Audition Report !!!

Message

mikehardware · #1 Post by **mikehardware** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:45 am

Here's the short version: Passed the written test, and did well on the interview - enough to get a second, taped interview !!!

Had an absolute blast, again! It's well worth the hassles for all the enjoyment I get out of this!

From the 5 PM test, there were roughly 28 passers, and about 8 got taped. There were some very good candidates, and I'm tickled pink to have gotten in the mix. Of course, Jen did the taping and recognized me. I can only hope that's good, but there's always room for improvement in my presentation.

To celebrate, I went out to try Indian food. WOW! That was a treat! And to treat my nerd side, I went by the Apple Store! A (very) little bit of rest overnight in Laguardia and an early morning flight back home. Now I'm overdue for a shower and nap.

Never giving up, never surrendering!

peacock2121 · #2 Post by **peacock2121** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:52 am

Hot Diggity Dog!

What can you say was different this time?

Hot Diggity Dog!

MarleysGh0st · #3 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:57 am

Good luck, Mike!

mikehardware · #4 Post by **mikehardware** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:00 am

peacock2121 wrote:What can you say was different this time?

I've got to admit about the only thing different this time was my attitude.

My stories have stayed pretty much the same, and they didn't really go over the questionnaire much at all anyway. For the first interview, I did work in a nice Suthren expression when the guy asked me how I was. He apparently hadn't heard that one before and seemed amused, and that carried over. I just tried to cut loose and have fun. Jen seemed a bit harder to impress, more along the line of what's new this year. I have difficulty reading people anyway, so I'll stay hopeful.

slam · #5 Post by **slam** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:17 am

Sounds great, Mike.

One question though, did they give the line about "if you don't get taped, they might still select you and if you do get taped, it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected"?

They went out of their way to say that at my audition, but why wouldn't they tape you if you were still under consideration?

I didn't get taped and although I'm still trying to be optimistic, it's hard to imagine that the 6th time will be the charm.

Best of luck to you!

mikehardware · #6 Post by **mikehardware** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:31 am

slam wrote:did they give the line about "if you don't get taped, they might still select you and if you do get taped, it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected"?!

Absolutely. TPTB seemed to go out of their way to explain that you could be selected even if you were not taped, and that taping did not equal being selected for the show. Just from the numbers from my session, if they're taping 8 per group, that's a whole bunch every week, way more than they could use up all season even before doing the road trips and specialty weeks.

They did mention they're going to have special shows for folks who share a celebrity name.

slam · #7 Post by **slam** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:36 am

mikehardware wrote:
slam wrote:did they give the line about "if you don't get taped, they might still select you and if you do get taped, it doesn't necessarily mean you've been selected"?!
Absolutely. TPTB seemed to go out of their way to explain that you could be selected even if you were not taped, and that taping did not equal being selected for the show. Just from the numbers from my session, if they're taping 8 per group, that's a whole bunch every week, way more than they could use up all season even before doing the road trips and specialty weeks.

They did mention they're going to have special shows for folks who share a celebrity name.

Agreed. It's clear from the numbers involved that they won't be putting on the show everyone they've taped. I would think that being taped is a positive sign though. I'm just wondering if they will actually use anybody that they didn't tape? It seems like if they think someone is a possibility, why not tape them. I'm just wondering why they went out of their way to tell people that they still had a shot even if they weren't taped when it seems unlikely to be true.

Of course, I could just be a bit bummed because I didn't get taped myself.

gsabc · #8 Post by **gsabc** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:42 am

mikehardware wrote:They did mention they're going to have special shows for folks who share a celebrity name.

Yeah, that's up on the website now. Good luck getting The Card, or better yet, The Call!

On a related note, a friend of our office manager is auditioning on June 9th. He's already flustered by the information they sent with the e-mail reply. Should I invite him here so we can really scare him off?

Meanwhile, I wait for information on June 18th. If there's no noontime audition, I'm screwed. There is a remote possibility of making it on Monday evening the 16th, but the logistics would be nasty. I probably wouldn't be at my best and brightest.

MarleysGh0st · #9 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:43 am

gsabc wrote: On a related note, a friend of our office manager is auditioning on June 9th. He's already flustered by the information they sent with the e-mail reply. Should I invite him here so we can really scare him off?

Certainly!

What part of the reply had him flustered?

lilyvonschtupp26 · #10 Post by **lilyvonschtupp26** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:06 pm

this is awesome, Mike. I hope you get the card (and the call)

5LD · #11 Post by **5LD** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:11 pm

Suppose they didn't like a majority of those on tape and found that they needed to fill an additional 15 slots and they'd already picked their taped favorites? It could happen.

Good Luck, Mike! So happy for you! Sounds like the attitude change helped influence your outcome a great deal!

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #12 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:14 pm

Good luck!

Bob Juch · #13 Post by **Bob Juch** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:27 pm

w00t!

I'll be quite happy to give up my standing as the last regular BB to get on the show.

slam · #14 Post by **slam** » Fri May 16, 2008 12:27 pm

5LD wrote:Suppose they didn't like a majority of those on tape and found that they needed to fill an additional 15 slots and they'd already picked their taped favorites? It could happen.

Ah! So it sounds like my chances at this point are slim (even slimmer than before) but not necessarily none. I'll take what I can get.

gsabc · #15 Post by **gsabc** » Fri May 16, 2008 1:17 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:
gsabc wrote: On a related note, a friend of our office manager is auditioning on June 9th. He's already flustered by the information they sent with the e-mail reply. Should I invite him here so we can really scare him off?
Certainly!

