Whether you an experienced or amateur actor, you may have decided you would like to audition for a certain reality TV show. Even if you have no acting experience and no interest in acting, you may be considering trying out for a reality show just for the thrill of it. There are many factors to consider when auditioning to be on reality TV. One very important factor to consider is the portfolio of pictures you will submit in the audition process.

Already Have a Portfolio?

If you are an actor with any level of experience, you may already have an existing portfolio of professional photos of yourself. Your portfolio may include head shots, body shots and lifestyle photos among others. Whether the photos of you that are in your portfolio were taken by an agency, a professional photographer or a friend, they are undoubtedly both professional and flattering. Unfortunately, producers of reality TV shows are not looking for professional actors or models (unless you are trying out for America’s Next Top Model, etc.)

Keep it Real

If you want to audition for and get cast in a reality TV show, chances are, you will need to portray yourself as a real person – A.K.A. your real self. So if you have a professional portfolio, scrap it altogether and start from ground zero. Choose a simple photo album for your portfolio. Go through recent personal photographs that include you. Make sure the photos you choose to include portray you as you currently look. If you had long hair but recently cut it, make sure to only use photos where your hair is the same as its current style.

Capacity for Drama

In addition to choosing pictures where you look like a regular (real) person and where you really look like yourself, look for different pictures that capture the range of emotion you are capable of. Reality TV producers look for participants that will create interesting circumstances due to their propensity for drama. In other words, do not choose only photos in which you are happy and shiningly smiling. Try to find some (or strategically take some) pictures where different emotions are captured on your face. This may sound gloomy, but if you have pictures where you look angry or sad, include them so that you come across as someone with some depth of emotion.

Personality Pointers

When putting together your photo album – A.K.A. portfolio, make sure to include several pictures that portray your personality and lifestyle. For example, if you are known as a world traveler, use pictures of yourself in Italy, or at that Buddhist temple you visited last summer. If you are an avid athlete, include photos of recent events you participated. Try to use pictures that show you actively participating in life – no matter how you do it.

Video Portfolio

Though sometimes you will be auditioning live, (and may be asked to submit your photographs prior to the audition) chances are you will be asked to videotape a 2 to 5 minute video of yourself first. Some reality TV producers request a video tape in lieu of photos or a portfolio. In this case, review past seasons of the program you are trying to get cast for and see what type of people the show is likely to pick. Practice in front of friends and family members, and re-record your audition as many times as it takes until you get it just right.

Whether you an experienced or amateur actor, you may have decided you would like to audition for a certain reality TV show. Even if you have no acting experience and no interest in acting, you may be considering trying out for a reality show just for the thrill of it. There are many factors to consider when auditioning to be on reality TV. One very important factor to consider is the portfolio of pictures you will submit in the audition process.

Already Have a Portfolio?

If you are an actor with any level of experience, you may already have an existing portfolio of professional photos of yourself. Your portfolio may include head shots, body shots and lifestyle photos among others. Whether the photos of you that are in your portfolio were taken by an agency, a professional photographer or a friend, they are undoubtedly both professional and flattering. Unfortunately, producers of reality TV shows are not looking for professional actors or models (unless you are trying out for America’s Next Top Model, etc.)

Keep it Real

If you want to audition for and get cast in a reality TV show, chances are, you will need to portray yourself as a real person – A.K.A. your real self. So if you have a professional portfolio, scrap it altogether and start from ground zero. Choose a simple photo album for your portfolio. Go through recent personal photographs that include you. Make sure the photos you choose to include portray you as you currently look. If you had long hair but recently cut it, make sure to only use photos where your hair is the same as its current style.

Capacity for Drama

In addition to choosing pictures where you look like a regular (real) person and where you really look like yourself, look for different pictures that capture the range of emotion you are capable of. Reality TV producers look for participants that will create interesting circumstances due to their propensity for drama. In other words, do not choose only photos in which you are happy and shiningly smiling. Try to find some (or strategically take some) pictures where different emotions are captured on your face. This may sound gloomy, but if you have pictures where you look angry or sad, include them so that you come across as someone with some depth of emotion.

