Screen Test

 To find a star for our music video, we need to conduct a screen test. Here is a video of our class's group audition. We did this as a class. 

Beatrice listed down the advantages and disadvantages of doing a class screen test below, she also analyzed the separate screen test our team did for the two chosen artists -- Jasmine and me (Rachelle).

Here is the link to this screen test in case the video does not load → Class Screen Test

By doing this screen test, there are some advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it was highly efficient; testing everyone at once allowed us to save time and review a large number of candidates within just one song. This approach also enabled direct comparisons between candidates, as we could observe them side by side, assessing their on-screen presence, body language, and facial expressions to determine who could best embody the star persona we envision. Additionally, this screen test allows us to see how candidates interact with each other, which is important given our music video's focus on themes of friendship. It helped us identify pairs who visually and energetically complement each other on screen. However, there were some disadvantages, such as, candidates might unintentionally adjust their style and tone to align with others, leading to less authentic performances and potentially masking their unique qualities. There’s also the risk of unequal attention when there are many candidates, which can result in varying screen time and limit some candidates’ ability to showcase their full potential. Lastly, it feels less polished due to a more cluttered, chaotic atmosphere, compared to the focused environment of individual screen tests.

Since we wanted to cast stars who naturally convey a strong sense of friendship, we chose Jasmine (the actress wearing the penguin hat) and Rachelle (the actress to her left), both of whom are also my teammates in this project. After reviewing the screen test, we noticed that they both appeared energetic and shared a connection, making them a perfect match for our music video. Their dynamic aligns with the personality and representation we want to portray. We decided to feature two actresses to enhance the sense of synergy within the video, reinforcing the themes of friendship and shared experiences. To ensure the best on-screen chemistry, we conducted an additional screen test (both individually and together) to analyze their screen presence and star persona. This helped us evaluate how they perform separately and how their energy shifts when interacting, which allows them to refine their roles in the final production.

Here are the new screen tests we have conducted : 

Here is the link to the new screen test in case the video does not load → [New Screen Test]

After conducting this screen test, we liked the way Jasmine and Rachelle’s energy complemented each other on screen. Jasmine has a more cheerful and expressive presence, while Rachelle appears more reserved. This portrayal aligns well with contemporary representations of friendship, which makes it highly relatable for our target audience. It also strengthens the authenticity of our star persona, as the contrasting yet complementary personalities create a natural synergy. Given this, we believe that Jasmine and Rachelle are the ideal choices for our music video, as their dynamic successfully conveys the connection and shared experiences (high school life) that we aim to represent.

Reflection: 

At first, we decided not to choose anyone from this screen test as most of them didn't match up to our expectations and how we perceived our star to be. However, we noticed that two candidates had a very natural and good dynamic, we gave them a second try where they can both give us another screen test of themselves. It went great. They did so much better on their second try and the chemistry between them was the best out of all the other candidates. We decided to choose them as our artists. In addition, I really like that we did the screen test as a class as it is also cost-effective as we don't have to travel anywhere (gas money) or pay any entrance fee for it. Some problems that we faced while doing this screen test was that we all wanted to do the screen test so nobody was able to film for us. However, we overcame that since our teacher ended up filming the screen test for us. For the new screen test that we did, I was far more comfortable in lip syncing to the song which is visible in the video as I seem more confident. Overall, I had a great time doing this screen test. I would say that for next time, we should try to distribute the screen time between each candidate more equally so that we don't accidently skip over.