Every day, you do work that most people will never see. The long hours, the setbacks, the small breakthroughs that keep you going. But for patients, families, and advocates living with gynecologic cancers, that work is where hope comes from.
They want to know who you are. They want to understand what you're working on and why it matters. And hearing it directly from you can make a real difference.
We're inviting Research Exchange researchers to share a short video introducing themselves and their work. Selected videos will be featured on the Research Exchange website and shared across OCRA's channels, reaching the patients, survivors, advocates, and supporters who are counting on your progress.
It takes just two minutes, and all you need is a phone.
What to Include
Your video should be two minutes or less and cover:
- Who you are. Your name, your role, and where you work.
- What you study. A brief description of your research, in plain language.
- What excites you most about your research?
- What is the potential impact on the fight against cancer?
Your audience is the community, not fellow scientists. Imagine you're explaining your work to a curious friend or a patient's family member. If they walk away understanding why your work matters, you've done it perfectly.
How to Submit
Upload your video here. There's no deadline. Submissions are open on a rolling basis, so send yours whenever you're ready. Questions? Contact us via email at Rx@ocrahope.org.
By submitting a video, you give OCRA permission to edit it (for example, trimming its length or adding captions and graphics) and to share it on the Research Exchange website, OCRA's social media channels, and other OCRA communications. We'll let you know before your video is published.
Tips for Recording Your Video on a Cell Phone
You don't need professional equipment to create a strong video. A cell phone works very well. These simple guidelines will help your video look and sound polished, while still feeling natural.
Before You Record
- Hold your phone horizontally. Turn your phone sideways so the video is wider than it is tall. Keep the phone as steady as possible, ideally using a tripod or propping it securely at eye level.
- Find a quiet, well-lit location. Choose a place without distracting background noise. Natural light is often best. Face a window or other light source rather than having a bright window or light behind you.
- Keep the background simple. Your workplace, office or lab can make an excellent setting, as long as the background is not cluttered or distracting.
- Dress as you normally would for your work. If your work typically involves wearing a lab coat, please wear it in the video. Otherwise, dress as you normally would in your professional setting. Avoid busy patterns, which can be distracting on camera.
When You Record
- Keep the entire video to two minutes or less. Shorter is fine. Focus on the most important things you want the viewer to understand or remember.
- Keep individual sentences or thoughts to about 12 seconds. Short, clear statements are easier to deliver naturally and make the video easier to edit.
- Pause briefly between sentences. A one- or two-second pause gives editors a clean place to make cuts.
- Speak to a general audience. Use language a layperson can understand. Avoid scientific or technical terminology when a simpler explanation will work. If you need to use a technical term, briefly explain what it means. Avoid acronyms.
- Look at the camera, not at yourself on the screen. On most phones, this means looking at the small camera lens near the top of the phone. This creates the feeling that you are speaking directly to the viewer.
- Speak naturally. You do not need to memorize a script word for word. Know the key points you want to make and speak as you would when explaining your work to an interested person outside your field.
A Few Final Tips
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb before recording so calls and notifications don't interrupt you.
- Clean the camera lens before you begin.
- Position the camera at eye level, rather than looking down at it or up toward it.
- Frame yourself roughly from the mid-chest up, leaving a little space above your head.
- Avoid sitting or standing too far from the phone. Being relatively close will improve the sound.
- Record a short test first and play it back to check the lighting, sound and framing.
- Don't worry about getting everything perfect in one take. A natural, engaging delivery is more important than perfection.
Most importantly: be yourself. The goal is to hear from you and understand your work, not to create a professionally produced performance.
Your voice can remind someone that people are working every day on their behalf. We can't wait to hear from you.
Upload your video here whenever you're ready.