Personality Pointers

When putting together your photo album – A.K.A. portfolio, make sure to include several pictures that portray your personality and lifestyle. For example, if you are known as a world traveler, use pictures of yourself in Italy, or at that Buddhist temple you visited last summer. If you are an avid athlete, include photos of recent events you participated. Try to use pictures that show you actively participating in life – no matter how you do it.

Video Portfolio

Though sometimes you will be auditioning live, (and may be asked to submit your photographs prior to the audition) chances are you will be asked to videotape a 2 to 5 minute video of yourself first. Some reality TV producers request a video tape in lieu of photos or a portfolio. In this case, review past seasons of the program you are trying to get cast for and see what type of people the show is likely to pick. Practice in front of friends and family members, and re-record your audition as many times as it takes until you get it just right.

Try to find a common theme

The first thing that you should do when going down the road of this quest is try to find a common theme linking all of these reality television shows together. Make a list of the reality television shows that you like and make a list of the ones that you don’t like. Once you’ve completed both lists, you should have a very good idea from the list of the types of reality TV shows that you like and the types that you hate. Overall, the common theme that you found within the reality TV shows will allow you to determine if future shows that come out are shows that you might enjoy.

Try to find a pleasing format

Just as a different theme of reality television might appeal to you, a particular show format might be what attracts you to the shows in the first place. Consider reality television in the format of a countdown elimination, a one episode per team instance or any other format that reality television producers might come up with and see if the lists of shows that you like and dislike fall into these formats. For most people, the answer is probably going to be somewhere in the middle since formats and themes don’t usually go together, but at the same time you might be able to discover something about yourself through making this type of investigation happen.

Talk to your friends

Talking to your friends is perhaps a thought that had crossed your mind, but if you are like most people then chances are pretty good that you dismissed that thought altogether. This is because while friendship is sometimes predicated on having similar interests, the interests that we do not share are the ones we tend to be most defensive about and for that reason discussing reality television with your friends might be a risky move in your mind. At the same time however, the reactions that you get from your friends and the way in which you deal with those reactions will tell you a lot about your own tastes in this area, which is why talking to your friends about reality television is a very good idea.

Read Online Reviews

The final thing that you’ll want to do in an attempt to figure out which reality shows match your body and mind is to read reviews of those shows online. Online reviews differ from newspaper and magazine reviews in the sense that they are more frequently written from a personal style rather than a professional one and that makes it a lot easier for you to identify with reviews that really speak to you. Oftentimes it is the case that the words you find hard to express find expression through others and that is exactly why reading online reviews is an excellent idea to pursue. Do this along with the other suggestions and you should definitely be able to find your answer.

Get Started

Several reality shows allow candidates to apply online or by mail. For other shows, you must make a videotape of yourself and send it in. There are many reality shows that require that you audition in person. In order to start preparing for the audition process, you’ll need to find all the details of that process. Start by looking at the TV network Web sites for reality TV show casting information

When and Where?

There are many online sources for finding out when and where live auditions are held for reality shows. Some blogs or audition sites list audition schedules for multiple reality shows. If you are interested in a specific show only, for example The Amazing Race, you could go to the Web site of the TV network that the show is on to find audition information. Once you know when and where auditions are, you’ll need to figure out the logistics of being available for and getting to the audition. There may not necessarily be an audition in your home town or city. In this case, you’ll need to arrange travel to the nearest audition site.

Know Your Story

Whether you are applying to be on a reality TV show online, through the mail, or showing up to a live audition, you must prepare by knowing what you will say about yourself. You will need to portray yourself as an interesting person. Start by brainstorming a list of as many different facts about yourself as you can possibly think of. Include places you’ve live, places you’ve been, accomplishments you’ve made, anything at all that makes you interesting. After that, narrow it down to 5-10 interesting tidbits that you can memorize and speak about on demand.

Make for Good Drama

Many of today’s reality shows claim they’re not casting to fill niches or to create conflict. Despite those claims anyone who has seen more than one episode of any reality show can tell this is not always true. The fact is, reality TV must have some drama in order to be interesting and engaging. Casting people that are likely to create interesting types of conflict ensures this element will be covered. You can use this to your advantage. First off, make sure to keep it real. Don’t lie or grossly exaggerate. Think about your opinions and outlooks on controversial matters. Play up certain things about your lifestyle that may clash with that of someone else. Play up certain things about you that make you likely to fill a certain niche.

