Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I submit my videos?
You will submit your videos online through our YouTube Channel starting October 18, 2010.

Do I have to have an account with YouTube to submit my video?
Yes. The account is free, but you will need an account. If there is some reason you do not have access to YouTube, please contact us at videocontest@ldschurch.org.

What do I do if I am blocked from using YouTube?
You can submit your video directly through filesend.ldschurch.org if the file is under five gigabytes. Filesend asks for an e-mail address to send the videos to. When asked, use videocontest@ldschurch.org. You will need to have the videos in mp4 format if you are not submitting them through YouTube. If you have access to YouTube, please do not submit this other method. Submitting your video through YouTube makes them available to the judges more quickly and doesn´t require as much hand processing.

Can I send in my video on a tape or DVD?
To keep things simple, we ask that your videos be uploaded to your YouTube account and then you will need to include the address of your YouTube video in the entry form. If there is some reason you cannot get an account, please contact us at videocontest@ldschurch.org and we will help you get it submitted.

If there is some reason you do not have access to YouTube, please contact us at videocontest@ldschurch.org.

What kinds of issues will disqualify a video from the contest?
Inappropriate content and false or misleading doctrine.

Why can we only use music from the approved list?
To be able to legally post your videos for others to see, we need to make sure the music in the videos does not violate copyright laws. The easiest way to do this with a large number of submissions is to have you use music the Church already owns or that we know is in the public domain.

Why can’t I submit my video with some of my original music?
While many people do write music and want to add the music to their submission, even professionals in the field at times unknowingly add other musical phrases from copyrighted materials into their work. Because of the difficulties in checking all the potential musical problems for the contest, we have limited submissions to include only the music in the approved list. In the current list there are about 1,000 songs and music tracks.

Please note that we do allow you to perform music from the list. These songs should be performed by you and those helping create the videos. Please use the same music and words. If you perform the music, you will need to include signed releases from each person involved in creating the music when submitting your video.

How does a group enter?
Videos are to be submitted once and under one person´s name. A group may work on a video together, but it must be submitted under one of the group member´s name.

Does everyone working ON the video have to be 13 years of age and older?
No. Children may participate in the creation of the video. If their names are submitted as part of the group submitting the video, they will need a parent’s release.

Does everyone IN the video have to be 13 of age and older?
Only the person submitting the video needs to be at least 13 years old. Children under 13 may be in the video with a parent or guardian release.

If I am entering the 13-17 year old category, can an adult help me?
An adult may help in minor ways, but the primary work of the video needs to be done by the individual entering the contest.

How will I know if my video is one of the finalists?
All finalists will be notified by e-mail by March 21, 2011.

How will I know if my video is a winner?
Winners will be notified using contact information that is submitted with the video.

What are the contest rules and guidelines?
They are in the rules and guidelines page on the video contest site.

Can I submit more than one video?
Only one video can be submitted per person. Even if you are a member in a group and not the primary contact, you cannot submit another video on your own.

What if I am a Church employee, but my children want to enter the contest?
All Church employees except for those working in the Audiovisual Department may enter the contest. All Church employee spouses and children may enter the contest.

If we tell a story, can it be fiction?
No. The general rule is that all stories submitted to the International Video Contest need to be actual accounts.

If I am from the United States but am currently residing in another country, what category do I enter, U.S. and Canada or International?
Enter in the category for the country where you are a citizen.

My native tongue is not English. Would you prefer my video be in my language with English subtitles or all be done in English?
Feel free to create the video either way. However, if you record the video in your own language, you must include English subtitles.

Can I use the LDS Church’s official Mormon Message slate at the end of the Mormon Message I am creating?
No. Since you are the creator of the video, it would not be appropriate to insert the Church’s official Mormon Message slate at the end of the video. These slates are reserved for official Church use only.

What if I want to submit a video, but I don’t want to enter the contest?
Within a few weeks we will have a way for you to submit videos to the Church that are not included in the contest.