Kids dance show ideas..??
 

Hi all, Just want to delve into your creative imagination here, in 3 weeks im videoing a childrens dance show for the 3rd year running, basically im after some ideas on how to intro the show, for the last two I did some basic crowd arriving, kids getting ready, room setting, location setting all put to music from the show, I really want to try to improve on the previous shows seeing as the same people will be buying this years filming, any creative ideas and techniques...????

Thanks
Mike

How about some rehearsals. You might even be able to get a blooper reel doing the rehearsals. Maybe some prop building, costume making, etc. That could give you an opener buildup for titles or an opening that you could fade into the show.

What kind of dance? For something different, maybe a second cam running at the stage floor level that might get feet or a wierd low-angle. Or top-down view? Stage left/right view in the wing (Ok, you go on in 5... go).

Edit - Maybe wireless mic the stage manager and use that like a director's comments.

Remember that the parents are buying the tape to remember every little step their child takes on stage. They are going to want a 'nice' opening to set the stage. I think bloopers and unusual shots are not appropriate for this type of event unless they show some very cute children doing very cute things.

I've only worked on a few of these as a second unit DP/manager while the principal went off to do another event. The resulting video was fairly simple but quite clean in presentation. The intro was just what the parents expected with a rolling list of participants set over a series of soft-focus clips of the actual performances. But a montage of the performances, not complete dances.