FAQ/Help

So, what exactly is a PSA anyway?

It's simple. PSA stands for public service announcement. It's a type of advertisement. But instead of trying to sell us something, a PSA tries to:

  • Raise awareness about an issue.
  • Shift public attitudes about a behavior
  • Get us to make a change or act on something important.

Some PSAs are among the most famous and effective advertisements in history. They often introduce us to characters or slogans that become a part of the culture. Campaigns featuring Rosie the Riveter helped send millions of American women to work during World War II. In the 1980s, Smokey the Bear helped us prevent forest fires and Vince and Larry the Crash Test Dummies urged us to wear our seatbelts.

Whether help us clean up our environment, saving lives by showing us how to prevent deadly diseases or keep ourselves safe from every day dangers, or urging us to read more books and make ourselves smarter, PSAs have the power to change the world.

Visit the Ad Council for more examples of famous PSAs and information on how they changed the world.

What do we want from you?

We want you to think about an issue important to you that fits within the theme of the contest, make a PSA and submit it here. A PSA based on the winning entry for each theme will be professionally produced by GSUSA.

Your idea doesn't have to be ready for Hollywood. There are three ways to enter:

  • Make a short video (cell phone or standard digital camera quality is just fine)
  • Create a photo slideshow with captions that tells your story
  • Write a script. Be sure to set the scene and tell us what's happening on screen in addition to the dialogue.

Develop a character. Write the next big slogan. Come up with a memorable image that inspires people to go out and create change. We need your best ideas.

Some helpful things to keep in mind (you may not need to answer all of these):

  • Who is in your PSA? What are they doing? Where are they? What do they say? When does it occur?
  • What can the people who are looking at the PSA see? What can they hear?
  • Is your goal clear? Are you trying to raise awareness? Do you want people to take certain action? Or, do you want to challenge them to think differently or change a behavior?

Where do I upload my PSA?

If you're ready to upload your PSA, click here.

Technical Questions/What kinds of photo and video files can I submit?

There are three ways to submit your entry. You can enter a short video, photo slideshow or a story.

Video: Entries should be no more than three minutes in length. Files can be a maximum size of 30 MB. You can upload files in the following formats: .mp4, .mov, .f4v, .flv, .3gp, .3g2, .ogv. and .webm. Currently, vertically aligned (portrait) iPhone videos are not supported.

Photos and Art: You can upload a maximum of 12 and scanned images per slideshow. Each individual photo can be a maximum of 1.5 MB. Files can be in a .jpg, .png and .gif formats.

Story: You can cut and paste from your word processing program or write it up on the site.

How do I prepare my video to upload it?

The Girl Scouts Speak Out! video player supports video (provider=video) in the following formats:

H.264 ( .mp4, .mov, .f4v ) — Flash and HTML5

· Video in either the MP4 or Quicktime container format. These files must contain video encoded with the H.264 codec and audio encoded with the AAC codec. H264/AAC video is today's format of choice. It can also be played on a wide range of (mobile) devices.

FLV ( .flv ) — Flash only

· Video in the Flash Video container format. These files can contain video encoded with both the ON2 VP6 codec and the Sorenson Spark codec. Audio must be in the MP3 codec. FLV is a slightly outdated format. It is also unique to Flash.

3GPP ( .3gp, .3g2 ) — Flash only

· Video in the 3GPP container format. These files must contain video encoded with the H.263 codec and audio encoded with the AAC codec. Used widely for mobile phones because it is easy to decode.

OGG Theora ( .ogv ) — HTML5 only

· Video in the OGG container format containing Theora encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio. Both Theora and Vorbis are projects hosted by Xiph.org.

WebM ( .webm ) — HTML5 only

· Video in the Matroska container format containing VP8 encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio. WebM and the VP8 codec are sponsored by Google.

I uploaded my video but I can't see it playing.

If your video worked on your computer, but doesn’t work in the Girl Scouts Speak Out! video player, there might be an issue with the way it’s encoded. Please review the technical specifications below to determine if your video follows these formats. If it doesn’t, you will need to re-encode the video on your computer. If it does, please contact us and we’ll try to help.

H.264 ( .mp4, .mov, .f4v ) — Flash and HTML5

· Video in either the MP4 or Quicktime container format. These files must contain video encoded with the H.264 codec and audio encoded with the AAC codec. H264/AAC video is today's format of choice. It can also be played on a wide range of (mobile) devices.

FLV ( .flv ) — Flash only

· Video in the Flash Video container format. These files can contain video encoded with both the ON2 VP6 codec and the Sorenson Spark codec. Audio must be in the MP3 codec. FLV is a slightly outdated format. It is also unique to Flash.

3GPP ( .3gp, .3g2 ) — Flash only

· Video in the 3GPP container format. These files must contain video encoded with the H.263 codec and audio encoded with the AAC codec. Used widely for mobile phones because it is easy to decode.

OGG Theora ( .ogv ) — HTML5 only

· Video in the OGG container format containing Theora encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio. Both Theora and Vorbis are projects hosted by Xiph.org.

WebM ( .webm ) — HTML5 only

· Video in the Matroska container format containing VP8 encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio. WebM and the VP8 codec are sponsored by Google.

Will the entry with the most votes win?

No. Votes will help us select the Top 5 but many other factors will contribute to our decision. See the rules for more information.

I see an inappropriate entry. How do I report it?

Click the link that says "flag this entry as inappropriate." Please take a moment to describe what the problem is with the entry in the comments section of the form. GSUSA staff will then review the entry and determine whether it is inappropriate or violates the rules of Girl Scouts Speak Out!. If we think it's ok after review, we'll put it back. If we agree that it's inappropriate, we'll remove it permanently. See the complete rules for more information.

I read the help section and my question isn't covered here. What do I do?

Use the "Contact Us" form. Be sure to describe the problem you're having. Someone will contact you as soon as possible.