Two boys taking selfie

Would you like to star in the British Council’s latest video?

The British Council is creating a series of short films to shine a spotlight on our connected community of students all around the world. 

We’d like you to film yourself on your phone (or another digital device) then send us your footage. We want to hear in your own words, and in your own surroundings, what makes learning with the British Council great.

The great news is that we are giving away 20 sweatshirts to 20 newly born video stars chosen at random from all submissions that meet our requirements. 

What we’d like you to do

1. First of all we would like you to read the lines below into camera (these are taken from a longer script that we will edit together):

“Learn together in friendly classes”

“Where you can be yourself”  

“And build lifelong friendships”

“With classmates all over the world”

2. Next we’d like you to answer two questions in your own words. (You don’t have to record them all in one go, but you can if you want to):

Question 1:

What is it like learning English at the British Council?

Question 2:

Where do you want to go with your English skills?

How you answer both questions is entirely up to you. You may want to talk about your teachers, the friends you’ve made, what you do in class, the teaching materials, or your hopes and dreams for the future. Just say whatever you are most passionate about. We really want to hear what gets you excited about the course and the future!

Top Tip: If you’re not sure how to answer, simply start by using the phrases below, then finish in your own words.

“I love learning with the British Council because…”  

“Learning English at the British Council  is…”

A girl taking selfie

How to make your film awesome

  1. Hold your device horizontally.
  2. You could get someone to hold the camera for you, prop it up somewhere, or hold it in selfie mode/use a selfie stick.
  3. Make sure your phone is stable and your whole head and shoulders can be seen.
  4. No longer than 45 seconds, please, but they can be as short as you want. A bit of practice first will help you get the timing just right.

Tips to help you get the best out of your clip

  • A quiet place: It’s best not to record anywhere too noisy. Traffic noise might make it hard to hear what you are saying. So try and go somewhere quiet. You can record your video in the British Council, however, please make sure there are no logo on the background. You can record your video in the Teaching Centre. Please make sure there is no British Council logo in the background.
  • A light place: Please don’t record anywhere too dark. If you’re inside a building, face a window. Try not to have the window or a light behind you as you may just end up a silhouette.
  • Clean your lens: A quick wipe before you start will help make sure your recording isn’t spoiled by smudges.
  • Nice background: If you have access to a quiet garden or outdoor space, film there.
  • Practice: You can write down what you plan to say and have a few goes before you actually record it.
  • Sound natural: Ideally they should not read from notes – we would like them to sound as natural as possible.
  • Try to get a second or two before you start to speak. Do the same thing when you finish, before you press stop, too.
  • And don’t forget to smile and have fun!

When you’re finished…

You don’t have to edit anything. Once you are happy with your recording you can upload the file or files from a phone, tablet or computer at:

https://brandhub.britishcouncil.org

You’ll find simple instructions on that page too, but here’s how it works.

Step 1:

Drag and drop your video file to upload  it. There is no need to register.

Step 2:

Enter your email address, and add your name, age, city and country in the message box. That’s it!

Send your film before March 22.

Thanks for taking part. We can’t wait to see your video!