Central Casting now has an office in New York City. I registered with them today. I am non-union. We'll see if I can get any work. I'm kind of sort of doubtful. Several people referred to me as ma'am which I found distancing and made me feel old.
I arrived 20 minutes early which worked to my advantage. I was in the first group of four to be register. It also helped that I had already filled out my paperwork.
Three out of four of my group had headshots. I was not one of them. Also, I dressed in office attire because those are the best clothes I have. The two other women in the room were wearing dresses and they were younger than me. One was short and fat. The other was tall and lean and showing lots of cleavage.
We all had our photos taken. I went last to see what the other people did. The girl showing the cleavage managed to get one more shot than the rest of us.
I left feeling that I would never get called.
We'll see.
October 28, 2008
October 24, 2008
Who Wants to Be a Millonaire - 3rd time's a charm
Standing On Line
October 23rd, I stood on line outside of the ABC studio where Who Wants to a Millionaire is taped. Frustrated by my last audition experience, I had immediately signed up for another day of testing and taping. Standing outside yesterday with the 200 or so similarly minded people, I listened to many conversations. This time they didn't annoy me. This time, the people were normal and were discussing the fun things they would do if they won a million dollars. Standing with all those people, listening to them dream out loud, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of help. Being raised Jewish, my parents never took me to stand in line to see Santa Claus at the mall but I imagine it must have felt a lot like the line I was standing in yesterday. The line to audition for Millionaire is the most hopeful place on earth.
Testing
Inside the studio, we all had a chance to warm up while everybody got settled and once we did, the test was administered. Production assistants handed out #2 pencils, Scantron sheets, and closed envelopes containing the multiple choice test that would determine who moved on. We had 10 minutes to complete 30 questions. I finished in about 6 minutes and looked over my answers twice. Because I hadn't passed two times before I was expecting not to do so well and I felt ambivalent about how I did. I didn't expect to pass.
Taping
After the tests were collected, the rest of the studio audience was shown to their seats. Paul Mecurio warmed up the crowd and explained what was expected of us as a Millionaire audience. He's quite funny and very handsome. He's good with the crowd. He is a professional comedian and has won awards for his writing the Daily Show. I advise you check out his website. Anyway, he got us in the mood to cheer and clap and behave as if the Who Wants to be a Millionaire studio was the most exciting place on earth. This week was Movie week so all of the questions were about movie trivia and all of the contestants were movie geeks. Because it was movie week, we were given a free subscription to Netflix. Yee hooo. Three months. Nothing to sneeze at.
Some of the questions were ridiculously easy and it was frustrating to see people miss them. However, there were some real doozies. I don't want to give anything away. You'll have to wait until March to see those shows. But we did get to see one guy walk away with $250,000. He was a nice guy and everybody was rooting for him.
Results
Paul Mecurio did not announce who passed the test until the third taping. At the first commercial break, he announced the first three contestants moving and I was the third one. When he called my name I wooted and almost choked on the butterscotch candy they handed out before the third taping. After the taping was finished, I was interviewed in the same studio by a production assistant. She liked the fact that I was smiling and she liked the fact that I met my husband playing bar trivia. She liked me enough to recommend me for the on camera interview.
I kind of remember what I said. But I was so excited, I can't remember how it all came out. And on top of that I was slighly hungover from the night before and I wasn't wearing any makeup (because I didn't think I would pass) and my skin was breaking out a little bit. Ack.
Hopefully, in two or three weeks I'll receive a post card telling me they want me for the show. But it could go the other way.
Everyone I know, has their fingers crossed.
October 23rd, I stood on line outside of the ABC studio where Who Wants to a Millionaire is taped. Frustrated by my last audition experience, I had immediately signed up for another day of testing and taping. Standing outside yesterday with the 200 or so similarly minded people, I listened to many conversations. This time they didn't annoy me. This time, the people were normal and were discussing the fun things they would do if they won a million dollars. Standing with all those people, listening to them dream out loud, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of help. Being raised Jewish, my parents never took me to stand in line to see Santa Claus at the mall but I imagine it must have felt a lot like the line I was standing in yesterday. The line to audition for Millionaire is the most hopeful place on earth.
Testing
Inside the studio, we all had a chance to warm up while everybody got settled and once we did, the test was administered. Production assistants handed out #2 pencils, Scantron sheets, and closed envelopes containing the multiple choice test that would determine who moved on. We had 10 minutes to complete 30 questions. I finished in about 6 minutes and looked over my answers twice. Because I hadn't passed two times before I was expecting not to do so well and I felt ambivalent about how I did. I didn't expect to pass.
