[kiasam111]

Something I want to touch on quickly is what the purpose of each submission is for, as this is critical to the content of each submission.

The essay is probably the first thing that the judges will see from all of your submissions. This is how the judges will first get to know your team, and what you have done, so take this opportunity to draw their attention. If you do that, the judges will want to know more. If you are a veteran team, then at this point, the judges will view your presentation. In all cases, the judges will make the effort to come speak to teams in the pits, so they can find out a little more.

At this point, the judges have a pretty good idea of which teams they want to give awards, but often have a few teams in contention. At this point, the judges will look at the video. A team that Chairmans at championships will always have an amazing video, and FIRST will use it for promotional purposes. For most teams, however, it really useful to gain sponsors, and to promote your team, as its a really good, and quick, summary of what your team has achieved.

In terms of how to do the essay and video, a good place to start is to list everything that you want to have in a submission. Then, divy them up into which ones will go into the essay and the video. Keep in mind that these lists may have huge overlaps, so don't worry if they do.

Hope that helps!