Timers & Countdowns

Add urgency and excitement to your videos with timers and countdowns. Create time-limited offers, build anticipation, and drive immediate action with time-based elements.

Types of Timers

Countdown Timers

Display a countdown to a specific event or deadline:

Examples:

• "Limited time offer expires in: 24:00:00"

• "Webinar starts in: 02:15:30"

• "Flash sale ends in: 00:45:12"

Progress Timers

Show elapsed time or progress through content:

Examples:

• "Time remaining: 3:45"

• "Progress: 60% complete"

• "Question 3 of 5 (2:30 remaining)"

Auto-Advance Timers

Automatically move to the next scene after a set time:

Examples:

• Auto-advance after 10 seconds

• Show next question after 30 seconds

• Transition to results after 2 minutes

Creating Urgency

Limited-Time Offers

"Special discount available for the next 24 hours!"
Countdown: 23:59:59 → 23:59:58 → 23:59:57...
Action: "Claim Now" button becomes unavailable after countdown

Flash Sales

"Flash Sale: 50% off everything!"
Countdown: 00:59:59 → 00:59:58 → 00:59:57...
Dynamic pricing: Price increases every 10 minutes

Event Countdowns

"Product Launch in:"
Countdown: 05:23:45 → 05:23:44 → 05:23:43...
Action: "Notify Me" button until launch, then "Buy Now"

Time-Based Branching

Conditional Actions Based on Time

IF time_remaining > 1_hour THEN show "Early Bird" pricing
IF time_remaining > 30_minutes THEN show "Regular" pricing  
IF time_remaining > 0 THEN show "Last Chance" pricing
ELSE show "Sale Ended" message

Dynamic Content Based on Countdown

IF countdown > 24_hours THEN show "Coming Soon" message
IF countdown > 1_hour THEN show "Limited Time" offer
IF countdown > 10_minutes THEN show "Final Hours" warning
IF countdown = 0 THEN show "Expired" message

Real-World Examples

E-commerce Flash Sale

Countdown: 00:59:59
Message: "Flash Sale: 50% off everything!"
Dynamic elements:
- Price updates every 10 minutes
- Stock levels decrease
- "Hurry, only X left!" messages

Webinar Registration

Countdown: 02:15:30
Message: "Live Webinar: Advanced Features"
Dynamic elements:
- Registration closes 1 hour before
- Reminder emails sent at 24h, 1h, 15min
- "Join Now" button becomes "Watch Recording" after start

Product Launch

Countdown: 05:23:45
Message: "New Product Launch"
Dynamic elements:
- Pre-order available until launch
- Early access for VIP customers
- Launch day special pricing

Timer Configuration

Display Options

• Digital countdown — 24:00:00 format

• Text countdown — "2 days, 3 hours, 45 minutes"

• Progress bar — Visual representation of time remaining

• Hidden timer — Timer runs in background without display

Styling

• Colors — Red for urgency, green for plenty of time

• Font size — Large for emphasis, small for subtlety

• Animation — Pulsing, flashing, or smooth transitions

• Position — Top, bottom, corner, or center of screen

Best Practices

• Be realistic — Don't create false urgency with unrealistic deadlines

• Provide value — Ensure time-limited offers are genuinely valuable

• Test thoroughly — Preview timer behavior across different scenarios

• Include fallbacks — Always have a plan for when timers expire

• Respect time zones — Consider global audiences when setting deadlines

Common Use Cases

• Flash sales and promotions

• Event registrations and reminders

• Product launches and pre-orders

• Limited-time content access

• Quiz time limits

• Auction-style bidding

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