20 Second Video Ideas: 24 Tiny Films Worth Making This Week

Twenty seconds is the sweet little pocket of video. Long enough to tell a small story with a beginning, a middle and a smile. Short enough that people watch it to the end, and then, if you did it right, watch it again and send it to someone. Here are 24 ideas that fit comfortably, sorted by who they are for, plus the shape that makes them work.

What can you fit in a 20 second video?

One idea, three or four scenes, and about 45 spoken words. That is the common rule of thumb of roughly 2.3 words per second. It is enough for a setup and a payoff, or a greeting with one personal detail, or an announcement with a date. It is not enough for two messages, so pick one.

One idea per film. If you have two, you have two films.

What are good 20 second video ideas for friends and family?

The best ones are specific: one real detail about the person beats a paragraph of nice words. A 20 second film is short enough to make for a small moment, not just the big days, which is where it surprises people most. A random Tuesday thank-you lands harder than a birthday card.

• The three-line roast Two gentle teases and one sincere line for a birthday. See funny birthday video ideas.
• The tiny thank-you "You drove me to the airport at 5 a.m. You did not complain once. Out loud."
• The countdown Ten days to the trip, the wedding, the baby. A new little film each week, same style.
• The pet's review The dog rates your new sofa, the new baby, or the vet. Firmly.
• Good luck tomorrow For an exam, an interview, a first day. One picture of them winning.
• The memory "Remember the tent that blew away?" One scene of the tent, one of you both laughing.
• Bedtime in 20 A micro story for a kid: a moon who can't sleep, told in four lines.
• Grandparent hello A voice note from grandma, drawn. "I saw a bird today. It reminded me of you. It was loud."

Which 20 second ideas suit creative projects?

Anything with a single image or a single laugh at its heart. Twenty seconds is perfect for testing an idea before you make it bigger, and for posting regularly without burning out. Writers, musicians and comedians can use it as a teaser, a sketch or a small finished piece of art in its own right.

• A haiku, pictured Three lines, one image, done. See how to animate a poem.
• The one-joke sketch Setup, pause, punchline. More in how to animate a joke.
• The book teaser One question from chapter one, then the cover.
• The song's first line Your new track's opening lyric, drawn, ending on "Out Friday."
• The object with feelings A lost umbrella's last thoughts. A kettle's big day.
• The weekly prompt Same character, new tiny situation every week. People start waiting for it.
• The overheard line Something a stranger said on the bus, retold with pictures. Keep them anonymous.
• The before-and-after Your desk on Monday. Your desk on Friday. No words needed.

What about 20 second videos for a small business?

Short is a gift for a shop: one product, one offer or one reason to visit. Say what it is, show it, say where. Here are starters; animated reel ideas for small business has many more.

• New in One product, one line about why it is good, and the address.
• Opening hours, but fun "We open at 7. The croissants open at 7:02."
• Meet the team, one at a time One person, one favorite thing, one wave.
• The thank-you "A year on this corner. Thank you for every coffee."
• The tiny tip One useful thing from your trade: how to keep bread fresh, how to water a fern.
• The event Date, time, one reason to come. Done.
• The closing "Closed Monday. We are painting. Badly."
• The seasonal First warm day, first frost, first pumpkin. One picture, one line.

Making a 20 second video in four steps

1. Step 1

   Pick one idea from above. Write it in one sentence. That sentence is the film.

2. Step 2

   Write about 40 words. Three or four short lines, one per scene. Save the best line for last.

3. Step 3

   Read it aloud with a timer. Under 18 seconds leaves room for a last image to breathe.

4. Step 4

   Make it, then send it. Tall for phones, square for feeds, wide for screens. Then watch someone's face as they see it.

For the word-by-word craft of short scripts, see how to write a script for a 30 second animation; its table has a 20-second row too.

20 second films in Nine

Twenty seconds is exactly what the Film plan makes: films up to 20 seconds for $29 a month, in HD. Start with Just an idea (one sentence from this list), A script (your four lines, each a scene), A voice recording (up to 20 seconds of you talking), or a simple template: a name and one line, a card that holds still, or three points. You watch while the crew makes it, with drawn pictures, a voice, music and sound effects, and the crew checks every film before you see it.

Change anything by saying it, and get a video file in wide, tall and square. Nine never posts for you. Need 30 seconds? That is Film + Transparent. See plans or try your first idea.