Instructions

• Step 1: Get in shape Get into excellent shape. Unlike American game shows, which tend to test mental ability, Japanese game shows usually involve physical challenges. Superior stamina and flexibility will give you an edge over the competition.
• TIP: Making contestants dizzy is a popular theme, so work on your equilibrium.
• Step 2: Roll with the punches Be ready to roll with the punches. Game show contestants in Japan don’t just compete for prizes: they spar to avoid the punishment meted out to the loser, which can be anything. And we mean anything.
• Step 3: Don’t be squeamish If you’re squeamish, get over it. To survive a Japanese game show, you may have to rip the heads off live squid or pass a squirming salamander to a teammate in your mouth.
• Step 4: Have no shame Expect to be humiliated if you want to survive. A hallmark of Japanese game shows is to embarrass the contestants for the audience’s amusement.
• Step 5: Be fearless Be fearless. In one notorious challenge, contestants wearing raw meat on their heads had to stick their heads inside a cage with a Komodo dragon. Talk about putting your head on the chopping block!
• FACT: The most popular game shows in Japan attract as many as 20 percent of available TV viewers.

You Will Need

• Physical fitness
• Humility
• Strong stomach
• Shamelessness
• Fearlessness
• Good equilibrium (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Wear bold, solid colors Dress for success and wear bold, solid colors. Tiny prints or patterns make your clothes look like they’re dancing, and white is hard to light.
• TIP: Ask if your interview is going to be done on chroma key, which is a blue or a green screen. If it is, don’t wear the color of the screen or they’ll have trouble keying in a background.
• Step 2: Wear makeup Don’t skip the makeup artist. Powder is a must under the hot lights and more is generally better.
• TIP: If you have your own makeup, bring it with you. You’ll be more comfortable wearing your own colors and formulas, and it’s okay to ask the makeup artist to use it.
• Step 3: Use hairspray Don’t spoil your walk of fame with a bad hair day. Let the makeup artist spritz and spray. Fly aways and unkempt hairdos look worse in the bright lights.
• Step 4: Avoid a cold beverage or soda before the interview Skip the cold drink before walking on the set. Cold makes your vocal chords constrict — go for warm water or hot tea instead.
• Step 5: Ask where you should look Ask the interviewer where you should look. If they’re on set with you, make eye contact with them. If someone is asking you questions through an earpiece, look directly into the camera.
• Step 6: Keep answers short and sweet Keep your answers short and sweet. People tune out if they get too much information, so talk about what’s important.
• Step 7: Prepare answers but don’t over-rehearse Come prepared but don’t overdo the practice or you may come off too rehearsed and not conversational. If you memorize your answers and then don’t say them verbatim, it might throw you off track.
• Step 8: Smile and relax Smile and relax. Viewers are more engaged if you put on a happy face and look at ease. Most of all, have fun in the spotlight — the floor director will call “wrap” sooner than you know it.
• FACT: The first televised presidential debates were held in 1960 between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy. Viewers perceived Kennedy as the winner of the debate because he looked better on camera.

You Will Need

• Outfit in a bold
• solid colors
• Room-temperature or hot drink
• Makeup kit (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Bring the drama Bring the drama; you’ll never get your own reality show if you don’t. But don’t be the villain; they’re rarely rewarded with their own series. The trick is to goad others into behaving badly around you.
• Step 2: Be witty Always have an amusing wisecrack or two for the confessional part of the show. Go for laughs at your cast mates’ expense.
• TIP: Be articulate. Mangled metaphors and incoherent diatribes are fun in a supporting player, but would be tiresome in a lead character.
• Step 3: Be the runner-up Be the runner-up in a dating show. Audiences love to see the underdog get a second chance.
• Step 4: Be a D-list celebrity Be a D-list celebrity. If you can convince your extended family to participate, so much the better. Bonus points for being a hot, D-list mess.
• Step 5: Help the downtrodden Have a career helping people whose problems are cringe-worthy, tear-jerking, or animal-related.
• Step 6: Pitch your own show Pitch your idea for a show to network executives and Hollywood agents. It’s a long shot, but if your life is wacky enough, someone just might go for it.
• FACT: According to a study, reality stars are the most narcissistic celebrities of all — more self-absorbed than successful movie stars, musicians, and comedians.

