How to Get Cast on Reality TV

Are you wondering how to get cast on reality TV? Reality television has opened doors for many people, so wanting to get in on the action is understandable. Of course, competition is fierce, with thousands upon thousands of people vying for the same spot, but with a little knowledge of the process you can increase your chances of making it through the casting call.

Reality TV can become a career.

Your goal may be to get in front of the camera, but that doesn’t mean you should go out for just any reality show. For instance, Jon Gosselin doesn’t have much of a chance of landing a spot on The Real Housewives of Atlanta while Bret Michaels might not make a good Top Chef contestant.

Instead of running willy-nilly through the reality show universe yelling, "pick me," focus your attention on shows that really suit you. If you have a specific skill or talent, try out for competition shows that let you pit your ability against other contestants. If you’re young and looking for love, maybe there is a place for you on a VH1 franchise. Even shows that essentially tell the stories of the lives of their cast have a mood, style and type of cast, so narrow in on the shows you would be a natural for.

Almost every reality show starts the casting process with open calls. During an open call, you will meet with producers, be interviewed, be photographed and generally checked out for your suitability as a cast member. Open calls are usually held at a few spots around the country, so travel –on your own dime– may be involved.

Open calls are the first step in getting cast in a reality TV show. If you make it past this stage you will usually go through several more interviews and testing processes as the producers whittle down the candidates to the final cast.

There are a few things you can do to help yourself as you wind your way through the casting process:

• It might go without saying, but make sure you meet the show’s requirements. If they are looking for a certain age group or a certain group of people, and you don’t meet the requirements, don’t go out for the audition.

• Don’t try to guess what the producers are looking for. They’re looking to make good TV, so they are certainly looking for something they think will hook their viewers. Don’t make the mistake of assuming you know that that something is, though. In reality, the producers may not even know exactly what roles they are casting. The process usually happens organically.

• On the other hand, you should study the show you are applying for. If it’s not a new show, check out the previous casts and get a feel for the kinds of people the producers have picked in the past. This is a good way to make sure you are going out for a show that is suited to you. By studying the show, you’ll also be able to give the producers a good answer as to why they should pick you and why you want to be on that particular show.

• Be sure you can make the commitments required of you by the show. Can you take enough time off from work for the filming? Will taking part in the show reflect badly on your career? Know the answers to these questions so the producers can assume that you won’t back out after being picked.

• Be yourself. As previously stated, you can’t guess what producers are looking for, so don’t even try. If you create a character for yourself, it may be difficult to maintain on camera if you do make the cut, and audiences tend to sniff out the people who are acting. How will you ever land your own spin-off series if the audience doesn’t like you?

Getting cast in a reality show is part strategy and part luck. Perseverance may be required, but once everything clicks, you could be on your way to reality show stardom.

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