Try This If Long-Form Videos Take Forever

What if you could create a month’s worth of long-form YouTube content in the same amount of time it takes you… or less… to create your short-form content for Instagram?

You might think I’m totally off my rocker here.

Here, I’m breaking down the math and showing you how you could create four long-form videos in five hours a month.

Because honestly, I think a lot of us are making long-form content take WAY longer than it needs to.

Over-planning. Over-scripting. Over-recording. Over-polishing the edit.

If your long-form videos are taking forever, you might be overdoing every step.

I’ll show you how I’d use those five hours to plan, batch record, and edit four videos… so your YouTube content can become an asset for your business instead of another hamster wheel.

VIDEO: Try This If Long-Form Videos Take Forever

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What One Reel a Day Actually Costs You

Start with the math.

Common practice on Instagram is to post frequently. For this example, let's keep things simple and say you're creating one one-minute Reel every day for 30 days.

That's 30 minutes of finished video for the entire month.

Sounds pretty easy, right?

Finished video, however, isn't the same thing as creation time.

I recently did an experiment where I posted a Reel every day for around 40 or 45 days. I might have missed a day here and there, but I noticed something interesting.

There aren't many barriers for me when it comes to creating short-form content.

Talking to the camera doesn't bother me.

Word-for-word scripting isn't something I rely on.

Full hair and makeup aren't necessary for every Reel, either.

Even with all of that going for me, it still took around four to five minutes of recording time to create each one-minute Reel.

I'm sure there are people who can hit record, nail everything in one take, and publish immediately.

That person isn't me.

Most people probably aren't that person either.

Here's what the math looks like if we use four minutes of recording time, five minutes of editing, and two minutes for the caption and upload:

Step	Time per Reel	Time for 30 Days
Recording	4 minutes	120 minutes
Light editing	5 minutes	150 minutes
Caption and upload	2 minutes	60 minutes
Total	About 11 minutes	About 300 minutes

That's about five hours a month.

This is also assuming you're moving quickly.

Your setup is ready, your internet is cooperating, Instagram is loading normally, and you're not spending extra time inside the app.

We all know how easy it is to open Instagram to post something and suddenly find yourself scrolling, replying to people, and doing the whole social media thing.

Even if we leave that extra time out of the equation, five hours is still five hours.

What Happens When You Spend Those Five Hours on Long-Form Videos?

Now imagine using those five hours to create four long-form videos.

That's one YouTube video every week for an entire month.

The strategy becomes much more interesting when you stop comparing a one-minute Reel with one long-form video and instead compare the total time you're spending each month.

Four long-form videos can give you a month's worth of YouTube content.

More importantly, those videos can continue working for your business after you publish them.

That's one of the reasons I love YouTube.

A long-form video can be discovered weeks, months, or even years after you create it.

Someone might find an old video because they're searching for an answer to a problem you can help them solve.

That possibility makes the time you invest into the video very different from constantly creating something for a feed that keeps moving.

Why Do Long-Form Videos Take So Long to Create?

If you've already tried creating long-form videos and thought, “Dang, this takes forever,” the problem might not actually be the length of your videos.

Your workflow could be the bigger issue.

This is something I see all the time inside Video Brand Academy and the Channel Launch Lab.

Every step of creating a long-form video can become an opportunity to overthink.

You over-plan, you over-script, you over-record, you over-edit, and you over-polish.

Suddenly, what could have been a relatively simple talking-head video becomes an enormous production.

Over-Planning

Planning is important, but you can absolutely spend too much time deciding what to make.

One idea turns into another.

Then you start researching a third idea.

Before long, you've spent an hour deciding what to record without actually recording anything.

A better approach is to choose a group of videos that belong together.

That way, you're not starting from zero every time you sit down to create.

Over-Scripting

Word-for-word scripting can take forever.

Writing every sentence, editing the script, memorizing the words, and trying to deliver everything naturally on camera adds a huge amount of work before you even press Record.

An off-script outline can give you structure without requiring you to write an entire essay before filming.

Over-Recording

Chasing the perfect take can also eat up your time.

You stumble over a sentence and start again.

Something doesn't sound quite right, so you start again.

A better explanation pops into your head, which means another take.

Eventually, you're recording the same section over and over.

You don't need to get every sentence perfect before moving on.

Over-Polishing

Editing is another place where time disappears.

A simple rough-cut talking-head video can be relatively quick to edit.

Adding elaborate graphics, transitions, effects, and unnecessary polish can turn that quick edit into a much longer project.

The goal isn't to create the most complicated video possible.

The goal is to create something useful that serves your audience and your business.

Is Your Content a Cost or an Investment?

Here's something else I want you to consider.

If creating content always feels like something that costs you time, look at the type of content you're creating.

My stance on short-form content isn't exactly a secret.

