Wondering about prescreens… When submitting those to get accepted and so forth …did those who did this before did you submit monologue as a separate clip from the songs? Or video them all in one video? I know Otterbein specifies separate clips… But we have 2 others and they don’t specify
Most schools use GetAcceptd or Decision Desk and for both of those systems the schools set up a workflow on their artistic application web page that delineates how they want the videos submitted, i.e., “Click here to upload Song 1” and “Click here to upload Song 2,” etc. Hence, when you click on “Apply to Musical Theatre” for a particular school you will see how they want things submitted step-by-step on their application workflow web page for uploading all the components required - either separate videos or one video, resume, headshot, maybe an artistic statement, etc. You can preview whatever you have uploaded before you hit the “Submit Button” which will not be enabled until you have uploaded all the required elements. You can log out and log in at will and complete your applications one step at time over several days if you desire.
Both systems provide the capability to reuse previously uploaded videos, resumes, headshots, etc. for more than one school so you don’t have to repeatedly upload the same elements.
Don’t be surprised if the workflow and required elements on the GetAcceptd or Decision Desk application websites differ somewhat from the descriptions on the school theatre department websites for what is required. Schools sometimes change their process a little on GetAcceptd and forget to update their department web page.
So… How can I find out if we should video in one clip or separate? Like ahead of time? If I shoot like one clip of everything for one school and then it asks for separate songs and separate monologue we would have to do them over …
When you start the application process for any given program, you can see exactly what they require on GetAcceptd or DecisionDesk. Unfortunately, the applications will not all be open until August or September, which is a bummer when you are trying to get ahead of the game in July and August. If you shoot them now, separately, then that will work for the majority of programs and you may be able to splice them together for programs that want one video but accepted splicing (only a very select few, if any, require one single take). Don’t forget that you will also need slates for each song and a combined slate if they want only 1 video or only 1 slate.
I think we ended up having to do 4 video sessions to meet all the requirements that popped up along the way in September and into October. Others may have had better luck than we did, but the several of the schools that my d applied to required something special that we had not anticipated.
@theaterwork, I think you’ll find, once you start filming, that it will be almost impossible to film two songs and one monologue in one continuous clip. We filmed each song/monologue/dance separately, and merged them together in iMovie (which is very user friendly) when the schools wanted one continuous video. But realistically, all sorts of things happen when you are filming, which would make it nearly impossible to film one continuous stream…phones ring, dogs bark, the pianist messes up, your child thinks they hit a wrong note and swears, you drop your glass of wine and the glass shatters, your other children burst into the room talking…even if you are in a controlled environment like a studio (we did ours in our living room), your child is usually nervous and makes mistakes. They fumble their slate, forget a word, whatever. Trying to do it all at once is courting disaster. I say film each one separately, and merge if you have to…
Thanks for the advice @EmsDad & @monkey13 . We will go the separate video route. I saw Otterbein stated it was to be all separate but the others didn’t. Aargh…the stress has begun! My D really wants to knock out prescreens in August. So hence the early questions. We have some free time then & she only needs then for 3 schools. Plus I just saw on Coastsl Carolinas instructions that you don’t have to apply to the school until after you get a prescreen decision! Just like Otterbein… Yay !
The 8 or so prescreens we did all required separate video clips on getacceptd/decision desk. So agree separate is the way to go. 
@theaterwork, I second the advice to only film as separate clips. I also highly recommend clearly naming each clip to avoid confusion when you are uploading them. Even though my D only had 3 songs that she used for prescreens, there were multiple versions of each; 16 Bar, 32 Bar, 45 second, etc.; since each school had unique requirements. I also recommend recording the slates separately. It is relatively easy to append them to the appropriate song as needed. Some schools like Otterbein even have you slate your entire prescreen as a separate upload. I also recommend filming your prescreens in a location that will be easy to go back to multiple times. Chances are you will forget to do at least one clip required for one school. We did ours at home and it worked out well. You will be well ahead of the game if you get the majority of the cuts done in August. You can then go back and fine tune without being under pressure to get them done immediately.
