There is a good chance you have heard of Lip Sync Battle by now. It was one of our favorite segments from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that made the leap to it’s on show on Spike.
The concept is pretty straightforward, but we want to give you some tips that will help you modify the game so that it is a success for you.
PREP TIME–Â 5 Minutes (if you have props or a scene to set up, prep time will need to be adjusted accordingly)
ITEMS NEEDED– Songs to Lip Sync & a Sound System
GAME TIME– 5-15 Minutes
PARTICIPANTS– 2-4 people (you can include more with teams if you have bands with multiple vocalists or background dancers)
INSTRUCTIONS
The game is simple. Select participants, have one come up and lip sync a song, take a vote to see who is your winner (applause/noise).
As you will see in this clip, the game has become a bit of a phenomenon.
Keep in mind that they have a few things won’t, namely, celebrities, a production company & a crowd who is coming to watch them perform. So, what are the keys for a successful Lip Sync Battle for your group?
Choose Participants Beforehand
Give them time to pick a song and practice. This does two things. It gives them a better feel for the song and you give them the opportunity to enhance the song with any needed set-up and/or design.
Select people who will get into the song. Encourage them to incorporate some fun ideas as well.
Keep Songs Short
Don’t do full songs. Even the celebrities don’t do the full version of the songs. Have a 60 second minimum and a 90 second maximum. This will allow the performance to have substance and not feel like it drags on.
Crank the Sound
You don’t need to drown out the audience, but you want to create an atmosphere.
Pick Songs People Know
Stick to classics and songs that are current. Remember, this game is not about the performer, it’s about the audience. This also makes it easy to mimic popular music videos, which can make the song more fun.
Make Performers Visible
Put them on a stage, elevate them, do whatever it takes for the audience to see. Hopefully, your audience is on their feet, which means that the performers will need to be seen.
Select the Right Host
LL Cool J is doing a great job on the show. He knows how to interact and when to step back. Get some more tips on selecting a great host from on our past posts.
These five tips will help you have an awesome Lip Sync Battle for your group!
BONUS TIPS
1. Award a microphone (inflatables ones work) to the winner.
2. Have participants show you their song beforehand so that you know that it will be a success.
3. Don’t be afraid to build this one up for a while. You can even promote a tournament with a semi-final and final round. Start with 4 performers and then take the top 2 for a second and final round.
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Where do you get your songs from? Is there a website that has que’d up 60-90 second clips of songs? I was thinking something like spotify, just then fade out at 90 seconds.
Hi Mike,
Depending on what song is being song, you will probably be best to fade into the second verse and then get the chorus & bridge (and maybe chorus again). And Spotify is great if you have it available. Good luck with the game! Let us know how it goes.
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