What’s the Best Length for an Internet Video?

Question: Since videos can be published online of any length (even if broken into a series of segments), what would be the best length for a self-created video?

Answer: It depends on the purpose of the video and who it’s for.  The following are guidelines and you could find exceptions for each.

1) “Introductory Videos” are short: 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and no more than 4 minutes. If you want to expose a brief message to as many potential viewers as possible, who do not otherwise know you, the shorter the better. Anytime someone clicks on a video they are making a small time commitment and a shorter video just makes it easier for someone to make that decision. If they like what they see, then they may be more inclined to watch a longer video from the same creator.

2) “Content Videos” or marketing videos should be less than 10 min. These are videos that have good info and can even be condensed highlights from longer videos. They have the potential for being passed along to others should the content be valuable, interesting and/or entertaining.

3) “Training Videos” can be any length. Training, or educational videos could include how to use a specific software, or how to perform maintenance on an engine, or how to use a specific camera, or anything you can imagine. These could even be complete seminars. However, the longer a video is, the less likely it would gain traction as a property that gets passed along broadly (although anything can happen on the Internet). In other words, if a 3 hour presentation could be edited down to less than 30 min, it would generate more views. However, given a valuable enough seminar, there would still be a smaller amount of viewers who would watch the entire 3 hours.

Of course, regardless of how long or short the video is, you might as well increase its chance of gaining viewers by incorporating the 6 Ways to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Search Impact.

Using Transitions in Video Editing

In video and filmmaking terminology, a “transition” could be defined as the way in which any two video shots are joined together.

The first point to understand about transitions is that misuse or overuse of transitions is a sign of an amateur, in the same way that overuse of slide transitions in a PowerPoint presentation are unprofessional. Especially if too many different types of transitions are utilized.  In short, any way that transitions call attention to themselves and distract from the video continuity would be poor utilization.

Conversely, when used professionally (“not” to the point of overuse), effective transitions bridge different video shots together to produce a better message or story flow.

There are more transitions than depicted in this article, but the following are among the most widely used.

Video Transition: The “Cut”

The most common transition is the “cut.” This is simply one video clip changing instantly to the next shot.

Cuts are the best way to keep the action or momentum moving along at a good pace.

Straight cuts are not only simple, but they create smaller overall file sizes, which are an advantage for web videos. (In other words, adding transitions create larger video files, and on the Internet, smaller files are desirable).

Video Transition: The “Crossfade” or “Dissolve”

The next most common transition is the crossfade, or dissolve. This is simply one video shot gradually changing to the next.

The timing of crossfades can be made shorter or longer and they generally provide a more relaxed feel than a cut and slow the pace of the video.  Dissolves can better convey a sense of passing time than a cut.

Video Transition: The “Wipe”

A wipe is a more complex transition, and includes a number of variations.

One way to think of a simple wipe would be imagining a single sweep of a slow windshield wiper as a transition from one shot to the next while it moves across the screen.

Variations include an iris wipe, a heart wipe, a clock wipe, and a star wipe, in which the name approximates the geometric manner in which the wiping motion occurs.  Examples: an iris wipe is like an expanding or contracting circle. A heart or star wipe is like an expanding or contracting heart or star.  And a clock wipe moves around in a circle.

Video Transition: The “Fade”

Two key transitions are fade-up from black and fade to black. Fading in from a single color, such as black, conveys a sense of “beginning.”  And nothing says “the end” like a fade to black. (Fades can be used with other colors, too).

Conclusion: Keep it Simple

Effective integration of transitions should always be inspired by some aspect of the story that is being conveyed in your video. For example, a transition may signify a change in location, or a change in the pace of the action, or simply the passage of time.  If there’s no specific reason to use a transition, keep it simple and use a cut.

Another application of transitions is to smooth out minor video (or even audio) errors, which could appear more prominent with a cut, but which may be less apparent by a well-placed dissolve.

As a concluding note: Transitions should not call attention to themselves. Their job is to subtly support the video story or message.

Video and TV Interview Tips

Getting interviewed as a guest on a TV talk show or a video program is easy, isn’t it? You might think it’s the interviewer who has the tough job. The person asking the questions is the one that is supposed to be in charge and keep things moving along, ideally in an interesting fashion. Well, there are a few things to know about being interviewed that can make you look better on camera. In fact, failure to abide by some of these points can make you come across poorly. (I’ve produced some programs that we ended up not broadcasting, simply because the guest violated one or more of these points and we didn’t want to publicly present the guest in an unbecoming manner).

8 Tips For a TV Interview Guest

1. The main point is being relaxed enough to come across naturally. That’s sure easy to say, but for some folks that’s their main hurdle. A good interviewer can help the guest be comfortable, but even so, some folks freeze when the cameras goes on. If that is a potential problem for you, one thing to do is put all your attention on the interviewer and focus on the conversation, which should help you ignore the cameras. If are able to take a short walk before the interview, that can be beneficial. (However, be sure to coordinate with the Director or Floor Manager, as you may be asked “not” to go away if it’s too close to starting time.)

