Hey there, my earnest empaths,

This is one of my favorite projects on Vimeo: the Long Portrait. Made popular on Vimeo by Clayton Cubitt, the long portrait takes portraiture photography and transfers it to video form. Like Andy Warhol's Screen Tests, the final product shows a subject's subtle expressions, mannerisms, and gestures in a beautiful way.

Josef Kubota Wladyka does something similar with his One Shot Stories. Here, the voice of the subject in combination with the long portrait makes for a magical storytelling experience, and we've added that "monologue" aspect to our Challenge as well:

With such a simple concept, there's plenty of room for artistic play, like:

The placement and framing of your subject can make your portrait seem especially intimate, or constructed and formal. Since the camera isn't moving, think about what you'd like your shot to feel like. Make sure to check out our lesson on framing and composition to learn more about different shot styles and the Rule of Thirds.


Lighting can really set the tone of your long portrait, just like in a photograph. Whether it be natural or studio lighting, soft or harsh, each setup has a specific feel (which will influence your subject as well as your viewers). Little things, like paying attention to the White Balance or adding color with gels, really affect the mood.


With the visual decisions made, think about what the ears hear while they eyes are occupied. Sound is important, and can be underrated as a filmmaking tool. Your video could be accompanied by music from the music store, the subject speaking on camera, a voice over, or anything else you can come up with. We've got a few tips on capturing good sound.

Check out Oversaturated Inc's winning entry from the last Long Portrait Challenge:

The Rules:

+ Film a long portrait in a single shot with no camera movement, at any length you'd like. Make sure to include something you could describe as a monologue. Remember that only videos made specifically for this Challenge will be considered.

+ If you add music, make sure you use a song you or a buddy created, or something from the Vimeo Music Store! If you do choose to use a Music Store song, please throw a link in the description.

+ Add this blurb at the end of your video's description: "Created for the Weekend Challenge: vimeo.com/groups/weekendchallenge"

+ Upload and post your video to the Weekend Challenge Group by ***Tuesday, August 19th, 2014*** at 11:59 PM (EST). Just follow the screenshots below:

All videos must be approved by the Vimeo Staff before appearing in the Group, so don't worry if your video doesn't show up at first; we'll get to it!

The Prizes:

+ The winner will receive a Challenge badge on their video, and free Vimeo Plus account for one year! If you're already a Plus member, you'll get another year tacked on to the end of your current subscription.

+ The runner-up will receive an extra 3GB of upload space in their weekly quota!