The Best Game Trailer Length | Video Game Trailer Academy
Derek Lieu Derek Lieu
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 Published On Jul 13, 2020

In most cases, game trailers should be 60-90 seconds or shorter.

Original blog post - https://www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2018/...

The tl;dr:

If you make your game trailer longer than 60-90 seconds and no one recognizes your studio or game name, you're fighting against the norm and increasing the likelihood they'll not watch or stop watching part way unless you have a very strong hook and good editing.

It's better to make a shorter trailer with a lot of variety than a long trailer which repeats itself. If you don't have enough material for 60-90 seconds, make it shorter!

It's also important to label your video properly. Don't call everything a trailer if it's more like a gameplay overview or devlog. That said, good editing can make a longer duration feel short, bad editing can make a short trailer feel long, and if you have a dedicated fan base you have more leeway to do whatever the heck you want.

Weekly trailer tips: http://www.GameTrailerTips.com
Support on Patreon -   / dereklieu  

Video Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
00:47 - Make it shorter
01:25 - Length affects the decision to watch
01:52 - Video lengths in terms of "meal size"
02:43 - The title of the video calibrates duration expectations
03:52 - Final takeaways

Original blog post - https://www.derek-lieu.com/blog/2018/...

Trailers shown (in order of appearance)

Death Stranding Launch Trailer -    • Death Stranding - Launch Trailer | PS4  
Firewatch E3 Trailer -    • World Premiere - Firewatch - E3 2015  
Inception Trailer 3 -    • Inception - Trailer 3  
Ooblets Announcement Trailer -    • Ooblets - Announcement Trailer  
Bloodroots Demo Release Trailer -    • Bloodroots - Demo Release Trailer  
Castle Costume Gameplay Trailer -    • Castle Costume - Gameplay Trailer | PS4  
Moving Out Launch Trailer -    • Moving Out - Launch Trailer - Nintend...  
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime First Look Trailer -    • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime | Fir...  
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Launch Trailer -    • Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edit...  
Planet Zoo Announcement Trailer -    • Video  
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Gameplay Overview Trailer -
Golf on Mars Trailer -    • Golf On Mars  
SOMERVILLE Teaser Trailer #2 -    • SOMERVILLE Teaser Trailer #2  
Untitled Goose Game Pre-Alpha Gameplay Trailer -    • Untitled Goose Game - Pre-Alpha Gamep...  
Behind the Scenes God of War (2018) Making Of -    • Video  
Hardspace Shipbreaker Gameplay Overview Trailer -    • Hardspace: Shipbreaker - Early Access...  
Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry Gameplay Walkthrough Trailer -    • Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry Gameplay...  
Ooblets March 2018 Develop! -    • Ooblets March 2018 Devlog!  
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition New Features Trailer -    • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Rema...  
Assassin's Creed Revelations E3 Trailer -    • Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Offic...  
Shenmue III The Story Goes on Launch Trailer -    • Shenmue III - The Story Goes On Launc...  
Kerbal Space Program 2 Cinematic Announce Trailer -    • Kerbal Space Program 2 Cinematic Anno...  

Music:

Death Stranding Theme TGA Teaser
Firewatch OST - Camp Approach
Firewatch OST - North Backcountry
Firewatch OST - Stay in Your Tower and Watch
https://chrisremo.bandcamp.com/album/...



ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Derek Lieu and I'm a game trailer editor! I got my start in the movie trailer industry as an assistant editor at a house which produced trailers for: The Matrix Trilogy, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean and many more.

Over many years I worked as an editor, and started making fan trailers for games until eventually I got jobs at game trailer houses in Los Angeles where I worked on games like Mortal Kombat X, Shadow of Mordor and lots of LEGO games. Independently I've helped make trailers for games like: Half-Life: Alyx, Firewatch, Dead Cells, Subnautica, Spelunky 2, Ooblets and BattleBlock Theater.

I'm using this channel to teach people about the art of making trailers via video essays, tutorials, reviews, and behind-the-scenes looks at my own work. I think about trailers a lot both for work and fun, so I have A LOT to say about them.

#gametrailers #indiegametrailers #trailerediting

Website: http://www.derek-lieu.com
Twitter:   / derek_lieu  
Cats' Instagram:   / uniandebi  

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