You Will Need

• Personality
• Wit
• D-list stardom
• Altruistic profession
• Reality show pitch

Instructions

• Step 1: Neutralize your voice Lose your regional dialect — actual newscasters frequently move between cities and need to have a neutral accent. Speak a little slower and enunciate carefully, until no one can tell where you’re from.
• Step 2: Communicate the action Tell a story when you talk. Think about each sentence’s point, and stress the words that best communicate the action to help your viewers understand the information easily.
• Step 3: Speak with authority Speak with conviction, whether or not you know what you’re talking about. Maintain good posture and make eye contact with anyone you address, to project confidence and knowledge.
• TIP: If you’re completely uninformed, make up a weather report for the upcoming week.
• Step 4: Stay calm Don’t exaggerate when you speak; people wouldn’t take a real newscaster seriously if everything they said sounded like a major development. Keep your inflection even and calm while still sounding engaged.
• Step 5: Have a conversation Loosen up — speak in a conversational style and add a few laughs while you speak to connect with your audience. Then, when you’ve covered the day’s major topics, utter a signature sign-off line and shuffle a few pieces of paper as the credits roll.
• FACT: In 2010, 762 American television stations produced original local news broadcasts.

You Will Need

• Neutral accent
• Storytelling ability
• Conviction
• Good posture
• Sign-off line
• Paper
• Weather report (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Visit website Visit the show’s website to find out about audition details, including the dates and locations of the open casting calls near you.
• TIP: Audition and open casting call details are posted throughout the year for upcoming cycles, so check the website regularly.
• Step 2: Download eligibility Download and review the eligibility requirements for the relevant cycle.
• TIP: Eligibility rules and requirements can change from cycle to cycle, so read the current cycle’s eligibility carefully.
• Step 3: Download application Download the application form from the website, and then print it and complete it.
• TIP: Review the application form and be sure you know what you are signing. You will be videotaped, required to travel, and required to live in the Top Model House for one and a half months.
• Step 4: Create audition tape Create an audition tape of 3 minutes or less, using VHS or DVD format. Show your best runway walk, and identify who you are and why you want to be America’s Next Top Model.
• Step 5: Select photographs Select your best 3 photographs: one face shot, one full-length clothed, and one full-length in a bathing suit. Make sure one photo is black and white.
• Step 6: Submit application or audition in person Submit your application by mail or at an in-person audition at an open casting call. Mailed applications must include your audition tape, photos, and copies of two forms of identification showing proof of U.S. citizenship.
• FACT: In 1996, Tyra Banks became the first African-American model to pose on the cover of a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

You Will Need

• Internet access
• Application
• Audition tape
• Photographs
• 2 forms of I.D.

