# Long-Form Video Pipeline (10+ Minutes)

> Sources: YouTube Creator Academy, VidIQ analytics research, Think Media production guides,
> Paddy Galloway retention analytics, Retention Rabbit 2025 Benchmark Report, AIR Media-Tech
> retention editing guide, Epidemic Sound mixing guide, Sweetwater YouTube mastering

## Quick Reference Card

```
DURATION:         8-15 min (sweet spot for most topics)
HOOK:             Complete by 0:30 — survive the 30-second cliff
PATTERN INTERRUPT: Every 45-90 seconds
RETENTION TARGET:  40-60% average view duration
CHAPTER LENGTH:    2-4 minutes per chapter
NARRATION:        150-160 WPM
MUSIC BED:        Continuous, ducked 18-20 dB below speech
TARGET LUFS:      -14 LUFS integrated
END SCREEN:       Last 20 seconds (YouTube end screen cards)
```

## Retention Benchmarks (2025-2026 Data)

| Video Duration | Good Retention | Excellent Retention |
|---------------|---------------|-------------------|
| 1-3 min | 60%+ | 75%+ |
| 3-5 min | 50%+ | 65%+ |
| 5-10 min | 45%+ | 60%+ |
| **10-20 min** | **40%+** | **55%+** |
| 20-60 min | 35%+ | 50%+ |

- Platform average: **23.7%** across all YouTube videos
- Only **16.8%** of videos exceed 50% retention
- Only **16%** of viewers reach the final 10 seconds
- **Improving retention by 10 percentage points** correlates with 25%+ increase in impressions

### AI-Generated Content Warning

- AI-generated video shows **70% lower retention** vs human-fronted content
- AI narration triggers **35% viewer drop-off** within the first 45 seconds vs human narration
- **Implication for OpenMontage:** Prioritize natural-sounding TTS (ElevenLabs over Piper), and avoid detectable AI visual artifacts. The processing chain in `sound-design.md` is essential.

## Retention Curve Management

### The Critical Points

| Timestamp | What Happens | How to Survive |
|-----------|-------------|----------------|
| 0:00-0:03 | Thumbnail-to-video match | First frame must match thumbnail promise |
| 0:00-0:30 | **55%+ leave in first 60s** | Hook + tension must be complete by 0:30. Must retain 70%+ here. |
| 2:00-3:00 | **Retention valley** — initial curiosity spent | Deliver first major payoff BEFORE 2:00, pattern interrupt at 1:45 |
| 55-65% mark | **Secondary exodus** in long-form | Re-engage with burst sequence + open loop resolution |
| Last 20s | End screen opportunity | CTA + end screen cards |

### Survival Tactics for the 2-3 Minute Valley

1. **Open loops in first 60 seconds** — raise a question early, hold the answer until later
2. **First major payoff before 2:00** — the hook's promise must have a down-payment
3. **Pattern interrupt at 1:45-2:00** — camera angle shift, B-roll burst, music change
4. **"Burst sequence" at the valley** — 5-10 quick cuts lasting 10-15 seconds, then return to calm
5. **Foreshadowing cue** — "But the really surprising part is coming up in a minute"

### Pattern Interrupts

Deploy **major interrupts** every **60-90 seconds** and **minor interrupts** every **20-30 seconds**:

| Technique | Type | When to Use |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| B-roll cut | Minor | Every 30-60s of talking head |
| Visual style change | Major | New section, new concept |
| On-screen text/graphic | Minor | Key stat, definition, emphasis |
| Music energy shift | Major | Section transitions |
| Direct address | Minor | "Now here's what's interesting..." |
| Burst sequence (5-10 rapid cuts) | Major | Every 2-3 minutes |
| Sound effect | Minor | Transition whoosh, pop for text |

**Impact:** Videos using pattern interrupts in the first 5 seconds achieve **23% higher average retention**.

### Re-Engagement Hooks

Place a **re-hook** at the 2-minute mark and every 3-4 minutes after:

```
"But that's not even the interesting part..."
"Now here's where it gets weird..."
"Most people stop here, but if you keep watching..."
"This next part changes everything..."
```

These verbal signposts give viewers a reason to stay through the next segment.

## Content Structure

### Chapter Template

```
[INTRO]        0:00 - 0:30    Hook + stakes + preview
[CHAPTER 1]    0:30 - 3:00    Foundation concept
[RE-HOOK]      3:00 - 3:15    Curiosity gap for next section
[CHAPTER 2]    3:15 - 6:00    Complication / deeper layer
[PALETTE CLEANSER]  6:00 - 6:15    Visual break, humor, or "let that sink in"
[CHAPTER 3]    6:15 - 9:00    Key insight / "aha" moment
[PROOF]        9:00 - 10:30   Demonstration / example
[CONCLUSION]   10:30 - 11:30  Implications + reframe
[OUTRO]        11:30 - 12:00  CTA + end screen
```

### Chapter Length Rules

| Chapter Content | Ideal Length | Notes |
|----------------|-------------|-------|
| Simple concept | 2-3 minutes | One idea, one visual set |
| Complex concept | 3-4 minutes | Multi-step, needs examples |
| Demonstration | 2-3 minutes | Show, don't just tell |
| Story / narrative | 3-5 minutes | Needs setup + payoff |

**Max 5-6 chapters** for a 10-15 minute video. More chapters = too fragmented.

### YouTube Chapters (Timestamps)

Add chapter markers in the description:
```
0:00 Introduction
0:30 Why This Matters
3:15 The Key Mechanism
6:15 The Breakthrough
9:00 Real-World Example
10:30 What This Means For You
```

Chapters improve navigation and can boost retention by letting viewers skip to relevant sections.

