We know you’re not Steven Spielberg. Asking you to submit photos is one thing, but a video demo is a whole other beast. Whether you’re going to be auditioning for NAILS Next Top Nail Artist or want to be a YouTube sensation, you’ll need these tips for making the best videos possible.

Filming

> If you are using a smartphone to shoot your video, flip it 90° and shoot the video horizontally — NOT vertically. Think of the horizontal nature of videos on YouTube. Also, use the main camera on the phone — NOT the one on the screen side.

> Use a tripod: shaky video demos are the hardest to watch.

> Lighting: make sure there is enough available lighting when shooting. You can use the sunlight trick here, too.

> Be sure your subject is not blurry. Try to get as close to your nail art as possible without it being blurry.

> Try to keep your nail art in the center of your video. Or, using the “rule of thirds,” placing your nail art on the right or left side of the screen is fine as long as the nail itself is not cut off.

> Place your polish, acrylic powders, gels somewhere close within your video frame. Nail techs like to see how you are using your implements, grabbing your polish, dipping your liquids + powders, wiping your brushes, etc.

> Speak up; try not to whisper. Talking just a little louder than your normal speaking voice is ideal. Try to enunciate. Avoid noisy environments.

> Explaining a little more is better than not explaining enough, within a time limit, that is.

> Have fun! This is video after all. Smile while talking to add energy to your voice. Mix up the setting by giving us a taste of your studio/hometown/where you buy supplies.

> Do some test shots to hear and see yourself on camera.

Editing:

> Add subtitle descriptions if you can, especially if you are not speaking in your video.

 > Text in a video should be no longer than one (or two) shorter sentences or two lines. Make sure the font is large enough to read when your video is small (640 px). Make sure text is on the screen long enough for viewers to read it.

> If you use music, please don’t use copyrighted music or sound clips. Your music volume should be way low if you are talking over the music.

Video Submissions:

> Send us a link to your video along with a description of the video, your name, salon, and location (city and state) to editor@nailsmag.com. We are happy to consider it for NAILSTV.

> If you can, please send us a photo of the final look.

For more tips on making the perfect video for NAILS NTNA, click here. Then enter the competition at www.nailsmag.com/ntna2015.