The first thirty seconds are not a trailer
Why I stopped opening videos with the best shot, and what goes there instead.
6 min read
Most openings I’m sent are trailers: the best five shots of the video, cut fast, then a title card. It feels like a hook. It mostly works as a spoiler.
Open on a question
The openings that hold people are the ones that make them want an answer. Show the river before the bridge. Show the bowl before it falls. Keep the payoff for the place it was shot.
Then get out of the way
After the question, the cut should slow down, not speed up. A viewer who stayed for thirty seconds has decided to watch; reward that with room.
