5, 10 or 15 seconds: choosing a clip's length
When to make a 5, 10 or 15 second clip, what each costs, and why a few short clips cut together usually beat one long one.
Every clip on trololo.tv is 5, 10 or 15 seconds long. It looks like a small choice next to the scene you just wrote, but it shapes the comedy more than almost anything else. Here's how to pick.
What each length is good for
5 seconds — one beat. A reaction. A single line. A door opening on something absurd. Five seconds is the length of a punchline, and it's the cheapest way to try an idea: 0.80 credits.
10 seconds — setup and payoff. Something happens, someone reacts. A question and an answer. Most standalone jokes fit here: 1.60 credits.
15 seconds — a little scene. Movement through a space, a short exchange, a monologue that builds. Good for establishing shots and for the first clip of a pilot: 2.40 credits.
Short clips cut together beat one long clip
It's tempting to make one 15-second clip that does everything. It usually works better to make three 5-second clips that each do one thing:
- Control. If one beat comes out wrong, you remake that beat, not the whole scene.
- Timing. Comedy lives in the cut. A cut between the setup and the reaction is where the laugh is.
- Less drift. The longer a clip runs, the more room the AI has to wander from what you wrote.
The same 15 seconds, split into three shots, almost always feels faster and funnier.
You can always trim
The length you generate is a maximum, not a commitment. On the timeline you can drag a clip's edges to trim the slow start and the late ending — the preview shows the exact frame you're cutting on. Generated clips often take a beat to get going, so it's normal to trim a second off the front.
How long should a pilot be?
A pilot on trololo.tv can be anything from 5 seconds to 3 minutes. Most good ones are much shorter than people expect: 20 to 60 seconds is plenty to introduce a character, a situation and a button.
If your pilot is running long, ask of every clip: if I cut this, would anyone miss it?
A recipe that works
For a first pilot, try this:
- 15 seconds — establish the character and the place.
- 5 seconds — the problem.
- 5 seconds — the reaction.
- 10 seconds — the payoff, ending on a look.
That's 35 seconds and 5.60 credits, and it's a complete little episode. Then read editing for comedy to make it land.
