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Video tips for your Connect Live 2020 application

Former Google Contributor

Caption: A photo of the Google Local Guides video team taking a selfie behind their camera equipment at Connect Live 2019 in San Jose, California.Caption: A photo of the Google Local Guides video team taking a selfie behind their camera equipment at Connect Live 2019 in San Jose, California.

Editor’s note: Connect Live applications are now closed as of 8:00 pm GMT on March 30.

 

In order to apply for Connect Live, you need to submit a 60-second video answering one of the prompts below. We’ve linked to real-life examples for each prompt to help you. Below, we break down the checklist we used to create these examples:

 

 

It’s normal to feel awkward recording yourself. You may also worry that this part of the application requires skills that are outside of your comfort zone. So, in addition to creating example videos, we teamed up with our senior content strategist and video producer, @MollyMo, to create a Connect Live 2020 application video tips. 

 

Select a video prompt

This year, we’re giving Local Guides two video prompts from which to choose. Select only one prompt and keep your response to approximately 60 seconds without going over. Choose the prompt that you feel most comfortable answering. Do not try to answer both prompts. 

 

Assess your surroundings

An ideal background is clean and pleasant. Lighting is important and natural light works best. Position yourself looking toward the source of light to ensure the lighting on you is bright and casts an even spread across your face. 

 

Set the scene

We recommend filming in landscape. Your smartphone or device should be positioned horizontally instead of vertically to maximize the screen space. Position yourself at the center of the frame. If you’re using a smartphone, tapping where your face is on the screen before recording ensures you’re in focus. Make sure your camera is steady.

 

Quiet on set

Select a quiet location and be sure that there is no background noise to distract from what you’re saying in the video. Keep this in mind even if you are in an outside location and be mindful of the wind.

 

Be yourself: no bells and whistles required!

We’re looking for creative prompt responses that give us a glimpse into who you are. Don’t worry about adding music, sound effects, video transitions, or graphics. You must appear on camera, speak in English, and answer one prompt, but do so in your own way! We’ll be watching thousands of videos, so think about how you might stand out from the crowd and play to your strengths. You should also wear something comfortable that makes you feel confident.

 

Submit your video carefully

Wonderful applicants have been disqualified because video links were submitted incorrectly. The YouTube link you submit can be listed or unlisted. Be sure to paste the link once the video is posted, not the link created while the video is still processing in production because that link cannot be viewed by anyone but you. While your video may be listed or unlisted, it cannot be viewed by the application review committee if it’s set to private. If you've never submitted a video before, log into YouTube with your gmail account and hit "Upload Video" in the upper right hand corner of the page to get started.

 

We hope these tips help you create a video that you feel confident about. Still need help? You can visit the YouTube Help Center if you have additional questions. We look forward to seeing you on YouTube! If you have any additional tips to share, let us know in the comments below.

 

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