View source for RetroWikipedia:Videos

{{For-text|Information on linking to external videos|[[RetroWikipedia:Video links]]|information on how to upload and include a video and other files to RetroWikipedia|[[Help:Files]]}}
{{Infopage|WP:VID|WP:VIDEO|WP:VIDEOS}}
'''RetroWikipedia can use videos''', as this is an online encyclopedia. It may seem unusual, as we are a text-oriented platform, but there's nothing strange in the sentence itself. Encyclopedias had been enriched with other media since their inception, and having images, maps, engravings and even multi-layered images that could be explored by the reader have been an indicator of the quality of the work. Encyclopedias didn't have videos, because printing [[video]]s is not possible, but adding multimedia has been an idea since it was technically possible. The ''[[Voyager Golden Record]]'' contains audio and images to make a literally universal explanation of who we are. A main factor of the success of ''[[Encarta]]'' over ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' in the 1990s was the inclusion of videos in the first CD-ROM, not the quality of the articles themselves<ref>{{Cite book |last=Garfield |first=Simon |title=All the knowledge in the world: the extraordinary history of the encyclopaedia |date=2022 |publisher=W & N, Weidenfeld & Nicolson |isbn=978-1-4746-1077-3 |location=London}}</ref>. 

Videos can be instructive and can help the text, while they improve the content by adding a new layer of discovery. The Wikimedia Movement Strategy suggest we should '''[[m:Movement Strategy/Recommendations/Innovate in Free Knowledge|innovate in free knowledge]]''', and suggests the use of ''diverse modes of consumption and contribution to our projects (e.g. text, audio, visual, '''video''', geospatial, etc.).'' However, following this recommendation is not always easy. Adding videos to articles is not a complex matter, but the overall process of video creation might be. Videos can't be easily changed, and quality is not always optimal. Our requirements for free content is also difficult for some videos, where music or images may be copyrighted. This page covers some of these issues. Videos are hosted on Wikimedia Commons which as of 2025 has over 340,000 video files.<ref>{{cite web |title=Media statistics - Wikimedia Commons |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MediaStatistics#Videos |website=commons.wikimedia.org |access-date=11 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref> See [[c:Commons:Video|the help page on videos]] on that project for further information on how to upload or import videos, how to add subtitles, and more examples.

== Examples of videos we can use ==
Here you can find some examples of videos we can use for articles. These are not all of the types of videos that might be used, but they illustrate some broad categories of use. As usual, [[RetroWikipedia:Be bold|be bold]] if you feel the need to innovate.

=== Videos showing how objects change over time ===
This can be snapshot-videos of animals moving, traffic signals, eclipses, scientific experiments or people performing activities. They can be time-lapses, or slow-motion. These kind of videos help readers seing how things work, and might be better than using a still image. Some of these videos are easy to produce, but limited in what information they can convey. A good quality video will need stabilization of the image. Adding these kind of videos to articles must enhance the encyclopedic value of the article, following [[RetroWikipedia:Image use policy#Content]]. 

<gallery mode="packed">
12. Тлеечко празнење.ogv|Prof. Oliver Zajkov demonstrating [[glow discharge]] in a low-pressure tube caused by electric current
Making snowman in Kõrvemaa, Estonia (January 2022).webm|Example of a performance-type video; a man building a snowman
Brood XIII Cassin's 17-Year Cicada molting time lapse (American Elm).webm|A time-lapse video of a cicada molting
Columbia Glacier, Alaska.webm|Columbia glacier Alaska time-lapse
043 Greater flamingo vocalizing in the Camargue during mating season (slow motion) Video by Giles Laurent.webm|A slow-motion video of a greater flamingo vocalizing during matin season.
Hubble Maps Jupiter in 4k Ultra HD.webm|Video made with Hubble Telescope images from Jupiter in 4K
007 Volcano eruption of Litli-Hrútur in Iceland in 2023 Video by Giles Laurent.webm|A snapshot video of a volcano eruption in Iceland
2015-08-13 - Leica I, 1927 - lange Fassung mit Musik.webm|360º view of a Leica I camera from 1927
</gallery>

=== Videos about media ===
Some media, especially films, are better covered with videos than anything else. However, copyright laws prevent us from displaying videos on most of the articles. When the law permits it, having a video makes the article better.

