Resources

 

The first stage in making your video is to write an outline brief:

• List the points you want to get across.
• Think about what can be said with pictures, interviews etc. and what must be added?
• Don’t intend to cover all the filming with voice-over. Voice-over is used to add meaning or information. If you understand your message then you will know which parts of your video needs voice-overs and which parts can remain clear – the pictures can tell the story.
• Once the filming locations and schedule are agreed, you can work on a more detailed script linking the main points from your outline brief with details of the filming.

Voice-over style

• Write your script for how it will sound when spoken, not how it looks on the page.
• Don’t state the obvious and try not to sound condescending.
• You need not always stick to the rules for written language e.g. not every sentence necessarily needs a verb.
• Record what you’ve written and listen to what it sounds like.

Keep it simple

• Use plain words, e.g. ‘before’ and ‘after’ not ‘prior to’ and ‘following’.
• Avoid complicated sentences, instead try using short sentences.
• Use the active tense, not the passive tense.
• Avoid acronyms, jargon and unnecessary repetition wherever possible.
• Avoid the use of idioms.

Avoid redundant words

• Use qualifiers such as ‘very’, ‘really’, ‘truly’, ‘quite’ etc sparingly. Your statement is almost always stronger without them.
• When you write an adjective ask yourself – is this really necessary?
• Avoid meaningless words and phrases: ‘interpersonal relations’, ‘lounge area’, ‘telephone facility’, ‘media savvy’ etc

• Good planning is essential. Think about your narrative and sequences before filming starts. A storyboard is useful for both filming and editing as it’s a visual guide to the action.
• Allow preparation time to practice any camera movements and/or decide on the best framing for shots.
• A tripod will help keep your footage stable and not shaky.
• Choose suitable locations for filming where there is little or no background noise.
• Test your audio to make sure it’s clear and a good volume.
• Be aware of lighting conditions; if it’s too dark or too bright this will impact on image quality.

Here are some things to keep in mind before uploading your video. Make sure that you have credited the original owners of any external images / pictures / music / other material used in the video correctly and that there has been no copyright infringement. Not crediting the rightful owners of such material is plagiarism and can disqualify you from the competition.

• Go to www.youtube.com/upload.
• Set the video privacy to ‘Unlisted’ and upload your video.
• Once you have edited the title and description, select ‘Done’.
• Copy the link and submit this when you register for the competition.

Theme – Earth Sciences: The precious balance of life on Earth

A webinar about  Earth Sciences was hosted by the Australian National University:

The webinar is free and details of the schedule and how students can register is available here.