The Power of Short-Form Storytelling: Get Inspired for Your W8B Video
The World of 8 Billion student video contest allows you to learn the art of short-form storytelling and how to communicate your message about one of our global topics in just one minute. The goal is to capture your viewer’s attention, show them why the topic is important, and inspire them with a solution. Think outside of the box and carefully choose your words, imagery, and music to create a short video that really speaks to the audience!
Short-Form Videos, Powerful Results
Short-format videos, like the ones you’ve seen on TikTok and Instagram, have shared powerful messages to millions of people on important social and global issues. From public service announcements to environmental awareness campaigns, these quick, compelling videos spark interest, educate, and inspire change. This is exactly the kind of impact we hope students harness in their own 60-second World of 8 Billion videos.
Real-World Examples of Storytelling Videos in Action
Check out how much you can do in just one minute with these examples of short, powerful videos.
What can a whale teach us about renewable energy?
This National Geographic video delivers a complete story in just one minute by starting with an interesting fact about how the bumps on a whale’s fin help it move more efficiently in water. Then it quickly connects this fact to real-world human innovation, showing how engineers apply that idea to renewable energy technologies. The result is a quick, memorable lesson.
Why Penguins 🐧 Don’t Cross This Invisible Line 🚧 The Equator😱
This one-minute educational video from GeoGlobe Tales immediately pulls the viewers in with a little-known fact about penguins, then quickly answers the “why” behind it. Clear visuals, steady pacing, and simple narration guide you through the topic from beginning to end. This video proves that you don’t need an extensive amount of time to teach something memorable.
Meet bamboo, a wonder plant for ecosystem restoration
The UN Environment Programme highlights bamboo as a sustainable plant for land restoration in this video. They open with a clear explanation of the issue, then introduce bamboo—a viable product which can be used for fuel, as a food source for local animals and even a base for making furniture. This one-minute video ends with a hopeful look towards the future, giving the viewer a strong overview of the subject.
Environmental Awareness Campaign
This video created by a youth advocate in the Philippines, runs a little longer than a minute, but it delivers a strong message about environmental conservation through simple narration and visuals. Despite coming from a creator without an established audience, it has earned over 350,000 views, showing how an impactful video can stand out and make a mark on the world.
Climate action starts at home – IKEA
This IKEA commercial shows that climate action starts at home with small, everyday choices that add up over time. This video was successful because it made sustainability relatable and doable. They guide viewers from awareness to individual action. Although this is a product ad, it delivers an even more powerful message in just over a minute.
Check out More Snackable Video Content
The following videos run a bit longer than one minute, but they’re still quick, engaging, and effective. They show how you can tell a complete story and keep your audience hooked.
- Can you guess the HEAVIEST living organism? (PBSterra)
- What is Biodiversity? (WWF International)
- How microplastics affect your health (UN Environment Programme)
Through the World of 8 Billion student video contest, participating students have the opportunity to create videos, get people thinking about critical global topics, highlight their own innovative solutions, and motivate others to take action towards positive change. We can’t wait to see what you bring to life in just 60 seconds.
