How to Make a Good Introduction Video
Three minutes to show us who you are. Not a performance — a conversation.
The same spirit applies here as to the motivation letter: be yourself, not a broadcast. The video is shorter, not easier.
We do not accept videos in which your face is hidden, obscured, or absent — including sunglasses, back-lit silhouettes, or narration over slides. The video is not a podcast. We need to see you.
We do not accept silent videos or videos in which your speech is inaudible. We need to hear you speak. Check your sound before you record — a technically rough video with clear audio is far better than a beautifully shot film with inaudible speech.
What Makes a Good Introduction Video
We have seen hundreds of videos of people reading scripted lines with perfect lighting. They are forgettable. The ones we remember are the people who simply talked to us, made a mistake and kept going, or said something they clearly meant. Relaxed and genuine beats polished every time.
Being filmed by another person creates a different, more natural energy than talking to a selfie camera propped against a book. It shows. A friend with a phone is all you need — the technical quality of the device is not what we are assessing.
What are the planning challenges where you live? What have you noticed that troubles or excites you about the city you know? Specific observations about a real place tell us far more than general statements about “sustainable development” or “urban inequality.”
What do you care about, beyond your studies? What drives you, worries you, or keeps you curious? We are selecting a cohort of people who will work together for two weeks — we want to know what you will bring to that room, not just what is on your CV.
Not why the Summer School is good in general. Why it makes sense for you, at this point in your life and your education. How does it fit into where you are going? Be specific — a specific reason is always more convincing than an enthusiastic one.
If you record outdoors, find a quiet spot — wind, traffic, and background noise will make your video difficult to watch. If you are indoors, avoid large reverberant rooms. A small room with soft surfaces (books, fabric, curtains) gives much better audio than an empty one.
Not your motivation letter, not notes on your phone, not anything. Talking from notes makes you sound like you are trying to remember something rather than telling us something. If you forget what you wanted to say, that is fine — start again, or keep going. The imperfection is human, and humans are what we are looking for.
Not five. Not ten. Three minutes. The constraint is part of the exercise: what you choose to include, and what you leave out, already tells us something about you. If you find yourself going over time, ask yourself what matters most — and say only that.
This is what a good introduction video looks like
This video was made by Cassiano Moroz, a student from Curitiba, Brazil. It is warm, direct, specific, and entirely his own. He talks about his city, his motivations, and himself — without reading, without a script, and without expensive equipment.
Your video does not need to be this polished. What matters is that it is genuinely yours.