As short as the story allows
The right length is the shortest one that still does the job. Every extra second has to earn its place, and a tight two-minute film nearly always beats a loose five-minute one.
Rules of thumb
- Social ads: 6–30 seconds, with the message in the first few seconds.
- TV commercials: usually 15, 30 or 60 seconds, set by the media buy.
- Brand or 'who we are' films: 1–2 minutes.
- Recruitment and staff profiles: 1–3 minutes, plus short social cut-downs.
- Explainers: 60–90 seconds per idea.
- Short documentaries: 3–10 minutes, depending on where they'll be watched.
Where it's watched changes everything
People give a film on your website or at an event more time than an ad in their feed. Decide where the video will live first, then set the length.
Plan a family of videos
Often the best answer is one longer hero film plus several short versions. I plan the shoot and edit so you get both without paying for two productions.
Questions
Can you cut one video into several lengths?
Yes. I edit a main version, then shorter cut-downs for social, ads and presentations.