Pan-African STM
Cinema Competition
Are you good at explaining concepts in a clear way?
Would you like to make short explainer videos in science / tech / math?
We are accepting entries for the 2024 Pan-African STM Cinema Competition
Submission deadline: 30 October, 2024
1000 euro prizes for the best explainer videos
ABOUT
PASTMCC is a Pan-African science communication competition.
It is sponsored by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and supported by AIMS South Africa and AIMS Senegal.
Brief instructions for video creators
How do you submit an entry to the Pan-African STM Cinema Competition? It’s easy!
In brief:
(1) Make new video(s) explaining some concept in science, tech, or math.
(2) Get two experts in that area to sign the Referee Form.
(3) Create a Youtube channel, post your video, email us the link and signed referee forms.
The competition is open to anyone over 13 years of age who can show a valid passport, birth certificate, or national identification card for an African country. Multiple 1,000-euro prizes are available, depending on the number of high quality videos submitted. Up to 7,000 euro are available in total.
Deadline: 30 October, 2024.
Detailed instructions for video creators
In detail:
(1) Create the film(s):
Create a new video where you explain some established concept in math, science, or tech. By ‘science’, we mean physical sciences: biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, environmental science, agricultural science, computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning. Entries in math, statistics, and tech are also welcome.
The video should be 6 minutes long or less. It should be in very clear English. However, for bonus prize money, you can submit separate replicas of the video in other languages. Native African languages are especially welcome.
There is no limit to the number of films you can submit. Submit as many as you wish, the more films submitted, the higher your chances of winning. It is possible to win more than one prize.
If you would like to explain a more elaborate concept, you can make a sequence of short videos, each 6 min long or less.
Working in groups is certainly permitted. In the event that your group wins a prize, all members will have their names announced as winners. However, the prize money will be sent to one designated person, and it will be up to you to divide the winnings as you collectively decide.
Films can be made on Zoom, Discord, Webex, …, with your phone, or any other method.
(2) Get two experts to approve your videos:
Have a minimum of two experts watch your video(s) and have them check them for correctness and clarity. (Three experts is ideal, but not necessary.) The experts must (a) hold a PhD in the general topic area of your videos, or (b) they must have a degree in the topic of your videos, and be currently employed in that area.
Have the experts each sign a Referee Form (attached).
(3) Create your own Youtube channel, post your video, send us the link.
Creating your own Youtube channel is easy! If you don’t already have a Youtube channel, then here are the instructions:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1646861?hl=en
( In case you don’t already have a gmail account:
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en )
Once you’ve created your own Youtube channel, upload your video(s).
In the description (or comments) of your video, please display the following sentence:
“This film has been submitted to the 2024 PanAfrican STM Cinema Competition. It has been refereed and approved by Dr …… from ……. University, and by Dr …… from …….. University.”
Then email
(+) your name and contact details
(+) the links for your videos
(+) the signed referee forms
to the email address: pastmcc2024@gmail.com
Note: By submitting your entry to pastmcc2024@gmail.com, You, the Contestant, have affirmatively reviewed, accepted, and agreed to the Terms and Conditions.
Would you like to help?
Please distribute the
Instructions for video creators, T&C
to anyone you think may be interested.
Tips and Hints
(+) Clarity. The best presenters tend to speak slowly and deliberately. Any writing needs to be very easy to read. Pretend that you are explaining a new concept to a friend. How can you communicate your message to them so that they understand?
(+) Be creative. How can you present your material so that it’s fun and easy to understand for your audience? How can you make your videos stand out?
(+) Distribute your video links out to as many people as possible. At least one prize will go to the video with the most likes. For this reason, it is also a good idea to post your videos as early as possible before the deadline.
(+) Can you speak multiple languages? Bonus prize money will be given to winners for every replica of their video they create in another language. Native African languages are especially welcome. Only the English versions will be refereed, so it is important that the extra language videos have the exact same scientific content as the English one.
(+) Clarity, correctness, and creativity are more important than having fancy graphics or effects.
See Antsa the Math Teacher on role models.
Here are some examples of great explainer videos:
Photosynthesis
Product Rule
https://youtu.be/GH0UzBQs1lY?t=4
DNA
https://youtu.be/JXGyXtNsu14?t=436
Climate Change
Topology
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN8hK3YFqhM
Circulating Oceans
Geometry (in French)
Water
Machine Learning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2MzPGdkxsE
Good luck!