FTC2018 Campfire Skits 101 Manual
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FALL TRAINING CONFERENCE 2018 Campfire Skit 101 Manual California – Nevada – Hawai’i Circle K District Created by: Joseph Castro (UC Irvine) Co-Authors and Contributors: Janelle Augustin (UC Irvine), Sienna Serrano (UC Irvine), Dominic Nguyen (UC Riverside), & Claire Lee (UC Berkeley) Revised by: Jasmine Liu (UC Davis), Edward Huang (CSUS), Cecilia Nguyen (UC Berkeley), Allen Pham (USC), Darin Ngo (UC Irvine), Alyssa Quy (UC San Diego), & Aaron Lee (PCC) 1 Table of Contents Fall Training Conference: What is it? .............................................................................................................. 3 Campfire Skits and Talent Acts ......................................................................................................................... 3 Why Should I Apply? ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Planning Early! ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Recruitment ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Script Planning ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 3 Components/3 Committees + Practices ................................................................................................ 9 Actors............................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Choreography ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Props ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Scheduling Practices ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Voice-Overs vs. Speaking Live ...................................................................................................................... 14 Communication ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Composure and Patience ................................................................................................................................. 16 Decision Making...................................................................................................................................................... 17 2 Fall Training Conference: What is it? Fall Training Conference is a three-day event held in Sonora, CA. This exciting event will help educate both new and returning members about Circle K International, as well as establish new connections with members throughout the Cal-Nev-Ha District. New members will have the opportunity to develop their potential as club members and young professionals through this event and organization as a whole. Returning members will deepen their passion and enthusiasm for this organization, uncover hidden skills and abilities within themselves, and delve into finding new opportunities to go above and beyond within Circle K. Overall, this event will gather all members, schools, and divisions throughout the Cal-Nev-Ha district in unity to celebrate service, leadership, fellowship, spirit, and membership. Campfire Skits and Talent Acts The Campfire Skits and Talent Acts are a unique part of Fall Training Conference. This performance promotes the tenets of Leadership and Fellowship, allowing the opportunity for individuals, schools, and divisions of the Cal-Nev-Ha District to create and perform a skit or showcase a talent in front of the district at Fall Training Conference! Why Should I Apply? This is a chance to express unrestricted creativity and receive overwhelming support from the entire district! It is also an opportunity to foster close relations with your fellow club members, home club, and division as well as represent your school in a positive light and with immeasurable spirit! 3 Planning Early! When applying for Campfire Skits, one of the key points to keep in mind is to plan early! Typically, the Spirit/Fellowship Chair of your respective club/division is in charge of coordinating the FTC Campfire Skit, but anyone can step up and take charge as the Skit Chair! Date of Fall Training Conference • Always keep in mind that Fall Training Conference is usually the first weekend of November, so the earlier you start, the better! Maximize • Early planning can maximize time for planning and editing the script, scheduling practices, building props, and seeing your masterpiece come to life! • Plan according to your schedule and make the best out of your school’s academic system. • Semester system schools start towards the end of August while Quarter system schools start towards the end of September. o This means Semester system schools have more time in coordination and planning before the application is due while Quarter system schools have less. o All schools should start planning their skits around the beginning of September. o Applications and Audition Videos are due October 13, 2018 by 11:59 PM PST DON’T PROCRASTINATE! • Planning a skit a week before the deadline is not recommended. Keep in mind that a skit with good quality needs time, patience, and practice. Remember, you want to represent your schools as optimally as you can! HELPFUL TIP: Talk to your president and/or vice president to create a tentative schedule consisting of brainstorming sessions, skit workdays, and whatever else you think would help ease the planning process. 4 Create a Campfire Skit Planning Timeline • Creating a planning timeline will not only keep you organized but will help you from getting behind. • A timeline should include things such as due date, deadlines, important dates, and rehearsal dates. Example Timeline August: School starts 8/27 September: September 1-8 • Talk to Executive Board about performing a campfire skit • Brainstorm ideas and storyline for a campfire skit • Recruit performers for this year’s campfire skit September 9-30 • Write a script and create a dance choreography, if included • Record voice overs, if needed • Plan rehearsal dates • Create props, backdrops, or anything else you need October: October 1-6 • Finalize campfire skit, clean up transitions, look for any issues that may come up during the performance October 7-13 • Record audition video and submit with the application o Applications are due on 10/13 HELPFUL TIP: Try to be as specific as possible in your timeline. Include things like when you want to have props completed, what days you want your rehearsals on, and other important deadlines. This will help you give you an idea of whether or not you are behind and what needs to change. 