OPTIMA is excited to announce the Student Showreel Competition is back for 2025. The competition is an engaging event that invites OPTIMA PhD and Masters students to create and submit a short video (2m10s) showcasing real-world applications of optimisation. This competition encourages participants to share your optimisation research and how it impacts various aspects of our lives. The competition aims to create a showreel of videos highlighting the bright minds and insightful projects we have in OPTIMA in a non-technical, fun, and audience-friendly manner.

Submission Details/ Key Dates:
Video Length: Maximum 2 minutes and 10 seconds (max)
Submission Platform: YouTube
Submission Deadline: 14 MARCH 2025 17:00

Prizes:
Winners will be selected, and prizes awarded as follows:
1st Prize:$500
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $100

Themes:
Participants are encouraged share their research and where possible highlight how it connects to one of the following themes.
Optimisation for Social Good
Optimisation for Fun
Optimisation in Tech
Optimisation in Arts
Optimisation in Infrastructure, Logistics, and Transport
Optimisation in Defence and Cybersecurity
Optimisation in Energy, Water, and Resource Management
Optimisation in Advanced Manufacturing
Optimisation in Climate and Environment
Optimisation in Health and Wellbeing
Optimisation in Education, Finance and the Service Economy
Optimisation in Food Security and Agriculture
Optimisation Technologies

Video Content Guidelines:
– Your video should target a non-technical audience and incorporate elements of fun.
– Showcase real-world applications of optimisation.
– Highlight any cool outcomes, findings, or results related to your chosen theme.
– You may talk to camera or incorporate other photos/videos.
– You may choose to tell us a bit about yourself and what you find fascinating about optimisation.
– Use your science communication (scicom) skills to make the content engaging and easily understandable.

Event Promotion and Usage:
The submitted videos may be used for marketing purposes, providing an excellent opportunity for participants to gain visibility and recognition for their work.

Submission Instructions:
1. Create your 2-minute, 10-second video focusing on one of the provided themes.
2. Upload your video to YouTube and ensure it is set to “public and “unlisted.”
3. Submissions open in January 2025 (submission link provided in January 2025 – Get ready!)

We encourage student members at all levels to participate in this exciting competition and showcase your creative approaches to optimisation. Let your passion for real-world applications and your storytelling skills shine through in your video submissions.

Remember that LinkedIn Learning, and YouTube are great resources to help you learn any editing software you need. Useful editing software:
Clipchamp
Canva
Premiere Pro
Adobe Rush
If need advice on editing please contact: optima-arc@unimelb.edu.au

Good luck to all participants and may the most innovative and engaging presentations win!