Commons:Wiki Loves Earth 2024/Video nomination

In 2024, Wiki Loves Earth presents a new special nomination “Video”, allowing uploaders to showcase the natural heritage broadly.

Wikipedia articles can be illustrated not only with photos but also with videos. In this special nomination, we recognize videos depicting natural monuments worldwide. The winners on the international level will be selected by a special jury team.

For local organizers

It is an optional nomination for local teams. So, you decide whether to announce, promote, and select local winners for this special nomination.

How to accept videos?

Participants can submit videos the same way they submit photos; in this case, the videos will go to the general Commons category of the photos submitted in your country (e.g., “Images from Wiki Loves Earth 2024 in Peru”).

After the contest, you can sort the files to create a list of videos submitted. We expect that WLX tool will support sorting videos soon; otherwise you can use PetScan (here’s a sample query to get a list of files with file types, which you can then filter in a spreadsheet) or just contact the international team, and we’ll create the list for you.

How to evaluate submitted videos?

To rate the videos, you can choose another jury team with expertise in this field (even three people is enough, but it depends on the number of videos you received). However, it’s okay to assign this task to the existing jury, especially if you have less capacity to form a separate jury panel.

• The easiest tool for ranking your videos is the WLX jury tool. Soon, you will find a short instruction on how to use it.

As with photos, the international team can help set up an evaluation for you.

• Also, you can rate in Google Spreadsheet where jurors will be able to put their marks and comments on each video. After this, you can have an average rate number and choose the best one(s). It is up to you if you have one or more rounds of evaluation.

The template you can find here.

Criteria to follow when rating the videos

• Compliance with the general rules of the contest: this video must be a personal work; be uploaded during the contest period; comply with the general rules of Wikimedia Commons; represent one or more objects of the nature reserve fund of your country; contain the object identifier (ID) and geographical coordinates, etc.
• The entire video should be made within the same area. The video recording should not be a "collage" of video recordings of different objects remote from each other. The video should show one protected area object, or several if they are located nearby or one inside the other.
• The video should have an understandable, descriptive title in your language and\or in English; a detailed description of the video should be provided, specifying the name of the object, its location, and the time and conditions under which the video was made; if the animal is represented – to identify the species.
• Illustrative: the video should cover the protected area (or areas), clearly present it, and characterize it (them).
• Visuality: the video should not have any factors distracting from the main object.
• Visual clarity: the main subject of the video, as well as specific shots, should be in focus and well-lit (neither too dark nor overexposed; not blurred). Compression quality should also be considered, as the video should be sharp and free of pixelation, which can result from poor compression quality.
• Processing in video editors is allowed but refrain from over-editing. Video processing should not noticeably distort reality.
• Composition and camera movement: The video should be shot cleanly and simply. Do not use fast zoom; try to make slow movements (pan, angle, zoom, walk around the landmark, etc.) so that you can focus on the details of the image.
• Stabilization: The video shouldn't have any strong shaking. You can use a tripod or any stabilizer to help make the video more stable, even if you are filming it while walking around the attraction.
• Video recording involves changing frames. A video from one angle, in which the frames are not very different or do not differ from each other, will receive a low score. If you have such video files, uploading one of the video frames as an image is better.
• Color: The image should have moderate saturation.
• Audio: The video can be submitted without sound. If there is sound in the background (e.g., voiceover narration or natural ambient noise), keeping it at a constant level throughout the video is preferable. Sharp, loud background noises are not desirable. If you are narrating something, we recommend adding subtitles. We do not recommend adding music. It is important to remember that if you comment on something yourself, you are the author of the audio track. But if someone else comments, the copyright will not belong to you. The same goes for music – you can either use your own performance of the music you composed and performed or take audio under a free license (and mention the author and license separately for music and performance if they are different people);
• Format: Theora or WebM format should be used for video encoding, and the file resolution should be at least 720 pixels on the smaller side (for example, 1280x720). We will also accept videos with lower resolutions, but such videos will have less chance of winning.

What are the criteria for submitting your local winning videos to the international level?

You can submit up to 5 local winning videos by adding them to the page or emailing the international organizing team by 1st September 2024. Make sure you have checked all the requirements that you can find above for your winning images before submitting.

For uploaders

When to upload?

Uploading dates for the videos are the same as for the images. Follow your country’s guidelines and timelines to find out when you can upload it.

How to submit your video?

From the technical side, you can upload a video the same way as an image through the uploader. Important notes before submitting:

• Copyright — all elements of the video must be under a free license (including music if it’s added; you can also submit videos without videos);
• Video format — Wikimedia Commons does not support many popular video formats (like mp4). You need to use a conversion tool; the best one is https://video2commons.toolforge.org/.

Wikimedia Commons can handle Ogg Theora, MPEG-1, and MPEG-2, and the best quality is WebM HD. Usually, however, your camera or phone creates images in other formats such as MP4, RAW, etc. If so, you will need to search the web for a free converter to convert to WEBM HD. For example, download 'Miro Video Converter' (not 'Miro'!) which is 100% free and open-source.

You can edit and add audio and video files using the free Da Vinci Resolve. Audio files from Commons can be converted to MP3 for Da Vinci. If you want to add music, there is loads of open-license stuff on Wikimedia Commons, such as those by Sascha Ende or Kevin MacLeod — search on Commons, and do attribute at the start and end of the video!

If I want to submit only a video without uploading the images for the main contest, can I participate?

Yes, definitely! We will be glad to see how you showcased a protected natural site in a video format, it is not necessary for you to upload the images for the main contest, though it is welcomed:)