- Your camera should always be with you. An action camera like the GoPro is definitely an advantage. If it is too expensive for you, there are cheaper alternatives For example the one from Rollei. For photos, but also for shots with a stand, a system or SLR camera is a good choice. But also many mobile phones are now taking ingenious pictures and videos.
- Afterwards gather material: Ask friends if they can make videos or pictures of you. On the material you should be: clearly visible, without other friends or people, showing your skills, be authentic, show them what they may not have seen yet, filming long enough so that the sponsors can get an idea of you and your skills, look for great sceneries -your skills look even better in a great environment.
- Cut your highlights together. Consider which parts could be interesting for the sponsors and leave out the parts which aren’t special or meaningful. You know this from videos on YouTube, you just switch off if the video is not interesting. Therefore it should not be longer than 2-3 minutes.
- You have no experience in cutting? There are many free programs, like Xmedia Recode, Windows Movie Maker or Virtual Dub. Professional editing programs can often be tested for free for one month, such as Premiere Pro from the AdobeCloud.
- Now you have the program, but still no clue? Look at the material, i.e. look at which scenes are important. Youtube videos show you quickly and easily how to cut important scenes together. However, if you’re having trouble, most mobile phones have a cut function, which is not perfect but certainly self-explanatory.
- Of course the sponsors are not looking for a professional cutter. Don’t worry if the video is not as professional as Red Bull’s 😉 For the sponsors you and your skills are important not your video skills. But a good video can still differentiate you from the competitors.
- You can also edit the images by placing the appropriate filter over them. Remember that the images should look “real” and the filters only make a small difference. I.e. A comic filter does not look professional.
- Save the images as png or jpeg. It should not be too large files. The sponsor could quickly lose interest if he has to wait because of long loading times. The videos are best exported as mp3. You can export the material for web, this option adapts it accordingly.
- If your files are too large and there are no instructions from the sponsor on how to send your application, you can also share the files via wetransfer.com, via your dropbox or cloudlink.
