<p>Hi, for prescreen videos, is it generally accepted that if a video, for example, asks for a monologue under 90 seconds but also wants you to introduce the monologue, you can introduce it for a few seconds and than do the monologue, making the final video over 90 seconds? Or should the entire video, introduction and monologue, be under 90 seconds? Just want to clarify this and make sure. </p>
<p>Thanks so much, any help would be appreciated!</p>
<p>Also, if the school has a monologue limit of 90 seconds, is still okay and accepted to do a monologue that is 60 seconds? I’m asking in interest of being able to use the same video for different schools.</p>
<p>Typically your slate, or introduction, is not included in the time requirement. So a monologue of a full 90 seconds would be ok. If you feel a 60 second monologue shows what you want them to see, it is always ok to be under time if the piece makes sense and allows them to see your acting ability. Just do not go over time.</p>
<p>Its completely ok to do a 60 second monologue in a 90 second slot. But, as I told my D, there’s something to be said for time in play. In other words, in sports, if you look at the statistics, typically the team who has possession of the ball the longest, scores the most points. Maybe this analogy doesnt hold true in the arts, but honestly, I think maybe yes, it may. Assuming 60 sec of Quality monologue and 90 sec of Quality monologue, I’d go for the 90. There’s just 1/3 more time to score! Why forgo the opportunity?</p>
<p>You always hear that they make their decision in the first 10-15 seconds, FWIW. (I know, I know, it is very hard to hear that they think they can judge your life potential in 15 seconds.)</p>
<p>If it’s reassuring at all - D did all her monos at the 60 second mark to satisfy the shorter requirements (but used them even where 90 was allowed) Passed all 8 prescreens last year. I honestly think it is not necessary to record a separate 90 second mono. as @Jkellynh17 states above… I think they make their minds up before the end anyway.</p>
<p>Three of S’s coaches/teachers, who have all been auditors, said shorter is better from their end. Yes, they can usually tell who’s a “keeper” in a very short period. Remember, they are not deciding to give you the Golden Ring based on the prescreens - just whether, or not, they want to see you live. S passed all his prescreens last year with shorter cuts - including (gasp!) a shorter song cut for one.</p>
<p>I have been doing youth theater for a decade - not the same thing I know, but still large #s of auditioners- and have always joked (on days where we might see 100+ kids for a show that might cast 30) that I would love a round of auditions where you got to sing 3 notes, and say 1 line…and then we would have callbacks. Obviously that is never going to happen, nor should it, but they can tell if they want to see more in 60 seconds</p>
<p>S is preparing for summer stock auditions right now and a few of the unified auditions say “you get no more than 90 seconds” one even says “You get 90 seconds from the moment you start speaking” so that means…the 90 seconds includes your slate 
Not to get off on a tangent but just another example of how short it truly needs to be.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your help! Can anyone also speak about University of Michigan’s 16 bars requirement? I’ve heard that they’re VERY strict about the song cut being 16 bars, but before, I was considering doing an 18 bar cut. Has anyone heard about people not being invited to audition because of this?</p>
<p>@attheballet - I would strongly suggest NOT going over the 16 bar limit by a single note for Michigan. They were not on my D’s list last year, but she had a number of friends apply, and the consensus what you have to do it EXACTLY as they asked for it. </p>
<p>Michigan is the one school who is extremely strict about the number of bars when it comes to the actual audition. I would assume he feels the same about prescreens. He said in his introductory remarks before unified auditions in Chicago that when they say 16 bars they mean 16 bars and they are looking for people who follow direction. Then, the girl who went before my Ds audition had an unfortunate thing happen to her. She had her cuts organized in her book by 16 bar cuts and 32 bar cuts. Her first selection was her last 16 bar cut in her book. For her second song, the accompanist flipped forward in her book to the 32 bar cuts rather than backwards in her book to the 16 bar cut of the same song. So she sang the 32 bar cut. She was talked to rather sternly about the fact they only wanted 16 bar cuts and she needed to better follow directions in the future… She left the room in tears and she did not get in. Now she may not have gotten in no matter what. But to give herself the best chance, she should have stopped the accompanist when she realized it was the wrong cut. But she didn’t and she paid the price. On the flip side, Carnegie Mellon said in their opening remarks if they were counting your bars rather than listening to you perform, obviously there was something more wrong about your audition than the # of bars you were singing. So 2 great schools, 2 different philosophies about the bar requirement. Also, I’m not so sure Michigan wouldn’t give someone a pass for extra bars if they were hugely talented. But if you can cut your song to 16 bars, I would not take the chance of giving them a reason to cut you.</p>
<p>Ahhh awesome info, great story. I’ll definitely make it exactly 16 bars each! (Although I do have to wonder how they’d go about figuring out the number of bars for the prescreen… they would have to go through the trouble of finding the sheet music, counting up bars, then comparing it… nonetheless I will adhere to the 16 bars!) Super helpful, thank you!</p>
<p>They do not need to count, they KNOW. Believe me. They have all heard/seen thousands of cuts. By disregarding ANY of the requirements/guidelines in the application, prescreen, audition process, you are already giving the decision makers an insight into your character - how detail oriented you are, how you “listen”, how “coachable” you are. As @vvnstar pointed out above, this can swing both ways. But why let something you TOTALLY control block you from getting out of the starting gate? Why not make them fall in love with you in the first 10 bars, or 5? A well chosen and “well cut” cut will do that for you.</p>
<p>Amazing point. Thank you! Can’t wait to finish these prescreen videos.</p>
<p>I would much rather see a shorter monologue than a longer one. In a live audition, if I like what I see, being on the short side gives me time to ask questions or give an adjustment. We usually know if the person fits what we are looking for within 10-15 seconds. </p>
<p>As far as 16 bars goes: Do what Michigan asks if you are auditioning there. The general rule that I follow is that a 16 bar cut should be no more than 30 seconds, 32 bar should not be more than one minute. </p>
<p>~VT</p>