Journal · Field notes
How long should a website hero video be?
Between 30 seconds and a minute is normal for a homepage banner video, and it can run longer. Check which shape your site actually uses on phones. On the Haze site only the square version showed on mobile.
Bellingham Quarries
Tuesday was 10am to 2pm with Bellingham Quarries, at Te Kao and up Larmers Road. This was for their new website, so we went big on the drone. Their quarry from above is something else. The hero film is on our work page.
After the shoot the owner sent a couple of extra phone clips and a cleaned-up logo file. When a client is that keen, the edit goes quicker.
Website banners: what we learned
We finished the Haze Real Estate website banner this week too. That one was cut from footage we already had, no new shoot.
Two things to know if you're getting one made:
Length. The web designer's answer was 30 seconds to a minute for a hero banner, and it can go longer. It plays on a loop with the sound off, so it needs to look good with no audio and not have an obvious "end".
Shape. We made a wide version, a square one and a 4:5 one. Turned out the site only used the square on phones. So ask your web person which sizes are actually used before you pay for all of them.
Bare land at Mangamuka
Wednesday morning was a bare land job on Otangaroa Road, Mangamuka. Forty five minutes on site, and I had the photos edited the same afternoon.
New bookings
A Raine & Horne job at Whangaroa and a new Haze listing in Kaitaia both got locked in for next week.
Quick answers
How long should a homepage video banner be?
Usually 30 seconds to a minute. It loops quietly behind your headline, so it should look good with no sound and without a clear start or end.
Can you make a website video from footage I already have?
Yes. The Haze Real Estate banner was cut from footage we'd already shot, with no new shoot and no travel.