2022
1 - Introduction
While the Local Guides' 2024 Album of Star Photos post is an "album" if you will of Local Guide star photos, this post is an "album" for Local Guide star videos. It's the place to showcase our "best" videos and is fundamental to and integrated with the monthly Star Video leaderboards focused on the performance of these videos. It follow on from the Local Guides, 2023 Album of Star Videos post.
2 - Questions:
Because we want this post to very much look like an album, if you have any questions or wish to comment about star videos generally, or a specific Local Guide's star video you see in this album, or how to participate here or on the star video leaderboards, then please do not add them in comments in this album post. Instead, post them in a comment on the Discussion on Local Guides' 2024 Star Videos post. Please note that any such comments added here will be moved to the special discussion post.
3 - Steps to add your star video:
To participate, you need to take a screenshot of your star video thumbnail shown on Maps and add it in a comment on this post, following the formatting criteria as outlined below. A good idea is to use the steps mentioned as a checklist and make sure you cover each step. Your screenshot should:
- [20 points] include only one image of your star video, clearly showing the current star views overlaid over it. Larger screenshots are best but do not over enlarge your screenshot at the expense of quality/resolution;
- [20 points] only be of your star video and not show any Maps details other than those overlaid over your star video itself on Maps;
- [10 points] preferably be taken in portrait (more tall than wide) layout as this is Google's preferred orientation,
- [10 points] be posted centered,
- [5 points] have only one blank line (i.e. no text) at the top between the screenshot itself and your Connect avatar and post date details,
- [20 points] include a caption using the following format
Caption: Star video by @YourConnectUsername of [name of the place] uploaded onto Google Maps on [include date uploaded] and showing star views of [enter star views] as at [include star views date]
Notes:
* If you're participating in the star videos leaderboards, the caption to be used will be automatically generated for you 😉 Just copy and paste it with your screenshot;
* If you're adding your screenshot on a desktop PC then add the caption as part of the Insert Photos process ( 📷 ) so that it is better integrated with the screenshot itself. - [10 points] The caption shows the correct star date (the date uploaded onto Maps) & star views date (the date you took the screenshot).
- [10 points] The star views shown on your caption must be the same as that shown on your screenshot and if you're a Top 100 Local Guides leaderboard participant, it must also be equal to the star views you have entered for your star video on the Top 100 System!
- [5 point] Add one blank after your image and caption but not before!
Note: The Connect editor at times adds extra blank lines and for best readability on mobile devices we don't want these extra blank lines, thank you! So after you save your screenshot post, check it and if you see too many blank lines, delete them. For better readability you could also add one blank line at the end of your screenshot post 😉 - [15 points] Add the name of the place, city and country as a heading and that heading must be the shared link of your star video on Maps. Interested Local Guides can then simply select your heading to visit and watch your star video on Maps.
- [20 points] Immediately under the heading (no blank lines after the heading) tell the story about your star video or the place or meal etc. This is important so make it interesting so others, including Search Engine robots, will enjoy reading and like your story and you just never know your star video might be featured in other places on Connect as well as the Web and thus build on its impact 😉
- [5 points] Include in your description details of make and model of the camera/smartphone used (e.g. Canon, EOS 7D or Google Pixel 7 Pro ).
You might also like to mention:
(a) If this is this your best video?
(b) Was this just a point and shoot video?
Important Notes:
- After adding your star video screenshot, you should check it on both mobile and a PC for formatting and consistency (especially line spacing). Soon you will be able to compare yours with others in the album;
- The points shown in red against each of the above requirements (maximum 150), are used to measure how well your star video screenshot fits in with the specified formatting criteria.
- Why did I say use your imagination and make the story about your star video or the place or meal etc interesting so others, including Search Engine robots, will enjoy reading it? It's because our contributions are not only shown in this album on Connect, they are also shown in the public domain and therefore will end up on general Google Search Results Pages (SERPs) etc. If we make our descriptions interesting, this will help generate generic "hits" to our videos which means more views. So when writing your description for your star video screenshot, think of it as a mini post of it's own. Give it some thought, make it interesting but there's no need to go overboard!!!
4 Examples of star video screenshots
For a great example of how to post your screenshot of your star video, I encourage you to check out the star video post by @JustJake.
5 - Updating your star video:
From time to time you might wish to edit or update your star video. For example, you have made a mistake in your post or the star views may have increased or you might even have a new star video! Simple! There are two different scenarios here, (a) editing or updating your existing star video and (b) adding a new star video!
- when editing or updating your existing star video, you simply re-visit your existing entry in this post and update it using either of the two procedures mentioned in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 below, which as you can see depends on whether you are or are not currently participating on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards.
** It's important to note that when editing or updating your existing star video you must not start a new comment for this. - when adding a new star video, you add it in a new comment on this post following the steps detailed in Section #3 above.
5.1 Participant on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards
- Visit your Maps profile and take a new screenshot of your new or current star video thumbnail showing the current star views and in the format as specified in points 1 to 3 of the formatting criteria in section 3 above.
- Update your star video details on the Top 100 Local Guides system.
- Copy the caption suggested on the Top 100 Local Guides system
- If you are adding a new star video as described in point 5(b) above then add this in a new comment in this post following the steps detailed in Section 3 above and then go to step 16 below. If on the other hand you editing or updating your existing star video (see point 5(a) above) then continue on with the following steps.
- Find your star video as you previously added in this album post.
- Select the ellipsis menu (3 blue dots)
- Select Edit Reply
- Select the screenshot of your star video
- Select the pencil icon to activate the edit function
- Delete your old star video screenshot
- Add the new screenshot showing the updated star video views
- Paste the caption copied at step 3 above.
