How long can an animation be?

Short arc of concentration

The Internet is everywhere and content flies around your ears. Because of the constant flow of information, Generation Z has a very short attention span and is easily distracted. Whereas Millennials (1980 and 1995) can still hold their attention for 12 seconds, this has decreased to 8 seconds for Generation Z (1995-2010). They know within a few seconds whether they find something interesting or not.

Processing information

In addition to the target audience's low attention span, a second factor that determines the length of the animation is the human capacity to process information. A short animation with too much information will still cause the target audience to drop out, so the message does not come across. But what is the right length for an animation video?

The length of an animation with commercial purposes

You probably feel it coming: it is important that your message be short and concise. An animation for commercial purposes, such as increased brand awareness and sales, should be between 15 and 60 seconds. Want to use the animation as social content? Then make sure you draw the concentration of your target audience within 8 seconds, otherwise Generation Z will already be watching your competitor's content for a long time. To ensure that your story is told concisely and powerfully, a good script is very important!

The script

With a clear script, you can easily explain your story in a short animation video, but make sure not to tell too much information. You will find that you are tempted to share too much information, which makes the story unclear. Write down a few keywords and ask yourself what is really relevant to your target audience. You will find that you can reach your target audience better with less text.

The length of an explainer animation

For an explainer animation, the length is slightly different. With an explainer animation, you can easily simplify complex subject matter for your target audience. It's all about translating a complicated or technical process into a simple story. This animation should last approximately between 30 and 90 seconds. Generally, you lose your target audience after two minutes.

Difference between animation for commercial purposes and explainer animation

Often the explainer animation is intended for viewers who are already interested in your story: for example, they take a look at your website and are curious about what you do. On average, they have a longer attention span. In animation for commercial purposes, you have to excite and touch someone in the first seconds, think of an ad on Instagram. Because so much content is offered here, it is important to captivate the target audience in a shorter amount of time.

Benefits of a short animation

So to hold the attention of your target audience, it is important to keep the animation short. Besides being necessary, this also has a number of advantages. For example, a shorter animation generally costs less money because it takes less time. Not entirely unimportant, right? In addition, shorter videos are easier to share on social media.

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