5 Recruitment In order to execute the idea of a Campfire Skit, you are going to need a cast! Whether it would be actors, dancers, or prop holders, a successful skit comes from the spirit, energy, and enthusiasm of an amazing crew! Publicize at meetings, tabling events, and social media • Talk to your club and let them know that you are in need of participants and ask interested individuals what kind of role (actor, prop holder, dancer, etc.) they’d like to be. • Let your fellow club members know that this is an opportunity for them to be more involved in Circle K, be a part of the Fall Training Conference experience, and be closer with their fellow peers. Take advantage of both NEW and RETURNING members when building a cast • Involving new members in the skit can give them a more exciting Fall Training Conference experience and ignite their enthusiasm for Circle K. • Having returning members in the skit can promote retention within your home club, strengthen their relationship with fellow members, and inspire them to take a leadership role in the future in Circle K. Be open-minded • Try not to reserve spots or roles for specific people • Remember to be fair when it comes to assigning roles and taking upon leadership positions. • Consider writing a script first and then asking who would most fit that role or would like to play the role as opposed to writing it for a specific person. This opens it up for the people to really take on the role as their own. • Consider involving other schools in your division. Not only will you get bonus points for being able to coordinate with other schools, but you will also get a wider range of people to work with as well as create fellowship opportunities! 6 Script Planning An important component of creating a Campfire Skit is writing a script. The script is one of the biggest resources the cast can always refer back to. Keep in mind that creating the script will take time, creativity, and patience. Start as early as you can to let your ideas come to life! You’re trying to create a fun and engaging story about what Circle K is. A lot of new members attend Fall Training Conference, so it’s your time to show them what you’re all about! Having writer’s block? Find inspiration from your club theme and the Fall Training Conference theme! • This is a chance to implement a theme to your storyline! • Be open-minded to hearing ideas from other people, like your cast, skit planning committee or home club! • Feel free to be inspired by other external resources, but do not plagiarize. Plagiarism is prohibited. Represent your school with pride! Work with your school and stand out! Plagiarism includes copying other school’s skits in past years and copying scripts from plays/shows/movies. Any findings of plagiarism will not be tolerated and your application will be disqualified from consideration. Don’t be afraid to be comedic • Humor will make the skit more enjoyable and lighthearted but remember to keep it appropriate and avoid making any offensive gestures that can upset anyone watching. Feel free to add in a moment that mentions the District Service Initiative (DSI) • Incorporating a mention of the District Service Initiative will not only make your Campfire Skit stand out, but it can also help members gain a better understanding of what the District Service Initiative is. 7 Keep within of the time limit • A short script may not maximize the skit’s total potential nor fully develop the storyline and a long script might exceed the time limit. • Account time for speaking speed, transition changes, dance scenes, etc. • Always keep track of time while doing run-throughs or verbal run-throughs to see if any changes will need to be made in order to fit within the time limit. HELPFUL TIP: • Time your practices with a stopwatch or cellphone to monitor the time so that you can adjust accordingly later on! • Video record with your phone/camera during practice to review the recordings to gain better insight of the stage directions between the actors/actresses. • With verbal run-throughs, go over the script with another person. Recite lines back and forth with each other and take your time reading it out loud; this can help with the flow of the skit and increase memorization. Be open to changes • Don’t be afraid to edit the script over and over again. You’ll never know if a brighter idea might enhance the quality of the script! That being said, refrain from making any last-minute changes. 