If you’re getting ready to record your facial videos for the first time—or just need a quick refresher before you start—you’ve come to the right place. This guide walks you through everything you need to know: compatible devices, camera settings, how to record each of your four videos correctly, and what to do if your upload gets rejected.

What The Centaurus Task Is About

You’ll be recording short facial videos to support AI research and model development. Each participant submits four videos, and each one is exactly 15 seconds long.

Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll record:

Video	Location	Expression	Duration
Video 1	Indoor	Neutral	15 seconds
Video 2	Indoor	Non-Neutral (e.g., smiling, frowning)	15 seconds
Video 3	Outdoor	Neutral	15 seconds
Video 4	Outdoor	Non-Neutral (different from Video 2)	15 seconds

What Happens In Each Video?

• Hold still and face the camera directly for the first 5 seconds.
• Then, for the next 10 seconds, slowly move your head in this exact order: up → down → left → right.
• Each head movement should be slow, smooth, and clearly distinct from the last.
• The expression you choose for each video must be maintained for the full 15 seconds.
• Non-Neutral expressions cannot be repeated: Videos 2 and 4 must use different expressions.

Important Notes Only one person should appear in each video. No other people, pets, or moving objects should be visible in the frame. If a minor is participating, the minor must record the video themselves: a parent or guardian may assist but cannot record on their behalf.

What Device Can I Use?

Only the following Apple devices are accepted for this task. Before you start, make sure your device is on the list below.

Device	Accepted Models
iPhone	iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or newer
iPad	iPad 10th gen or newer, iPad Pro M5, or iPad Air M3
MacBook	MacBook M1 or newer, MacBook M4

How To Check Your Device Model

iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > General > About and look for the Model Name.

MacBook: Click the Apple menu () > About This Mac and look for the Model Name.

Recording Method

iPhone and iPad users can record directly on the task platform (preferred) or upload a video recorded in advance. MacBook users must record directly on the task platform—uploading a pre-recorded file is not supported on MacBook.

How Do I Set Up My Camera Before Recording?

Before you hit record, take a moment to confirm your camera settings. Your video will be automatically rejected if it doesn’t meet the technical requirements, so it’s worth checking these up front.

• Minimum Requirements at a Glance Frame Rate: Minimum 30 fps (60 fps preferred)
• Resolution: Minimum 1080p (1920 × 1080; 4K preferred)
• Format: MP4 or MOV

Pre-Check 1: Frame Rate & Resolution

iPhone and iPad — open Settings > Camera > Record Video and select one of the following options:

• 1080p HD at 30 fps — minimum accepted
• 1080p HD at 60 fps — preferred
• 4K at 30 fps — preferred
• 4K at 60 fps — preferred

Note: 720p and 4K at 24 fps are not accepted and will cause your video to be rejected.

MacBook — open QuickTime Player, then follow these steps:

1. In the menu bar, click File > New Movie Recording. The recording window will open.
2. Click the small arrow (▾) next to the record button and select your built-in camera
3. Under Quality, select Maximum.
4. Once you’ve confirmed those settings, you’re good to go. Remember, MacBook users must record directly on the task platform.

Pre-Check 2: Video Format

iPhone and iPad — open Settings → Camera → Formats and select one of the following:

• High Efficiency — saves as MOV (HEVC)
• Most Compatible — saves as MP4 (H.264)

MacBook — no action needed. When you record directly through the task platform on a supported MacBook model, the video is automatically saved in the correct format.

How Do I Record My Videos?

Before You Start Recording

Step 1: Choose your environment. You’ll need a qualified indoor and outdoor setting. Here’s what to look for:

Indoors:

• Choose a room with soft, even lighting. Avoid dim rooms or windows directly behind you.
• No shadows should fall across your face.
• The background can be anything, but make sure no other people, pets, TVs, or moving objects are visible.

Outdoors:

• Find an open, naturally lit spot—a shaded balcony or quiet courtyard works well.
• Avoid direct sunlight that creates harsh shadows on your face.
• Keep the background simple. Avoid crowds, heavy traffic, visible trademarks, or private property signage.
• No other people, animals, or moving vehicles should appear in the frame.

Step 2: Set up your device.

• iPhone or iPad: Hold your device in your hand and record a selfie video using the front-facing camera.
• MacBook: Place it on a stable surface at a suitable height—ideally at eye level.
• Regardless of device, your full face from the top of your head to your neck must be visible in the frame at all times. Keep enough distance to avoid any cropping.

Step 3: Prepare your appearance.

There’s no dress code. You can wear whatever feels natural to you. Accessories like glasses, hats, scarves, earrings, piercings, and makeup are all fine.

One restriction: your top must not have any human faces on it, as these may be mistakenly identified by the system.

Recording The Videos

You’ll record four videos in total—two indoors and two outdoors. You can record them in any order you prefer.

Each video follows the same structure:

• Seconds 1–5: Stay completely still, face the camera directly with your chosen expression.
• Seconds 6–15: Slowly move your head in this exact order: up → down → left → right. Only your head moves—your eyes can move naturally with it.

Timing tip If it’s hard to track the time, try counting silently in your head: Count 1–5: Stay still Count 6–7: Head up Count 8–9: Head down Count 10–11: Head left Count 12–13: Head right Count 14–15: Return to center and stop recording

Here’s how to record and upload each video on the platform:

Video 1 — Indoor, Neutral Expression

• Click “Start Recording” to begin.
• Maintain a neutral expression and perform the still + head movement sequence.
• Click “Stop Recording” after exactly 15 seconds.
• Click “Upload Video” and review the playback.
• If it looks good, click “Save & Upload”. If not, click “Discard & Retry” to record again.

