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Video Contest Guidelines and Resources

Guidelines

For Grades 6–12

The STTP Video Contest is designed to engage students in human rights by creating a 3-5 minute video that utilizes creative storytelling to engage the viewer in a human rights issue. Videos should creatively answer most of the questions below. The chosen defender/topic, as well as, the selected storytelling format should guide your decision on what to include in the film.

  • What is the human rights issue?
  • How does the human rights issue relate to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
  • How did the defender attempt to improve the situation?
  • What is the connection between your chosen defender and the work of Robert F. Kennedy? (you can use quotes, archival footage or include a connection in the film’s narration)
  • How is the human rights issue connected to your community?
  • What can the defender’s work teach us?
  • How can someone help with this issue and be a defender?
  • What have you done to uplift your community as a result of making your video?

For College Students

RFK will be awarding one College Winner at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024. College entries should be 3-5 minutes in length and focus on a specific contemporary human rights issue. Films should be creative and inspire the viewer to take action. The inclusion of a specific human rights defender is optional for the College category.

All submissions should follow Copyright & Fair Use rules. Click this link for a tutorial on how to find free music and images.

When approaching the contest, please consider the following steps:

  1. Select a Human Rights Defender from the STTP Defenders page or identify a Defender who has worked to promote, protect or advance human rights locally, nationally, or internationally.
  2. Check out previous contest winners and review these resources to learn more about lighting, sound, and camera work.

Let everyone know how art can create a more just and peaceful world by spreading the word about the contest through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Additional Resources

Use the following chart and instructional videos to help you develop, film, and edit your human rights defender film. All materials were created for a film workshop led by Prescott Seraydarian and Meredith Baldi of George School.

Sample Video: Eva Pacheco, Director of EJE Academies
Steps for Making a Human Rights Defender Film
Download
Film Workshop Two: Acquiring Interview Material and Footage
Download
Film Workshop One: Planning Your Film
Download

Copyright and Fair Use

Motion Media

Up to 10 percent of the total or three minutes, whichever is less.

Text Material

Up to 10 percent of the total or 1,000 words, whichever is less. An entire poem of less than 250 words may be used, but no more than three poems by one poet or five poems by different authors in an anthology. For poems exceeding 250 words, 250 words should be used but no more than three excerpts from one poet or five excerpts from different poets in the same work.

Material lyrics, and music video

Up to 10 percent of the work but no more than 30 seconds of the music or lyrics from an individual musical work.

Illustrations or Photographs

No more than five images from one artist or photographer. No more than 10 percent or 15 images, whichever is less, from a collection.

Numerical Data Sets

Up to 10 percent or 2,500 fields or cell entries, whichever is less, from a copyrighted database or data table.

Adapted from Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web. ©1996-2202.

RFK’s Filmmaking Tips

Free Video Editing Tools

This playlist contains overview tutorials on the following FREE video editing software:

It is good to keep in mind that although most of these softwares are free to download, there may be some limitations in using the free version in comparison to the paid version.

Affordable Video Editing Tools

This playlist contains overview tutorials on the following affordable video editing software:

  • VSDC Free Video Editor
  • Lightworks
  • Vimeo Create
  • Kine Master 6

When approaching the contest, please consider the following steps:d Facebook.

Mobile Video Editing Tools

This playlist contains overview tutorials on the following video editing software for iPhone and Android:

Other Resources

Ask your school if the have access to the following premium services

  • Final Cut Pro
  • Adobe Premiere Pro

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