What part of the reply had him flustered?

I think all of it, but mostly about the test. I've given the office manager our URL to pass along, so we may get another newbie for pea, BDM and the rest to intimidate.

No fair gliding through the door and yelling "BOO!", Marley.

MarleysGh0st · #16 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Fri May 16, 2008 1:29 pm

gsabc wrote: No fair gliding through the door and yelling "BOO!", Marley.

Hey, I go easy on newbies!

I remember my first audition in Philly, how I was both the knowledgable insider who could tell the others all about the process while we were waiting in the lobby at Channel 6 and how I was still naive enough to think that a passable interview would be enough to get selected for the show.

Did you see the story that popcultmaven linked to a little earlier, about someone from Mississippi who got an article in his paper, just because he has an appointment to go to NYC for an audition? And his buddies can't believe it's true!

gsabc · #17 Post by **gsabc** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:06 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:Did you see the story that popcultmaven linked to a little earlier, about someone from Mississippi who got an article in his paper, just because he has an appointment to go to NYC for an audition? And his buddies can't believe it's true!

Small town. What else do they have to write about in the local newspaper? I'd say it was because it was Mississippi, but I once had a photo of myself and some high school classmates that took up half the front page of our local rag, even without the headline and story. Largest contingent of National Merit Semifinalists in school history (5). Big news.

At least he'll have a story about the 21-hour drive to Orange CT. That's a schlep and a half.

christie1111 · #18 Post by **christie1111** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:13 pm

At least he'll have a story about the 21-hour drive to Orange CT

Who is going to Orange CT?

That's my neck of the woods.

gsabc · #19 Post by **gsabc** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:20 pm

christie1111 wrote:
At least he'll have a story about the 21-hour drive to Orange CT

Who is going to Orange CT?

That's my neck of the woods.

Check out the article Marley references. The guy is driving from Greenwood, MS to Orange, CT to stay with a relative while he auditions for 'BAM.

lilclyde54 · #20 Post by **lilclyde54** » Fri May 16, 2008 3:47 pm

Hey, if anyone from down here gets an appointment for an audition, it should be me or Toq.

Had to come back to congratulate Mike. Sounds like you did a great job. Sure hope we get to see you on the screen.

ulysses5019 · #21 Post by **ulysses5019** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:57 pm

Congratulations mr. hardware. I hope that our conversations helped some. I have no idea if the taped part of the interview is a good sign or not. That would seem downright rude if they taped some and not others. Especially in front of the group or at least where the group could see. At the DoND audition, they did a roundtable interview where everyone had one minute to sell themselves. Ten per table with a moderator/coordinator. All contestants were then evaluated and names were called. Those not called (about a third) were asked to leave. The rest of us were taped for several minutes each. They also watched those who were waiting for enthusiasm etc.
One other personal note. The same contestant coordinator who had seen me for 1 vs 100 was running this show. I asked him about my chances to be on 1 vs 100. He said that I was "this close" to being on as the 1. I said how close? he said close enough to still be on his bulletin board. I asked if I should leave the DoND audition. He said no. Drat!

ne1410s · #22 Post by **ne1410s** » Fri May 16, 2008 7:49 pm

congrats, mhw!!!

mikehardware · #23 Post by **mikehardware** » Fri May 16, 2008 7:52 pm

ulysses5019 wrote:I hope that our conversations helped some.

It certainly did, and thanks! I think it really helped to shift my attitude a bit. We didn't get into the stories as much as I would have liked, but having a clear idea of what I wanted to cover certainly gave me more confidence this time around. I'm getting around to thinking that confidence and presentation are more important than the actual stories.

I did get in a good one while on line. For crowd control, one staffer came by and told everyone to get up against the wall. I immediately assumed a COPS-like pose, hands on the wall, feet spread.

The interviews were done at tables on the far end of the cafeteria, about 4 or 5 going at the same time. Jen had the far left side with a camera for the taping. The routine was the first interviewer handed me a form to sign for the taping (I think giving them my firstborn or something), then back to the table to wait again.

Taping probably is good, but if they do select some non-tapers (and TPTB wouldn't fib about that, right?) then would that mean they go over the questionnaires to see if they missed any winning stories?

sunflower · #24 Post by **sunflower** » Sat May 17, 2008 4:04 am

Congratulations!

They didn't tape us during interviews last season, but they did do second interviews. And only about 3 or 4 of us got 2nd interviews. I was one of them and I got a call 3 days later. They were also in production at the time, so not sure if they'll call that quickly, but I'm guessing that 2nd interview means good things!!!

And by the way, I never did get a postcard...but at this point, I'll settle for my check instead!

MarleysGh0st · #25 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Sat May 17, 2008 7:00 am

sunflower wrote: They didn't tape us during interviews last season, but they did do second interviews. And only about 3 or 4 of us got 2nd interviews. I was one of them and I got a call 3 days later. They were also in production at the time, so not sure if they'll call that quickly, but I'm guessing that 2nd interview means good things!!!

And by the way, I never did get a postcard...but at this point, I'll settle for my check instead!

The videotaping is definitely new this season, at least for SyndieBAM. (I remember they had a videocamera at my first prime time audition in Philly, back in March '01.)

Congrats on getting The Call before/instead of getting The Card! I call that an A+ audition! But that only happens while they're already taping. We can probably expect them to give the first group of contestants three or four weeks notices, so The Calls should go out around the beginning of July.