On this page you will find Frequently Asked Questions regarding the New Video Deliverables: Project Promotion Video & Presentation Video, that we received from teams. If your question is not answered below, don’t hesitate to contact us at video AT igem DOT org. Our Video & Remote Technology Committee is here to help you! Please note that we are primarily responsible for Project Promotion Videos and the guidelines, the format and creation of the videos, for questions about the content and judging of the Presentation Video - please contact the judging committees. This page is a work in progress and we will be adding more questions as we receive them!

How does a video fit with the rest of our project?

In 2020, teams are making 2 video deliverables: Project Promotion Video (a 2-minute intro pitch to your project, solution, and impact) and Presentation Video (your final 20-minute presentation for the Giant Jamboree). Both videos can be an integrated part of your project. From brainstorming and conceptualizing your project to helping you promote it, crowdfund or get supporters. Thinking about videos while recruiting your team is a good step. It helps if someone on your team has a design or media background but it's not necessary, because many of you will be able to make a good video, you just have to start and try.

Should the iGEM Intro Sequence be included at the time length of the video deliverables?

Yes. The iGEM’s intro sequence (5 seconds long) is expected to be inserted at the beginning of your video deliverables and is included in the total allowed length of 2 minutes (Project Promotion Video) or 20 minutes (Team Presentation Video). The intro sequence is available for download here.

What are the deadlines for submission of the video deliverables?

The Project Promotion Videos submission deadline is on September 25, 11:59AM EDT. Please note that the video deadlines should be submitted by 11:59AM EDT (midday).

The Team Presentation Videos submission deadline is on October 30, 11:59AM EDT. Judges will begin their assessment of your presentation videos after this deadline. Please note that the video deadlines should be submitted by 11:59AM EDT (midday).

Do we have to use the Video Production Page resources in order to earn an award (Best Presentation/Best Project Promotion Video)?

No. The Video Production Resources page is only a guide, and not a hard requirement to make your iGEM video. Of course, we advise using it as it's a central place that has all the resources you might need. It's up to you to decide if and how much of this you can follow in your own video making process. If we missed something on this page, don’t hesitate to contact us at video AT igem DOT org.

How will the Project Promotion Videos be evaluated?

The Βest Project Promotion prize rewards creative use of video, quality production, and clear communication of the team’s project. The promotional video will be judged by an independent outreach resource, combined with all iGEM teams. The videos will be judged by a group of specialized video-judges and popular votes from the iGEM community.

How will the video deliverables be submitted?

We are building our own platform for video submission and viewing. You will be able to access with a team account and submit your videos directly to it. The platform will be available soon.

Is the Best Project Promotion Video a special award?

No. The Project Promotion Video is not part of your final project score, so it doesn't affect your judging results. The Best Project Promotion Video is a community-awarded prize that rewards creative use of video, quality production, and clear communication of your team’s project. Please be sure to read through the project promotion video requirements here.

Our team is unable to meet in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How should we present and edit our video deliverables?

If you cannot meet your colleagues and teammates in person, there are various ways to make great videos. For example, you could fully animate your videos or each team member could make a video using just their smartphones and then create a vlog by editing them together. Besides, you can work with team members from a shared drive or any other remote team working platform. You can also use a greenscreen to post-remove the background of your videos.

Are we supposed to just film us while doing our presentation for the Team Presentation Video? Or how should we do this?

This is up to you so long as all the "hard" requirements are met.

Can the video also be completely animated?

Yes. You can find more resources regarding animation on our Video Production Resources page.

Can we use content that we developed on our own which we have already published somewhere?

Yes, you can use content that you already developed and published. Vice versa, you can use your Project Promotion Video for various other purposes, such as your public engagement program, crowdfunding etc.

Does the entire team have to appear in the video?

No, the entire team does not have to appear in the video. It is up to you to decide how many team members will be present in the video. Please note that for your Team Presentation Video, only team student members listed on the official team roster are allowed to present or narrate the team presentation. Advisors, instructors, and PIs are not permitted to present.

Our team doesn’t have enough funding in order to buy the appropriate equipment and editing software for our video deliverables. How should we deal with that?

There are various editing programs that can be used which do not require a license. Most video editing software comes with a free trial of a month or longer (even the top tier ones). If you are not planning to use it after you are done with your video, you could edit for free during the trial and cancel the software before the subscription. If you need the software for more than the free trial period, try to use different computers and install the program in different timelines. Regarding equipment, you don’t need a fancy kit and a professional team of videographers, mobile phones often have microphones and cameras of high quality. These devices can easily be used to film and record the videos.

Should the time limit of the promotional video be under 2 minutes or anywhere under 3 minutes (2:59)?

The time limit of the promotional video should be under 2 minutes. The time limit of the presentation video should be under 20 minutes.

Can we use multiple languages as captions?

For both video deliverables, the captions or subtitles should be in English. However, we encourage teams to also publish other versions of the video with other languages as subtitles, as this can be perfectly used for public engagement purposes.

Should captions be part of the video itself?

No, captions should be submitted as a separate text file. Please see more on our Video Production Resources page.

Can we make videos with narration in multiple languages?

This is not required but we highly encourage it. Our community is diverse and using multiple languages makes your videos more accessible and international.

How should multiple language videos be submitted?

You should submit them as separate videos - for example if you are doing a video in English and Spanish - you should submit 2 videos with the different audios. Although there are formats for integrated audio switching - our platform doesn't support it at the moment.

Where do we upload the videos?

We will have our own iGEM Platform for video uploading and watching. The submission procedure and the ''iGEM Video Universe'' will be launched in the days leading up to the Project Promotion Video Deadline (September 25th). The upload process is easy and similar to other popular platforms like YouTube or BiliBili.

Are we allowed to have a +/- 10 seconds deviation in terms of the duration of our Project Promotion Video?

The total length of the Project Promotion Video should not exceed 2 minutes, so you are allowed to have videos shorter than 2 minutes but not longer than exactly 2:00 minutes.

Could we add some further information of our team (e.g social media, sponsors, website) at the end of the video?

Yes, you are allowed to add any further information but always remember to follow the Video Deliverables Guidelines and that the length of your Project Promotion Video should not exceed 2 minutes.

If our Project Promotion Video contains only a few spoken sentences (in the interview part), do we still need to submit the subtitles?

Yes, subtitles are required. You can add them directly when uploading the video via our platform.

If the narration part in our Project Promotion Video is shown in words instead of speaking, do we still need to record another audio in our native language and submit it?

Multilingual narration is not required and it's up to you. We do encourage it but it's not a hard requirement. The way it will work is that you submit another video with a different audio.

Have we missed something?

Let us know. We will be actively working on updating this page with new info. It will be a collaborative effort. If you come across very useful tutorials - send it to us.

Contact us at: video[AT]igem[DOT]org

Videos/FAQ

iGEM 2020 - Video Deliverables FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions