How can you get a great thumbnail? Well, just last month we unveiled a new feature that allows you to pick a frame from anywhere in your video. You shot at least one terrific image right? And of course you can upload a custom thumbnail to the site in JPG, GIF or PNG formats, allowing you to tweak an image to perfection. Next, the description. This is your opportunity to ‘pitch’ your potential audience, and you shouldn’t take it any more lackadaisically than if you were pitching a Hollywood big shot! Remember, while your descriptions can be really really long, and include things like your collaborators, equipment lists or anecdotes from filming, only the first few lines will follow the video through the site and are able to be seen at just a glance in the Discover tab, Feeds or as a featured thumbnail in a Channel or Group. This is restricted real estate, so make it count! As to what to put there, I think it is always best to lead off with a short description of what your video is about. Here is a recent video that had a really well written description, telling people exactly what it was, and briefly touching upon the themes it explores–

It might be a bit long, but the first sentence is a great summation, followed a slightly more- in-depth explication. Good combo! Other things to include after the description are snippets that lend validation to your film. Festival honors are great, but don’t do a laundry list, only the one or two that are most prestigious. Pulling quotes from respected websites, curators or fellow filmmakers can be a smart addition as well. Remember on the web, even 5 minutes can tax someone’s attention past breaking. At Vimeo you have great tools to display your work, and access to an amazing community of viewers, but you still have to convince them to take the leap and press play. So put your best foot forward and give effort and care into your thumbnails and descriptions. The thousands of potential viewers whom may discover and subsequently love your work will be thankful that you did!

Jason Sondhi

Staff Pick to feature flick: Ruairi Robinson's The Leviathan