A live-action video clip of up to two minutes, filmed and edited by one entrant and rated by a panel on idea, camera work, editing and sound.
Video - Short Clips is a multimedia category in which one entrant submits a very short piece of filmed, live-action video, capped at two minutes. It might be a tiny story, a documentary moment, a music or dance clip shot for the camera, a how-to, or a visual joke. The category rewards a complete small idea captured and cut well, not a long production.
Nothing is performed in front of the panel. The entrant shoots and edits the clip beforehand and hands in a finished file, which the judges watch on a screen, normally with the sound on. With only two minutes, a good clip has one clear premise, a shot list planned in advance and an edit that cuts every shot that does not earn its place.
On eTalenter the item is carried by the international teen talent template, in the Multimedia category, as an individual item for ages 13 to 19, open to both genders, in English. The template sets a two-minute maximum and a maximum score of 5. It is the live-action counterpart of the animated short-clips class, and it sits beside a short film class and a long film class that allow more running time.
Organisers like the class because it opens the programme to entrants who prefer a camera to a stage, needs only a screen and speakers at the venue, and lets a panel compare many entries quickly because each one is so short.
Where Video - Short Clips is run
On eTalenter this item is carried by one template, the international teen talent template, where the video classes sit beside the animated classes, photography, computer graphics, multimedia presentation and website design in the Multimedia division. Short video categories also appear in school media festivals, youth film events and community arts programmes, but this page records only the template that carries the item, so organisers should check their own notice for file format, delivery method and judging headings.
- United States
- Worldwide
Key facts
- Individual item: one entrant films, edits and submits one clip
- Maximum length is two minutes, set in the template
- Maximum score of 5 in the teen template
- Ages 13 to 19, open to both genders, English language
- Sits in the Multimedia category beside Video - Short Film and Video - Long Film
- Submitted as a finished file and watched by the panel, not performed live
On eTalenter, Video - Short Clips is filed under Multimedia and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Video - Short Clips is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 5, commonly time-limited to around 2 minutes where a limit is set.
How it is scored
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means.
- Best score is
- the highest
- Decimal places
- 1
- Used for
- Arts
Where it sits
The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed.
Others in this category: Animation, Video, Computer Graphics, Website Design, Digital Photography, Multimedia Presentation
Judging criteria installed for it
eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed.
- Cinematic Techniques
- Creative Storytelling Techniques
- Innovative Script Writing
- Narrative Clarity
- Narrative Cohesion
- Narrative Pacing
What judges look at in Video - Short Clips
What a Video - Short Clips panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Idea and storytelling: one clear premise that lands inside two minutes, with a beginning, a turn and an ending
- Camera work: steady, well-framed shots, sensible use of close-ups and wide shots, and focus and exposure that hold up
- Editing: cuts that follow the action, pace that suits the subject, and no dead footage at the start or end
- Sound: clear speech or music, balanced levels, and no wind noise, hiss or clipped audio
- Originality: a personal angle rather than a copy of a well-known clip or trend
- Technical finish: correct export, aspect ratio and resolution, readable titles and credits that fit inside the limit
- Time discipline: a clip that stays within two minutes without rushing the ending
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Video - Short Clips under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.
How to prepare for Video - Short Clips
How entrants and their teachers usually get Video - Short Clips right on the day:
- Write the idea in one sentence and sketch a shot list before filming; if it cannot be told in two minutes, shrink it
- Film more than you need but plan each shot, so editing is choosing rather than rescuing
- Shoot in good light and hold the camera steady, using a tripod or a firm surface where you can
- Record sound carefully: get close to speakers, shelter from wind and test with headphones before the real take
- Cut ruthlessly: remove the first and last few seconds of each shot unless they add something
- Export a rough cut early and check the real running time against the two-minute ceiling
- Ask someone who has not seen the clip to watch once and say what happened; if they miss the point, simplify
- Export in a common format at the size the notice asks for and keep a backup on a second device
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Every event that runs Video (2)
This competition is run in different forms by different organisers. These are the most popular ready-made templates that include any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Video - Short Clips judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How long can a Video - Short Clips entry be?
The teen template sets a two-minute maximum. The longer video classes are separate short film and long film classes.
What is the difference between Video - Short Clips and Animated - Short Clips?
Both are two-minute multimedia classes, but this one is filmed live action while the animated class is drawn, modelled or stop-motion. The template lists them as separate items.
Is it a team item?
No. In the teen template it is an individual item, so each clip is entered and rated as one entrant's work. Check your notice for any rule on help with filming or acting.
Can I use music or footage I did not make?
The template does not say. Check your own notice for rules on music, stock footage and ownership before submitting.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every multimedia competition item.
Try Video - Short Clips in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Video - Short Clips, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
