With about one month to go before the world of 7 billion (W7B) student video contest submissions are due, we thought it would be helpful to dig into what makes a winning video for this contest. Through some diligent research we identified some interesting correlations and suggestions for creating winning videos for the W7B contest! Don’t forget, submissions are due February 28th and are open to all middle and high school students!

So what are winning videos like? We reviewed the past 5 years of World of 7 Billion winners and identified key statistics about the videos that might help you create a winning video of your own this year. Here they are:

1. Problem & Solution

Make sure that your video includes information about both the problem and your solution. It is not enough for W7B just to describe the topic that you are creating a video about, you must also describe how you would create a solution to that challenge! Every winning video over the last 5 years has some information about the problem followed by a good description of a solution.

2. Music Track

Although it is not a requirement from the W7B rules, the vast majority of winning videos over the last 5 years included some background music or audio to supplement the voices. 97% of the winning high school videos, and 56% of the middle school videos selected as either 1^st or 2^nd place included a background music track to support their video.

3. Video versus Animation?

There was little correlation between the type of video and winning. We grouped videos into four categories: (1) Video, (2) Stop Motion, (3) Slide Show, (4) Animation. Many winning videos included multiple types in one video. However, overall there was little correlation and it does not seem to matter which type of video you create. For high school winners, 30% used animation, 30% used video, 20% used stop motion, and 17% used a slideshow style (remember some videos used multiple styles). So there is little correlation between winning and what style you use. Use whatever style works best for you. There are great video editing apps available for free online, as well as other apps you can use to create simple animations or stop motion videos.

4. Statistics

Statistics are important! 90% of first or second place award winners in high school included multiple statistics about the problem or solution they are proposing. These are actual numbers about the topic they’re describing. Additionally, 72% of winning middle school videos also included specific statistics. So make sure to include some detailed statistics in your video to help improve your chances.

Remember, you don’t need to be a professional film-maker to be successful at the World of 7 Billion video contest! In fact, only 10% of the rubric focuses on production (including visual and sound elements). Make sure your video follows the competition guidelines, and try to use these recommendations from our review of past winners, and you’ll have a great shot! Of course, following these recommendations is not a guarantee you will win, but based on our review of the past winners, they could help. Good luck!