Reality TV Casting

The cult-like following shows like The Bachelor and The Amazing Race have garnered have transformed the ‘reality’ TV show format into something of a pop-culture phenomenon.

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.

When you think about reality television, chances are that there are some shows that really appeal to you and other shows that you really just can not stand. This is true for most people when they think about reality television and it is true for them because of the fact that different reality television shows look at different parts of the human condition. Different parts of that condition tend to hold special or otherwise significant meaning for different people and that is exactly why reality television is such a varied landscape. If you are interested in discovering which reality television shows match your body and mind, here are some ways for you to figure that out.

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.