Viewers, Online, Prefer their Content and Movies to be Condensed
Today, viewers on the Internet do not want to watch a video or read content that takes up too much
time out of their busy schedules. Therefore, the short video or film is quickly becoming a new emerging
genre for online viewers of movies and videos. Because of shorter attention spans and the preference of
viewers to quickly scan online content to save precious time, filming short movies is now standard fare.

Early Films were Short as Well

Ironically, films produced in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were also short in
duration. After all, the technology at the time was amazing in itself. Therefore, scenes of faraway cities
or films picturing dignitaries lasted only seconds. Nevertheless, that short span of time was still long
enough to sufficiently capture the interest and thrill an audience. One film, Arrival of a Train at La
Ciotat, produced in the later part of the nineteenth century, was one celluloid creation that was simply
too lifelike though for some people to bear. Many viewers fled their seats when they saw the train
barreling down the track and coming toward them on the screen.

More Options and More Time to View a Variety of Movies

However, today’s short films are more likely to keep viewers firmly planted in their seat as the
productions make it possible to watch a film in well under an hour’s time. The emerging genre can be
likened to any written content in the form of a short, short story – a creative undertaking that, like
cable, gives the online viewer increased entertainment options as well as more time to view more
videos.

YouTube – A Popular Venue for Short Films

Most of the shorter films are making their way to YouTube – a platform that is also used for business
videos and trailers too. Trailers, typically, run, on average, about three minutes, providing viewers with a
sampling of longer movies, or productions that run 20+ times longer than the promotional videos.

Keeping Costs Down while Increasing Viewer Interest

However, no trailers are really needed for the shorter productions as they speak volumes for themselves
– providing viewers with full-fledged entertainment, on average, in about fifteen minutes’ time. As a
result, videographers and film producers can now keep production costs down and give the viewers
what they like in a minimal amount time – a boon for upstart producers and directors in the filmmaking
industry.