Divas blogs

OK, you have been training hard, working on your costumes, cutting your music, making your props, it's time to start thinking about filming your routine. We cannot emphasise enough how much a well filmed entry will give you a leg up on the competition. I spoke to the head of Pole Divas, Kennetta and the woman who has watched more video entries than any other human on this planet, she gave me her top tips!

1. Do not film in practice time with other people in the video. You should be the only person in your video.

2. LIGHTING! We have to be able to see you clearly. We want to see your face and facial expression and if you film in a dark room, we cannot connect with you! If you are filming at a Divas studio, ask them to turn on the main overhead lights. We promise, this makes such a difference to the quality. And speaking of quality, ensure you film at the highest quality you can and upload your video in HD.

3. Centre your film and avoid having anything obstruct our view of you. We should see all of you at all times, make sure you are not cut off when you go up high on the pole or come down to the floor. If you cannot achieve this through setting your camera up on a tripod then please get someone to film you so they can move with you as you move around.

4. Sound quality - make sure we can clearly hear your music. It is fine to dub your music over the video. This is the only editing to the video we allow. 

5. Your video MUST be one take. You cannot cut multiple videos together. 

6. Costumes - we don't expect people to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on costumes for your Unleashed audition video BUT remember you are competing against other video entries.  When considering who to put into the show, we will be swayed by those wearing at  least some of a costume, so we can imagine what your performance on a big stage will look like. Student groups are great places to find outfits you can borrow for a film!

7. Hair and Make Up - it makes a difference! Put your best foot forward.

8. ALWAYS film in landscape mode. We will be watching your entry on a big screen TV. Videos in portrait mode do not come across well.

9. This is probably the best tip we can give, grab our attention EARLY! Remember, we may be watching over a hundred videos. Think about how to make an impression early so that we KEEP WATCHING. 

10. Reminder on explicit music and music guidelines, find them here. If you are unsure, email comps@poledivas.com.au

11. Technique always trumps level of difficulty. If you can't perform the trick cleanly and with great technique, don't put it in. Simple things done well always look better than difficult things done poorly.

12. Make sure your tricks are appropriate to the level you are entering in Unleashed. Speak to your coach or instructors for clarification around this. 

13. Your audition should be a reflection of the judging criteria. Unleashed is an incredibly broad competition. Your routine can be in any style from musical theatre to sultry and everything in between. BUT we want to see you put on a SHOW! 

14. Your entry doesn't have to be the show you will perform if you get in BUT if you are working on an entry specifically for Unleashed, we would highly recommend it be the show you plan to perform. It does not need to be finished but it must be a minimum of 2 minutes and a max of 3. 

To help you out, I have linked below to an Unleashed Audition from 2024 which is a great example! Hopefully these give you a really clear idea of exactly what we are talking about above. If you have any further questions or need anymore guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out to comps@poledivas.com.au or your local studio!

Now we know some of you already have videos from previous shows and you aren't specifically working on an audition entry. The main tip we can give you here is that the video is representative of the competition. Again, think about the judging criteria. This is a pole competition, do not enter a Floorplay performance.