fall in love with our footage but as a storyteller you have to keep asking yourself:
Does my edit need all this footage?
Is it continually moving the story forward?
Can I make it shorter and tell the same story?
As a generalization, people’s attention span for Internet video seems to max out at 3 minutes, anything longer and you risk them scrubbing through to the end. Often getting rid of 10 or 20 seconds is all you need to really tighten up the edit and turn a decent short into a great short. Remember your audience will never know what you left out.
I fight with this principle all time and am often guilty of not following my own advice but I always try to keep in mind that the rule for comedians transfers well into vlogsphere: Always leave your audience wanting more.
Bre Pettis on 1 Sep 2005 at 6:36 am: 1
This bear really caught my eye. The red eyes are captivating. It’s very odd. I just noticed that it’s got a little heart on it too. Strange.
Good tip too!
chrisweagel on 1 Sep 2005 at 10:23 am: 2
9 times out of 10 it is perfectly applicable.
however I think it is important to stress that videos should only be as long as their content demands.
most ideas can easily fit into this shorter is better framework, and are often strengthened because of it.
often when I’m working on a larger project, I set out from the beginning of production with the idea in mind that I the end result will be little chunks of video.
that said, though, I wouldn’t necessarily discourage longer works for the net. I weekly download 30 mintue-hour videos from the net and watch them.
I also watch a lot of shorter works.
each length fits the given subject matter.
also as important, I know going in, before the download or at the start of what I’m watching, the length of a video, and can so choose to devote so much time to them.
generally I agree with the shorter is better, especially to people new to video production. I often skip through a lot of videoblogs I see, as their content just doesn’t justify my time.
but some do.
like any creative constraint, time limits can be both liberating and confining.
bottomunion on 14 Sep 2005 at 9:21 am: 3
As always, Weagel makes great points.
Yes, often content controls the cut.
That having been said. It doesn’t hurt
to show a little discipline, watch what you
think is a fine cut, and cut some more.
I’m a big advocate of less is more…Find it, and
Cut the shit out of it. Everyone will appreciate
it even when they have no idea.
Great editing disappears.