8 3 Components/3 Committees + Practices There are three components when building and constructing a Campfire Skit: Actors, Dancers, and Props. Managing these three components while creating a Campfire Skit can be quite challenging. However, with excellent time management and teamwork with fellow club members, the skit can be executed efficiently to produce a dynamic and entertaining skit. HELPFUL TIP: Divide the components of the skit into different groups or committees and organize separate practices and/or meetings in order to maximize focus upon development and improvement. The person in charge of creating the Campfire Skit can choose to oversee all three areas of the skit or appoint other committee heads to lead each group. This varies depending on schools, but ultimately, it is up to the Campfire Skits and Talent Acts Chair how they want to manage and oversee the skit. - Example: Someone can be in charge of working with the actors, someone can be in charge of teaching choreography to the dancers, and someone can be the head designer when creating back drops/props. If you decide to choose committee leaders, always remember to keep in constant communication with each other in order to make the skit as cohesive and fluid as possible. Actors The actors main role is to portray the story and must be able to do the following: • Memorize script lines • Interact with other actors during the performance • Ensure that they are familiar with stage placement • Create smooth transitions in between scenes 9 Choreography When planning your skit, you can consider adding choreography at any point. However, this is NOT mandatory but is highly recommended! • Choreography should relate to the skit rather than appear randomly o Something happening in your skit should suggest for the choreography to result. It should fit within the storyline. • Include as many members as you want! The more, the merrier! o Dancers can have other roles in the skit or just their role in the dance. o Be mindful of the stage size. Too many dancers may result in not enough space to dance. • Would recommend at least 1-2 dance performances throughout the skit. • Any more than two may be excessive but if done, it should have good reason and purpose in the skit • Props can be utilized with choreography. o Keep in mind these props should be easily transferable on/off stage. • Recommended length of each choreography at a time should be around 15-45 seconds. However, it depends on the length of time your skit allows. Prioritize and organize your time! o Music should be appropriate for skit and within CKI standards. • Choreography can be of any style! o Example: Hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, etc. • Dance rooms with mirrors are especially helpful so people can practice their posture and stage setting. o Choreography should be well rehearsed. o Dancers should know what they are doing. If not, consider more practice time, a lower level of difficulty, or whether the choreography is truly necessary at that point of the storyline. 10 Props • • • • • Props are visual tools that can help express the content of your skit. They can range from something simple like posters or backdrops to something complex like creating large boats or cars created out of cardboard. When creating props for the skit, it would be very helpful to have a committee to contribute helping hands as well as ideas for necessary props for the skit. Schedule days when you’re planning on going shopping or when you’re planning on meeting together to build props. Ensure you maintain clear and concise ideas and sketches for the props. o Creating props tend to take up a lot more time than expected. o Make sure to ask around to see if anyone already has the needed props or has something similar you can use to save time! o Draw layouts and list out what supplies are needed. o Keep in mind that if you need props and/or costume for the skit, creating a budget is ideal! HELPFUL TIP: Make sure to talk to your president and treasurer to see what your budget is. • • • Try to be as frugal, flexible, and cost-effective with your budget as you can when it comes to designing or constructing props. While transporting props to Fall Training Conference, keep in mind of limited space in the cars. Be considerate and ensure you will have enough space in cars for passengers to be comfortable while transporting luggage and props. 11 Scheduling Practices What’s a Campfire Skit without practices and rehearsals? Divide your practices based upon 3 Committees/Components • Depending on the progress of the skit, it may be needed to focus on the groups separately before combining all the components together and having combined practices. o This is designed for you to maximize your focus on each group and that way, no group will be waiting around while a group is practicing. o Example: ▪ Actors Practice – Monday from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ▪ Dance Practice – Thursdays from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM ▪ Prop Making and Prop Holding Transitions – Thursdays from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM • Combined practices are necessary for skit progression, so coordinate with committee heads to have a combined practice and settle on a time and place for them. Keep track of your practice times and schedules • Try to keep practice schedules consistent based upon a time where all or a majority of your cast members are available. • Try to find practice locations with lots of room to move around and will allow people to talk freely/play music without noise complaints (classroom, parking structure, etc.). Set goals and follow time limits • GOALS o Set goals during practice! Try to get a certain part of the script well memorized and rehearsed or finish up and be comfortable with a specific dance piece. o Goals will vary for every practice and school but they will help with the progression of the skit and enhance the rate of improvement! • TIME LIMITS o Practices can range as long as you want depending on how much time is needed as well as how much time the participants’ schedule permits. ▪ Can range from 1-2 hours but try to commit to your given times. ▪ Example: If practice will be 2 hours, try not to go over the time because some participants have other commitments to attend to after the practice. 