Short Form Content Strategy Case Study: School of Visual Arts and Humanities
- chrisep70
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
By Christopher and Jeffrey, 2025 Summer Interns
Attention: Education Sector Leaders, School Administrators / Magnet Coordinator/ and School District Office of Communication Specialists
Introduction
Fifth Sun supported the School of Visual Arts & Humanities (SVAH) with implementing a short form content strategy which is more effective for social media and addresses marketing concerns like short attention spans, platform accessibility, and budget efficiency (instead of producing one video with one key message, SVAH developed 5 videos with 5 unique and custom messages).
Short Form Content Strategy
Short form content videos which are typically under 60 seconds—is the most consumed format across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. These videos are highly shareable, easier to produce in bulk, and ideal for keeping school communities engaged. For schools, this means more storytelling opportunities and better reach with less time and money spent.
While short form content can be professionally produced, it isn’t a requirement. Most schools can implement this strategy at cost with a cellphone and at least one student or faculty volunteer.
By focusing on short clips with clear messaging, SVAH was able to highlight multiple facets of campus life—student achievements, academic programs, arts initiatives, and more—without overwhelming viewers.
Strategy Best Practices
Keep it under 60 seconds: Short videos with focused messages perform best on platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Quick, clear content is more likely to hold attention and be shared.
Design for mobile: Use a vertical 9:16 format. Most users consume content on their phones, and vertical video ensures a full-screen experience without distractions.
Use subtitles: Many users scroll through social media with the sound off. Adding subtitles improves accessibility for students with hearing impairments, English learners, and multitaskers.
A small change—like including subtitles—can make a big difference in reach, comprehension, and engagement. We recommend Subcapt, a free app available on the App Store, which generates automatic captions quickly for short videos.
Post consistently: Maintain a regular posting schedule (e.g., weekly or biweekly) to stay visible and keep your audience engaged. Consistency builds trust and boosts the algorithm’s favorability.
Involve students: When students help create the content, it feels more authentic and relatable to their peers. Peer-to-peer content resonates more with prospective students and reflects real student experiences.
SVAH Film Production Program Overview
Through Culture Arts Passport initiative, students were able to sign up to be apart of the after school film production program.
Students meaningfully contribute to the production process by drafting scripts, filming interviews, and helping revise the final short videos. This collaboration aligns with the arts, media, and entertainment pathway offered by LAUSD CTE-Linked Learning.
*At SVAH, students completed a 5-part workshop series as outlined above.
9 Step School Marketing Plan Worksheet:
One key resource that we leveraged during the pre-production planning was a marketing plan template. We made sure filming events, props, speakers, and equipment were organized to coordinate across 30+ key stakeholders. This resource also ensured students, parents, administrators, and teachers all had the opportunity to contribute towards telling the story of our school community.
Final Deliverables
Below is a summary of all the videos delivered through this program by students, for students. Fifth Sun was proud to have facilitated this as an after school program. Our role was to provide equipment and facilitate after school programming that generated authentic and relevant short form content.
SVAH by the Numbers
An engaging overview of the school’s standout statistics—test scores, programs, and community highlights—all in under 60 seconds.
Educator & Administrator Perspectives
Hear from the staff and leadership behind SVAH’s unique learning environment.
Mr. Webb | Teacher Testimonial
Family Testimonials
Parents share how the SVAH experience has impacted their children and families.
Student Voice: What Does Visual Arts & Humanities Mean to You?
Students reflect on what it means to be part of a creative community like SVAH.
Bonus Feature: Official SVAH School Promotional Video
Before implementing SVAH's short form strategy, we also supported the school in producing its official full-length promotional video:
Student Perspective
As two students at SVAH, this program design is relevant because young people are on social media and prefer shorter content such as on TikTok or Instagram Reels. This content makes us feel connected and informed in a short amount of time like Short form videos not only make us proud to be apart of the SVAH community, but they are also a popular way we like to express ourselves.
Conclusion
We recommend short form content strategy for organizations who have an existing promotional video or if you would like to bring your website to life in an authentic and strategic way that is for students, by students.
Published Monday, August 25, 2025 at 3:45pm PST
