This pool only applies to the kind of videos we typically record and show each other in here. NOT to videos about drones such as reviews, unboxing, explanatory videos, and so on. Try to imagine a video length like you would make it.

What a good question. I think perhaps it is circumstantial: based on how I'm feeling, content, and quality of editing. However, what I can say is that if I'm not necessarily in the mood, and am watching something that is OC, I would much prefer it to be shorter with great content than drawn out.

I have voted for 7 because it really depends on the subject, quality and type of footage which makes it very difficult to come to just one golden standard time. Knowing that patience is rather short for a majority, I try to make my videos as short as possible ideally hitting the 2 minute or 2:30 mark. On the other side I am seeing many videos on here that are so well done and present so fascinating and excellently edited footage that even after 5 minutes watching I just want them to continue longer. There are few examples too, where even one minute watching is a challenge.

Time I watch a drone video :

low quality : 10 seconds
medium quality but with a good topic : 30 sec
Good quality video : 1 minute
Wonderfull video : 2 minutes

(and yes, my videos are too long )

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-8-29 12:08
I have voted for 7 because it really depends on the subject, quality and type of footage which makes it very difficult to come to just one golden standard time. Knowing that patience is rather short for a majority, I try to make my videos as short as possible ideally hitting the 2 minute or 2:30 mark. On the other side I am seeing many videos on here that are so well done and present so fascinating and excellently edited footage that even after 5 minutes watching I just want them to continue longer. There are few examples too, where even one minute watching is a challenge.

Very true words.  I agree that content drives the time.
I voted between 2 and 3 mins.  That is where i try to land.  between 2 and 2:30.  

Between 2 to 4 minutes...

I want to keep mine short.  No longer than 3 minutes for sure.  Don't want to lose my audience

Normally not longer than 3 minutes but when I do long distance flights then it’s the whole way filming ( up to 10 minutes but very rarely that much time) normally between 5 and 8 minutes I’d say when flying long distances.

Fly safe everyone.
Alex.g

It really depends on the subject, there are some videos I don't even know that I have been watching it for 10 mins and there are some the first 10 seconds already bore me.

As long as the video remains interesting to at least 90% of the unrelated viewers.

Voted 7 as it depends entirely on the content (story being told), image quality and skills of the pilot (both editing and flight). In some cases 30 seconds is too much for me whilst I have also watched videos lasting over 20 minutes then watched them again to learn from them. There should be no 'limit' for anyone wishing to express themselves through creativity as long as it's good!  

Fifteen Seconds?
I guess narrative pieces can be as long as the production team want, as long as the 'arc' can sustain interest until the denouement, just ask Christine Edzard, whose Little Dorrit ran for ten minutes short of six hours.  But for non narrative (what I call poetry pieces) that land up on Vimeo and YouTube, less is definitely more.

Perhaps the two to three minute rule should apply to all non narrative' videos, not just ones made by pilots. Mine are sometimes a little longer, and I know that's bad. Call it Director's Cut Syndrome. If you want to get really upset about how little your masterful creativity is appreciated, just look a the stats on Vimeo that show the number of people who actually watch a video through to the end. It's an almost non existent number. I blame MTV for the goldfish length attention spans of viewers.

So the lesson is bung all the good stuff into the first minute, and then relax, as it seems the only people who let the video roll to the end are the one's who've either walked away to get beer or have fallen asleep.

It's entirely understandable. Some one has paid big $ for their drone/camera/bit of production value enhancing gear, they have learned how to use it, driven hours to the location, walked for hours to get above the tree line, waited in the cold for the rain to pass, kept away from angry land owners and risked all to get all the footage the batteries will allow. They have then driven home and spent until 3AM editing it, so damn right it's going to be a twenty minute video.
What we don't realise is that the viewer doesn't care what cost and effort was required or what risks were taken, they just want to look at the pretty pictures. Which is a bit depressing.

I am at my wits end with 'visual poetry' as a means of marketing my skills and letting existing clients keep up with what I am doing and inspiring them to call me. Even a two minute 'poetry' film is just not arresting enough. I am thinking my 'poetry' pieces are now going to be fifteen seconds long and consigned to facebook, instagram and Linkedin. Where I know I get a lot of traffic and I stand a small chance that someone just might be able to pay attention for more than the number of seconds it takes before they can no longer resist the urge to get a beer, or fall asleep, or grab their phone and post something to social media which no one will read to the end.

Gooseman 2old Posted at 2018-8-30 02:16
Fifteen Seconds?
I guess narrative pieces can be as long as the production team want, as long as the 'arc' can sustain interest until the denouement, just ask Christine Edzard, whose Little Dorrit ran for ten minutes short of six hours.  But for non narrative (what I call poetry pieces) that land up on Vimeo and YouTube, less is definitely more.

I really like your view on the things and...yes...I agree...for the record:


I've sat there for a long time and didn't even know if it's worth it in the end... I had a very hard time editing this...And this is where most people drop out:


And guess what they don't see? The part where I really almost wet my pants: [Jump to 2:07!]


Y'know what? Starting today I'll set the limit to 2min. Two minutes of action packed jump-cut aerial videography goodness. Let's see if the theory works out...

FntX Posted at 2018-8-30 02:32
I really like your view on the things and...yes...I agree...for the record:
[view_image]

thanks for the reply. You should recut that film and stick to four second cuts (your opening could be 8 seconds) as this fits with your music beats. It means you'll be able to get it into one track too! Take a look and see how it looks. It might be tighter and help people with their low attention spans ;))
John

Gooseman 2old Posted at 2018-8-30 02:53
thanks for the reply. You should recut that film and stick to four second cuts (your opening could be 8 seconds) as this fits with your music beats. It means you'll be able to get it into one track too! Take a look and see how it looks. It might be tighter and help people with their low attention spans ;))
John

In hindsight 2 minutes is just too long either. Scrap that.
I'll go for 1 minute in the future with 3 second slices of footage. That should do the trick

It all depends on your footage of course,  but a 'typical' drone only video is (in my type of editing) usually around 2 - 3 minutes.
Any longer requires something really interesting.

Depends on content and good it is surely?

the longer a video, the harder it is to fill up with meaningful content and the more likely you are to loose the interest of the watcher

FntX Posted at 2018-8-30 03:17
In hindsight 2 minutes is just too long either. Scrap that.
I'll go for 1 minute in the future with 3 second slices of footage. That should do the trick

now you're just going to the other extreme!!  I just did a couple of fifteen second videos on my Instagram site.  Which is good as it's not possible on IG to find out how long people watched. Hopefully they'll have committed to the 15 seconds!

Mountaindrone Posted at 2018-8-29 12:45
Time I watch a drone video :

low quality : 10 seconds

you nailed it mountaindrone

Something to ponder when making drone videos for public consumption.
People will hardly watch 30-second long TV commercials - that are professional designed to captivate.

FntX Posted at 2018-8-30 02:32
I really like your view on the things and...yes...I agree...for the record:
[view_image]

That worked

VOTING HAS ENDED!