## Audio Consistency

### Music Bed Management

| Rule | Value |
|------|-------|
| Music presence | Continuous throughout (no silent gaps) |
| Ducking during speech | -18 to -20 dB below narration |
| Music transitions | 2-3 second crossfade between sections |
| Energy matching | Shift music energy at chapter boundaries |
| BPM consistency | Stay within ±10 BPM across the video |

### LUFS Over Long Duration

- Target: **-14 LUFS integrated** (YouTube standard)
- Dynamic range: **6-12 dB** for speech-heavy content
- Check LUFS per chapter — variation between chapters should be < 2 LUFS
- Use a limiter at **-1.5 dBTP** on the final mix

### Narration Pacing

| Section | WPM | Energy |
|---------|-----|--------|
| Hook | 160-170 | High energy, urgent |
| Explanation | 150-160 | Steady, clear |
| Key insight | 140-150 | Slower, deliberate |
| Silence after reveal | 0 WPM (1-3s pause) | Let it land |
| Conclusion | 155-165 | Energized, resolved |

## Visual Pacing

### Cut Frequency by Video Phase

| Phase | Timing | Cut Interval | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------------|-------|
| Hook | 0:00-0:30 | Every 3-5s | Rapid changes signal momentum |
| Early body | 0:30-3:00 | Every 10-15s | High energy, frequent B-roll |
| Mid body | 3:00-7:00 | Every 15-25s | Stabilize; fewer cuts, more contextual B-roll |
| Late body | 8:00+ | 15-25s calm + burst sequences | Alternate calm with 5-10 quick-cut bursts every 2-3 min |

### B-Roll Strategy

- **Individual B-roll clip length:** 5-8 seconds
- **B-roll as percentage of total video:** 35-50% for educational content
- **Watch time impact:** Strategic B-roll at 35-50% increases watch time by **15-25%**
- **Shot absorption time:** Viewers need ~3 seconds; beyond 5 seconds without change, attention fades

### The "Something Must Happen" Rule

| Rule | Value |
|------|-------|
| Visual/audio change | Every 3-5 seconds |
| Substantive frame change | Every 20-30 seconds |
| Max without any change | 15 seconds (expect drop-off beyond this) |

## End Screen & Cards

### End Screen (Last 20 Seconds)

- YouTube allows end screen elements in the **last 5-20 seconds**
- Include: subscribe button, next video recommendation, playlist link
- **Do NOT put critical content in the last 20 seconds** — it gets covered
- Verbal CTA: "If you found this helpful, check out this next video on..."

### Info Cards

- Place at moments when a related topic is mentioned
- Max 1 card per 2 minutes — too many feels spammy
- Best placement: when you reference a concept covered in another video

## Applying to OpenMontage

When building long-form content:

1. **Structure with chapters** — 2-4 minutes each, max 5-6 chapters
2. **Complete the hook by 0:30** — follow the storytelling.md Explainer Arc template
3. **Re-hook at 2:00-3:00** — this is the retention valley
4. **Pattern interrupt every 45-90 seconds** — B-roll, text overlay, visual change
5. **Continuous music bed** — use `music_gen` for full-length track, duck 18-20 dB
6. **Narrate at 150-160 WPM** — slower than short-form, clearer for learning
7. **Check LUFS per chapter** — should be consistent (< 2 LUFS variation)
8. **Reserve last 20 seconds** for end screen — no essential content there
9. **Add chapter timestamps** — include in publish stage metadata
10. **Target 40-60% average view duration** — if retention drops below 30% at any point, that section needs a pattern interrupt

## Timing Cheat Sheet (12-Minute Video)

```
0:00-0:03   Visual hook (most compelling shot)
0:03-0:08   Verbal hook (promise/question)
0:08-0:15   Stakes ("here's why this matters")
0:15-0:30   Value preview + open loop planted
0:30-0:35   Branded intro (5 sec max)
0:35-1:45   Body segment 1 (high energy, cuts every 10-15s)
1:45-2:00   Pattern interrupt to bridge retention valley
2:00-3:00   First major payoff delivered
3:00-3:05   Chapter 2 mini-hook + bridging sentence
3:00-5:30   Body segment 2 (stabilized pacing, 15-25s cuts)
~5:00       Mid-roll CTA (subscribe ask, after earning value)
5:30-8:00   Body segment 3 (B-roll heavy, callbacks)
7:00-7:15   Burst sequence (5-10 quick cuts to re-engage)
8:00-10:00  Body segment 4 (mix calm + energy bursts)
9:30        Open loop resolution / major callback payoff
10:00-11:20 Final segment + main reveal
11:00       Card placement (last 20% of video)
11:20-11:40 Outro: tease next content, do NOT say goodbye
11:40-12:00 End screen (last 20 seconds), 1-2 elements
```