Confidence is Key

In conclusion, once you have found out all the details about the audition, prepared and memorized your ‘story,’ and strategized your drama factor, focus on your confidence. You must come across as someone outgoing who is not afraid to be themselves and be outspoken. If nothing else, focusing on this will give you the greatest chance of being cast on a reality TV show.

The FCC regulates what we see on TV, but the shows are prohibited from rigging of any kind, exploiting children, and other such things as nudity and language that are not censored. Those are your standard FCC regulations. However, there have been statements that have claimed that the show Survivor is not subject to game show regulations set forth by the FCC.

Such rules set forth by the FCC involve the Prime Time Access Rule and the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, which has a large effect on game shows. What the first rule does is give total control of a certain time slot to a local station to do what they please and the second rule gives the producers limited ownership of a program after its initial run. However, these rules don’t really interest the public. What interests the public are the censorship rules.

Regarding the claim that Survivor is not subject to the game show regulations of the FCC is contradictory to what the show has claimed. The FCC rules are mostly effective in the areas of censorship and making sure that there is no rigging going on although the above applies as well. They say that reality shows do not leave much room to cheat anyway despite what some may believe. If the FCC caught reality shows rigging, the reality shows would be severely fined. If the contestants found out that the shows were being rigged, then the shows would be facing numerous lawsuits.

Lessons were learned many years ago from such shows as Quiz Show where the producers were feeding the questions and the answers to the contestants before they went on the show. If the audience loved a particular contestant, the producers wanted to make sure that contestant stuck around for a while. Once the ratings would fall, the process would start all over again so that the audience would once again fall in love with a particular contestant.

However, when we look at the reality shows of today, we may absolutely enjoy a particular contestant for them to get voted off. That hardly constitutes any type of rigging because the show is risking viewership if a beloved contestant is gone. The FCC regulates how these shows conduct themselves and they make sure that everything is done fairly to the best of their ability because, if the show is found out, the show risks everything, including their reputation. If they risk their reputation, then they lose viewership. When a show loses viewership, they are then taken off of the air and placed into syndication if they’re lucky. Some reality shows have been on the air for so long that it would be a shame for such things to happen, but scandal does occur and solutions must be reached. However, sometimes it is the scandal that brings even more viewers to a show than ever before. But if the show is deceiving their viewers, then viewers feel violated.

The truth is that real life is not boring. It is interesting to see what it is someone is going to do next, especially if they are known for doing things that are considered to not be normal. However, these people get on these shows somehow, which means there are certain criteria that has to be met. Sure, we look at some of them and wonder what kind of criteria a show has when some of the participants may seem somewhat psychologically imbalanced, but it is those people that make reality shows even more interesting.

So how do people get onto reality shows such as the Bachelorette, American Idol, The Apprentice, and other such shows?

Let’s look at American Idol. We all know that there is an audition process involved. We watch them on TV and we laugh our heads off at some of those who think they can sing and can’t or who are just trying to get on TV. These are people that are amateurs, seasoned singers, but none of them are under any type of entertainment contract. The ages of 16 to 26 are permitted to audition at the designated venue before 8:00 a.m. on audition days. However, other reality shows may require that those applying to become participants on the show be at least 18 or 21. These are considered open call interviews, which a lot of reality shows such as the Apprentice will do in order to increase the choices of possible participants

All reality show auditions require that a release form be filled out and presented. Identification and a photograph are also required. Participants are usually interviewed at some point. For shows such as the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, the applicants must be single. The worst thing these shows want to learn is that a married man or a married woman is simply trying to get on TV. However, those wishing to participate can apply on their own or be nominated by someone else. Shows such as these also require a video that does not exceed three minutes must accompany the application and be mailed to a specified address.

For the shows that require travel in order to interview, the show will not pay the travel expenses, so it is up to the potential participant to fit the bill. Such reality shows that require this is Survivor and the Apprentice. An application is sent into the show along with a photo to a specified address. If chosen for the interview, the potential participant gets to go to Hollywood or another designated location for the interview. Most also a video no longer than three minutes that introduces the prospect to the

However, it is fair to say that the applications are on the reality show’s websites and those wishing to participate must be vigilant in listening for when the show starts asking people to apply. Many of the applications require photos and three minute video introductions and will require the prospect to fit the bill for their travel expenses if chosen for an interview. Then again, open hne castings calls are a great way to quickly get attention, so it is important to look out for those as well.

