So you think you can operate the camera perfectly and you're interested in getting noticed while winning prizes and cash? The great news is that there are lots of possibilities out there in the form of film and video contest. But it's not just about reward and recognition—think of competitions as a great chance to practice and refine your skills. Whatever your motive, here are some advices to improve your chances...

Appraise your abilities

Make some videos and add them on YouTube and let people comment. Be serious about those comments—even about brutal ones—but don't take it personally. Just learn from it.

Find a contest

Once you have a fair idea of your skill level, look for competitions that are appropriate. There are a lot of resources proposing list of contests, which a currently running. One of them is Youtube competition page or try google search.

Most of video competitions have their own conditions for videos, which they accept to take part in the competition and you must fit that conditions.

Most of the videos are excluded because they violate rules. Contest rules are mainly not flexible. Don't hope for having any special consideration.

Some of the conditions can give you clues about things you can do to win. Read them very carefully.