I agree that filming them separately and using an editing program like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker (what I used) to edit them together if necessary is your best bet. I also agree with MTDadager that you need to film multiple versions of each song, usually 16 bar, 32 bar and 90 second were what we were asked for most. Some schools also require a dance clip in addition to the songs and monologues, so be sure you get that taken care of early as well if you need to. We almost let that slip through the cracks, and it was down to the wire in October getting it taped.
So the consensus is filming on an iPhone 6 is sufficient? Did most people use an external mic? Or is the phone one ok? Also I guess I need a phone tripod to steady the phone? We have to film elsewhere as I don’t have a piano at my house. Also will the video from my iPhone be in the correct format for directly uploading onto get accepted etc?
- Your iPhone will shoot more than adequate video.
- You can get by without an external mic, but it will improve the sound.
- You definitely need to use a tripod or other means to steady the phone during video.
- You don't have to use a piano for shooting video, you can use recorded accompaniment as long you have a decent set of speakers for the playback. Using recorded accompaniment makes it much easier to balance the sound - you will need to experiment with some practice videos to get the balance correct. However, my impression is that some or many colleges prefer that you use a live piano. Be aware that balancing the sound using a live piano can be somewhat difficult, especially if the room is very "live," so allow sufficient time during your session to shoot some practice video and play it back through headphones so that you can check the sound balance. This is where a directional external mic can really help vs. the omni-directional mic(s) built into the phone.
- In all likelihood you will need to edit the videos before uploading (to trim the beginning and end, for example, or to splice a slate onto the beginning). You can edit directly on your iPhone but video editing packages like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker are commonly used after uploading the video from a phone to a computer. Either way, you will get video that you can directly upload to GetAcceptd and Decision Desk (mpg3 or mpg4). It is a good idea to practice shooting video, editing, and getting a file ready for upload before you try the real thing.
Here is a post with some great advice on shooting videos from VoiceTeacher: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17085841#Comment_17085841
Be sure to remember to shoot your videos in landscape (horizontal) format - not portrait (vertical). Perhaps the editing technology has changed sufficiently in three years, but my son went back and re-shot his slates on his iPod w/o any input from the adults in his life - in portrait format. At that time there was no way to then crop the videos into horizontal format in iMovie (or whatever we had at the time), so all his slates were vertical while songs/monologues were landscape. He still got in, but he spent a lot of hours swearing at the computer trying to force the videos to be something they weren’t destined to be.
We used a cool little device called Caddie Buddy (or some such, Google it), designed to hold your iPod/Pad/Phone to capture your golf swing. You can screw it onto a regular tripod, or clamp it onto a shelf/door/whatever and the “gooseneck” adapts to any angle from what ever it’s attached to. There are also twisty “mono-pods” that wrap around music stands or lamp poles rather than using a tripod.
While we’re talking about prescreens, do you wear your audition outfit since it probably presents your “best look” and fits the bill for what you need to wear for prescreens too or is that strange? Like you only own one outfit so you wore it both places? I guess it’s a good opportunity to present a new look, but finding one “perfect” look seems hard enough so I’m just wondering what most people do. I’m concerned that if my D wears her favorite thing for prescreens and can’t find something else she likes better later, she’ll regret it.
It’s actually a good thing to wear the same thing for auditions and prescreens, as people viewing both may remember you better. My D was advised to do this.
I know it sounds whatever but what my D wears at her prescreens & auditions isn’t even on my radar right now lol. She always looks put together so we don’t have that concern really. I don’t think anyone would remember your child wore the same dress for both things. They see so many people…
My D wore the same thing for everything! We had a backup, but she never wore it. She spilled juice on it before her UMich audition and we were in the bathroom scrubbing it out before she auditioned. (Her reaction "What am I, 5? How did I spill juice on myself?)
@kategrizz this is so our life! Lol my D spills stuff all the time! She’s quite the fashion girl but sloppy with food! We would be cleaning up in the bathroom for sure…she literally carries a Tide stain stick with her!