<gallery mode="packed">
The Kid (1921).webm|''[[The Kid (1921 film)|The Kid]]'', by Charlie Chaplin.
Spartacus (1960) - Trailer.webm|''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' trailer, by Stanley Kubrick.
Food Fight! (Extended Version) - with The Swedish Chef - Muppisode - The Muppets.webm|A clip from ''The Muppets''
OYME - Tyushtya's song.webm|A song by folk group OYME
</gallery>

=== Historical events ===
Many historical events have been recorded on video, and some of them are free to use. Historical events can benefit from videos as we can see the people interacting, speaking or addressing their nation. These videos boost the amount of content an article has.

<gallery mode="packed">
Canadian Army Newsreel, No. 01 (1942).webm|A Canadian Army Newsreel from 1942, about World War II
Paris lockdown - Vimeo.webm|Paris during the COVID-19 lockdown, showing empty streets
John F. Kennedy Inauguration Speech.ogv|John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, 1961
1946-07-15 Philippines Independence Proclaimed.ogv|Philippines Independence proclamation video, 1946
</gallery>

===Summary-type videos===
{{Further|RetroWikipedia:VideoWiki|Meta:VideoWiki|RetroWikipedia:Wiki Loves Explainer Videos}}
Summary-type videos, sometimes known as [[c:Category:Explanatory videos|explainer videos]], can be anything between a series of still images with narration (see [[RetroWikipedia:WikiProject Videowiki|VideoWiki]]) to a more youtuber style video summarizing the key points or some aspects of the subject. Some summary videos are used in an educative context, so they fit perfectly on the goal of an encyclopedia. If you want to use VideoWiki for creating summary videos, there's more information at [[RetroWikipedia:VideoWiki/Tutorial|a tutorial]] and [[RetroWikipedia:VideoWiki/Sandbox|a sandbox]] for testing.

<gallery mode="packed">
En.RetroWikipedia-VideoWiki-Gout.webm|Example of a summary style video ([[RetroWikipedia:VideoWiki/Gout|script]])
How fossils are formed, Terra X (English redub).webm|Terra X video about how fossils are formed.
Ikusgela - Enpirismoa.webm|Video summarizing the ideas about [[empiricism]] by Ikusgela.
Die Französische Revolution und Napoleon - Planet Wissen.webm|French Revolution and Napoleon, by Planet Wissen
</gallery>

=== Exercise solving videos ===
Sometimes, articles about mathematics, physics, chemistry or economics can benefit from exercise solving videos, especially when the article has a clear practical scope. Readers will be interested on knowing how to use the knowledge in the article in practical situations, and having specific videos can be helpful.

<gallery mode="packed">
Betrag - Quatematik.webm|A video about analysis by Quatematik.
Bigarren mailako funtzioak Irudikapen grafikoa- Ebakitze puntuak.webm|A video about how to graph a quadratic equation by Jakindun.
Khan Academy (2012). Transfer Pricing and Tax Havens.webm|Transfer pricing and Tax Havens, by Khan Academy
Barizentroa-beti-egongo-da-triangeluaren-barruan.webm|How to calculate the barycenter of a triangle using GeoGebra
</gallery>

=== Documentary videos ===
[[c:Category:Documentary videos|Documentary videos]] can be classical documentaries uploaded to Commons, shorter videos aobut specific subjects, or tour-type videos of places. These kind of videos can supplement the article, as they add and extra layer of information to the articles. However, their content is not thought to replace or say the same thing as the video.

Tour-type videos shift between different views to illustrate different aspects of a subject, or to tell a kind of narrative story. An example is an architectural tour of a building. Videos of this type will usually consist of a sequence of several different shots, and can be up to several minutes long. To create a tour-type video that is an overview of a particular subject, you should read through the article of the subject to find queues on aspects of the space that deserve attention in the video (e.g., the video of Grand Central terminal features the constellations on the ceiling and they are also mentioned in the article). Additionally, if the tour-type video is being made about a particular physical site, a short scouting trip may be helpful. Before you start shooting, look over available informational material on-site to find other shots you might want to include in the video.

