WHAT'S GOING ON...
Shooting the perfect video is something of a Holy Grail to say the least - naturally there's no such thing, however if you take a brief from a client who knows what they want their video content to achieve, then it's up to you, the producers of that video, to make the perfect video for them (the client).
Most agencies would have you believe that your customers' attention span has decreased to that of an amnesiac goldfish. Really? Well, video content has changed and is changing all the time, but to say that a viewers tolerance for any video longer than a spasmodic Vine post is just nonsense.
I think what they probably mean is, 'So you want some video content?.. Here's what we like making best right now.. why don't you try it - short-form video's all the 'go'!' And don't get me wrong, short form content is working very well - it's true. However just because it's working, doesn't automatically relegate video content over 60 seconds. We know this is true because we are asked for and produce both long and short-form content every day. The truth is, and this depends on your business, there is an audience for both - they may not be the same audience at the same time but they are watching. Think about the term 'multi-channel' for a moment, a much bandied phrase which means exactly what it says. Video works across a wide gamut of media which is growing every day, whether that's good old TV, a YouTube pre-roll Ad or muted Out-Of-Home digital banner - But clearly the same content won't work for all channels, so to say that short-form video is the new long-form doesn't work for us. What they mean is, you need to look at video with a broader lens (excuse the pun). Whatever your message, you can guarantee it will need to be a 'transmedia' consideration and your creativity will need to extend just that bit further! Think about a video project not in terms of a single deliverable but as a suit of content which works within a campaign - however small. This may only mean a 3 min interview with a 30 second social edit to promote it but at least it's a suite of two videos which reach out to two very different audiences and different times. Long and short form working together.
Finally, we'd challenge whether certain forms of short content actually fall into the category of 'video' at all.. Is a mute, moving poster in a shopping mall a video? or is it something else - 'motion advertising' ?