I think it's hamster-wheel content.

You create it.

You post it.

It moves through the feed.

Then you have to create more.

Long-form content works differently.

People go to YouTube to seek information.

They're looking for guides.

They're looking for someone they can trust to help them solve a problem or reach a desired result.

That intentionality matters.

YouTube is a powerful search engine and recommendation platform, which means a long-form video can continue to be discovered after you publish it.

Maybe someone finds your video two weeks from now.

Maybe they find it two years from now.

If that video helps bring someone into your business, the time you invested in creating it becomes an asset.

That's a completely different way of thinking about content.

Instead of asking, “How much time is this costing me?” you can start asking, “What am I building with this time?”

How to Create Four Long-Form Videos in Five Hours

If I had five hours to spend on my YouTube content each month, this is how I'd use them.

The goal would be four long-form videos, with one video published each week.

I'd break the five hours into three phases:

Phase	Time	What You're Doing
Planning	30 minutes	Choose four connected videos
Recording	2.5 hours	Batch record all four
Editing	About 2 hours	Create rough cuts and review them

The exact amount of time will vary from person to person.

Someone new to YouTube may need more time to figure out their workflow.

That's completely fine.

The point isn't to force every creator into an exact five-hour schedule.

Instead, this framework gives you a way to rethink the time you're already spending on content.

Spend 30 Minutes Planning Four Videos

Start by spending about 30 minutes figuring out what four videos you're going to make.

Don't choose four completely unrelated topics.

Create a series.

When the videos are connected, your brain doesn't have to constantly switch from one subject to another.

Planning becomes easier because each video naturally leads into the next one.

If you're starting a channel from scratch, I recommend the Magnificent Seven YouTube channel launch series.

That's seven videos, but you can start with four when you're using this batching approach.

Inside Video Brand Academy, two of the proven growth strategies are the Save Me series and the Ultimate User Guide.

The Ultimate User Guide is actually how my own channel grew quickly in the beginning.

I went through a GoPro user manual and created videos around the different things people were searching for that were also covered in the manual.

The manual essentially became the outline for my content.

You can simplify the process even further.

Choose one topic or one keyword and create four videos around four different angles.

Another option is to continue an existing series.

When you've already established a series, your next four videos are simply the next four videos.

Done.

If figuring out what to create feels like it will take more than 30 minutes, use the Video Brand Toolkit Visibility Report.

It can help you identify what to create based on your YouTube channel, business, audience, and offers.

Stop Writing Every Word Before You Record

This is one of the biggest changes you can make if you want to create long-form videos more efficiently.

Stop scripting every word.

Instead, use an off-script outline.

That's what I do.

I know the topic, I know what I want to say, and I know the points I want to cover.

What I don't do is write every sentence and read it from a teleprompter.

I'm simply talking to you.

There is a learning curve.

Talking to a camera without a script takes practice.

The payoff, though, goes beyond saving time.

You get better at communicating.

You learn to trust yourself.

Your brain gets better at organizing ideas while you're speaking.

Your mouth gets better at keeping up with your brain.

Over time, creating content becomes easier because you're developing an actual skill.

You also sound more like a real human being.

That's important to me.

I don't want my videos to sound like a word-for-word regurgitation of ChatGPT.

Natural communication takes practice, but it's a skill you can keep using for every video you create.

Batch Record Four Long-Form Videos in One Sitting

Once you've chosen your topics, block off about two and a half hours to record.

Set everything up once.

Do your hair if you want to.

Do your makeup if you want to.

Get your YouTubical setup ready.

Turn on the lights.

Turn on the camera.

Then record.

Four videos.

One sitting.

Batching works because you're not repeatedly setting up your environment.

You don't have to keep getting yourself into the mindset of being on camera.

Everything is already ready.

You're also already warmed up.

That's something I've noticed when I batch record.

New ideas tend to show up while I'm already in the recording environment.

Maybe I finish the four videos I planned.

Another idea comes to mind.

Since the camera is already on and I'm already warmed up, why not record another one?

Sometimes you don't realize how much you have to say until you're actually in the moment.

That can be especially true when you're passionate about the topic.

Trying to squeeze a big idea into 60 seconds can be frustrating.

A longer video gives you room to actually explain what you're thinking.

If you're new to creating long-form videos, give yourself permission to be new.

Maybe you only record two videos during your first two-and-a-half-hour block.

That's okay.

You still created two videos.

Roll with it.

Simplify Your Long-Form Video Editing

Editing is the final piece of the five-hour workflow.

For my own videos, I use Descript.

I record one video in one take and keep rolling when I make mistakes.

My camera is connected to my computer, and I record directly into my computer using Ecamm.

That means the file is already on my computer when I'm finished recording.

From there, I upload the video to Descript and use Underlord, Descript‘s AI editing tool, to create a rough cut.

