Two boys taking selfie

Would you like your child to be a 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 your child on your phone (or another digital device) then send us your footage. We want to hear in their own words, and in their own surroundings, what makes their experience learning English 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 love it if your child could 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 your child to answer two questions in their 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 they answer both questions is entirely up to them. They may want the focus to be on their teachers, or the friends they’ve made, what they do in class, the teaching materials, or their hopes and dreams for the future. Just say whatever comes naturally. We really want to hear what gets them excited about the course and the future!

Top Tip: If you’re not sure how to answer the questions, why not start by using the phrases below?

“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

We’re sure you’ve recorded your child – and selfie films – before, but here are some tips to help you get the best possible recording.

  • Hold your device horizontally.
  • You could get someone to hold the camera for you, prop it up somewhere, or allow your child to film in selfie mode / with a selfie stick.
  • Make sure your phone is stable and that your child’s whole head and shoulders can be seen.
  • 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 they are saying. So try and go somewhere quiet.
  • 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 them 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: It may help to write down what to say together first, 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.
  • Wait a second or two before they start to speak. Do the same thing when they 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 child’s 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!