So you have the college of your dreams picked out and you can’t wait to receive that acceptance letter in the mail. You picture yourself on the campus daily, and find yourself daydreaming of the dorm life you so desperately seek. Or, you have found the institution that is meant for you, you know you belong there if only admissions would understand and let you in! The college or conservatory of your dreams is too far to drive to perform live for an admissions board, but you know that they will want to see footage of your craft and ideally be swayed. You your pre-screening audition to give them no choice but to accept you into their music, acting, dance, or art program.
As an eager senior in high school, you want to do everything in your power to make the college of your dreams know you want to be there. As someone who has had the college experience of a lifetime, I can tell you how important it is for the school to fully understand your personality. Personally, I feel a good college experience is like attending Disney World for four years- its that great when you do it right. So why would you leave something as important as an audition video to chance? This is not something you want done in a sloppy or lazy fashion. When you cut corners it becomes very apparent to an admissions director who has to sort through hundreds of videos just like yours.
You need your video to stand out, to make an impact, to cut through the noise.
First, you need a good space to perform in, that’s obvious. No one wants to hear how you look and sound in you garage or mom’s sitting room, and neither one is acoustically desirable. A recording studio built and fitted for these kinds of endeavors is paramount. Second, you need an exceptional crew of filmmakers and editors. You want people with enough experience both in music and in video production to be making the final call on your performance film. Only seasoned experience will be able to perfect the tiny flaws in a given performance. Finally, you yourself need to be a prepared performer. Any section of a piece or part of a dance you are uneasy with will come through flagrantly in film. You must exude confidence in your craft, and it is confidence that you want to come through in your performance. What’s the best way to attain this? No one wants to hear it, but is to practice, practice, and more practice. Then while you’re practicing, record, record, record on whatever device conceivable so you can see and hear yourself and adjust accordingly before stepping foot in the studio. The act of recording yourself will allow you to be even more prepared. And that is how to best prepare for a pre-screening audition video.