Instructions

• Step 1: Be committed Be committed. The process you’ll need to go through is not easy, and it certainly isn’t for the squeamish.
• Step 2: Go online Go to “americanidol.com”:http://americanidol.com to find out about audition details, including the location and dates of the audition closest to you.
• TIP: Auditions tend to take place in the summer, so keep checking the site as soon as spring arrives.
• Step 3: Download the release Download the release form from the web site. You’ll need to bring it with you to the registration. You’ll also need two forms of ID, proving you’re an American citizen between the age of 16 and 28, and a parent or guardian if you are under 18.
• TIP: Know what you’re getting into. In the release form, you’ll agree that your portrayal on the show might be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing, or of an otherwise unfavorable nature which may expose you to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation.
• Step 4: Register A day or two before the audition, head to the audition site – usually the biggest sports arena in your town – and register. You’ll get a wristband and seat number for the actual day of the audition.
• Step 5: Prepare for the audition Prepare two songs to sing without accompaniment. You’ll probably just get to sing a tiny bit of one song before you’re cut off mercilessly, but, in case they really like you, be ready to sing both.
• TIP: Be outrageous. If just getting on American Idol is more important than winning it, your best bet is to somehow shock the judges.
• Step 6: Arrive early Arrive early on the day of the audition with your release form and two IDs. Having a wristband and a seat number doesn’t guarantee you’ll get to sing for the judges. Time may run out—so get there at least two hours before the audition begins.
• Step 7: Wait You’ll have to wait several hours before you’re called on to do anything.
• Step 8: Sing your song It’s not yet time to sing in front of the actual judges, but here’s your chance to impress an assistant with your performance. If you’re good—or bad—enough, they’ll give you a golden ticket to move on to sing in front of a producer. If not, they’ll send you home.
• TIP: Tell a sob story. Just make sure it’s true.
• Step 9: Sing again If you get to proceed, sing your song again – now in front of the show’s producers. These are really the ones to impress, since they decide if you’re “good television.” Again, you’ll need to either vocally wow them or convince them you’re laughably untalented or crazy.
• Step 10: Perhaps perform again At this point you may or may not perform for the show’s judges – and in front of the cameras. Even if you don’t make it this far, there’s hope: Footage of you standing in line could make it on to the show.
• FACT: Calling in to vote for American Idol is so popular that scam artists have bought toll-free numbers similar to American Idol’s number in order to try to charge callers who misdial.

You Will Need

• To be 16 to 28 years old
• U.S. citizenship
• Two forms of identification
• A parent or guardian
• if you are under 18
• A gargantuan ego
• A complete lack of shame
• Talent (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)

Instructions

• Step 1: Prepare Prepare acting, singing, and dancing pieces to perform. Most Disney Channel shows require at least two of the three, so stay ahead of the game by showing you’re a triple threat.
• Step 2: Get headshot and resume Have a headshot and resume ready to take with you to the audition. This is a requirement for Disney auditions.
• Step 3: Get an agent Secure representation from a talent agent to ensure the best chance of landing an audition with Disney. Although some auditions are open, many require submission by an agent.
• TIP: A legitimate agency will never ask for a fee to represent you or your child.
• Step 4: Go online Go to disneyauditions.com and view the audition calendar regularly to check for open casting calls and locations. Arrive early and be prepared to wait; there are usually thousands of people in attendance.
• Step 5: Check the trades Check out entertainment trade papers, available in bookstores and libraries, for audition listings.
• Step 6: Submit a demo Submit a demo tape of you or your child singing, dancing, and acting to casting directors that cast Disney shows. A list of these can be found online or in trade directories listed by show.
• FACT: Did you know? Famous Disney Mickey Mouse Club alumni include Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera, who starred at the same time on the show.

You Will Need

• Acting
• singing
• and dancing skills
• A headshot and resume
• A talent agent
• A computer with internet access
• Entertainment industry trade papers
• A demo tape
• A list of Disney casting directors

Transcript

John Berman: When you’re as virile as I am, staying manly is no challenge at all.

If you’re a guy on TV who has to wear makeup, I think the key is to make it look like you’re not actually wearing makeup. I got it.

Man: Just a little bit.

John Berman: Better? If you’re wearing enough that people can see that you’re wearing it, then it’s problematic.

Question: What do use you?

John Berman: I go for a little beard cover and then a little powder. I’ve been using the same makeup sponges since the Clinton administration, and I’m not sure that that’s the healthiest thing.

Question: How do you get it on?

John Berman: Well, you sneak into a bathroom with your backpack, if you can. If there’s no bathroom around, you use a car window or one of the side mirrors in a car. You have to just do it with confidence. Look like you’re there on purpose. The minute you start looking sheepish putting makeup on, people will start pointing fingers. So you have to just believe in yourself, believe in what you’re doing.

Question: Ever get harassed?

John Berman: Occasionally you’re doing an interview somewhere and there’s a public bathroom and you’re putting on makeup, and people are looking at you like, “What are you doing, exactly?” And so what I try to do when that happens is just give them a look like, “Yeah, of course I’m putting on makeup in the bathroom here. What’s your problem? You know, you could use some too, pal.”

