Scholarship recipient toolkit

1. Location, location, location: While you can certainly shoot your video from the privacy of your home, choosing an interesting spot that has some meaning to you can add that little extra piece of zeal and turn a standard video into a stellar one!
2. Plan your content: Before you start shooting, think about what you want to share and how you want to present it. This will help you stay on track and ensure that your videos are cohesive and visually appealing.
3. Use portrait orientation: Opt to shoot your video with your phone. Instagram and Facebook Reels are shown in a portrait frame, so it's important to shoot your videos in this orientation. This will ensure that your content fills the entire screen and looks great on mobile devices. We also recommend filming with at least half your body (head to torso) in frame.
4. Use good lighting: Prevent your face from being obscured in darkness by ensuring there is enough light shining on you from the front, as opposed to standing with any bright light sources behind you. Good lighting is essential for capturing clear and vibrant video footage. Try to shoot in natural light or use a ring light.
5. Experiment with angles and perspectives: Mixing up your camera angles can help keep your Reels visually interesting. Try shooting from different heights, distances and angles to add variety to your content.
6. Stabilize your camera: Shaky footage can be distracting and hard to watch. Be sure to keep your camera steady.
7. Pay attention to your audio: We want to hear your voice! Ensure that your device’s microphone isn’t obstructed while you shoot your video and ideally try to film in places that don’t have too much background noise. Good audio quality is just as important as good video quality. Use a microphone to capture clear, crisp audio or use a smartphone with quality audio recording capabilities.
8. Keep it short and sweet: We will be using your videos to create an Instagram Reel. From the videos, we will cut and edit it into a short clip to tell your story. Keep in mind, engaging Instagram reels are around 30 – 60 seconds in length, so it's important to keep your videos concise and focused.

We want to learn more about you! We know student life is a mix of more than just lectures and textbooks, so we would love to get a glimpse behind the scenes into what makes you, you. Here are a few things to keep in mind for your “Day in the life” video: 

1. Start by planning out your day: Plan and decide which activities you want to include in the video. Think about what makes your day unique and try to capture a mix of school, leisure and any special events or activities.
2. Shoot short clips of each activity: Short clips, rather than long takes, will make it easier to edit the footage into a cohesive reel later on.
3. Don't worry too much: The first take doesn’t need to be perfect. We can always edit and cut clips together later to create a fun and polished final product.
4. Show behind-the-scenes glimpses: Other students are often curious about what goes on behind the scenes of other people's lives. Consider filming moments that share your unique or unexpected perspective on life.
5. Have fun and show your personality: A "day in the life" video is a great opportunity to show your personality and what makes you unique. Don't be afraid to be yourself and let your personality shine through in the video.

Here are examples of shots that could be included in your “Day in the life” video:

1. Waking up and getting ready for the day
2. Eating breakfast
3. Walking or biking to school or class
4. Attending lectures or classes
5. Studying in the library or at a coffee shop
6. Participating in extracurricular activities or clubs
7. Hanging out with friends
8. Doing homework or completing assignments
9. Cooking or eating dinner
10. Relaxing or winding down before bed

Remember to mix up the activities and try to capture a variety of experiences throughout the day. You can also include any special events or activities that make your day unique.