A team film-making competition in which a crew composes and records a dance made for the camera, judged as one entry in a festival’s wider film strand.
Film – Screen Dance is dance made for the camera rather than for a stage. The choreography, the framing, the camera movement and the edit are designed together, so the finished film is the work. The “Film -” prefix marks it as one genre in a festival’s film strand, beside short film, screen narrative, screen verse, documentary and advert, and it should not be confused with a live dance item that is simply filmed.
In eTalenter’s Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team entry open to both genders, offered in all five age groups from Pre-Primary through Primary, Junior School and Secondary to Tertiary, in English and marked out of 100. The template sets no running-time limit, and the Evidence only prints a full marking scheme for Play, so organisers define how dance films are scored and how long they may run.
A typical entry starts with a short piece of movement and a decision about where it will be filmed: a courtyard, a classroom corridor, a field or a stairwell. The crew plans where the camera stands, whether it moves with the dancers or holds still, and how cuts will fall on the music. Dancers perform in several takes, and the editor chooses the best moments and joins them in time with the sound.
Organisers run it because it brings in students who choreograph, film and edit, and not only those who dance. It also makes a recorded piece that can be screened to a panel in the same sitting as the rest of the film strand, with no stage, lighting rig or travel needed for the performers.
Where Film – Screen Dance is run
In eTalenter’s data this item appears only on the Kenya schools drama festival template, where it is the second item of a six-item film strand, scored as a Team item out of 100 in each of five age groups. This page makes no claim beyond that template.
- Kenya
Key facts
- Team entry, open to both genders
- Five age groups: Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior School, Secondary and Tertiary
- Marked out of 100 on the template; the film-dance breakdown is not printed in the source, so organisers set it
- No running-time limit is set on the template, so publish your own maximum
- English is the template language
- Submitted as a finished film and screened to the panel, not performed live
- Different from the festival’s live Cultural Creative Dance and Modern Creative Dance items, which are performed on stage
On eTalenter, Film – Screen Dance is filed under Off Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Film – Screen Dance is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Film – Screen Dance
What a Film – Screen Dance panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Choreography for the camera: movement that reads clearly in a frame and has a beginning, development and ending
- Use of space and location: a setting chosen to add to the dance, not just a backdrop
- Camera work: framing that keeps the dancers’ bodies visible, with steady or deliberately moving shots
- Editing and rhythm: cuts that land with the music and keep the sequence flowing
- Dancers’ performance: control, timing and expression held together across the whole team
- Sound and fit to the brief: clean audio, music used as permitted, and the film kept within the organiser’s length and format rules
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Film – Screen Dance under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring guide.
How to prepare for Film – Screen Dance
How entrants and their teachers usually get Film – Screen Dance right on the day:
- Choose movement that suits your age group; Pre-Primary and Primary teams do best with simple, repeated patterns and clear formations
- Visit the location first and sketch where the camera will stand for each section
- Rehearse the dance to the final music until the whole team is in time, then film several full takes
- Film wide shots and closer shots of the same phrase so the editor has choices
- Keep the camera steady with a tripod or a firm surface unless a moving shot is part of the plan
- Check clothing and floor surface for safety and for how they look on screen
- Export the film in the organiser’s format and play it on another device before handing it in
Ready-made event templates that include Film – Screen Dance
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya National Drama and Film Festival | Off Stage | Marks | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Film – Screen Dance judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Film – Screen Dance the same as a stage dance filmed on a phone?
No. A screen dance is composed for the camera, with the shots and edit planned as part of the work. A filmed stage dance is a recording of a live item and belongs under the stage dance categories.
Is it an individual or team entry?
On the Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team item, open to both genders in all five age groups.
How long can the film be?
The template sets no time limit, so the organiser should announce a maximum running time and teams should finish comfortably inside it.
How is it scored?
The template marks it out of 100. The source only prints a full breakdown for Play, so the organiser decides how dance films are weighted and tells entrants beforehand.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring guide, or browse every off stage competition item.
Try Film – Screen Dance in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Film – Screen Dance, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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