Screen Test

 This blog post, written by me (Beatrice) and my teammate, Jasmine, features the screen test for our music video project in order to determine the actors/actresses that best fit our concept. This selection was done with the participation of our entire media class.

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.

The part below is written by my teammate, Jasmine ↓

We decided to cast the actors with the penguin hat (Jasmine) and the one to her left (Rachelle). We decided after watching the screen-test again that both of the actors seemed to have a connection and synergy. Jasmine seems to be a bit more uplifted while Rachelle seems a bit more shy and reserved which is exactly what we were looking for to represent our stars in the music video. Rachelle will be our star, Viola, who is represented as someone who is shy to strangers but opens up to those she is close to. Jasmine will also be our star, keeping her name as the stage name. Her uplifting acting and energy will transfer well when representing our other star whose star persona is constructed to make her seem extroverted.

Reflection : While I recognize the importance of this screen test in helping us identify potential actors or actresses who would best suit our music video, the process had its challenges. Initially, we aimed to select a well-known song for the screen test that everyone would be familiar with. However, I didn’t know the chosen song at all, so the screen test ended up being my first time hearing it. This made the experience feel very awkward, as I didn’t know the lyrics or rhythm, and navigating the performance was new for me. Additionally, my team and I realized that this initial screen test wasn’t quite sufficient in determining the right fit for our music video. Therefore, we decided to conduct a second, individual screen test to find the person who best embodies our star’s persona.