Lesson 6: Video Production

Guide students through a quick-write and/or discussion on the following prompt: If you were a judge for the CIC competition, what would you look for in an effective and engaging video?

Show and discuss the CIC Judging Rubric 2026/27. This is how all submissions are scored and winners are determined by CAVU’s international panel of judges.

• Discuss the Project Requirements: in order for a project to be eligible for the Climate Innovation Challenge, these requirements must be met. Failure to meet these requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. 
• Review the five judging criteria, focusing on what it looks like to meet and exceed expectations.

Show the “Tips and Tricks” (7:07) video created by CAVU’s Youth Advisory Board to support CIC students in their video making process.

As a class, review the 6 steps for filming, editing, and submitting their CIC videos on page 1 of the CIC Video Creation & Submission Roadmap. Guide your students through each step, discussing with them what each step will require. For each step ask students to consider the following individually or with their CIC groups:

• What materials will you need?
• How much time might this step take?
• Where could this step take place?

In order to help you and your students prepare for video production, here is a step-by-step roadmap to the video creation and submission process. 

1. PLAN: Get your script, storyboard, and other pre-production materials ready. Review the CIC Judging Criteria and make sure your video clearly explains the climate problem you are addressing and your creative solution. Decide what your audience will see and hear in each part of the video.

2. GATHER: Collect everything you will need to make your video. This might include photos, video clips, drawings, props, interview questions, music, or materials for a prototype or project. If you are interviewing someone, prepare your questions ahead of time and make sure they know the interview may appear in a video shared online. Decide where you will film and what needs to happen before filming begins.

3. FILM & RECORD: Use your script and storyboard as a guide while you create your footage. Film scenes, demonstrate your solution or project, conduct interviews, and record your narration. If you are filming with a phone, think about lighting, sound, and keeping the camera steady. Make sure your audience will be able to clearly see and hear the important parts of your story.

4. EDIT: Use Canva Pro or another video-editing program to put your project together. Arrange your video clips, photos, drawings, and narration in an order that makes your story easy to follow. Add text, transitions, music, and other visuals where they help communicate your message. Remember that your final CIC video must be under four minutes.

5. REVIEW & REVISE: Watch your video from beginning to end and ask: Does our story make sense? Can viewers understand the climate problem and our solution? Can they clearly see and hear everything? Then complete a self-review or peer review using the CIC Judging Criteria Analysis. Use the feedback you receive to revise your video and make your message stronger.

6. FINAL CHECK & EXPORT: Before you finish, check that your video meets the CIC Judging Rubric and Competition Criteria. Make sure any music, images, or other materials you did not create yourself are allowed to be used and properly credited. Include any required citations or disclosures, including disclosures for permitted AI-supported tools. Then save or download your finished video as an MP4 file and watch the exported version one last time.

On page 2, have students fill out the “check your evidence” activity individually or in their CIC groups.

• This activity helps students identify the evidence they are using to support their climate problem and solution, and prepares them to cite and communicate that evidence clearly in their videos. Students should be able to identify:
  • What are the 2–3 most important facts, findings, or pieces of evidence in our video?
  • Where did each piece of evidence come from?
  • How will we communicate this evidence clearly to our audience?

Before asking the students to record their videos, have them go through this short checklist to ensure they are ready:

Before you start filming or recording, make sure you/your team is ready:

• Are we ready to try more than once? It is okay to record a scene again if something does not look or sound right.
• Do we know what we are filming? Review your script and storyboard so everyone knows what happens in the scene.
• Do we have everything we need? Gather any props, signs, drawings, prototypes, costumes, or other materials that will appear in the video.
• Is our device ready? Make sure your phone, tablet, or camera is charged and has enough storage space.
• Is this a good place to record? Look for a location with enough light and as little background noise as possible.
• Can we keep the camera steady? Use a tripod, stand, or stable surface when possible.
• Can we hear the speaker clearly? Record a short test clip and listen to it before filming the full scene.
• Do we have permission to film everyone who will appear? Make sure anyone being recorded knows the video may be shared as part of the CIC project.

Other Important Considerations:

Before your students begin filming, talk about these important considerations for the filming process. 

• Interviews & Locations: If students interview people or film in community locations, they should plan these elements in advance. Interviewees should know that their recordings may appear in a video shared online. Students should also make sure they have permission to film people who appear in their videos. 
• Recording Audio: Students may want to record their script as an audio track before designing the visuals for their video. Students can record an audio file separately and upload it to Canva, or record their script directly on Canva using these steps:
  • Click “Uploads” on the left hand menu of a new presentation or other type of project→click “Record yourself” → click “Record a talking head” to record an audio recording (the student’s image can be changed or hidden after the fact if desired) 

• Captions: Add captions to spoken content so your video is accessible to a wider audience. If using Canva, students can use the automatic captioning tool and then review and edit the captions for accuracy.
  • On your video, click on Text in the left-hand side panel.
  • Look under the Dynamic text section and select Captions.
  • Choose the specific video clip you want to transcribe (if you have multiple clips) and click Generate captions.
  • Edit the captions as needed

• Documenting Action: If your project includes implementing a solution, creating a prototype, volunteering, or another form of action, decide what you want to document and what needs to happen before filming begins.
• Tracking Progress & Goal Setting: Build ownership and self-management skills by having students set goals and track their progress for each day of the video creation process. These can also be done as a class.

Additional Video Resources

The resources below offer additional guidance and suggestions that students can use while making their videos:

• Adding Royalty-Free Music to Your Project
• How to Use a Smartphone for Filming
• How to Use Additional Film Accessories

Students now bring together the work they’ve completed throughout the CIC curriculum—identifying a locally relevant climate issue, researching the problem, developing a feasible solution, and planning how to communicate their ideas through storytelling. They are ready to turn that work into a finished video that can inform others and inspire action!

As students move into the filming stage, have them follow the CIC Video Creation & Submission Roadmap. Instruct your students to go through each step of the roadmap carefully. This roadmap breaks the filming and submitting process into 6 “stages,” making it more digestible. 

Once students have created their video, have them fill out the final “Before you Submit” Checklist located at the end of the CIC Video Creation & Submission Roadmap. If they are missing any requirements, help them fix their project.

At some point near the end of the time allotted for video production, have students assess their own video or a peer’s video using LESSON 6: CIC JUDGING CRITERIA SELF/PEER ANALYSIS activity in their CIC PRIMARY STUDENT WORKBOOK. Encourage students to focus on specific evidence from the video rather than simply assigning a score.

After completing the analysis, students should identify one or two specific changes they can make to strengthen their video. Students then revise their video before submitting it.

When your video is finished, download/export it as an MP4.

Film Freeway Submission Instructions: CAVU staff created detailed instructions on the submission process. Please start this process early, so as to ensure a smooth experience. 

• You may also choose to use this video tutorial on how to submit to FilmFreeway.

Media Release Forms: All students planning to enter the CIC video competition must have a video release form on file. If students are under 18, a parent/guardian must sign CAVU’s media release form. If students are 18 or older, they must sign and submit their own release form.

• Media Release Form (English Version)
• Media Release Form (Spanish Version)

Next Steps for Your CIC Project: Your CIC project does not have to end when the competition is over. Explore these resources to find ways to share your film, use your project to create change in your community, or enter your work in other opportunities and film competitions.