Want to be on reality TV? Here's how to impress a casting producer

It doesn't really matter what show or subgenre we're talking about: on reality TV, stars aren't born, they're cast. All of your favourite TV personalities — be they ordinary or outlandishly wealthy, talented or just plain weird — were selected by a team of professionals doing months of outreach, interviews and background checks. Before they had their own shows, they were living their lives off camera — just like you do.  And perhaps you have the necessary charisma, uniqueness, nerve — and ample free time — to appear on TV too. If so, you have options in your quest for fame!

Depending on the eligibility requirements, you could throw your name in for a big U.S. series — the sort of 25-season phenom that you fall asleep watching on your laptop every night. On that front, the Golden Bachelor is currently seeking single seniors, and just last week, Netflix announced that residents of Canada (sans Quebec, désolée) may apply to be on their original reality series, which include The Circle, Nailed It!, Squid Game: The Challenge and Love is Blind. (Regarding the latter: if you dream of finding forever-love under the supervision of Vanessa and Nick Lachey, please note that Netflix has no immediate plans to open the pods here in Canada. You'll have to cross the border if pressurized matrimony is your jam.)

That said, there are plenty of productions that shoot right here, and in this country, competition reality series rule: shows in the vein of the Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, Race Against the Tide and Canada's Drag Race. If you want to be the pride of your hometown, however, you'll need more than talent. To make it on any series, you'll have to impress the casting department: the industry pros who decide who makes the cut, sometimes working with stars all the way through the season. 

That's why we consulted with two insiders, the Canadian Screen Award-nominated casting producers Meredith Veats and Tanner Sawatzky. Between them, they've worked on series including the Great Canadian Baking Show, Masterchef Canada, the Amazing Race Canada and Blown Away, and as different as those programs might be, the same essential casting process applies. 

This is how to land a spot on a series, and whether you're fine-tuning your application — or just curious to learn how your favourite shows are made — you'll want to take notes.

How do you know if your favourite show is casting?

As Meredith Veats points out, it's often easiest to go straight to the source, even though there are plenty of forums, websites and social accounts that are dedicated to listing casting calls from around the world. Most series will announce casting news on their official websites and social media, so that's the best place to look. 

Veats is actually casting for Season 8 of the Great Canadian Baking Show right now. Prospective bakers are invited to complete a form that's posted on the series' website, and the deadline for applications is March 10. There are a few basic questions you'll need to answer, such as "What got you into baking?" Gathering that sort of background info is standard procedure on most unscripted series, and while the application is usually straightforward, you'll want to keep a few things in mind if you're going to make it to the next stage of casting.

Be original

"Standing out in that initial application is really key because that is the front line," says Veats. In other words, first impressions count, even if you're making them via a written questionnaire. 

Producers want to get a sense of your personality, so show them what makes you different from everyone else. "Like, if someone tells us they have a llama farm," says Veats. "Did you know that they have 10 kids? Or that they biked across the country?"

"Maybe it's an interest, a hobby, something that's unique and unlikely," she says. "That can often get a casting producer's eye."

Check your DMs

When a series has been on the air for a season or more, it can rely on open casting calls to find talent, but for new shows, casting producers might need to take a grassroots approach. Veats says her team will often scour social media for prospective participants. If she's working on a competition series, she'll look for people who post content that fits the subject of the show, and Tanner Sawatzky does the same. So if you get a DM from a mysterious casting producer, don't immediately assume it's a bot.

"A lot of people think that it is spam, which is totally fair," says Sawatzky, but there are some things a real casting producer would never ask for. Does that unsolicited offer in your inbox include a request for financial information, your social security number or your home address? If so, definitely ignore it.

Apply early

Here's a practical tip for getting noticed: squash your impulse to procrastinate, even if the deadline is months away. According to Sawatsky, who's busy working on a new season of the Amazing Race Canada, the casting department will review every single form that's submitted, but early applicants will get more of the team's attention. "When everyone waits for the last minute to apply, your application can tend to get buried," he explains. 