Reality shows used to give people their fifteen or twenty minutes of fame when they first started out, but in the last couple of years, there have been some people who have found a bit of lasting fame from their appearances on some reality shows, and the public has really latched onto some of these new celebrities. There are so many different types of reality shows nowadays, and some of them seem to be more apt to launch their contestants into fame and fortune than others. Today, you can choose to watch reality shows such as, Survivor, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, No Opportunity Wasted, American Idol, The Apprentice, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, The Hills, and these are just a few reality TV shows!

Survivor has churned out more than one new celebrity, and probably the two most popular was a couple who fell in love during their time on the show. Rob and Amber were very popular after competing on Survivor, and a lot of people have followed their lives, even years after the show. Add this to the fact that they appeared as contestants on The Amazing Race together, and came in second place in 2005, and their celebrity status doubled!

Chef Gordon Ramsay is another person who has achieved major celebrity status by appearing as the star on a reality show. His show, Hell’s Kitchen, did so well, that he is now doing another reality show, called Kitchen Nightmares, where he takes restaurants that are not faring so well, and turns them around. Chef Ramsay is getting a lot more recognition on the street since he has been doing these shows.

Another reality show that has turned out a whole lot of stars is American Idol. Some of the winners of this singing reality show have not been so successful, (Justin Guarini has been the butt of many jokes) but a lot of the winners have sold multi-million records. Some examples are Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks. This is one type of reality show where contestants definitely have a good chance at becoming an instant celebrity. Singers have a place in one of the most popular group of celebrities in the world, right along with actors and actresses.

If you want to achieve “celebrity status”, appearing on a reality show could actually be a smart way of doing so. Just do your research and make sure that you pick the right one. Don’t audition for a show that you have no talents for.

Most people just gobble up any item of “news” that they can get about their favorite celebrities. It is too easy to focus on someone else’s problems, so you don’t have to give attention to your own difficulties! What these people don’t think about is the fact that the more they read about and purchase information about these celebrities, the less privacy these people have in their lives. It’s really no wonder that the majority of celebrities out there today mess up do often – they are under a serious amount of pressure!

When someone finally reaches “celebrity status” in today’s world, it is great at first. They start to get recognized on the street every now and again, and every once in a while, they will get a meal for free just because the restaurant owner or manager is a big fan of the television show that they appear on. After a while, however, after they have climbed higher on the celebrity ladder, it gets to be not so much fun for these people. The paparazzi follow them everywhere they go, usually taking very awful and embarrassing pictures that cause fans to think that they are anorexic or pregnant or near death. The paparazzi don’t just follow them on the street, but they also hide in trees near these celebrities’ homes, taking pictures of their private, personal lives and printing them for the entire world to see the next day.

Being in the public eye so much definitely has a huge impact on the personal lives of our celebrities. When you think about it, if you could not leave your house to take a walk, or go to the local café for a latte without being swamped by cameras and reporters, your life wouldn’t be much of a life either! Celebrities also receive phone calls every now and again from worried friends and relatives who see the tabloids in the grocery store and think that their friend or relative is dead or terminally ill, or about to split up with their spouse. The tabloids and magazines pretty much have a 100% record of being completely untrue, but people still worry!

Even when celebrities want to get married, they sometimes have to choose a spouse who is also in the public eye, because when someone is not used to the cameras and craziness, it can be too much for them to handle, along with a new marriage. Also, any famous person who dates a non famous person cannot help but wonder if their significant other would want to be with them if they were not a celebrity. When celebrities do get married and have children, life is harder for their families as well. because of their parents’ celebrity status.

And while people make the obligatory negative remarks about reality TV, many harbor secret addictions to one show or another. What makes reality TV so popular? There are probably several factors.

First, reality TV participants come from all walks of life. Whether you’re gay or straight, male or female, Christian or Buddhist, Black or white, it is easy to turn on reality TV and spot someone like yourself whisked away into an adventurous or luxurious lifestyle. We experience a vicarious thrill seeing ordinary people like us compete for fabulous prizes. And, if you are being absolutely honest, you have to admit that you’ve sometimes thought, “I could do that!”