- Select Done
- You could add in your description a brief mention of the change in video's star views for example:
Date Star views
Feb 2023 540,000
Mar 2023 765,000
Apr 2023 867,050 - Select Save Changes
- Job done! Grab a coffee!!
5.2 Non-participant on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards
- Visit your Maps profile and take a new screenshot of your new or current star video thumbnail showing the current star views and in the format as specified in points 1 to 3 of the formatting criteria in section 3 above.
- Find your star video as you previously added in this album post.
- Select the ellipsis menu (3 blue dots)
- Select Edit Reply
- Select the screenshot of your star video
- Select the pencil icon to activate the edit function
- Take a copy of the current caption
- Delete your old star video screenshot
- Add the new screenshot showing the new or updated star video views
- Paste back the old caption
- Update the star views and star views date on the caption
- Select Done
- Select Save Changes
- Job done! Grab a coffee
6 - The Top 100 Local Guides Star Videos leaderboards:
As mentioned in the introduction above, as well as adding your star video in this album, if you wish, you can also join the soon to be released Top 100 Local Guides Star Videos leaderboards. If you wish to join this fun, motivational and educational adjunct to this post, then hit this link. As well as the Star Videos leaderboards, you will also see how you can join other Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards, namely the Points, Photo Views and Countries focused leaderboards.
7 - Conclusion
There can be little doubt that video is now the new frontier when it comes to media contribution to Maps and in this regard, in this post you are invited to join the many hundreds of Local Guides from across the world to showcase your star video. Let's share and learn how to improve and achieve better outcomes in terms of the impact that our video contributions have on our communities. Together we can do more.
ocean good table Shibuya, Japan
Well it's the New Year and I have a new star video, yay! It's nothing special, a simple video of the sizzling Salmon fillet I had at a restaurant called ocean good table located in Shibuya, Japan. I just sat there and watched it sizzle away and I recall when taking the video, other patrons in the restaurant looked at me with a collective puzzling look. I smiled at them but I just know that must have thought I was mad. Taken with my Android, Pixel 3XL.
Cafeteria, VSG Hospital, Visakhapatanm-32
This video was taken on a visit to the Cafeteria. This cafeteria is located within the premises of VSG Hospital, Visakhapatnam. The video was taken with iPhone in portrait orientation.
The Herb Box, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
As part of the food and drink video challenge, I hunted for the most appealing and universally appealing food/drink to shoot a video of. It wasn't going so well since I rarely eat appealing food (beer and fast food are the current hot topics on my Maps profile). Then, I was invited to an open house at the Herb Box for business owners to highlight their offerings for corporate events. I schmoozed & rubbed elbows with the fancy folks as if I wasn't totally out of my element. But, tucked in a back corner, was the most glorious spread. Little samples of all the dessert options were piled high and utterly unnoticed by the other attendees. I was just about to begin grabbing pastries by the arm-full when I remembered the Challenge! I pulled out the trusty Pixel 8 Pro and did a quick 360-degree tour of the dessert table. I did not win the Challenge, but my video has leap-frogged my original star video.
First Watch - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This video was taken on a weekend visit to Pittsburgh. I had decided to start shooting and posting more videos so instead of simply taking a photo of the exterior, I took photos and recorded 2 videos. I posted 2 photos and 2 videos and around the 3rd day, this video became Featured.
Collingwood Town Hall, Abbotsford, Australia
I visited this restaurant in Kona, Big Island, Hawaii on July 11th 2021 on our 28th Anniversary for Brunch. Located right next to the ocean with great views. This has more than 1.5Million views in 2 years. I was surprised to see that, since I don't pay much attention videos, even though I have posted around 1200 videos so far.
I love coffee shops and this is an especially nice one. The local chain has several stores in Syracuse. This is in a converted older home, with really nice architectural features
When I took this in mid May, 2023, I was just beginning to experiment with taking videos for Maps. I was having trouble finding a shot that I thought would make a compelling video; one that would help people to choose this coffee shop. So I created a montage of photos (there is one short vertical video of the interior included) to tell a story. It starts with their sign, expands out to show the storefront, then zooms to their hours signs, and then shows several interior views. I made it in Capcut. I added transitions so the change from image to image wouldn't be to jarring. Doing a photo montage has the advantage that if the place is busy, you can use an app (android blur photo) to obscure faces, if need be, before you put the montage together.
This video has a horizontal aspect (landscape about 16:9). Since this video, I have made a couple more montage videos, but have become more comfortable shooting traditional video. Also, almost all of my videos are in a vertical aspect (Portrait 9:16) and are shot in Cinematic Pan mode (Pixel 7 pro) which slows the speed down by 50% and gives you smoother footage.
Namaa Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Naama Bay is a popular tourist destination in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. It's known for its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities in the Red Sea. With its clear turquoise waters and coral reefs, Naama Bay is a prime spot for underwater enthusiasts. Divers and snorkelers flock to this location to explore the colorful marine life, including vibrant coral gardens and various fish species. Whether you're a novice or an experienced diver, there are diving centers that offer courses and guided dives to cater to all skill levels.
MAQUÉ café, Cuautemoc, Ciudad de Mexico
Los restaurantes Maque son famosos por sus deliciosas conchas y aunque la primera sucursal estaba en Ciudad Satelite, al norte de la Ciudad de México, muy cerca de donde vivo, esta sucursal en el corazón de la Condesa en de CDMX fue una gran adición y un completo éxito, pues esa lleno desde primeras horas de la mañana. Sus mesas en la banqueta ademas del interior del local permite que el lugar sea pet-friendly. Visutar este restaurante siempre será garantía.
II Runner II Traveler II 
