National Marine Week

By simply using your mobile phone, you can make a fantastic short film! Here are some top tips to help you to make your mini marine documentary: 

Stay safe 

Remember your own safety when filming. That means being careful of slippery rocks around rockpools, being aware of tidal timetables, steering clear of cliffs, being aware of the dangers of waves, and not putting yourself in harm's way. Any film that is judged to have put any individual in harm's way will not be eligible for entry. 

Keep wildlife safe

Your film must not put wildlife in harm's way. Give wild animals plenty of space and if rock pooling make sure you follow our guide. Any films deemed to have been harmful to wildlife will not be eligible for entry. 

Orientation 

We advise to shoot your footage in landscape. This means that your films will fill the screen better! If using Instagram stories, reels or IGTV however, portrait usually works better. 

Think about framing

Have your subject either filling the frame or slightly off centre, for a more visually interesting scene. Make sure to check there's nothing in the background tht shouldn't be there, and ensure your subject is in focus. Mix up your shots, too. If you can, get wider shots, and then cut to closer shots where you can see more detail. 

Keep steady!

A tripod is ideal to keep your footage steady, but if you don't have one, make sure that whoever is filming keeps their hands really steady, It's also worth watching the video back to see how it looks. You can always re-shoot sections if you need to. 

Be aware of wind noise

Wind can make it very hard to hear the audio on a video - especially by the coast. Make sure you listen to it back. Being close to the microphone helps, or you might want to film your audio separately as a voiceover - like David Attenborough! Finding a sheltered spot makes a big difference, too. 

Be patient

If you're filming wildlife, be patient! You might need to wait a while to get the shot that you want, and you should not disturb wildlife to make them act in the way that you want them to. 

Home editing

Lots of phones now come with their own editing apps, or you can download apps. This will allow you to film lots of little pieces of footage and put them together. 

1. To enter the competition, #NationalMarineWeek must be used when uploading footage to Twitter or Instagram.
2. If any wildlife or individuals are placed at harm due to the filming of a video, that video will be disqualified from the competition.
3. Under-18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult when filming. 
4. Any individuals who feature in the film must have given permission to do so.
5. Films must be roughly one-minute long to qualify for entry. 
6. The promoter is: The Wildlife Trusts whose registered office is at Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Mather Rd, Newark NG24 1WT.
7. The competition is open to anyone other than those connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
8. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
9. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
10. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter will be via instagram.com/thewildlifetrusts and twitter.com/wildlifetrusts 
11. Videos may be shared from The Wildlife Trusts' accounts, and if this occurs the creator will be credited 
12. The closing date for entry is Sunday 8th August 11.59pm 
13. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
14. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of anything outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
15. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
16. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges appointed by The Wildlife Trusts 
17. The winner will be notified by email /DM on Twitter or Instagram within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
18. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
19. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current [UK] data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
20. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
21. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to The Wildlife Trusts and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy found here,