Tell Your Community Story in 60 Seconds
21 August 2025
As part of Linn an Fhearainn / 100 Years of Community Ownership, Community Land Scotland has been building a digital archive of community ownership stories from across Scotland. We’d love to hear your story – in your own words. A short 60-second recording is plenty to share the heart of your community’s journey.
This page provides tips on how to plan and make your video. We have also recorded sample videos of all three formats below for you to watch for inspiration.
You can visit the archive at www.100years.scot
How to make a short video on your phone for Community Land Festival
Quick Guide For community stories and archive submissions
- Participants must be 16+
- Everyone on screen or audio must complete the digital permissions form before filming. Click here to access this.
- Respect privacy: avoid filming private info; get consent for bystanders
- Use only media you own or that is royalty free (music/images).
What You Will Need
- Mobile phone
- You may need access to a software programme that will allow you to edit your videos and audio clips together. Some freely available options are iMovie or CapCut, both of which are easy to use. You can also use Canva if you would like to edit on laptop/ desktop.
STEP ONE: Choose a Format (pick one of the following)
Click on each option to see a sample video in the style.
STEP TWO: Plan & Film (5 – 10 mins planning)
- Aim for 60–90 seconds and outline 3 - 5 bullet points.
- Orientation: Landscape (web/screenings) or Portrait (stories/reels).
- Find a quiet, bright spot. Face a window; avoid backlighting/wind.
- Clean the lens; stabilise your phone (tripod/books).
- Record 2–3 takes; keep clips short and steady.
STEP THREE: Submit your film
- You can either submit your film by email to archive@100years.scot
- Or you can upload it to a file transfer service or online storage drive, if the file size is too large and send us a link to the file
- Alternatively, you can upload it to a platform like YouTube and send us a link.
Format Tips
A. Selfie to camera
- Use the rear camera if possible; try to keep looking at the camera
- Speak clearly; pause between points.
- Hold 1 – 2 seconds at start/end to avoid abrupt cuts.
B. Footage & voiceover
- Film 5 – 10 b-roll clips, of the space, place, details (5 – 8 seconds each).
- Write 120–150 words of narration.
- Record voiceover in a quiet room.
C. Images + text
- Pick 8–12 photos in story order.
- Add short captions (≤10 words).
- Optional: simple royalty free music.
Quick Checklist
- Participants are 16+
- Consent forms are complete
- Quiet location / Bright light
- Good quality image
- Clear Audio
- Captions/Text
- 60–90s
- Named file with your organisations name
- Watched it back over and you’re happy with it
- Sent