Top 5 Tips to Nail that Scholarship Video

Hey students! The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement is giving away ten $10,000 scholarships again this year. Planning to pursue a career in ag? You’re eligible! The application will go live on September 29th, so to help you prepare your video, we’ve put together the following tips. Good luck!

1. Thoroughly read specifics.We cannot stress enough the importance of taking the time to thoroughly read the application requirements when applying for any scholarship. You should be aware that the guidelines for a video contest are usually very specific (for example – video file, file size restrictions, etc.). The video you create for our scholarship cannot exceed three minutes and can be put on Vimeo, Youtube, etc. If you get familiar with the specifics at the beginning, organizing your video and entire scholarship application, will be easier.
2. Brainstorm – Take your time, be creative. Begin thinking of a powerful theme that will strongly connect with the viewers. You do not want your viewer checking out halfway through the video. Have a clean, crisp and eye-catching opening. If you can captivate your audience within the first few seconds, you’re well on your way to a winning entry.
3. Location is Key. Where you decide to film your video is important. You shouldn’t film somewhere where there is a lot of extra “fluff” in the background (cars, animals, vibrant colored buildings, etc.) Choose a plain background, or a wide open space outside. Keep it interesting, but not distracting. You don’t want to steer the audience away from the real focus: yourself! Make sure the lighting is great – not too dark and not too light. If you have access to a good camera and lighting equipment, take advantage of that to ensure you will get the best quality.
4. Finalize your script – Practice, practice, practice. Do not start recording yourself until you are confident that this is exactly how you want to go about doing your video submission. If you find something flawed, fix it! Ask friends, family and teachers for suggestions or edits on your script. After your script is finalized, run through it a few times to get comfortable saying it, so when you go to do the real recording, you look confident. Record yourself a few times so you can compare and get the best video possible. Do not wait until the last minute to organize and finalize your script. Manage your time wisely.
5. Submit and good luck! Once you have selected the video that is scholarship-worthy, go back, double check, triple check, and make sure you have followed all of the rules and included everything that was required. Do not submit your work until you are 100% confident with the quality.

The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement is here to support all who work in agriculture. Follow along with us on Facebook to learn more about the #OtherSideofAg!