creating a video

Creating a video of your performance 

Before doing anything, please know that the best way to create a video uses TWO (2) devices to record yourself. A phone and a laptop, tablet, or another phone should work. 

Create an MP3 of just your vocals      

When you’ve practiced your song or part for the song and can sing it well, start by having your headphones in and have the backing track with your part playing in your ear. It is crucial for editing that your voice is a separate file from the backing track     

Record yourself singing the song by using the other device that you have to record the audio. Recordings should be made using the Voice Memos app on iPhone or the Android equivalent      

Place your phone on a towel or soft surface and select a room without an echo (soft surfaces, carpeting, etc)      

Sing roughly 4-8 inches away from your recording device to minimize additional background noise 

Make a video for your song      

Videos should be taken in landscape format.     

Use the MP3 you made of your song or your backing track. Record the whole song, even the parts you don’t sing. When not singing, have fun but don’t be goofy. This video will be seen by our community, family, friends, alumni, so we want to represent Phoenix well.    

It doesn’t matter how you play the audio for this video since we won’t be using the audio from this for the final video. You can lip-sync if you want, but you might as well just sing so it looks more natural. Remember the audio from this video won’t be used in the final!      

Lighting is everything – make sure you are well lit with no shadows or back lighting.  Don’t film in front of a window or with the sun behind you.     

Watch your framing.  Keep the camera pointed straight at yourself or slightly above – nobody looks good being filmed from below.  If you are filming a dance piece or one of the Chorus Line pieces, make sure your entire body is in the shot. 

Putting it all together      

If you do not know how to edit all of the files into one video, simply follow this link https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V_E2REKYnRHAnePXW9NglgBvjGXPLuOk?usp=sharing to the drive, create your own folder by clicking the “NEW” button in the top left corner, and put all of the files into the drive including your backing track, your MP3 vocal track, and your video file – we’ll do the rest.     

If you are experienced at video editing, feel free to edit your video and upload the completed project here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V_E2REKYnRHAnePXW9NglgBvjGXPLuOk?usp=sharing·      

DEADLINE IS SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20 at 12:00 PM (That’s  noon!)