In this page you will find guidelines to prepare and submit your project. All submissions must comply with the requirements listed below. Not complying with the points mentioned below might lead to your video not being included in the Festival Finale.
1. Register at https://the.ismaili/stemfestival
2. Receive newsletters, access to webinars, and workshops to understand problems that are faced around the world by people from all walks of life. Learn more about the work that is being carried out to resolve these issues and how you could help.
3. Work through the problems presented or tackle a problem you’ve identified in your communities. Using the skills you’ve gained, develop your solution.
4. Present your solution as a YouTube video and submit your project.
5. Celebrate, discover, and learn from the projects submitted during the GSF Festival Finale 2021!
MAKING A VIDEO PROJECT
A video project consists of a video recording of your project, a pitch, a photo slideshow, a Powerpoint recorded, or anything you want, as long as the file is saved in one of the following formats:
.MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, .3GPP, .WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (h265)
The video should be no longer than 3 minutes.
ENSURING QUALITY
Here are some tips and tricks that might be helpful for when you need to make your video, especially if you are recording the project on your phone!
Shoot in HD not 4K - otherwise the file will be very large and will become harder to manage
16:9 aspect ratio - If your phone goes up to 16:10, please switch to 16:9 so the content is user friendly
Landscape orientation - Please film using your phone horizontally - your computer and TV have a landscape-oriented display!
Frame your shot - take your time to decide where you want to film. Avoid busy-looking backgrounds, opt for something solid and simple - the important part of the recording is your project and you, if you choose to be in it.
Level the camera - make sure you are not under the camera or over it and try to keep the camera facing your project at eye level
Get a steady shot - if possible, use a tripod to stabilize your shot. If you do not own one, try to rest your phone on something steady that won't move (e.g. a set of books). This is a better option than having someone else filming!
Don't use digital zoom - you will enlarge the picture digitally and this will reduce the video quality
Natural lighting - the best lighting accessible to almost everyone - the Sun! Natural light works wonders, so try to face your subject towards a window/source of light. Never have a window behind the subject though - this will leave you with a silhouette.
Audio - we advise you to do a test to see how you sound and avoid moving the microphone during the shoot. If there is more than one of you, ensure both people are equally close to the mic.
Plan your script - plan out what you want to say and when possible, write it out in full. You can even place it on a monitor next to the camera so you can read it.
Ready to go! - press record, take a slow breath and then speak. Try to speak in a conversational tone and rhythm and don't be afraid to talk with your hands and show emotion with your face. You don't have to get it right on the first take - record until you feel like you've really got it!
When making your video recording, here are some things you should keep in mind and NOT use:
- Mawlana Hazar Imam or the Seal of the Imamat in the shot - avoid all Mawlana Hazar Imam related material
- Devotional content that is not ITREB sanctioned/approved (e.g. coding an app that lets you listen to ginans)
- Copyrighted material of any sort - this may include music, videos, images and confidential material in the design or delivery of the project. If you wish to include music, videos and images online, please use royalty free media
UPLOADING TO YOUTUBE
Participants will submit their video through YouTube using the instructions below.
How to Upload?
Create or Log in to your YouTube account
To create an account, go to https://www.youtube.com
In the top right, click Sign in
Click Create Account
Enter the required details
Click on the video icon at the top right-hand side of the window, which can be found next to your user icon, messages, apps and notifications
Click "Upload Video"
Press "Select Files to Upload" to find the video file saves on your computer. Or, you can drag and drop it into the window.
Choose the privacy settings on your video - we recommend you save your video as Unlisted (I.e. not searchable)
Create a short title describing your project (maximum 100 characters including spaces. Do not use the words “project” or “Global STEM Festival” in the title)
Add a description (up to 50 words) of the video so people know what your content is about before watching it
OPTIONAL: ADDING THE FINAL TOUCHES
After successfully uploading your video to YouTube, it's time to take advantage of YouTube's built-in tools. These tools can be helpful to enhance your video in one way or another for your audience.
Audio library - Easily add songs and sound effects with YouTube's own library
Blur faces - if you would like (or need) to blur the faces of anyone in the video, there is a dedicated section to do this within the "enhancements" tab. There is also a "custom blur" option for extra blur action
Closed captions - If you would like to add closed captions (subtitles) to your video YouTube makes it easy. Simply select the language, and then upload a file or transcribe all spoken parts of the video for it to be auto-synced.
COMPLETING THE ONLINE SUBMISSION FORM
The YouTube video link must be submitted through the Global STEM Festival submission form.
In this form, you should select one of the following categories that best characterize your project:
- Climate and Energy
- Economic Growth
- Education
- Equality
- Health
Once submitted, the video recordings of the demonstrations will be reviewed by the Global STEM Festival team.
The submissions that comply with all the requirements will then be showcased on the Festival Finale weekend of 18th/19th September.
Please note that offensive material such as nudity, religious symbols, or anything that is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient" will not be allowed.
If the above guidelines are not adhered to, your contribution may not be admitted to the festival.
Please note that all videos will be shown online and so we recommend you protect the participant's identity by not disclosing their name, age or where they are from in the video. If you do so, we assume you feel comfortable with the participant's details appearing online.
