What is the Proper Movie Length?

The DVD Nightmare: "I want my 3 hour VHS video to look as good as "The Matrix"!

The Solution: Run away....Fast!

At some point you will be the victim of DVD hype. The hype of DVD is focused almost exclusively on Hollywood Movies which have many benefits over productions you will do (mainly multi-million dollar budgets). Since your customers will no-doubt be expecting perfection, try to do as much before going to DVD as possible to maximize your efforts. Fortunately most good shooting practices also benefit the video for DVD delivery.

• Shoot on a Tripod as much as possible, eliminating movement for which the encoder will be forced to account.
  
  
• Try to shoot in well-lit areas. If it's easier for the encoder to see a difference between objects it is less likely to try and encode everything. Avoid quick pans across a dance floor with a strobe light.
  
  
• Limit the length of the movie to 90 minutes or consider placing your movie on two DVDs. With shorter movies, the encoder can dedicate more bandwidth to your video, increasing the quality of the encode and reducing the likelihood of any artifacts. HomeMovie.Com recommends a maximum of 90 minutes for professional productions.