12 What if someone can’t attend or has to miss a practice? • If someone cannot attend practice, ensure the person will be able to catch up or have someone that knows the material teach them outside of practice! • Record your run-throughs! o It will allow your cast to learn by themselves at their own pact and familiarize themselves by the next time practice comes around! Be mindful of your cast • Provide snacks and drinks! o Always ensure your cast members are well-fed and hydrated! Don’t forget to take frequent breaks as well. It will keep their motivation high to excel through practices and it is a nice reward for their hard work and dedication! ▪ Example: Taking a 15-20 minute food or drink break! 13 Voice-Overs vs. Speaking Live For the skit, the skit chair will have to decide whether your school will be using voice-overs or speaking live. Voice-overs vs. speaking live gives the audience a different feel for the skit but both are perfectly acceptable to use. Voice-Over Pros: - Ensures everyone can be heard - Ensures skit ends within the time limit - Ensures pacing and timing - Actors don’t have to memorize lines - Interchangeability of Actors Live Pros: - Actors can go at their own pace - Connects more with the audience - More time for actors to memorize lines - Allows actors to iterate on lines (create more believable/personal dialogue) - Actors can be louder than provided speakers at the amphitheater - People tend to be more invested in the process Voice-Over Cons: - More work pre-FTC - Skit must be finalized earlier - Possible technical difficulties (forgetting to bring file, file not working/ cutting during middle of the skit) - People less invested in the entire process Live Cons: - Actors must memorize lines - Possibility of people forgetting lines - Actors might not be heard if not inherently loud. - More change going over the time limit Find out which suits your school better and what your cast prefers. Remember that either way the script itself is one of the most important things you will need so get it done early! 14 Communication What if a practice needs to be rescheduled? What if we’re changing practice locations? What if we have a large announcement to make? Communication is KEY! Contact all the actors, dancers, prop creators/holders that are involved in the skit • Always confirm with your committees or cast members when practices are, where they will be held, etc. • If sudden changes occur, like a practice is cancelled, or if locations need to be relocated, make sure you tell ALL cast members so they are well-informed! o One way to communicate with all cast mates is having a Facebook group/instant message chat; that way the information can be easily spread. • Gain all contact information (phone numbers and/or emails) from all participants! • Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It is going to take up a lot of work directing everything, so if you need extra hands, find as many resources as you can. 15 Composure and Patience When creating a Campfire Skit, sometimes it can be challenging to manage composure or patience. Maybe the deadline is coming up to submit the video or a prop breaks during practice. As the person in charge of directing the skit, it’s really important to make sure your demeanor is well conducted into setting a comfortable environment for everyone around you. It is really important to have a good attitude when directing the skit • You may possibly have new members present and a demeaning or distressed attitude can make them feel uncomfortable or out of place. • Stay positive! If things get hectic, just take a couple deep breaths, talk to your cast, and remember the skit is just for fun! Patience is the key! Anything rushed won’t maximize the quality of your skit • Make sure to space out and manage your time so practices and other important events can run smoothly and efficiently. • Remember to be patient with your cast! Some people might need more time remembering lines from the script or finishing building props. o Extending deadlines may be helpful, but always encourage your cast members to work efficiently, check-in with them, and spectate/observe their progress! 16 Decision Making After submitting the video, it may take some time before you hear a response whether or not you will be a part of the Campfire Skits and Talent Acts performance. • Take note that the decision is not entirely made from the FTC Campfire Skits & Talent Acts Chair. The decision may be based upon the decision of the District Governor, District Administrator, the Fall Training Conference Chair, the entire Fall Training Conference Committee, and other Kiwanians. o They base their decisions off a scoring rubric attached to the Campfire Skit application. HELPFUL TIP: Take a break from practices during the decision period! Remember to thank everyone that has helped you through the process thus far. If Rejected, • • • Please do not feel discouraged that your skit was not chosen to perform! Instead, put it to good use! o With the approval of your Lieutenant Governor, perform it at any banquet or event! Keep your head up! You and your home club should be proud for stepping up to apply and for finishing an amazing experience! If Accepted, • Congratulations! Please make sure to be respectful and humble for being chosen to perform. • Continue practices and start refining the skit and add last minute touches to the props • Ensure everything fits within the time frame/limit If any changes are needed to be made within the skit after being accepted to perform, please make sure to contact the Campfire Skits & Talent Acts Chair and let them know as soon as possible. 17 Overall, Be proud of what you have created and what you have accomplished! WAY TO GO YOU for taking up this leadership position and making an impact on your club! If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Campfire Skits and/or Talent Acts, please do not hesitate to contact the Campfire Skits & Talent Acts Chair at ftc.campfireskits@gmail.com! 18
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