How long should a video be?

You can read all over the internet that videos should NEVER be longer than two or three minutes.  When we get asked the same question, our response is “a video needs to be as long as it needs to be,” length should be the last thing on your mind. There’s no doubt that most videos are about three minutes long since that tends to be the limit of many people’s attention.

Consider for a moment your own video viewing experiences.  You’ll think nothing about sitting through a two hour movie but a two hour presentation streaming on the web is definitely another story.  On the other hand, if you found a great how-to video, maybe on fixing a clogged sink, you’d probably watch all of it to hopefully prevent you from calling a plumber.  Always let the content drive your program length.  If you have a lot of content that you think people will enjoy, consider making multiple smaller videos. There’s even a chance that Google will rank you higher because you have many videos vs. just one long video.

Of course you also need to consider your audience.  If you want video for a trade show, be sure it’s something solid that will hold people’s attention and hopefully drive them to talk to people in the booth after watching.  The shorter length will give more people an opportunity to see the entire clip vs. losing them to a long video.

And when you’re ready to research price, we always caution people to watch out for deals that advertise a low “cost per finished minute” or special rates for thirty or sixty second videos.  Broadcast television marketing still requires people to think in short time blocks but that’s not the case with the Web.  Over the years, we’ve created hour long programs at a fraction of some of our more complex thirty second videos, it’s all priced on what the client needs.  If you think about it, your website is your own 24/7, on-demand, broadcast network.  People can now view your content on their own time, when and where they want it.  In some cases, you might want to give people the ability to download your clip so they can share it with others, you can’t easily do that with TV.  Also keep in mind that recording and editing a one hour seminar can often be significantly less expensive than producing a complex, thirty second commercial.

Make your videos Timeless

Make your videos Timeless!
One of our goals is to create videos that get used for years and years.  The following tips will hopefully give you ideas to extend the shelf life of all your content. (more…)

Tips for Production Assistants

Breaking into the world of production can be tricky but one of the best ways is to start as a PA (production assistant). Historically, the smaller the crew the more responsibility you’ll have but that’s not always the case. (more…)

Google uses video to recruit

We frequently hear companies complain that it’s hard to find good people.  The fact is good people want to work for great companies.  So let’s assume you have a great company but it just doesn’t sound credible coming from you, the employer.  There’s probably no better place to hear the truth than from (more…)

Video Tip: Working with bad video

Technology keeps coming up with ways consumers and businesses can record their own video. Everything from the mighty Flip-type units to Smartphones now allow people to capture events with the push of a button. When used properly, these tiny cameras can yield great results. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. We’re often (more…)

Video production at hotels

	Hotel rooms and conference room suites are great for shooting video testimonials. They’re often easy to find, have all kinds of amenities for talent and crew and they’re often much more affordable compared to renting studio space.
	Before bringing anything into the room, we look around to see what existing elements can be used in the shot. Positioning talent near existing lighting fixtures often means less equipment needs to be brought into the room. For this particular shoot, we used the overhead chandelier for a soft, global light but also to hold the back-up microphone. If no one’s available to stand in for prelighitng, a pillow can be a great substitute
	Hotel rooms are also handy for food. We often encourage clients to have a basic coffee, tea, water set up. It not only shows your appreciation for their time it’s also great should someone get a coughing attack, has a scratchy throat or is just plain thirsty.
	A still frame from the final video

Video Tips and Tricks

Hello friends of Duchin Productions,
I’m planning on using this space to list the tips and tricks I’ve recently been Tweeting about. Hope you find it helpful and please let me know if you have any specific questions you’d like answered.
Thanks,
Jay
- Most hotels now use compact fluorescent bulbs, bring minus green gels to correct or add a 60w tungsten bulbs your kit when you need a background practical
- Pillows work great for pre-lighting without a stand in. http://twitpic.com/469aa
- When shooting video testimonials always have something for the guest to eat/drink. Photo from recent shoot http://twitpic.com/4695r