Shot Seconds: Changing Timing, and the Limits
Open a finished episode and read the seconds on the shot markers of one segment. Add them up; compare with the card on the timeline.
Where the seconds are
Each shot starts with a marker chip: [Shot 1] 4s, [Shot 2] 3s. The number is that shot’s length in seconds. The card for the segment on the bottom timeline shows the total.
Changing a shot’s seconds
Edit the segment, place the cursor at the shot, type @ and choose the Time tab. Pick the duration you want; the picker inserts it at the cursor (@3s = a 3-second shot). Delete the old duration if it is still there, then save. Nothing is charged for the edit. The @ menu.
Making a shot longer does not stretch the picture; it gives the action more time to happen. Write what happens in the extra seconds, or you get a person standing still.
Shots add up to the segment
The segment’s length is the sum of its shots. Add two seconds to one shot and the segment is two seconds longer; the price on the generate button follows, because video is priced by the second. Cut a shot and the segment shortens.
There is a cap. Each video tier has a maximum segment length — some tiers allow longer segments than others, and the limit for each is shown where you pick the tier. When your shots add up past it, the segment card says over cap, and generating is refused with a message asking you to trim the segment or pick a tier that allows longer clips. Choosing a tier.
Rather than squeezing, split: Insert segment after makes a new, empty segment; move the last shots into it. Inserting and deleting segments.
Dialogue needs its seconds
A line takes as long to say as it takes to say. In English, count on about three words a second; a twelve-word line needs a four-second shot, and a shot that also has to show her crossing the room needs more. Give a line too few seconds and it is rushed or cut off. Give a reaction shot with no dialogue two or three seconds; longer than that, the person just waits.
A few shapes that work
A shot is one thing happening. Two or three seconds for a look, a turn, a hand on a door. Four to six for a line and the reaction to it. Longer for a walk across the room, a fight beat, a slow reveal. Most segments are three to five shots. How to write one shot.
| Shot | Typical seconds |
|---|---|
| A glance, a turn, a small gesture | 2–3 |
| One spoken line and its reaction | 3–5 |
| A longer line, or a line plus movement | 5–8 |
| Crossing a room, an action beat | 6–10 |
| A whole segment | The sum of the above, within the tier’s cap |
FAQ
How do I make a shot longer?
Type @ at the shot, open the Time tab and pick a longer duration; remove the old one; save. Then write what happens in the added time.
What does 'over cap' mean on the segment card?
The shots add up to more than the selected video tier allows for one segment. Shorten a shot, split the segment, or pick a tier with a higher cap.
Does changing seconds change the price?
Yes. Video is priced by the second, so the generate button's price follows the segment's total.
How many seconds does a line of dialogue need?
About three words a second in English. Add time for anything else the shot has to show.
Can a shot be one second?
It can, but very short shots tend to read as a flicker. Two to three seconds is the usual floor for a beat.
Retime one segment
Open a segment, give the dialogue shots the seconds they need, and regenerate it.
Updated September 26, 2026
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