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How to Shorten the Introduction of a Talking Video

Cut the greeting, the apology and the explanation, and start on the first sentence that already carries your main point.

Published 2026-09-20

To shorten the introduction of a talking video, find the first sentence that already carries your main point and delete everything before it. Most long openings contain a greeting, a short introduction of yourself, an apology and an explanation of what you are about to say. None of that helps a viewer decide whether the video is for them, so it can usually go.

This is not about making a loud or dramatic start. It is about removing the part where nothing useful has happened yet. The rest of the video stays exactly as you filmed it.

Find the first useful sentence

Play your clip and listen for the moment the real topic appears. A sentence like "Today I have prepared a short video about how to..." can often be cut down to the question or the advice itself. For example: "A dark face in front of a window is solved by changing position." That single line tells the viewer what the video is about and what they will get from it.

The important context must not disappear, though. If the advice only makes sense for a certain type of camera, a certain room or a certain situation, keep that detail. Shortening is not the same as removing information the viewer needs.

A simple test: read the first sentence on its own. If a stranger could not guess what the video is about, you have cut too much or cut in the wrong place.

Decide whether you need to introduce yourself

If your identity affects trust, or the video is a personal message, introduce yourself briefly. One short line is enough. There is no rule that says every greeting must be deleted. It depends on your audience and the purpose of the video.

For a regular business video, the viewer usually cares about the problem, not about your name. For a personal message to existing customers, a quick hello can feel natural and human. Choose based on who is watching, not on a fixed formula.

What you can almost always remove is the apology. Lines like "Sorry, I am not a professional" or "I hope this is not too long" only make the viewer doubt you before you have said anything.

Check the new beginning

After you remove the opening, the first sentence may start with a word like "this" or "that" with no clear meaning. The viewer cannot see what you were pointing at, because the thing you pointed at was in the part you deleted.

Fix it in one of two ways. Either add the missing picture at the start, or say the sentence again in a new recording so it stands on its own. A cut must not create unclear references.

Also check the sound. If you cut in the middle of a breath or a word, the join will sound rough. Leave a small pause before the new first sentence so the video starts cleanly.

A short checklist before you publish

Listen to the whole clip once and mark the moment the main topic appears.
Delete the greeting, the apology and the explanation of what you are about to say.
Keep any context the viewer needs to understand the advice.
Read the new first sentence alone and check that it makes sense.
Replace vague words like "this" with the actual thing you mean.
Check that the cut does not break a word or a breath.
Watch the first few seconds on their own, without the rest of the video.
Ask yourself whether you would keep watching, and why.

Watch the first few seconds on their own

Play only the first few seconds of the finished video. If you know what the video is about and why you should continue, the opening works. If you are still waiting for the topic to arrive, cut more.

You do not need to add a loud promise that has nothing to do with the rest of the content. A clear first sentence is enough. A big claim followed by a calm explanation feels disconnected and makes viewers leave.

Short openings also help when your footage is turned into a vertical video for Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Those formats are watched in short bursts, and the first seconds decide whether someone stays.

What to do next in Relsko

Upload your phone clips and photos to Relsko. You can upload up to 50 files at a time, up to 200 per project, with a maximum of 2 GB per file. The assistant asks at most a couple of questions and proposes three concepts. You pick one, and Relsko renders three cut variants of that concept. Download the variant with the tightest opening. Videos can be 10 to 35 seconds long.

You can register for 30 days of full access without a card, and invitations extend it. Afterwards there is a free level with a small watermark. Animated captions are in beta, and the interface, assistant, speech transcription and in-video text work in 16 languages.

In short: Cut everything before the first sentence that already carries your main point, then check that the new opening still makes sense on its own.

Questions people ask next

How long should the introduction of a talking video be?

For a short vertical video, aim for one sentence that already states the topic. If the viewer needs two or three sentences to understand what the video is about, the opening is probably still too long. The exact length matters less than whether the first sentence is useful.

Should I always delete the greeting?

No. If your identity affects trust, or the video is a personal message, keep one short line of introduction. For a regular business video, the viewer usually cares about the problem more than your name. Decide based on your audience and the purpose of the video.

What if the video no longer makes sense after cutting the opening?

That usually means some needed context was removed. Add the missing picture at the start, or record the first sentence again so it stands on its own. Then watch the first few seconds alone and check that a stranger would understand the topic.

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