Q1: What’s the longest video you’ve ever sat through? I once watched an almost 3-hour long drama channel video. You might know who it is if I said that he sometimes says “dumplings”. He now sometimes makes EXTREMELY long videos that I don’t think I can sit through even if it’s to listen.
Because for those long videos, I wasn’t always watching. I was drawing and listening, and sometimes put my head up to watch. Also, the content being what it is, I was exhausted listening to it after 3 hours
Q2: Do you think long videos are all the rage or do you think 2-min to 20-min (at MOST) are much more popular among the masses? I feel like there’s always an audience for anything when it comes to YouTube, and it could be a generational thing, or maybe it really comes down to personal preference
I seek out longer videos, but sometimes I do enjoy the shorter form content. As for shorts, I watch shorts but only the ones recommended to me. I don’t scroll through shorts. It feels annoyingly endless to me
Bonus question: In order to see if I can edit a long video, and to practice, I made a compilation video that’s almost three hours and added in little edits and stuff. Tried transitions, text, and so on. So, what do you think of the thumbnail?
The longest one I’ve watched is the 9.5-hour ‘The Collapse of Sam & Cat’ vid by Quinton Reviews. (I’ve also seen all the previous Nickelodeon saga vids he’s done for iCarly & Victorious). Obviously I watched it over multiple days lol.
There’s a new one he’s done that’s 42-hours long on the Beverly Hillbillies which I’ll get around to watching at some point. It’s kinda outrageous but like how do you write a 42 hour video and then edit and export it?! Just last year I was fighting for my life trying to produce a video that’s barely 15-mins.
I prefer 20+ min vids on YouTube. 10 minutes is too short, and feels performative like they’re trying to ‘optimise the algorithm’. I think lately there’s an audience preference for longer videos. I mean Mr Beast vids have been creeping towards 15-20 mins instead of 10-15 mins over the past year.
It fits in w all your other thumbnails. The screenshots are hard to read but I’m not sure how you could fix that
The longest video I’ve seen recently was a little over two hours. I don’t mind long videos so long as it’s engaging enough. I don’t mind short video though I do want to watch more of the video and feel that it’s too short for my liking.
I typically enjoy videos that are 15 minutes to an hour long because I like to have something in the background while I am on the computer just writing.
As for length, I’m in the minority since most people probably access the internet on their phones and I don’t have a phone. I have to sit down at my desk, so I tend to watch and concentrate. I therefore prefer them short and sweet, usually longer than five minutes but less than thirty.
I suspect that most people prefer long videos, since most of the ones in my sidebar are like an hour long. ¯\_(ﭢ)_/¯
1, I couldn’t be sure but probably 40 mins or so. If I’m watching something long like that, I’m going to be on my treadmill or exercise bike - and I prefer long running shows for that.
2, It depends quite a bit on audience and your niche. Would I watch a 2 hour long video about a game I play? No, not really. An hour? Maybe, because I can watch it at double speed. If a video is too long (over 15m), I’m going to just skip it unless it’s something I can only get in that video. But that’s just me personally!
Bonus Q - I think the thumbnail is okay. I like the mascot on the right and the colours! It’s definitely hitting the rage bait notes - definitely inflammatory and easy enough to read at a glance!
Possibly, he could have created it in chunks. I found out how to make and edit videos separately with the aim that it will lead to another segment. Then I just put them together all in one video. I bet the uploading took eternities for 42 hours
How long can videos on YouTube be? Doesn’t seem like there’s a limit
Yeah, it’s mostly for the design I thought about making the titles obvious, but space
As long as people know it’s about pantsers
Two hours is like standard movie length these days
Yeah, sometimes short videos feel cut off or rushed. I think people start aiming for quantity because the majority of impatient online people are bound to watch the entirety of a short video. More people watching means the algorithm likes you, I guess. But still, comments play a big part in terms of getting the algorithm to like you.
All those jump cuts to shorten the time sometimes makes me feel like the person is just talking without taking a breath
What do you think? I mean, I think jump cuts are necessary sometimes, but not all the time.
Speaking of short, quality videos done right, there’s guy that makes 30 sec to 1 min long skits. And it’s not shorts. Rarely is it more than 2 min. That’s a level of skill, I think.
Thanks! Since it’s a compilation, I had to figure out a new design, but it couldn’t be so far off from my other Writer Reacts thumbnails.
Thank you! I’ve been having the same illustrator do my avatar since starting the channel, and I go to him if I need new faces
That’s one of the new faces
What do you usually gravitate towards? And do you have phases?
I sometimes go through a “video essay on society” phase, or a “Girl with the Dogs” binge watch or “just music and art” or “booktube” or something like that.
That makes sense though. If I can just look up that information for myself, or just figure it out for myself, or maybe I already heard someone talking about it months ago, I’m not even going to bother. Not something I can only get from the video.
But, it might be different if it’s my favorite creator. Like, the “booktok fyre fest” drama, I had watched a few videos on it before realizing Amanda of Swell Entertainment had posted a video. But because I like her take on things, I watched her 37min video even though a majority of the information was repeated for me. So, it was a bit long to hear about the same stuff again, but I enjoyed her take.
Do you ever have times like that where a video might be too long and/or repetitive information, but you watch it anyway because you like the creator?
lol, thanks XD Yeah, I tried to be a bit rage-baity
But not entirely a lie, unfortunately
Good it’s easy to read! I took a good look at some thumbnails in my recommends and tried to figure out what would be eye-catching. It also couldn’t be so different in design and color from my other thumbnails in my Writer Reacts series because it’s related
Thinking of making a short “wrap up” type video to summarize the points in that one
I think I definitely have before, and might do again - if it’s something I’m really interested in!
Rage bait is definitely a good way to get some clicks (and attract some vitriol, if you have a thick enough skin for it!). I disagree with it not being a valid way to write - none of my work (published or otherwise) has ever been planned.
That would be a good idea! Definitely get some click through
Three of those articles really seemed to be talking down on pantsering and it sounds like it was written by someone who hasn’t spoken with a pantser or read up on what it’s like to be one at the very least. One of them gave several cons for pantsing but then for plotting, they had one con. In the video, I listed a few cons of plotting just from talking to plotters
Stephen King is a pantser, btw. Talk about success.
Plantsering is something I don’t see talked about when the types of writers are discussed. It’s one or the other, and then, some of the articles go on as a side note that you can be a mix.
Just last year I was fighting for my life trying to produce a video that’s barely 15-mins.
I thought about making the titles obvious, but space 
If it helps, imagine you’re just talking to one person