Even when the video is edited, some people tend to linger on shots far too long. Many of the videos that people post on free video services simply take too long to get to the point, be it a guy being hit by a wiffle ball, a skateboarder falling down some stairs or a race car or motorcycle crashing at a track.

This is not to say we shouldn't see a bit of lead-in to the shot. We should see the father throw the wiffle ball before his son whacks it and beans the guy in the head. We should see the skateboard getting set to jump his board over some steps before he goes head over heals down them. Likewise, seeing 5-10 seconds of the car or motorcycle running in the pack of other racers before the crash builds up a bit of anticipation. However, 2 minutes of the car or motorcycle zipping around the track is unnecessary, especially if the point is the crash at the end.

Of course, shots that are too long don't always have the fluff at the beginning. Sometimes the shot goes to long after everything has ended. Unless there is something compelling happening, "let the dust settle" and end the shot. While we might want to see the father stagger and fall down after the wiffle ball hits him, we probably don't need to see much after that.

Paying attention to the length of shots is very important. Too long and we bore our audience, while too short doesn't allow people to absorb what happened.