<gallery mode="packed">
Paris lockdown - Vimeo.webm|Example of a tour-type video; Paris during the [[COVID-19 lockdown]] in April 2020
A Sea of Data with PACE (SVS14345).webm|Video from NASA about the mission PACE
Mink Invasion.webm|A documentary about the mink invasion in South America
'This is my home'- Life inside Chernobyl’s exclusion zone.webm|''This is my home'', a video about how people live inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone
</gallery>

== Finding videos ==
[[File:Daily life in ancient Rome – how people lived, Terra X (English redub).webm|thumb|Example video from public broadcast (see [[meta:Wiki Loves Broadcast]]) and redubbed to English [[c:Help:AI video dubbing|using SoniTranslate]].]]
Editors can find existing videos to potentially include on [[Wikimedia Commons]] – use the site's search function or its categories like [[:c:Category:Videos|the Videos category]] to find a video that may be useful for illustrating a given article. As of 2024, these videos are not shown in the Videos tab of Web search engines. You can also search [[c:Commons:Free media resources/Video|free media sources of videos]] for educational free videos not yet uploaded to Commons.

== Equipment for user-created videos ==
To contribute, you will need access to a [[video camera]] and a computer with [[video editing software]].

Additionally, please use [[Camera stabilizer|stabilizing equipment]] (for example, a [[Tripod (photography)|tripod]]) or a steady hand (less preferable). If you've done a reasonable but imperfect job at shooting your content stably, [[Digital image stabilization|stabilization software]] is available.

== Style guidelines ==

=== Shooting video ===  
To ensure that these videos can be used by similar articles in other languages, do not provide commentary or narration when shooting video.

Videos on RetroWikipedia should be simple and clean. Some rough guidelines include: 
* No quick zooms or handheld walk throughs
* Any movement within the frame (panning, tilting, or zooming) should be done slowly so that the viewer is able to focus on details
* Get a reasonable balance between shots with and without movement

If you are recording a shot with no camera movement or zoom, do not record for less than 5 seconds. If you are zooming, be sure to record 3 seconds before the zoom and wait at least 3 seconds after you reach the end of the shot. The same guidelines for zoom shots also applies to any shot that has movement (panning or tilting). Buffers will help with the editing of the video.

=== Editing video === 
Using [[video editing software]] (see [[List of video editing software]] for options), import the video onto your computer to edit. Refer to instruction manuals for your specific software and camera to learn how to import and edit. 

In the editing process of multi-shot videos, consider opening your video with a shot establishing the location of the site (for example, an establishing shot for a video of Grand Central Terminal could be of the front of the building with surrounding buildings). 

'''Do not include''' narration or titles, which will render the video incompatible with similar articles in other languages, as stated previously. Additionally, do not include transitions or special effects (with the exception of image control effects), in order to support further re-editing. 

When finished, export your video. When exporting, be sure to select any options that support web streaming.

==Converting video==
{{Further|Commons:Help:Converting video}}
After exporting the video, you must convert the file to [[VP8]] or [[VP9]] in the [[WebM]] container or [[Theora]] in the [[Ogg]] container. VP9 is preferred for new uploads; however, do not convert from VP8 or Theora, as converting will reduce the quality. It is not necessary to reduce the size of the video; lower-resolution versions are generated automatically after you've uploaded a high-resolution video.

==Uploading video==
Use [[:commons:Special:UploadWizard|Special:UploadWizard]] to do so. After uploading, you will be given a link that insert into a RetroWikipedia page to embed the uploaded video.

We recommend releasing the video under the [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License].

==Embedding==
{{Main|RetroWikipedia:Creation and usage of media files#Video usage}}
The process of embedding of videos on RetroWikipedia articles is similar to that for embedding images.

== See also ==
{{Meta|Wiki Video}}
{{Commons|Commons:Video}}
* {{slink|RetroWikipedia:Creation and usage of media files|Video}}
* [[RetroWikipedia:Images]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:Image use policy]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:Videos as references]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:RetroWikipedia is not YouTube]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:WikiProject Screencast]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:WikiProject Wiki Makes Video]]
* [[RetroWikipedia:WikiTV]]
* [[c:Commons:YouTube files]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{YouTube|id=inzX0j40g54|title=Lets Get Video on RetroWikipedia! tutorial}}