Question: Any last words?

John Berman: This is my world. I’m putting on makeup. If you don’t like it, you know, buzz off.

Instructions

• Step 1: Defend special interest groups Pick a party and make a splash defending their special interest groups.
• Step 2: Attract voters with keywords Use keywords to attract uninformed voters to your party.
• Step 3: Defend every bill Defend every word of every bill your party proposes.
• Step 4: Bring up out-of-date politics Don’t be afraid to bring up impertinent and out-of-date politics to win an argument.
• Step 5: Never agree with anyone Never agree with anyone you’re having a discussion with under any circumstances.

You Will Need

• Face
• Hairstyle
• Upper body
• Suit and tie

Instructions

• Step 1: Have an idea for the kind of program you want to make. Anything goes on public TV, as long as it’s not pornographic, offensive, obscene, libelous, or commercial.
• Step 2: Find a station in your area by typing “Global Village CAT” into a search engine. It will take you to a site that links to about 700 public or community access television sites worldwide.
• TIP: Residency rules vary among stations, so ask about using a station outside your hometown.
• Step 3: Contact the station for their producer requirements; they all operate a bit differently. In some cases, you’ll have to make your show on your own and then apply to air it; other channels have a studio you can use and equipment you can borrow on a first-come, first-served basis.
• TIP: Stations that lend out their equipment usually require that you train on it before you can borrow it. Some offer classes for a small fee.
• Step 4: Make your program. Most stations want shows that are about 28 minutes long, leaving two minutes for opening and closing credits.
• Step 5: Submit your show. It will be aired whenever the station has an available time slot, though most stations will try to accommodate you if you have a specific time in mind. It may also air several times over the course of a month.
• FACT: Celebrity chef Dave Lieberman started a public access cooking show during college at Yale University.

You Will Need

• A programming idea
• A public access television station
• Proficiency with TV equipment

Instructions

• Step 1: Know the show Be familiar with the show you’re applying to. It will provide invaluable insight into the different kinds of personalities they’re after, not to mention the kind of personal information or life drama that may give you an edge.
• Step 2: Follow instructions Follow the application instructions to the letter. If they want a DVD, don’t send a VHS.
• Step 3: Be seen and heard Before you start each shot, make sure you can be seen and heard. Don’t play the radio or TV in the background, and have the light source in front or above you. Don’t stand in sunlit windows!
• Step 4: Don’t bury the lead Lead with your most powerful stuff. Just as people decide if they like someone in the first few seconds of meeting them, TV producers make up their minds about wannabes in the first 30 to 60 seconds of their audition tape.
• TIP: If you’re going to do something unusual in your video—like twisting yourself into a pretzel—do it off the top. Then get down to business.
• Step 5: Focus on story Focus on telling your story—not just creating a cool, funny, or wacky persona. Are you just out of jail? About to get married? Give them a narrative they can work with.
• Step 6: Emphasize your faults Emphasize your faults, not your strengths. Being likeable is boring; producers would rather see the weaknesses that could make for compelling TV.
• TIP: Do not describe yourself as a ‘people person.’ It’s a cliché that could torpedo your chances.
• Step 7: Be high energy Be high energy. Reality TV is no place for shrinking violets.
• Step 8: Let your actions speak Whenever possible, let your actions on the video speak for you. Show the producers what you can do instead of telling them about it.
• Step 9: Keep it simple Keep the tape simple. You may think you’ll impress the producers with special effects and fancy editing, but the truth is that you’ll just distract them from learning about you.
• Step 10: Don’t be shy Don’t be shy about displaying your physical assets. Let’s face it—TV is a visual medium, and a pretty face and/or a rock-hard body are always going to give applicants an edge.
• Step 11: Include contact information Be sure to include your name and contact information clearly on the tape.
• Step 12: Shut up Do not post your audition tape online. You will immediately be ruled out, because producers like to introduce their casts themselves.
• FACT: Fifty-one percent of people polled said it was okay for reality show contestants to have a rap sheet.

You Will Need

• A ruthless self-appraisal
• Discipline