First of all, a huge thanks for all of you who have participated in our 6 video contests so far!
We've been very pleased with the interest shown in our video contests. The submissions continue to pour in each time, and the overall quality has been getting higher and higher.
Like any contest, there is a large element of subjectivity in the judging, and no doubt there will be some of you who do not agree with our decisions. I know I often disagree with judge's decisions, even when I have no direct interest in the result. Sometimes I'm literally scratching my head to figure out how on earth could the judge(s) have considered one person to have been better/worse than another.
So before you cast your stones at us for our judging,
I think it would be helpful if we be a bit more explicit in what we're looking for in these contests.
In no particular order, here are some of the things we take into consideration and like to see:
Use BrillKids Products!We sometimes get videos showing children reading, but if not a single video show you using Little Reader (in any form), then it's not going to work, however great the video is otherwise. May we remind you to read the rules of the contest carefully.
CustomizationWe love seeing you customize your lessons, whether it's with personal photos, videos, words, or whatever! You get HUGE bonus points for doing this. One side-effect of customizing your lessons with personal files is that it tends to make the lesson much more enjoyable for your child, which leads us to the next one:
FunThe best videos are those which show your child enjoying himself or herself during the lessons. The more 'into' the lesson she is, the better!
Parent-InvolvementOn the topic of fun, we find that the more the parents are involved, the more fun it is for the child. Hence customized lessons involving the parents (or even more family members) tend to be extremely effective.
Age vs. AbilityAnother big factor is whether your child is showing impressive ability in the subject-matter, whether it's in reading, math or music. Naturally, the younger the child is, the more impressive it is for the same ability. As a side-note, we'd like to see more people use the Pattern Phonics flip cards to show a clear grasp of phonics.
Uniqueness and VarietyWe always like to see something different. Many people have surprised us with creative ways of delivering lessons, so don't feel limited to just showing lessons on the computer screen.
Video QualityFirst, we would much rather a video be in widescreen (16:9), and in high-resolution, as high as possible.
Second, if you're using smart phone to record the video, PLEASE don't record the video while holding phone vertically! Turn it to horizontal (landscape) orientation, as otherwise the video would look terrible on Youtube.
Show your child's faceSpeaking of video skills, yes it's important to show the viewer the words that your child is reading (otherwise how do we know how well she is reading?), but don't forget to also show your child's lovely face sometimes!! The best videos would show both at the same time, with the camera alternating between the two.
Please note that there is absolutely no need for either you or your child to look great in terms of appearance, so know that there are no extra points for a fancy dress or makeup (not that there's anything wrong with those either). You and your child could be in a totally disshevelled state and wearing tattered and torn outfit for all we care. It won't make any difference, positive or negative, so don't feel you have to bother to prepare for the video in that way.
Please feel free to ask if you have any questions related to this. Hope the above guidance will give you a better idea of what we are looking for, and hope it inspires you all to make more videos for our next contest!
KL
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