2021 National Finals

Congratulations on being named a Finalist for our 2021 Online National Finals! 

Given the COVID-19 global pandemic, National Finals will be an online contest again this year. While we are disappointed not to be meeting you in person, we are excited to  spend a virtual day with you, celebrate your achievements and share your recitations with our massive community of poetry fans from around the world.   

This year, the 9 finalists selected are required to successfully re-film and submit videos following the new instructions below. Once you submit your new recitation videos, they will be evaluated online by our National Finals judges. The judges will decide who places first, second, and third in the English Stream, the Bilingual Stream, and the French Stream.

In addition to your $250 Semifinals prize, the nine students will be awarded:

  • 1st place: $3,000
  • 2nd place: $2,000
  • 3rd place: $1,000 

It is extremely important you read all the information given below before confirming your participation.

To guarantee your participation as a finalist you will need to be available the evening of April 21 and all day and evening April 22, and you will need to complete the tasks below by the specified dates. We have informed your teacher of your success, but they are not responsible for this final phase of our competition. It’s your responsibility to follow our instructions and meet our deadlines, so you can win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize in your chosen stream. 

After reading this page, if you have any questions or concerns around the logistical aspects of your involvement, contact Tessa Griffin tessa@poetryinvoice.ca.

If you have any questions or concerns about the technical aspects of your involvement, contact David Smith david@poetryinvoice.ca.

 

Before March 30, 5 PM EST

  • Finalists in the English and French Streams choose a third poem: If you are competing in one of these two streams, you must recite and re-film the two poems you previously submitted and choose a third poem to learn by heart and film. One of your three poems must be from our anthology’s section of poems with 25 lines or fewer. 
     
  • Finalists in the Bilingual Stream recite two poems: If you are competing in this stream, you will only recite and re-film the two poems you previously submitted — you do NOT need to learn a third poem.
     
  • RSVP: To confirm your participation, you must fill out our information form including your third poem choice (if applicable) as soon as possible, and no later than Tuesday, March 30 at 5pm Eastern.

 

Before April 8, 5 PM EST

  • Receive your swag: As soon as you correctly complete the information form you will be mailed a set of Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poesie swag as our gift to you.
     
  • Re-film recitations: You must now re-film your two recitations -- and film your third poem, if you are in the English or French Stream -- according to our 2021 filming requirements. Please read these instructions carefully because if your videos do not meet these requirements, you will have to re-film or may even be disqualified from the National Finals and from winning any prizes. 
     
  • Film supplemental actions: Below you will find a list of actions for you to film (applauding, waving, etc.) that we will use to make the show come to life.
     
  • Upload your videos: Upload your videos to YouTube and set your videos’ privacy to “Unlisted.” DON’T set them to “Private.” Send an email to tessa@poetryinvoice.ca with links to your videos. We will review your videos and let you know if they’re admissible into the contest. The sooner you send them to us, the sooner we can review them and the more time you’ll have to reshoot them, if necessary.
     
  • Reply: A journalist might like to schedule an interview with you. If so, our communications specialist, Rorie Bruce, will contact you and your teacher by email or phone. Please respond as quickly as possible to any interview request to ensure the journalist meets their deadline.

 

April 21

8 PM EST: Meet and Greet

Finalists and their teachers will have the opportunity to meet one another virtually while the PIV/LVP team sets the scene for the following day.  A meeting link will be emailed to you the day before.

 

April 22: Workshops and National Finals Show

Finalists will be joined by this year’s semifinalists to participate in two workshops facilitated by well known Canadian poets. 

11:30 AM EST: Workshop #1

2:00 PM EST: Workshop #2

8 PM EST: National Finals Show

Finalists and their teachers will tune in via Zoom to watch the National Finals show, meet the judges, and celebrate together.

Zoom Meeting links for these events will be emailed to you the day before. 

 

After April 22: Receive your prizes

We will send your trophy and/or plaque by mail and your prize money will be sent to you by E-transfer.  