Another reason people enjoy reality TV is the suspense. On most shows, each episode finds another participant being eliminated until there is only one player left standing. We agonize with our favorite players as they endure challenges and hardships, hold our breaths when it looks like they may be on the chopping block, and breathe a sigh of relief when they squeak by for one more week.

Watching reality TV also gives us an avenue to communicate with acquaintances and co-workers. As the second season of American Idol drew to a close, for instance, you could start a conversation with a complete stranger simply by asking, “So, is it going to be Clay or Ruben?”

Still another reason reality TV is popular may have to do with certain socioeconomic factors. With so many people in debt, the cost of living consistently outstripping people’s paychecks, relatively high unemployment, and wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, reality TV gives people something less threatening to focus on. It may even help people feel better about their own lives. “I may have it bad,” some viewers think, “but at least I’m not wearing filthy clothes and eating insects.” Or, “I may have had a bad day of work, but at least the entire viewing public isn’t watching Simon Cowell blast my singing voice.”

Finally, reality TV initially had a strong viewing because it was something unique. Audiences in the United States were used to watching television actors deliver scripted lines—we were completely unprepared for a show without a script featuring real people engaged in real competition. The real live cat fights, backbiting, and scheming delighted wide eyed viewers.

Of course, from the beginning there were a few dissenting voices claiming that reality TV was somewhat less than real. Furthermore, familiarity has begun to breed contempt. The second installment of Survivor, for instance, was the most watched series of the 2000-2001 TV series. Survivor China, the fifteenth installment in the Survivor series, is ranked number eleven among the current fall lineup. Other reality TV shows have seen similar rating drops as their novelty faded.

But even if reality TV is no longer quite as robust as it once was, it is far from dead. New reality TV concepts are pitched every season, and millions of fans continue to tune in to watch their favorite reality programs. For all the reasons discussed above, reality TV is definitely here to stay.

Not very, say some critics and observers. In fact, reality TV producers manipulate reality in several ways. Otherwise, the shows wouldn’t attract the ratings they have. After all, who would tune in to watch people in their own homes living a perfectly average day?

The first way that reality is manipulated is that the participants are removed from their everyday environment. Whether they are marooned on an island or housed in a resort, they are fish out of water and their access to resources depends on the goodwill of the producers.

Second, the participants are placed in competition with each other. Only one person can win the grand prize, whether that prize is a cash reward, a television contract, or the love of another person. In order to stay on the show, contestants must face difficult challenges. Each show usually ends with at least one contestant being sent home. Thus the focus of reality TV is manufactured conflict.

The conflict is usually heightened by the selection of participants. Producers know that conflict means ratings, so they try to cast each show with people who are natural opponents such as an out gay man or lesbian and a homophobe or a strong, take-charge woman and a sexist man. Such pairings are almost guaranteed to keep conflict going and provide hours of arguing for the entertainment of viewers.

Finally, even with the controlled environment and the inherent conflict, reality TV shows must still be edited to create a “storyline.” Editors sort through countless hours of mundane activities to find the moments fraught with tension and conflict. If two participants get along great for 99% of the day, but exchange sharp words once, it is likely the argument that you will see. Similarly if a participant says many positive things about another participant but adds, “I wish he weren’t so controlling,” you’re likely to see only the complaint about the controlling behavior and none of the compliments that came before.

Careful editing can make smart people appear dumb, nice people seem like villains, and casual friends look like lovers.

Over and above these obvious manipulations, there is some question about whether reality TV producers go even a step further and try to manipulate the results of the competition. In 2001, for instance, Stacey Stillman sued the television program Survivor claiming that the executive producer had encouraged other contestants to vote her off the island instead of a player who was more popular with viewers. CBS, the network that airs Survivor, has vehemently denied these charges. Other series that have been accused of rigging outcomes include The Amazing Race, American Idol, and Big Brother. Even many of the staunchest reality TV fans admit to wondering if the outcomes are really as random as they are made to seem.

In the end, no one has ever been able to prove that the outcomes of these shows are fixed. One thing is certain, though. The situations in which the participants interact with each other are so carefully manipulated that they bear little, if any, resemblance to reality.