2. Knowing the material that you are going to be interviewed about is another way to support coming across naturally. However, even if you have a list of “talking points” from the interviewer beforehand, don’t try to memorize what you will say, which can make you appear stiff and unnatural. Just answer the questions as you would in a regular (off camera) conversation.

3. Related to the first point, even if you aren’t afraid of cameras, lights and TV studios, generally speaking, you still don’t want to look into the cameras when they are rolling. Simply look at the interviewer (and not the cameras) in the same manner that you would anyone else you were having a conversation with.

Note: There are certain instances when a person will intentionally look into the camera.  For example, the host of the show “may” look into the camera to speak directly to the audience at the opening and the closing of the program, but that generally does not apply to a person being interviewed.  Even if that were desired for some reason, you would be specifically requested to do so.  However, that would be rare.

4. The interviewer may have some notes to refer to during the discussion, but you won’t. Unless you are specifically required to cite some reference as part of your interview, don’t bring notes onto the set. The information you are imparting as part of a conversational interview should come from your head, not prepared notes.  In fact, bringing anything on the set can be distracting to the audience.  For that reason, even if you are the author of a book, which is the subject of the interview, in many cases it will be the person who is asking the questions who will physically handle the book itself.

5. Short answers are best. Even though you may have a lot to say in response to a given question, you don’t want to speak more than a few sentences at a time. This keeps the dialog going back and forth, which makes for a more interesting program for the viewers. Also, unless you are confident that your program is being produced for a specialized audience, you will connect better with more viewers by avoiding technical jargon, as well as avoiding terms specific to your industry.  Use simple language that will be understood by a broad audience.

6. If the video interview is being conducted in your home or office, instead of a TV studio, you’ll want to use chairs that do not swivel. Interviewees, in particular, tend to move when they are uncomfortable and this is noticeable on TV.

7. Another point about interviews in a home or office is that it’s best to use a room that has as little outside light as possible. Unless the Director specifically prefers to have natural light in the background, it’s trickier to balance the brightness of inside lights with outside light. Furthermore, outside light (daylight) has a blueish cast compared to most lights used inside, which would also require added effort to balance for the camera and lighting crew.

8. Get plenty of sleep the night before, so that you are well rested. Also, have a good meal beforehand so that you are well fed (but don’t eat so much that you become groggy). You may also want to have water readily available so you can start the interview without being thirsty.

BONUS TIP! If you are able to interject some appropriate humor at an apt point or two in the interview, that will help make the conversation more enjoyable for the viewing audience. However, unless you are a comic, or are doing a comedy show, there is no need to go overboard on the humor. For most interviews, the idea is to keep things light. This can help, at times, even if the discussion is about a serious matter. (However, “appropriate humor” is the operative term here as well as good judgment).

By the way, if you are interested in how to dress, you may want to check out this article on What Clothes To Wear For A TV Interview.

It’s worth re-stating that the main idea here is to present yourself on camera at ease and naturally, which contributes to the ease and enjoyment of the viewing audience.

Clothes To Wear For A TV Interview

Even if you’re the kind of person who pays little attention to what you wear on a day-to-day basis, it’s useful to know a few things about the nature of clothing as it relates to TV and video.

Bear the obvious in mind: cameras, computer monitors and TV screens are not people, they’re machines.  And as such, they don’t discern fine visual differences like the human eye.

In the same way that photographers with still cameras can not capture the full dynamic range of a scene, as compared to our eyes, and therefore shoot to accentuate the range that will be viewable on the final media (photo print, magazine, computer screen, etc), TV and video production have similar limitations.

Here Are The Suggestions I Present to TV Interview Guests

1) First of all, wear clothes that are comfortable.

2) Avoid apparel that is very light (such as white) or very dark (such as black). Even a dark navy blue jacket can blend into a dark background, in the same way that a very light beige could blend into a light background. Also, if white is worn against a dark background, the range of contrast could result in the white being burned out, in other words, having no details at all. Conversely, if black is worn against a white, or very light background, the black clothing could be completely devoid of detail.

3) Additionally, avoid bright colors, such a red or orange, which tend to draw attention away from the subject’s face.

4) Generally speaking, solid colors work best. Avoid checked patterns, plaids, extreme stripes or dramatic herringbone patterns – they have a tendency to moiré on screen (which means appear to vibrate).

5) It’s useful to wear a buttoned shirt or blouse, which makes it easier to attach a lapel microphone.

6) Beware of jewelry that can make noise. The slight rattling or jangling noise that you may not be normally aware of, can be magnified by the microphone during an interview. Be particularly cautious of a necklace that might touch a lapel microphone, and especially avoid bracelets, which can create distracting noises for a person who gestures with their hands. In general, minimize jewelry for TV and video interviews.