 


Filming Requirements

You may NOT re-submit the videos you made for the Online Qualifiers

We are asking you to re-film because we would like to achieve the best video and audio quality possible, so our audience can appreciate your recitations, and the judges can  evaluate everyone’s work under optimal conditions. You must also send us a supplemental actions video, as detailed below:

  1. Device: Use the best, newest camera or device you have access to. Place a microphone as close to your face as possible. You may use a standing microphone, earbuds, a lapel microphone, whatever supplies the best sound. If you cannot use an external microphone, place your recording device as close as possible to you.
     
  2. Location: Film in a quiet, bright indoor space. 
  1. Sound: If you can hear any noise, try your best to silence it or wait for the noise to end. This could include your home’s forced-air heating, a humidifier or fan, people talking in the next room, noise outside your home, etc.  
  2. Light: Natural lighting is preferred, but you may also shoot on a stage. On a sunny day, film in a room without direct sunlight, close to a window (north-facing windows are best). Your lighting will then be bright but diffuse.
  3. Background: Film against a neutral background, like a white wall or a nice theatre space if this is possible. Do NOT film with a window in the background and underexpose yourself (i.e., we can’t see your face).
  1. Filming: Be sure to shoot in landscape orientation, not portrait! You will have to re-film if you shoot in portrait orientation. Consider framing your face in a close-up. If you feel your hand gestures are essential to your recitation, you can use a medium shot that includes them. In this case, consider using the “widest angle” setting for your lens so that the camera stays close to you. 
  1. Image: Stand while you recite. Use a tripod, or prop your device on something solid and stable, like a ladder or bookshelf. If that’s not possible, a family member can steadily hold the device to film you. The camera lens should be at your eye level. You can stare right into the lens if you like. 
  2. Sound: If you don’t have an external microphone, be sure to place the camera as close to you as possible. This is extremely important. The distance, depending on your device’s camera, might be as close as 12 inches.
  3. Content: Each video should start with the poem title and poet’s name, and end with the last line of your poem. Do not introduce yourself or add any editorial comments. Film one poem at a time.
  1. Review: Watch your videos using headphones to ensure the audio is excellent. Watch your videos while reading the poem from our website. There should be no accuracy mistakes. Consider refilming if you find any fault with your videos.
     
  2. Upload: Upload your videos to YouTube, including the supplemental actions video. Set the YouTube privacy setting to “Unlisted,” NOT to “Private.” Note you may also trim the length of your videos in YouTube to remove your entrance or exit from the beginning or end of your videos. When you name each video, use the title of your poem. 

Email: Email the Youtube links to your 2 or 3 recitations videos and supplemental actions video to tessa@poetryinvoice.ca for review and approval no later than April 8 @ 5pm Eastern.

 


Supplemental Actions Video

Please be sure to wear the same clothing for these shots that you wear to re-film your recitation and that you will wear to the Zoom event following the Online National Finals.

 

1. Introduce yourself to the camera. Greet the viewers and tell them your first name, last name, school name, city and province.

2. Stand facing the camera with a neutral expression on your face for 15 seconds, as if you were waiting in the wings to go on stage.

3. Film yourself for about thirty seconds while expressing your inner diva, your inner superstar. Wear a homemade/thrifted/borrowed extravagant accessory – like sunglasses, a hat, a paper crown, a tiara, a feather boa – and wave to the camera, wave to your admirers, blow kisses and bestow smiles on the crowd. 

Channel your inner movie star at the door of their supersonic jet arriving at the Cannes Film Festival.

4. Film yourself for about 10 seconds, first in a tense, slightly expectant pose, then nodding as if in response to our host’s question “Ok, are we all ready?”

5. Film yourself for about 15 seconds reacting ecstatically to the prize announcement. You just won the Oscar for best acting EVER.

6. Film yourself for about 15 seconds reacting delightedly to receiving second prize.

7. Film yourself for about 15 seconds reacting happily to receiving third prize.

8. Film yourself thanking the judges, the other finalists and the audience with your smiles and applause. Please clap and smile in all of these ways for a good 10 seconds each:

  • clap to camera
  • clap left
  • clap right
  • clap up
  • clap down.

Please ensure that the sound of your clapping has been recorded.

9. Film yourself waving to the audience, the judges and the other finalists. Please wave and smile in all of these ways for a good 10 seconds each:

  • wave to camera
  • wave left
  • wave right
  • wave up
  • wave down.

 

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