How to pull off longer-form videos without losing learners—or your point.

The eye-roll is real

You’ve got a great video. It’s honest. It’s powerful. It’s 12 minutes long.

And suddenly, you're hearing the ghost of every instructional designer whisper:
“Anything over 7 minutes is basically a sleep aid.”

But here’s some real talk: sometimes longer videos work.
You just need to earn the watch—and design with the brain in mind.

Ever see The Last of Us? (Keep reading, it all connects, we promise)

Let’s say you’re watching The Last of Us. You’re locked in—Pedro Pascal's face is doing most of the acting, the tension is real, the music swells—and then your phone buzzes. A text. A doom-scroll. The dog barks. You glance away for just a minute.

When you look back? Joel’s crying, someone’s dead, and suddenly they’re in a different city.

You missed 45 seconds, and now you feel like you missed everything.

That’s how our learners feel when they lose focus—except they’re not on a couch. They’re in a noisy dayroom with people shouting, with COs calling names, someone tapping their foot behind them, and headphones that are janky at best.

So no, zoning out isn’t laziness—it’s survival. And if we want learning to stick, our pacing has to account for it.

What the science says

Cognitive load is real. Even the most motivated brain can tap out fast when emotional bandwidth is thin or distractions spike—which, let’s be honest, is pretty common in a carceral setting. Longer videos can work, but only if they’re broken into chunks, emotionally resonant, and leave space to pause, reflect, and breathe (Mayer, 2009; Sweller, 1988).

Here’s what the science says: our brains hold onto information best when it’s delivered in small, meaningful bites—especially if there’s an emotional hook and a moment to process. 

Dump too much at once with no breaks? Working memory overloads. The brain zones out not because it’s lazy, but because it’s overwhelmed. That “I’m done” feeling? It’s a built-in safety switch, not a flaw.

Longer videos work if they do this

1. Tell a story

Narrative lights up the brain. A 10–15 minute video can work if it’s emotional, personal, and real.

Why it works:
Stories activate the brain’s social and emotional centers (Zak, 2013). They’re sticky. Even better—they're human.

Edovo Edge: If you're featuring someone with lived experience, build in visual breaks, captions, and simple titles to guide the viewer through the story arc.

2. Build in breathing room

A 12-minute video can feel like five… if you chunk the content.

Add:

• Mini recaps: “Let’s pause. Here’s what we’ve covered.”
  
  

• Visual title cards: Signal transitions like “Next: Finding Support After Release”
  
  

• Mid-video reflection prompts: “What would you do in that situation?”
  
  

Why it works:
Chunking and pause points help with working memory, especially for Learners navigating trauma, stress, or low executive function (Bransford et al., 2000).

3. Label it and let them decide

If your video runs long, be honest. Tell the Learner:

“This is one of our longer videos. You can break it into two sittings or watch it straight through.”

Also:

• Show time estimates in the title: “Part 2: What Reentry Really Feels Like (11 mins)”
  
  

• Suggest an option: “Talk a stretch break and come back when you’re ready.”
  
  

Why it works:
According to self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), autonomy fuels motivation. Giving Learners the choice to opt in builds trust and reduces overwhelm.

4. Keep the ratio right

While the exact numerical ratio can vary based on context, the guidance suggests something like this:

• 80/20 Rule:
  Roughly 80% short-form content, 20% long-form—or even more skewed toward short-form, like 90/10.
  
  

This keeps learners engaged and allows flexibility, especially in settings like mobile learning or prison education platforms where attention span, time, or bandwidth may be limited.

TED gets it. So should we.

The magic of a TED Talk isn’t just the message—it’s the rhythm. Great talks build in natural pauses, circle back to key points, and land every idea with clarity. They don’t just drop facts—they guide the audience through them, step by step.

There’s a reason you leave thinking, “I actually understood that.” It’s not luck. It’s design.

If TED speakers build in pacing, previews, and memorable takeaways—why would we pack conflict resolution into a single clip with no structure, no recap, and hope learners just keep up?

Let’s walk in the pros’ footsteps and design videos that guide, not overwhelm. That means building in natural checkpoints, revisiting key ideas, and giving learners room to process before piling on more.

References

• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9853
  
  

• Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
  
  

• Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.
  
  

• Zak, P. J. (2013). Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling
  
  

• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.