Video & Editing · 04 of 04
Give the opening a clear purpose
Show why the video is worth watching before asking the audience to wait.
The idea
Establish the subject and a reason to continue at the start.
The opening establishes the subject and gives someone a reason to continue. In a feed, that often needs to happen immediately because the video appears among unrelated posts. A tutorial can open on its result; a product film can show the problem it resolves; an interview can begin with the question that makes the answer matter.
The first three seconds are a useful review window for short social work, not a universal attention limit. A film made for an audience already seated and expecting it can earn a slower beginning. Decide what the viewer already knows, where they will encounter the film and what the opening needs to establish.
Watch the opening by itself and ask what you expect to see next. Then check whether the film fulfils that expectation. A striking shot that promises an unrelated story can attract attention and still mislead. Place branding where it supports recognition without delaying the subject; the end card is one option, not the only valid place for a mark.
How to see it
Terms used in this lesson
The parts
- Opening
- The first useful information the viewer receives, in picture, sound or text.
- Subject
- What the film is about. Make it recognisable in the context where it will be encountered.
- Identity
- Branding that supports recognition without unnecessarily delaying the subject.
- Promise
- What the opening leads the viewer to expect. The rest of the film should fulfil it.
In practice
- Establish the subject with a specific image, result or question.
- Match the opening pace to the audience and viewing context.
- Make the rest of the film deliver what the opening promises.
Avoid
- Using a brand sting as the default opening regardless of context.
- Choosing a surprising image unrelated to the actual subject.
- Applying a three-second rule without considering the format or audience.
The test
Watch 0:00 to 0:03, then stop. If you would not continue as a stranger, recut the open.
Use the Aspect Ratio & Frame to work out the frame dimensions for each delivery format, then review how the opening composition fits each crop.
Reviewed against all forty, on your product.
The audit is the cheapest thing we sell, and it regularly concludes that you do not need the project you came for.