The video should be light, fun, and casual, like a friendly conversation. Imagine you’re telling the news to a friend who lives in another country. Avoid complex terms and academic language — simplicity and accessibility are key so that any audience can easily understand and get engaged. The format is similar to a YouTube blogger's review, where the news is presented with a touch of humor and a personal approach.

Introduction
Start with a bright and catchy announcement of the topics that will be discussed in the video. This could be a couple of intriguing sentences that immediately grab the viewer’s attention and motivate them to watch the video until the end.
Introduce yourself and mention where you're broadcasting from: "I’m (name). This is Smugl-Round-the-World. Today, from (city) — (place, e.g., from Times Square)."

Main News Block
Each news story should last no longer than one minute. Start with 1-2 sentences, looking directly into the camera, to give the viewer context.
Narrate the main part of the story off-screen, accompanied by dynamic visual inserts.
Finish each story with a personal comment, joke, or question to the audience. Say the final sentence of the news while looking back at the camera.

Closing
At the end of the news segment, record a closing message facing the camera. Example: "That’s the news, friends. What do you think? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget: like the video, subscribe to our cozy Telegram channel Smugl — About Everything That Smokes. We’re also on VKontakte, TikTok, and YouTube. Give us a like, and we’ll give you a big Russian thank you/谢谢 (depending on the country). This was Smugl-Round-the-World. Bye-bye!"

In future videos, you can repeat this text.

Film in a vertical format, leaving a bit of space at the top and sides.

If you're recording on your phone by yourself, use a tripod and the front camera to monitor the frame. If a camera operator is helping, ask them to use smooth zoom-ins to add some dynamic movement.

Always check the sound after recording the introduction. If there are distracting noises (like passing cars or a crying child), re-record the segment.

Make sure to gesture actively and show emotion. Even if your reactions are slightly exaggerated, it will enhance the effect and grab viewers' attention.

Review an example of the digest we produce in St. Petersburg (button above). It's important to keep the overall structure and presentation, but add your own unique touch and style to the video.

It is prohibited to show smoking in the video. Despite the topic, modern platforms like YouTube have strict moderation policies and are less likely to promote videos that depict smoking.

The phone used for filming should be no lower than an iPhone 12 or any other flagship model with comparable video recording quality. If you have a professional camera, that's a bonus.

We do not recommend filming in windy weather, as it greatly affects sound quality, which can be difficult to fix in post-production.