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over 2 years ago

Four Weeks to Go - How to make your submission video great

Just a reminder - there are just about four weeks left in the Quick Base Virtual Hackathon. Submissions are due November 16 before 5pm EDT. (Find out what time that is in your city).

We know as devs and innovators, your expertise normally lies behind the scenes, however, the submission video needs time too! It's often the first (and sometimes only!) thing that judges review.

Your video tells the story behind your submission, providing a clear showcase of your software and talent.

  • Establish your elevator pitch. In the first few seconds of your video, explain how your solution meets the hackathon requirements.

  • Within 60 seconds, viewers tend to lose interest, so use this time wisely to keep them engaged!

  • Show, don't tell. Providing real life context and showing judges firsthand how your solution benefits users will help judges and voters understand and appreciate your project.

  • Keep it simple. Your video shouldn't be longer than three minutes.

  • Don't wait until the last minute to upload your video. Due to file size, format, and your Internet connection, uploading a video to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook Video, or Youku could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

  • Get organized. Write out a script of what you’ll say and demonstrate in your video and rehearse it before recording.  Essentially a good script should talk about:

    • The problem that your potential customers face

    • Existing solutions to the problem

    • The solution that your project provides

    • How the solution uses any sponsor APIs (if applicable)

  • Pro Tip: Don't wait until the last minute to upload your video. Due to file size, format, and your Internet connection, uploading a video to Facebook Video, YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.  We cannot stress this enough!  There have been many times a submission becomes ineligible due to errors with video rendering and uploading.

We can’t wait to see your project and how you showcase it in your video.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Questions?

If you have any questions about the hackathon, please post on the discussion forum and join the competition Slack group.