How to cut a 15-second ad from your game trailer
2 min read
By Eduardo Orellana ·
A trailer builds over a minute; an ad has about one second before the thumb scrolls. So cut the ad from the trailer's best moment, not its opening: start mid-action, keep it 6 to 15 seconds, make it readable with the sound off, and end on one call to action such as "Wishlist on Steam". Export 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 1:1 or 4:5 for feeds, and 16:9 for YouTube. Make three openings and let the ad platform find the one that works.
Why a trailer makes a poor ad
Trailers open with mood and build to a climax; viewers who chose to watch will wait. An ad is shown to people who did not choose it, so the climax has to come first.
Cutting it
- Pick the trailer's best moment and start inside it.
- Keep 6 to 15 seconds; one idea per ad.
- Add large text for what sound would say; most feeds start muted.
- End on the capsule art and one call to action.
Formats
- 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts: reframe the action, keep the HUD readable.
- 1:1 or 4:5 for feeds.
- 16:9 for YouTube in-stream.
Test openings, not whole ads
Make three versions that differ only in the first two seconds. The platform's delivery will favour one; keep that and make three more from it.
Where Flockbay fits
Flockbay's Video studio cuts ad versions from your trailer and gameplay, and Flockbay drafts ads on your own ad accounts, which you launch. Free in beta until 1 December 2026; ad spend is billed by the platform to your own account.