The internet is overwhelming. Looking for inspiration online has increasingly become a complicated, crowded process, requiring eager viewers to sift through mountains of content and dodge mindless algorithms to find the very best stuff. That’s why we created the Staff Picks program alllll the way back in 2008 — for 15 years, real human curators have hand-selected the very best videos online, elevating filmmakers’ work for the world to see.

Since its founding, the Vimeo Staff Pick has become a global symbol of video excellence — filmmakers like Charlotte Wells, John Wilson, Hiro Murai, and Oscar winners The Daniels all got their start on the platform. But how do you get a Staff Pick? 

Our curators, Ina Pira and Meghan Oretsky, get that question all the time, and for good reason — so we set out to answer it once and for all. You can check out the full video above, and read on for a robust interview with Ina and Meghan to get into the nitty-gritty details of the Staff Pick process. 

The history of Vimeo Staff Picks 

When Vimeo launched high-definition video playback in 2007, we became the first video sharing site to offer high-definition content to our users. That meant that tons of creative people, who really cared about how their work was presented, flocked to the platform to share incredible work in a high-quality, ad-free environment. 

“The people that worked at Vimeo at the time realized that they were seeing amazing work being uploaded, and they wanted to celebrate and encourage that,” says Ina. The program was founded in 2008 by Blake Whitman and dalas verdugo, and has been run by a cavalcade of talented curators ever since. 

“The ethos of the Staff Picks program really hasn’t changed since its founding,” she adds. “It’s still celebrating the best videos online and devoted to creating a community of creative people that inspire and learn from each other. It’s still the same job and the same program, even 15 years later.” 

“Staff Picks have always been hand selected by human beings. We will never use an algorithm to find Staff Picks. We have never and we will never.”
Meghan Oretsky, Lead Curator at Vimeo

What is a Vimeo Staff Pick?

A Staff Pick badge — known for its iconic black and white laurels — is the most visible distinction that differentiates a Vimeo Staff Pick from every other video on Vimeo or the internet at large. It means this video deserves your time and this creator is someone to watch.

Of the millions of videos uploaded to Vimeo annually, the curation team hand-picks only a fraction of those to feature in a collection of exceptional work. New Staff Picks are selected daily and there are currently over 15,000 videos in the channel followed by more than 1.4M Vimeo users worldwide. 

The Staff Pick is a badge of honor for the creative community on Vimeo. Creative scouts from brands, advertising agencies, art publications, and other renowned artistic outlets have their eyes and ears on Staff Picks daily. As a result, Staff Pick alumni have gone on to win critical acclaim, commercial contracts, and the biggest film awards around.

How do you get a Vimeo Staff Pick?

While choosing which films get a Staff Pick badge is more of an art than a precise science, there are four tenets that Ina and Meghan use to decide if a video has qualified for inclusion. 

  • Originality:  How unique is the style and story? Is this a new voice or perspective we haven’t heard before? And is the filmmaker taking risks that challenge the form and push boundaries? 
  • Exceptional craft: Does it look and sound amazing? Does it innovate and push the medium to a new level?
  • Engaging storytelling: Does the film pull us in? Does it make us think and ask questions? Does it elicit authentic emotion through compelling story and characters?
  • Diverse perspectives: We are curating for a worldwide audience, does this work help us reflect a diversity of experiences and stories?  

“I think the tenets can be helpful guiding points for filmmakers,” says Ina. ”But I think art is about generating that ineffable feeling or reaction, and that is what makes great work stand out for us.” 

The team curates democratically, and a video is never chosen for a badge in a vacuum.  “We each bring our own unique tastes and experiences to the work,” says Meghan. “But in order for a project to be Staff Picked, the majority of the team needs to be in favor.”

“Our advice to all filmmakers is to be active on the site. When you release your film, reach out to your community and ask them to like and comment on the film.” 
Ina Pira, Lead Curator at Vimeo

How do you get your film seen by the curation team? 

Crucially, the Vimeo curation team has never used an algorithm to choose which videos they watch, or which videos get the coveted badge. “Staff Picks have always been hand selected by human beings,” says Meghan. “We will never use an algorithm to find Staff Picks. We have never and we will never.” 

That means that our curators must keep a watchful eye in tons of different places. “We find Staff Picks through multiple different avenues,” Meghan notes. “We have an internal tool that allows us to track videos organically gaining tracking on Vimeo. This helps us identify work that our community is excited about.” 

“We spend a lot of time on Vimeo trying to discover really great work,” says Ina. “Our advice to all filmmakers is to be active on the site. When you release your film, reach out to your community and ask them to like and comment on the film.” 

Our curators also keep an active eye on social media, to spot any work bubbling up online, and attend a whole swath of film festivals, hoping to catch fantastic work before it even hits the web. 

Vimeo Staff Picks FAQ 

Is there an official submissions process? 

“We do not have an official submissions process,” says Meghan, “simply because there would be too many videos for our small team to watch. That said, getting on our radar isn’t difficult.” 

Sooo, how do I get people to watch my short? 

“Being active online is just a really great way to ensure that your film is seen not just by us, but by other independent curators and programmers,” Ina explains. “You don’t need to have a huge following or be an influencer to get on our radar. The internet has helped break down so many barriers that with a strong project, it’s easier than ever to rally your community and amplify your work.” 

Do you curate videos according to trends?

“We don’t select films because we think they’re going to go viral or because we think the filmmaker’s responding to a trend,” says Ina. “We simply curate the films based on the quality of the project that they’re sharing with us.” 

Do you watch every video that gets uploaded to Vimeo? 

“We get the question a lot,” says Meghan. “Of course, we can’t do that. That would be millions of videos.” 

Then, how much time do you spend watching videos each day? 

“We do watch two to three hours of videos a day each,” notes Meghan. “And those come to us in a myriad of different ways.” While our curators spend most of their time on Vimeo, they’re on the lookout for fantastic filmmaking wherever it’s hiding. “We’re looking for great work just as much as you’re looking to be seen,” adds Ina.

Watch Vimeo Staff Picks