A solo performer acts out the story of a recorded song through movement, gesture and facial expression, without singing live.
A human video is a recorded song brought to life on stage. The music plays, the performer does not sing, and the whole message of the lyrics is carried by acting, movement, gesture and facial expression. In the solo class one person does all of it alone, so the performer has to be the storyteller, the characters and the mood of the piece in a single body.
A round usually begins with the performer taking their place and holding an opening picture until the track starts. From there the performance follows the song: a verse might be a small scene, a chorus a bigger, more open movement, and a quiet bridge a moment of stillness or turning point. Because the words are already supplied by the recording, the audience judges whether the movement says the same thing as the lyrics, and whether the performer is actually acting the song rather than miming each word one by one.
On eTalenter the item is carried by three talent templates: a junior template for ages 7 to 12 (an individual item with a five-minute limit, marked out of 5), an international teen template for ages 13 to 19 (an individual item with no time limit printed, scored as a rating labelled out of 10 with a maximum of 5) and a Jamaican talent showcase, which lists it for a children's class and, under the name Solo Human Video (Youth), for a youth class aged 13 to 40 (both marked out of 100, no time limit printed). It is open to both genders in all three, in English.
Organisers run it because it suits entrants who love music and drama but would rather not sing, it needs only a sound system and a clear stage, and the same recorded track can show very different stagecraft from one entrant to the next.
Where Solo Human Video is run
On eTalenter this item is carried by three talent templates: a junior talent template, an international teen talent template and a Jamaican talent showcase. Acting out a recorded song also turns up in youth ministry, school assembly and community talent programmes elsewhere, but this page records only the templates that carry the item, so organisers should check their own notice for time limit, track rules and judging headings.
- Jamaica
- Worldwide
Key facts
- Individual item: one performer, one recorded song, no live singing
- Three templates carry it: junior (7-12), teens (13-19) and a Jamaican showcase with children's and youth (13-40) classes
- Only the junior template prints a time limit: five minutes
- Marked out of 5 (junior), out of 100 (Jamaican showcase) and as a rating with a maximum of 5 (teen)
- Open to both genders; English-language programmes in all three templates
- The small group and large group human video classes are separate items
On eTalenter, Solo Human Video is filed under Drama and typically scored with Marks, Rating out of 10. It appears in 3 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Solo Human Video is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 5, commonly time-limited to around 5 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Solo Human Video
What a Solo Human Video panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Meaning: movement and expression that clearly tell what the song is about, so a viewer could follow the story with the words turned down
- Match to the lyrics: gestures and scenes that fit each line and shift when the song shifts, rather than a fixed routine laid over the top
- Facial expression: a face that carries the feeling of the verse, the chorus and the ending, and stays in character for the whole track
- Use of space and movement: purposeful use of the stage, levels and stillness, not constant busy action that hides the message
- Timing with the music: entrances, changes and the last pose landing on the beat, with no lost place in the track
- Stage discipline: a tidy start and finish, props kept simple and handled well, and the piece finishing inside the organiser's time
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Solo Human Video under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Solo Human Video
How entrants and their teachers usually get Solo Human Video right on the day:
- Choose a song whose words tell a clear story or carry a clear message, and listen to it until you can name the idea of every verse
- Break the track into sections and decide one picture, action or mood for each, so the performance has a shape instead of one repeated gesture
- Rehearse with the actual recording at the organiser's volume, and practise starting cleanly from the first beat
- Act the meaning, not every word: pick the key lines to show and let the quieter lines breathe with stillness or a look
- Practise in front of a mirror and then a friend, and ask whether they can say what the song is about without hearing the lyrics
- Keep props and costume simple and check them with the organiser, and rehearse picking up and putting down anything you carry
- Time every run against the limit, and plan a strong final picture that holds for a moment after the music ends
- Confirm how the track will be supplied (device, file format, who plays it) before the day so nothing delays your turn
Frequently asked questions
Is Solo Human Video judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Do I sing in a solo human video?
No. The song plays as a recording and the performer acts it out. Singing live along with the track would normally be treated as a different kind of item, so follow your organiser's notice.
Is it the same as a mime?
They are close but not the same. Mime is usually silent storytelling with no music tied to a specific song, while a human video is built around the words and mood of a recorded song. The templates list them as separate items.
How long can the performance be?
The junior template prints a five-minute limit. The teen and Jamaican showcase templates print no limit, so organisers should publish one and entrants should rehearse to it.
What is the difference between the solo, small group and large group classes?
The solo class is one performer. The templates list small group and large group human video as separate items for teams, so entrants should enter the class that matches their number of performers.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every drama competition item.
Try Solo Human Video in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Solo Human Video, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
