Last Updated on July 4, 2024 by Team Experts

The social media era has led to the upsurge of new video formats that require a creator to tell a story using 30 seconds videos. 

These video formats are usually vertical and designed to enhance the viewing experience of a smartphone user. The audience’s retention period has been declining over the years as a result of which micro-content through vertical video format has taken the internet by storm. Every social media platform has introduced a  short video format that challenges the creator to experiment and set new trends within the given duration. 

So, how can you tell a story in 30 second videos? With just a phone, how to create short videos without compromising on your story? 

Here are different ways to tell your story in 30 second videos

Increasing Retention Time

On social media platforms, videos battle to grab the most attention before losing on to the viewer. With an attention span of fewer than 1.7 seconds, creators need to work extra hard to retain smartphone users. These 30-second videos need better storytelling skills. You can increase the retention time on your videos by good storytelling and crisp video editing using a video editor. 

Storyboarding

Storyboarding involves a shot-by-shot breakdown of a video in form of a sketch that is useful to pre-visualize the concept before going on floors. Storyboarding helps you create your 30 second videos more efficiently leaving no margin for errors. Since the time frame of these videos is short it involves a whole lot of information being squeezed in to create maximum impact. Storyboards are largely used to create a film shot list. 

Sometimes it can get difficult to keep track of the shots that are required to fit into the given duration and this is where a storyboard comes in handy. A storyboard will help you save a lot of time that is wasted in deciding the shot. This is very helpful for brands that want to market themselves on social media platforms by creating 30-second videos. Once you’ve locked your storyboard you can easily refer to it while recording your 30 second video. You can also use your storyboard while editing your video to place your shots. Overall, using a storyboard will make your video making experience seamless 

Creating a Montage

Another brilliant way to catch hold of your audience while telling a compelling story within 30 seconds is by creating video montages. Video montages are known to convey a lot of visual information over a shorter period. 

Video montages place a series of shots together while editing the video to create a sequence. On social media platforms, you must’ve come across transformation videos of workout that highlight change and take you through the journey of transformation within 30 seconds. That’s the power of video montages, it can showcase the passing of time while developing a story. Since time is crucial in a 30-second video, creators can take advantage of video montages to tell a story within the timeframe. You need to use a video montage maker to create a montage the way you want it. 

Using Jump Cuts

Jump cuts are a great video editing technique that creates a huge impact on your 30-second videos. Jump cuts enhance your short videos by making them crispier and creating a dramatic effect. Jump cuts remove unwanted visuals from between two footages thereby reducing the duration and manipulating time.  

You want to use jump cuts smoothly rather than giving jerky movements unless your video demands it. If you’ve planned your shots of editing them then you will get smoother jump cuts on your video. The audience will have a pleasant viewing experience if you use jump cuts at the right points of your footage.  You can be extremely creative with jump cuts as it is a great tool to tell your story within a time crunch. You can build tension, create a montage and create dramatic special effects all by using simple jump cuts. Once you get a hang of editing your video you will keep getting better at it.

Incorporating Music

A 30 second video is incomplete without the dash of good background music. However, there are copyright issues when you use licensed music on social media platforms. This can make the social media platform remove your audio leaving your video half-baked. To avoid such a scenario you should always incorporate royalty-free music in your videos.

A good 30-second video needs to use relevant background music according to the mood and genre of the video. Using original music would encourage you to be a trendsetter. Sometimes quality music tracks act as a cushion to retain your audience in case the visual fails. 

Ready to tell your story in 30 second videos?

It’s incredible how far we’ve come to communicate stories within 30 seconds. Platforms have started incorporating different modes to promote micro-content be YouTube shots or Instagram Reels. Telling a story in under 30 seconds is a form of art that needs more appreciation. Have fun with yours.

Also read about: How To Make Tutorial Videos With An Online Video Maker