How do you make a vertical 9:16 unboxing video that actually works?
Post it, then watch one number: average watch time against your length. If a 15-second unboxing holds past second 3, the box and the first item are doing their job. If it drops before the item comes out, the opening is too slow, not the product. Shoot at 1080 x 1920 so the box fills the frame edge to edge, hands entering from the bottom. Keep the middle of the frame clear of the item's reveal moment; captions and the like button sit on the right and bottom the whole time. Render the same brief again at 30 seconds for YouTube Shorts once you know the short cut holds.
Formats
9:16 · 1:1 · 16:9
Length
5-60 seconds, 15 or 30 seconds typical
Where it runs
Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels
From the guide to unboxing
Format, length and the variants to keep
Render 9:16 at 20 to 30 seconds for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, where an overhead shot fills a phone screen. A 1:1 cut suits the feed and a product page carousel, and 16:9 works beside the bundle description on your site. Re-render a 10-second version that keeps only the opening and the flat lay, and keep one version per bundle you ship.
Show what turns up at the door with a short unboxing videoFrom the guide to vertical 9:16
Length, placements and export
Vertical runs on Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels and Stories. Ask for 5 to 60 seconds; 15 seconds suits a single offer and 30 covers an offer plus proof. Export is H.264 MP4 with AAC audio at 30 fps, ready to upload, or post it straight to Instagram, Facebook Pages, TikTok and YouTube from the studio after you review it. Pull a PNG poster from any frame for the thumbnail.
Vertical 9:16 video ads, rendered at 1080x1920 from a chat briefA brief you can paste
Paste this into the studio chat, or change the names and numbers first.
A 15-second vertical unboxing video for our skincare subscription box. Open on the box arriving at the door, then hands cutting the tape, then lifting out the first product and turning it to camera. On-screen text: this month's box. Upbeat music with cuts on the beat. End card: subscribe, with the offer text kept out of the bottom third. Casual English narration, two short sentences.
Questions people ask
What length should an unboxing video be for Reels or TikTok?
Start at 15 seconds. Check average watch time after a few days: if viewers stay past the reveal, try 30 seconds next and add a second item. If they drop before the box opens, shorten the intro, not the whole video.
Where do I put the on-screen text so it isn't covered?
Keep it in the top two-thirds and off the right edge. TikTok and Reels stack captions, sounds and the like button along the bottom and right the entire time, so text placed there is partly hidden no matter the platform.
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Make this video today
Describe it in a sentence, review the plan and the price, approve, and download the MP4 or post it to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube.