Preparations are beginning for the annual HSC showcases and soon the Board and Department of Education will be asking schools/students to submit DVDs and photographs of nominated works. Encore, OnStage and Callback Nominated students need to submit a DVD of their performance. Many schools already film HSC performances as a record of students' work and to keep as a backup in case anything goes wrong. If your school already has a suitable recording, you don't need to film a new version for the nomination process. If your school doesn't have a recording of students' work, it's probably a good idea to try to film performances while students are still at school, prior to the start of written HSC exams. The Board has extended the period for ENCORE submissions until 20 November 2009. This will allow schools that have not had an opportunity to film their nominated Music students before the exams to do so after marking is completed. DesignTECH Nominated students will need to provide digital photographs of their major design project. Again, many schools and students already photograph major works to document achievement and as a useful record in case of misadventure. English Extension 2 students are also reminded to keep a copy of their major work as the Board will need electronic copies if the works are nominated for the Young Writers Showcase. Journals are not part of the selection process. Finally, students, parents and school staff are reminded that nomination for an HSC showcase does not indicate a particular mark for the student's major work or performance. There are many factors involved in the final selection for a showcase event or exhibition, for example: the ability to transport a major project; the suitability of a performance for a particular kind of stage; the need to show a mix of performances or projects that demonstrate the scope of the relevant syllabus; the inclusion of students from locations around NSW. Most importantly, there are limits on the number of performances or works that can be included in any one year. Inevitably, there are many outstanding students who are not nominated or, having been nominated, are not selected for the final showcase. Additional advice about procedures and submission dates will be listed on the Board's Showcases and Exhibitions website as the information becomes available. Subscribe to the Board's newsfeed and bookmark the showcases you're interested in to make sure you receive the latest information as soon as it's available. Don't miss out! Get your Board news fast and from the source with our easy email news alerts. Simply enter your address in the box to the right of this article and remember to verify when you get our confirmation message.