How Are My Videos? How to Tell If Your Videos Are Good or Bad

After you've worked for hours, days, or even weeks on a project, how can you truly tell whether or not it's good? There have been professional directors who have released movies that have flopped — it isn't always easy. But there are some objective hints that you can use to judge the watchability and quality of your content.

• Is your video too long? Your video has to be "watchable" — but exactly what does that mean? A watchable video is a video that condenses information in a compact but compelling format. That means that every moment serves a purpose — even if that moment is to let the audience think about the information that has been delivered. Look for "dead areas" in your content that aren't conveying any information. They may be unnecessary.

• Is your video engaging? Viewers like to be engaged by all their senses, in terms of both visual and audio cues. Not only should something always be going on in your video, but it should also be something interesting. Ask yourself what your viewers would be focusing on in any given moment — is there something demanding their attention, or will their thoughts wander?

• Is your video too busy? At the other end of the spectrum, a viewer can't concentrate on your message if there are too many things going on at once. The viewer should always have one or two items to focus on, but if you have too many things competing for the viewer's attention, they will only get confused. Review your video and ensure that there are never too many competing elements involved.

• Is your video well-produced? Finally, there's the question of quality. Is your video quality grainy or clear? Is your audio crackling or humming? These are production-level issues that are incredibly important, as they give the audience a cue as to whether or not they should take your video seriously.

Making a "good" video is in the details and in ensuring that the audience receives the information they want in the clearest format possible. With that in mind, it can most definitely be possible to determine whether your video is "good" — you just need to make sure that you are hitting the mark in these areas. After videos are posted, it is the statistics that will tell you the most: whether viewers are watching your entire video and whether they are responding positively.

To view the original article, visit the VScreen blog.