Glossary · Storytelling
Pacing
Pacing is the speed at which a video moves: how quickly new information arrives, how long each shot stays on screen, and how fast the narrator speaks.
Why it matters
Too slow and attention slips; too fast and people can't keep up. The right pace makes a dense story feel easy to follow.
Pacing has several parts that work together: the length of each shot, how much is said over it, how often the picture changes, and the pauses left for something to sink in. A video can feel rushed even when its shots are long, if the narration never stops.
In a narrated short, speaking speed sets much of the pace. As a rough guide, audiobooks are often read at about 150 to 160 words per minute, while people presenting slides tend to speak more slowly, around 100 to 125. A script written for one speed will run long or short at another.
Good pacing varies. A quick run of shots builds energy, and a held shot after a key fact gives the viewer a moment to feel it. Changing the rhythm on purpose keeps a video from feeling flat.
A one-minute short about a bank run has the narrator speak briskly over the rumors and the lines outside, then fall silent for two seconds on a shot of the locked doors before saying what the savers lost.
Sources
- Words per minute: speech and listening, Wikipedia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Last reviewed 15 October 2026.