Lip Dubs

Lip dubs are staged video productions featuring participants singing lyrics to a song in a continuous motion, as the camera continually moves throughout a setting. When executed well, lip dubs are a fun, thrilling and memorable experience for everyone involved.

Lip synching has been around forever. Over the past few years, group lip dubs have been popping up on the net - especially from Europe and Quebec.

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Choose your song!

Performing a lip dub is your group's work of art! The first step is to decide on the song you'd like to sing.

Ideally, your lip dub song should be an original celebration and representation of your group. The best songs are often those with a medium to high beat.

Examples of Awesome Lip Dubs!

Why we think this is awesome...

All participants having fun, huge smiles, everyone looks natural, up-beat song, steady-camera, magnificent transitions, lips synch, original gags, fantastic costumes, vivid colour correction, masterful composition, the ending is cool too.

 

 

Why we think this is awesome...

Fantastic lip-dub route (gee I wish my uni had those facilities), creative costumes, heaps of attitude, original gags (love the pash + guitar hero references), hot ending, steady camera.

 

 

Why we think this is awesome...

Jaw-dropping planning and organisation (lol at abseilers), impressive costumes, hilarious actions synched to lyrics, fun dancing, great ending song, everyone is genuinely having so much fun.

Rockstar Guide to lip dubs

Here is Rockstar's guide to what makes an awesome lip dub video:

MUSIC

  1. catchy, quite well-known song chosen
  2. participants + audience know the words
  3. the song is not monotonous - ideally features build-ups of energy
  4. can use a mash-up, but it alters the outcome

 

LOCATION

  1. film-route runs both inside and outside buildings
  2. inside settings are not a boring continuous corridor
  3. outside settings are not a wide open field of nothing

 

COSTUME + PROPS

  1. participants wearing interesting costume / outfits
  2. costume ideally matches key parts of lyrics
  3. participants are not wearing hats which obscure their eyes
  4. participants wear make-up to accentuate features
  5. plenty of hand-held signs + logos of your school, group or workplace name - show massive pride!

 

GREAT DEVICES

  1. dancing
  2. musical instruments + band matching song during interludes
  3. piles of paper thrown up in the air
  4. key teachers and managers participating
  5. bicycles, rollerskates, rollerblades and skateboards
  6. passing something physical along
  7. sliding down stairs
  8. odd crazy funny random events, such as skiing in summer
  9. spins
  10. holding signs matching the lyrics
  11. hand-held signs of school/sport clubs
  12. pride - lots of pride
  13. hand gestures
  14. memes
  15. personal group jokes + references
  16. lots of paparazzi camera flashes
  17. going into toilets
  18. hopskotch
  19. balloons - lots of balloons
  20. confetti
  21. ending with big group shot
  22. synchronised cartwheels and acrobatic flips at the end
  23. the ending is not corny or cringe inducing

PARTICIPANTS

  1. are having fun
  2. look comfortable and confident
  3. are smiling like crazy
  4. have huge smiling eyes
  5. are attractive
  6. are in their element
  7. show attitude
  8. know the lyrics
  9. remove participants who don't know the words
  10. sing in time
  11. lips are WIDE OPEN, singing lyrics, so the audience can lip read
  12. background people are dancing / enjoying themselves
  13. ideally, at least 50+ participants - the more the merrier

 

CAMERA FOCUS ON PARTICIPANTS

  1. stays focussed on each participant for minimum of 2 seconds
  2. alternates between singles and groups
  3. no participant in focus should look alone or deserted
  4. lyric groups are maximum 6-7ppl
  5. ideally, key solos parts in the song, are sung by a solo participant
  6. ideally, key group parts in the song, are sung by a group of people

 

PARTICIPANT TRANSITIONS

  1. there are transition bridges to each next participant(s)
  2. transitions are quick + effective
  3. next participant(s) is not seen too far in advance (1s ahead max)
  4. next participant(s) are visibly occupied having fun, before the camera reaches them
  5. effective = participant(s) points to the next participant(s)
  6. effective = participant(s) hand over a prop to the next participant(s)
  7. effective = next participant(s) surprise jumps out in front of camera

CAMERA WORK

  1. camera is a pro/semi-pro model
  2. picture is ultra steady - ideally with steadycam mount
  3. good lighting - camera has light attached
  4. no blurring on movement
  5. effective = camera man rides trolley for some scenes
  6. no swaying pans (unless part of the style)
  7. filming pace matches the song pace
  8. walking backwards + forwards - not too much turning left and right
  9. participant faces completely fill the screen at times, or take a large proportion: subject on screen
  10. the camera and picture taken, is not a prisoner of participants appearing
  11. at times participants are a prisoner of the camera man walking the route

 

FILM PRODUCTION

  1. no cuts
  2. colour is corrected / enhanced in post production
  3. consideration that obvious special effects alters the outcome
  4. speed is appropriately adjusted to synch lips with lyric clips
  5. cannot ever see the camera man in final cut

Suggested songs!

  • One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces - Ben Folds Five
  • Catch My Disease - Ben Lee
  • I Believe in a Thing Calling Love - The Darkness
  • The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
  • What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
  • Paris is Burning - Ladyhawke
  • Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
  • Livin on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
  • Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
  • I'm Still Standing - Elton John
  • Grace Kelly - Mika
  • Everbody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears
  • Jump - Van Halen
  • M79 - Vampire Weekend
  • You're The Voice - John Farnham
  • Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
  • Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams
  • Don't Stop Me Now - Queen