Video 2 — Indoor, Non-Neutral Expression

Stay in the same indoor environment. Follow the same steps as Video 1, but this time choose a non-neutral expression (smiling, frowning, surprised, goofy, etc.) and hold it for the full 15 seconds.

Video 3 — Outdoor, Neutral Expression

Move to your chosen outdoor location. Follow the same recording steps as Video 1, maintaining a neutral expression throughout.

Video 4 — Outdoor, Non-Neutral Expression

Stay in the same outdoor environment. Follow the same steps as Video 2, but choose a different non-neutral expression than the one you used for Video 2. Each non-neutral expression can only be used once across all four videos.

Video Quality Self-Check

Before submitting, take a moment to review your recordings against this checklist:

Duration & Action

• Each video is exactly 15 seconds long.
• The first 5 seconds are completely still, no gestures or hand movements.
• The next 10 seconds show slow, smooth head movements: up → down → left → right.

Framing & Visibility

• Your full face is visible for the entire 15 seconds.
• Your face is not blocked by hands, hair, or objects.
• You (and your expression) are the clear subject of the frame.

Video Quality

• No excessive camera shake.
• No motion blur or heavy compression artifacts.
• Head movements look natural, not rushed.

How Do I Submit My Videos?

After uploading each video, you’ll be asked to fill in some information about yourself and the recording. This step is required—without it, you won’t be compensated for that submission.

You’ll Need To Provide The Following Details For Each Video:

1. Expressions: Select Neutral or Non-Neutral. If Non-Neutral, choose the specific expression from the list (smiling, frowning, duckface, surprised, etc.).
2. Birthdate: Enter the month and year of birth of the person in the video.
3. Gender: Select Man, Woman, Non-Binary, or Prefer not to say. Note: Non-Binary is only available for participants aged 21 and over.
4. Main Ethnicity: Select your primary ethnicity. If you identify equally with two, you may choose either as your main and select the other as secondary.
5. Secondary Ethnicity: Select if applicable, or choose “Does not apply.”
6. Environment: Indicate whether the video was recorded indoors or outdoors.
7. Head Attributes: Select all visible accessories and facial features: glasses, headwear, piercings, makeup, beard, scars, tattoos, and more.
8. Skin Tone: Select the closest match to the participant’s skin tone.
9. Device: Select your device type and model.
10. Date of Recording: Enter today’s date if recording on the platform, or the actual recording date if uploading a pre-recorded video.
11. Country of Collection: Select where the video was recorded. U.S. participants should also enter their state abbreviation.

Once you’ve completed all the fields, click Submit. You’ll repeat this process four times—once for each video. When all four are submitted, your task is complete.

Note for parents and guardians If you’re submitting on behalf of a minor, all demographic information must reflect the minor participant—not you. Adults may upload the video but cannot record it for the minor.

Why Was My Upload Rejected?

If your video was rejected, don’t worry—the system will display a specific error message explaining what went wrong. Here’s what each error means and how to fix it.

Duration Error

Error message: Duration validation failed: Xs is outside allowed range [min, max]s

What it means: Your video is either too short or too long.

How to fix it: Check your video length in the platform and re-record. Each video must be exactly 15 seconds.

FPS (Frames Per Second) Error

Error message: FPS range validation failed: X FPS is outside allowed range [min, max]

What it means: Your frame rate is too low or too high.

How to fix it: Make sure you’re in a well-lit area and that your camera settings are set to at least 30 fps. Natural or bright indoor light can help. See the camera settings section above for exact steps.

Resolution Too Low

Error message: Resolution validation failed: WxH is below minimum WminxHmin

What it means: Your video isn’t sharp enough—the resolution is below the minimum.

How to fix it: Go back to your camera settings and increase the resolution to at least 1080p before re-recording. Do not try to upscale or stretch the existing video—it won’t work and will be rejected again.

Resolution Too High

Error message: Resolution validation failed: WxH is above maximum WmaxxHmax

What it means: Your resolution is above the project’s limit.

How to fix it: Lower your resolution in your camera settings before re-recording.

Aspect Ratio Error

Error message: Aspect ratio validation failed: detected X:Y (WxH) is not in allowed list […]

What it means: The shape of your video doesn’t match the accepted formats (e.g., 16:9 widescreen).

How to fix it: Check the allowed aspect ratios listed in the error message and re-record to match one of them.

Format Error

Error message: Supported format validation failed: format ‘X’ is not in allowed list […]

What it means: Your video file type (e.g., .avi, .mkv) isn’t accepted.

How to fix it: Re-record using your built-in camera app and ensure the format is set to MP4 or MOV as described in the settings section.

Codec Error

Error message: Supported codec validation failed: codec ‘X’ is not in allowed list […]

What it means: The technology your device used to encode the video isn’t compatible with this project.

How to fix it: On iPhone, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and select “Most Compatible” to switch to H.264. On other devices, consult your camera app settings for a “Video codec” option. If you’re unsure, share the error message with your Project Manager.

Malware Scan Failed

Error message: Malware scan validation failed: malware scan did not pass

What it means: The file didn’t pass our security scan—it may be corrupted or flagged as a potential threat.

How to fix it: Do not re-upload the same file. Run a virus scan on your device, then re-record a fresh video from a clean source.

Need More Help?

If you’ve gone through the steps above and you’re still running into issues, OneForma Support is here to help! Reach out to us with the following information so we can assist you as quickly as possible:

• A screenshot of the error message you received
• The name and file size of the video you’re trying to upload
• The device model you’re using

Contact your Project Manager directly or submit a support request through the OneForma Help Center. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Feel free to reach out—no question is too small!