I give it a prompt that tells it how I want the video edited.

One of the parameters I use asks it to remove silences longer than about .8 seconds and trim them down to around .2 seconds.

Your numbers might be different.

Natural speech patterns vary, so the settings that work for me might not work for you.

I also tell it not to remove words, sentences, or intentional pauses that are part of my natural speech rhythm.

Then I ask it to review my retakes and determine which version is actually the good one.

That's useful because I make a lot of mistakes.

The last take isn't necessarily the best take.

Sometimes the first version was actually the one that worked.

Studio sound is another option I can have it apply when I need it.

The important word here is rough cut.

It isn't supposed to be perfect.

I still watch the video afterward.

Usually, I'll watch it at 1.5x or 2x playback speed and make sure the cuts make sense, nothing important was removed, and there aren't any obvious mistakes left behind.

Fixing a few imperfections is much faster than manually editing the entire video from scratch.

I've also connected Claude to Descript, so now I can have Claude handle that process without me needing to open Descript and paste the prompt myself.

You Don't Have to Edit Your Own Long-Form Videos

Editing everything yourself isn't the only option.

You can hire someone.

It has never been easier to outsource video editing.

Years ago, outsourcing meant finding a trained video editor who knew programs like Premiere Pro or DaVinci.

Today, tools like Descript, CapCut, and Tella have made video editing much more accessible.

That also means you don't necessarily need someone who is going to build an elaborate production from scratch.

If you love recording but hate editing, record your long-form videos, send the files to someone else, and let them handle the editing.

On the other hand, if you enjoy editing and you're fast at it, keep doing it yourself.

The goal isn't to follow one specific workflow.

Your goal is to create a process that allows you to consistently make useful content without turning YouTube into a part-time job.

What If You're New to Long-Form Videos?

Maybe you're reading this and thinking, “Okay, Meredith, but I'm absolutely not going to record four videos in two and a half hours.”

That's fine.

You don't have to.

If you're new to talking to the camera, creating long-form videos will probably take longer at first.

You're learning how to communicate on camera, you're learning how to structure your thoughts, you're learning your recording setup, and you're learning your editing workflow.

Give yourself room to learn.

The five-hour framework isn't about proving that every business owner can magically create four perfect videos in exactly five hours.

It's about helping you see what might be possible when you stop treating every video like a completely separate production.

Practice is what makes the workflow faster.

Repetition is what makes the process feel more natural.

Do a Time Audit Before You Tell Me You Don't Have Time

Here's your homework.

Do a time audit.

Actually track how long it takes you to create your short-form content.

Don’t estimate, track it. Record the time spent filming, re-recording, editing, writing captions, and uploading. Also, pay attention to how long you stay on Instagram after opening the app to publish your post.

Once you have the numbers, compare the total with the time you spend creating long-form videos.

You might discover that the issue isn't that you don't have time for YouTube.

Your current content strategy might simply be consuming the time you could be investing into YouTube.

That's a very different problem.

Build a Sustainable YouTube Content Machine

I don't want YouTube to become another hamster wheel for you.

That's the opposite of what I'm trying to help you build.

The goal of a YouTube ecosystem is to create content that becomes an asset for your business.

Instead of waking up every morning wondering what you're going to post, you can create intentional long-form videos that answer questions your audience is already asking.

Series make planning easier.

Batching makes recording more efficient.

Off-script outlines eliminate hours of unnecessary scripting.

A simplified editing process keeps production from taking over your schedule.

Most importantly, the videos you create can continue working for your business after they're published.

That's a much more sustainable machine.

Conclusion

If you've been telling yourself that you don't have time to create long-form videos, check your math before making that decision.

You might already be spending five hours a month creating short-form content without realizing it.

Those five hours could become four long-form videos by simplifying the process, recording in batches, and avoiding unnecessary work.

A perfect video isn’t required. There’s no need to script every word or create a Hollywood-level production. Start with a clear topic, a simple plan, and a basic outline. Then, hit Record.

Practice will make the process easier.

The bigger shift, though, is recognizing that the content you create for your business can be an investment rather than a cost.

A long-form video on YouTube can continue to be found and consumed long after you publish it.

That's what makes it an asset.

So if you're ready to get off the content creation hamster wheel, start with the math.

Look at how much time you're already spending on short-form content.

Then consider what could happen if you put that same time toward long-form videos that can continue working for your business.

Seriesify your content.

Put a recording block on your calendar.

Get your setup ready.

Go off script.

Batch record.

Give yourself permission to be a little imperfect.

If you want help figuring out what to create, start with the free Video Brand Toolkit Visibility Report. It can look at your YouTube channel, your business, who you serve, and what you offer, then show you what opportunities you have for YouTube content.

You don't need more content.

You need content that works harder for you.

Let's do the thing!

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