First of all, cool videos dashingly collect likes on Instagram. Secondly, a catchy video is a way to stand out among thousands of participants where you have to show yourself. Third, anyone can make a masterpiece.

Step 1: Prepare your technique for the shoot

The first thing to do is to get out of your head and think "Do I need a professional camera to make a great video? If festival films and glossy covers are now filmed on a phone, you can make a video for a contest in an easy way. The main thing is to get your smartphone ready to shoot:

Put the device into air mode so that a cold call from the military office doesn't ruin the take.
Check that there is enough memory space for video in good quality and that the battery is charged.
Wipe the camera. Not with your finger, but with a special cloth or at least a T-shirt. This point can be skipped if the video is conceived in the style of von Trier films.

Step 2: Add music

Alas, no matter how brilliant the idea of dubbing your workout with Travis Scott's latest hit may seem, most of the popular tracks cannot be used for your videos - it violates the copyrights. YouTube and all the social networks, where it is customary to share video content, mercilessly ban offenders for disobedience. If you don't want to lose your work because of such mistakes, look for the music in the catalogs of tracks where you can check the license and find out if it's necessary to mention the author of the composition, pay him a fee, and get in touch with him at all. The most popular Creative Commons licenses are of different types: some of them can't be used for commercial purposes, some require written permission from the author - so you need to check it out. It is easier to look for royalty free music dubbing in free track libraries.

Step 3: Think about genre, plot and choose a location

Working on your video will be more fun once you decide on the genre. You can use your chosen style as a starting point for finding a location, choosing an editing technique, and finding a soundtrack. For example, a video in the genre of happening will require a sunny day, bright clothes, cheerful music, and the same editing. Video in noir style can be shot against the background of dumpsters - but here it is important not to overestimate the sense of humor of those watching. Usually, parodies of famous films and works of mass culture look splendid, and the easiest way to make a video watchable is to insert a cat or another cute living creature into the frame as if in between.

Just don't get too creative: Highly clever allusions are meaningless if the video is hard to watch due to technical imperfection. Make sure the background doesn't distract too much attention (you have to be the star), the frame rate and animated details don't drive viewers into epilepsy, and the camera doesn't shake.

Step 4: Choose a shooting mode

Today's smartphones can shoot video in more than just real-time, and it's a shame not to take advantage of that. Perhaps time-lapse is more appropriate for your idea - you know, when clouds rush across the sky, sunsets change to sunrises and all that in a few seconds? To shoot a video in this mode, you need to set your phone on a flat surface, so that at the most important moment the video doesn't end with a hardcore screen drop.

The antipode of timelapse is the Slo-Mo mode, i.e. slow motion. It is unlikely that you should shoot the whole clip in this format, but it is a good idea to use the technique to emphasize important details.

Another important technical tip: If the script requires the hero to say something in the frame, make sure to use a headset or an external microphone. Otherwise, especially when shooting on the street, there is a great chance to get a set of noises instead of intelligible speeches.

Step 5: Process the video

Statistically, videos shorter than a minute are twice as likely to be viewed to completion as longer videos. That's the first reason to edit all your footage into a small, fast-paced clip. The bad news - a normal program, in which even a non-professional can cope with editing, adjusting contrasts, and imposing special effects and music, is better to buy. They have more features and good galleries with titles and additional elements that will immediately distinguish your video from those that were made on a knee. However, most video editors (iMovie, DaVinci Resolve, OpenShot Video Editor, Adobe Premiere Clip) have both free and paid versions.

Step 6: From words to deeds!

Theoretical base on the basics of video on the phone you got, but where to apply all the tips in practice? Of course, in the most active competition Red Bull Street Fit! You don't need to be a sports pro, just be able to do a nice squat or push-up. Capture your outdoor workouts, post to Instagram, and get a chance to win prizes from Red Bull & Under Armour.