7) Eye glasses can reflect distracting lights, but if you normally wear glasses, and that’s how people know you, you should wear them. However, a glare-free type or frames with no lenses would be ideal.

8) In many instances, it would be best to bring an alternative selection of clothing to help the Director present you in the best possible light.

For information on how to best present yourself as an interview guest on TV, check out this article: Video and TV Interview Tips.

Popular Digital Video File Formats

Whether you are getting started with video editing, or simply getting curious about the different video file formats that are out there, the following is a list of the most popular digital video file types, from the book YouTube for Business, by Michael Miller.

Before getting into the list of digital file types, let’s review three terms to gain a better understanding of the video file characteristics.

Compression: Video files are inherently very large. In order to make digital video files smaller, the information within the files is compressed to save space on computers. One of the ways video files are made smaller is by removing redundant information. For example, the color of a wall doesn’t change much, frame to frame, in most videos. By removing a quantity of information related to the wall, the file size is reduced. Instead, the computer then reinterprets the wall mathematically, which generates similar video quality, without requiring the original information.

Encoding: Encoding is the process of converting and preparing video files for delivery in a particular medium. It is the process of compressing raw video so that it contains significantly less data, for purposes of video transmission or storage.

Codec: Each different method of encoding compression is a codec, which is a device or computer program that compresses a large amount of digital video information into a smaller file size.  Codec is short for compression/decompression.   A codec includes specific instructions for converting the video to a smaller size for storage or transporting (compression) and then making it appear larger again (decompression) to be viewed as a video.

In fact, users can even make choices to optimize the encoding of their respective codecs to present as high a quality video as possible, for the medium in which the video will be presented.

YouTube Video Upload Specifications

If you help people learn their away around YouTube, you probably are used to repeating a few basic technical specifications. The most common pair of video specs is the basic YouTube maximum size, which is no more than 10 minutes in length, or 100mb in file size.

But once you get beyond that, and start considering ways to improve the video display quality (presuming you have a properly exposed original video file with good sound, to begin with), another aspect that will need to be considered is how to gain maximum video quality while YouTube is simultaneously reducing that quality during the video upload process.

Hence, it behooves one to be aware of what YouTube deems as the best specifications for video files prior to uploading:

Unless you’re a professional video producer, we recommend that you save your videos as either QuickTime .MOV, Windows .AVI, or .MPG files— these are the most common formats and they work well within our system. We specifically recommend the MPEG4 (Divx, Xvid) format at 640×480 resolution with MP3 audio. Resizing your video to these specifications before uploading will help your clips look better on YouTube.

Here is the link to the YouTube specifications page for uploading video: Making and Optimizing Your Videos.

And if you are of the type of person that needs to know more about those file types and common video formats in general, then check out this post on Popular Digital Video File Formats.

YouTube Expands its Partnership Program Again

Do you create and upload a lot of good quality videos to YouTube? If so, you may qualify for the YouTube Partner Program which allows you to receive advertising revenue based upon the number of times your videos are viewed.

Well…maybe…maybe not.

Certainly, if you are a YouTube Partner, you will get paid. However, the criteria for establishing that YouTube partnership is a bit nebulous. Here’s how YouTube describes their qualifications:

To become a YouTube Partner, you must meet these minimum requirements:

♦ You create original videos suitable for online streaming.

♦ You own or have express permission to use and monetize all audio and video content that you upload – no exceptions.

♦ You regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users.

Not everyone who believes that they meet those qualifications is accepted as a partner, but the program has expanded.

The YouTube Partner Program was piloted by Google in 2007 and at the end of the year they opened it up wider with this announcement on their blog titled YouTube Partner Program Expands. Following is an excerpt:

Recognizing YouTube users for their creativity and their role in building YouTube is of the utmost importance to our team. That’s why earlier this year we launched a pilot of the YouTube Partner Program, our way of enabling some of the most popular and prolific original content creators within the YouTube community to earn money from their videos. These partners decide which of their videos they would like to generate revenue on YouTube, and in turn, they receive a portion of the revenue generated from ads that run next to those videos.

This week, TechCrunch posted that YouTube Extends Revenue Sharing Program To Anyone With A Viral Video.  This does not change the criteria for becoming a YouTube Partner, but it does open up the revenue sharing opportunity for anyone who has a video that does go viral.

Here’s an excerpt from the TechCrunch article:

Here’s how it works: YouTube will be monitoring its site for videos that quickly go viral, and will then reach out to the content uploader with an Email invitation to “Enable Revenue Sharing” on that video. If you choose to enable the feature, then YouTube will place ads against the video and will give you a cut, which gets paid into your Google AdSense account. YouTube’s criteria for joining the program are vague — the site plans to look at the number of views a video gets, its virality, and compliance with the site’s Terms of Service, but it has offered no concrete numbers.