Communications Toolkit

Video Resources

Video is a powerful tool for sharing and promoting UC ANR research and programs. These resources are designed to help you leverage the power of video in your work.

 

Submitting videos to UC ANR channels

Strategic Communications curates UC ANR's main YouTube channel and maintains accounts across multiple social media platforms.  YouTube and social media videos have some differences:

  • YouTube videos...
    • ...can run for 3 minutes to 2 hours or more
    • ...are viewed in a horizontal (landscape) format by viewers on computers or televisions
    • ...consist of a broad range of styles, including narrative, educational, instructional, and documentary
    • ...have audiences with expectations of quality that runs the gamut from rough-and-ready phone shorts to workshops recorded over Zoom to slick programming suited for broadcast television or cinema
    • ...exist exclusively on YouTube, but can be embedded in other websites.
  • Social media videos... 
    • ...are short, typically running between 1.5 and 3 minutes, the shorter the better
    • ...are viewed in a vertical (portrait) format by viewers on smartphones and tablets 
    • ...consist of punchy styles optimized for short attention spans (similar to how a 200-character tweet differs from a magazine article)  
    • ...have audiences who expect videos with lower production quality because they crave a more "authentic" feel. 
    • ...exist on a range of different platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads, BlueSky and others. YouTube shorts is also included in this group.

Before submitting a video to Strategic Communications for upload make sure you follow these steps:

  1. Review your video to ensure it is optimized for the platform you want (YouTube or social media), technical correctness, logical flow, and accuracy of content. You can request review and consultation with UC ANR's senior videographer, but please make sure all final edits are locked before submitting your video for upload.  
  2. Apply correct branding to your video. YouTube videos have different requirements for branding than social media videos. These requirement are spelled out on the Branded Assets page, where you will find branded video assets are also available on the same page. 
  3. Ensure your video is compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This video provides an explanation on how to do that.  

Self-produced videos — Tier 2 review

Tier 2 videos are reviewed for adherence to style standards and then posted on a UC ANR-managed platform. Finished and rendered videos are submitted via a survey with the completed production kit checklist attached.

Videos in this category are primarily informational rather than promotional, and are considered comparable to popular or trade press articles for merit and promotion purposes. Any non-destructive video editing software that can deliver a finished product compliant with production kit guidelines may be used.

Videos for YouTube should ideally be about 3 minutes long. Quality how-to videos up to 15 minutes in length will be considered. Be sure to obtain signed model release forms for anyone who appears in the video.

Submission pipeline

  • Develop a keyword-rich description and a search-friendly title for your video.
  • Send your title, description, and video file to Ethan Ireland, Senior Videographer, who will add keyword metadata, add a custom thumbnail if needed, and make the video public. He will notify you when it is live.
  • If your video is in Spanish, send it to Ricardo Vela, Program Manager for News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS).

Programs with established YouTube channels

Programs with established YouTube channels (such as UC IPM and UC Master Gardener) are not required to post on the UC ANR channel but are encouraged to notify Strategic Communications at contentpipeline@ucanr.edu when new videos are posted so they can be promoted. Posting promotional and news videos on the UC ANR channel is also encouraged. The UCANRSpanish channel has approximately 11,000 subscribers and receives high engagement.

How-To Video Training

Looking to build your video production skills? Visit the How-To Video Training section for self-paced resources covering planning, recording, editing, and publishing.

Additional resources

Additional video resources are available on the Learning and Development site.

Have questions or need assistance? Contact us.