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over 3 years ago

Three weeks to go + video tips for your submission

There are three weeks remaining in the Amazon Raise-Up Buildathon. Submissions are due July 15 before 5pm EDT. (Find out what time that is in your city)

We know as devs and innovators, your expertise normally lies behind the scenes, however, the submission video needs time too! It's often the first (and sometimes only!) thing that judges review.

Your video tells the story behind your submission, providing a clear to showcase your software and talent in a video

  • Establish your elevator pitch. In the first few seconds of your video, explain how your solution helps the nonprofit sector and cultural institutions
  • Within 60 seconds, viewers tend to lose interest, so use this time wisely to keep them engaged!
  • Show, don't tell. Providing real life context and showing users firsthand how your app benefit organizations will help judges understand and appreciate your solution.
  • Keep it simple. Your video shouldn't be longer than five minutes.
  • Don't wait until the last minute to upload your video. Due to file size, format, and your Internet connection, uploading a video to YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
  • Get organized. Write out a script of what you’ll say and demonstrate in your video and rehearse it before recording.  Essentially a good script should talk about:
    • The problem that nonprofit organizations and cultural institutions are facing
    • Existing solutions to the problem
    • The solution that your project provides
    • How the app/platform provides it and uses AWS Services
  • Pro Tip: Don't wait until the last minute to upload your video. Due to file size, format, and your Internet connection, uploading a video to Facebook Video, YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.  We cannot stress this enough!  There have been many times a submission becomes ineligible due to errors with video rendering and uploading.

We can’t wait to see your project and how you showcase it in your video.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the hackathon, please post on the discussion forum.