The extra time also gives casting producers a chance to follow up if they need anything more from you. Most online application forms will ask you to share a video of yourself, for example, and there are some key elements that casting directors will want to see there. So what should your video look like?

Keep it simple

"People think that their videos have to be Oscar-nominated short films or something like that, but it can just be you on your cell phone talking to us. That's all we need," says Sawatzky. Resist the urge to add star wipes and flashy editing techniques — they're just empty distraction — and don't stress about acting clever or funny. Says Veats: "We just want a quick intro to see who you are. Put a face to the name." 

So make sure the casting department can actually see you! Proper lighting is a must, says Veats, and you don't need fancy equipment to achieve it — just good sense. "If there's a window in your house, face towards it," she suggests.

Regarding length, keep your video short. "The three-minute mark is magic," says Sawatzky. Nobody will fault you for going over, he says. "But when we're going through thousands of videos, it's hard to keep us interested." If three minutes isn't enough time to express everything you want to share about yourself, no worries. "I always say the casting video is kind of like the Cole's Notes of who you are," says Sawatzky. "Whatever doesn't make it in your video, put it in the written [application] because we read all of it."

That said, you need to make this moment count. For Sawatzky, what casting sees on tape could determine your fate. "What I always say to people is when you're doing the video, come in with energy. We love to see energy," he says. "We're hooked — and then we want to learn more."

Know how to tell your own story

For a program like the Amazing Race, for example, Sawatzky wants to see that you're down to play the game. "Anyone can say, 'I'm competitive,'" he says, so casting wants to see if you can back those claims with concrete and colourful examples. "Sometimes you get a mom who says, 'I'm so competitive I don't even let my kids win at card games,'" he says. "That gives us a better sense of who this person is."

If your online application wows the casting department, they'll be interested in getting to know you better before they pitch their choices to the network. If you make it to the interview phase, remember that one-word answers are a dealbreaker. Casting wants to see that you can tell a story — your story.

Don't think of it as a job interview

"It is not a job interview," says Veats, and Sawatzky emphatically agrees. "We take the approach that it's more like coffee, drinks — whatever — with a friend," says Veats. "We are looking for casual conversation to get a sense of who you are, what you do, what attracts you to being part of the project."

That said, casting will be analyzing everything you chat about, of course. They're listening for what might make you relatable to an audience — someone worth following every week. "We look for stories: interesting stories of growth or overcoming obstacles," says Sawatzky. And casting wants to see that you're genuinely excited about the show. For one thing, an upbeat attitude will serve you well when you hit a setback in the competition or discover the unglamorous reality of how TV  is made: all the waiting around between shots, mic changes, long production days, etc. "If they're up for anything, that just makes their experience better."

One common mistake: "Some people will put on a persona, or say what they think we want to hear," says Sawatsky. "I don't think people can put on an act for very long," he adds — and besides, what if you're pretending to be someone the show doesn't want? 

The casting department usually does their job with a few guidelines in mind — notes from the showrunner, for example, about the tone they need to set for the season. But they're not filling specific roles insomuch as they're cultivating a blend of personalities that will play well off each other.

"Sometimes it's not about whether or not [an applicant] is good, it's about whether or not it's the right fit within the mix," says Veats.

Try, try again

On a competition series, second chances are rare. If you don't impress the judges, you're out. But that's not the case with casting. Even if you don't make it past the written application, there's value in trying again next year.

Take the example of Love is Blind, a show that's based in a different American city every season. When an open casting call goes out, the series keeps tabs on where respondents are located. As Donna Driscoll, the head of casting for Love is Blind, told Screen Rant: "I think it's important for people to know that where we go in the future relies greatly on how many applications we get from certain cities all over the U.S. Even if we're not in their city this season, they should still apply because we could very much be headed that way."

"The beauty of casting is a lot can change in a year," says Sawatzky. He's seen some people re-apply, he says. "And they just blow us out of the water."

"Because it's so much about creating a group — a group that has quite a range of individuals — maybe it's not the season for you, but the next season could very well be," says Veats. "Keep that in mind."