Invent The Future Contest

Winning Strategies

It takes more than a winning smile!

When you're preparing your entry, consider what wins in any of the popular televised talent competitions. In those competitions it is not necessarily the most talent that leads to a win. Presentation and delivery are equally important. Avoid describing your plan step by step and point by point. In order to keep the judges attention add a little flair and originality to your entry. In other words let your personality shine through!

• Be brave, unique and creative.
• Challenge conventional thinking.
• Writing an essay? Write with simple language and short sentences. If you are describing a complicated idea imagine how you would describe it to your friend and write it just like that! Ensure your paragraphs are focussed and concise. Write a compelling introduction and a solid conclusion. Proofread. Proofread. Proofred… oops, proofread.
• Creating a video? Keep it short and keep it moving. Avoid the “talking head” and remember to frame your shots in thirds – your on-screen focal point should not always be dead centre on the screen. Lastly, check your sound, and speak loudly, clearly and slowly.

Go for the People’s Choice Prize

Four lucky winners will each walk away with a Flip Mino HD Camcorder. How do you win? By getting lots and lots of people to vote for your entry. Here’s how:

• Utilize social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook
• Keep an eye on Invent the Future's official Twitter and Facebook pages for current events and updates
• Email all your friends and family, get them to register and vote for your entry.

You can vote for as many entries as you like, but you can only vote for each entry once per day! Voting for the People’s Choice Prize runs from October 31 through November 15, 2009.