Taping
After the tests were collected, the rest of the studio audience was shown to their seats. Paul Mecurio warmed up the crowd and explained what was expected of us as a Millionaire audience. He's quite funny and very handsome. He's good with the crowd. He is a professional comedian and has won awards for his writing the Daily Show. I advise you check out his website. Anyway, he got us in the mood to cheer and clap and behave as if the Who Wants to be a Millionaire studio was the most exciting place on earth. This week was Movie week so all of the questions were about movie trivia and all of the contestants were movie geeks. Because it was movie week, we were given a free subscription to Netflix. Yee hooo. Three months. Nothing to sneeze at.
Some of the questions were ridiculously easy and it was frustrating to see people miss them. However, there were some real doozies. I don't want to give anything away. You'll have to wait until March to see those shows. But we did get to see one guy walk away with $250,000. He was a nice guy and everybody was rooting for him.
Results
Paul Mecurio did not announce who passed the test until the third taping. At the first commercial break, he announced the first three contestants moving and I was the third one. When he called my name I wooted and almost choked on the butterscotch candy they handed out before the third taping. After the taping was finished, I was interviewed in the same studio by a production assistant. She liked the fact that I was smiling and she liked the fact that I met my husband playing bar trivia. She liked me enough to recommend me for the on camera interview.
I kind of remember what I said. But I was so excited, I can't remember how it all came out. And on top of that I was slighly hungover from the night before and I wasn't wearing any makeup (because I didn't think I would pass) and my skin was breaking out a little bit. Ack.
Hopefully, in two or three weeks I'll receive a post card telling me they want me for the show. But it could go the other way.
Everyone I know, has their fingers crossed.
October 14, 2008
Who Wants to be a Millionaire - 2nd Audition
I woke up early this morning so I could get to my 10:15 am audition on time. When I got there I stood on line for an hour. While I was standing on line, I started imagining what it would be like to touch the big hair of the woman standing in front of me. I could see myself reaching out and patting it like a fluffy fur coat but I resisted the temptation.
Standing on line, I heard several conversations. There were some women talking about their families and their home towns. And then there were three whackadoo guys talking about the weirdest shit. The weirdest of them all was wearing a dirty old blazer covered with his dandruff and he sounded like a complete nut. Guess who I ended up sitting next to in the studio. That's right. Dandruff guy. That's right. He's pretty bright but like many super bright people, his social skills are severely lacking.
Today was his 60th time auditioning. He's passed the Millionaire test 23 times including today but still hasn't made past the interview stage. Hmmmmmm. Could be the dandruff. He was nice enough - just severely lacking in the social filter department.
I did not pass the test. Again. But I sat through three shows full of contestants who could not have possibly done better than me on the test. It was very frustrating to watch people blow big bucks on easy questions. Jon was with me and I feel bad that I dragged him along. Not only did I not pass the test but the three tapings took WAY longer than I thought they would.
My tickets called for the audition at 10:30 and for the tapings to begin at 11:30. The test was administered at 11:10 and the tapings didn't begin until noon. We stopped taping at 3. That was a lot of sitting around but they get you to do it by announcing who passed the test during the third taping. Actually, I didn't find out that I didn't pass the test until the last commercial break of the third show.
My butt still hurts from sitting.
Standing on line, I heard several conversations. There were some women talking about their families and their home towns. And then there were three whackadoo guys talking about the weirdest shit. The weirdest of them all was wearing a dirty old blazer covered with his dandruff and he sounded like a complete nut. Guess who I ended up sitting next to in the studio. That's right. Dandruff guy. That's right. He's pretty bright but like many super bright people, his social skills are severely lacking.
Today was his 60th time auditioning. He's passed the Millionaire test 23 times including today but still hasn't made past the interview stage. Hmmmmmm. Could be the dandruff. He was nice enough - just severely lacking in the social filter department.
I did not pass the test. Again. But I sat through three shows full of contestants who could not have possibly done better than me on the test. It was very frustrating to watch people blow big bucks on easy questions. Jon was with me and I feel bad that I dragged him along. Not only did I not pass the test but the three tapings took WAY longer than I thought they would.
My tickets called for the audition at 10:30 and for the tapings to begin at 11:30. The test was administered at 11:10 and the tapings didn't begin until noon. We stopped taping at 3. That was a lot of sitting around but they get you to do it by announcing who passed the test during the third taping. Actually, I didn't find out that I didn't pass the test until the last commercial break of the third show.
My butt still hurts from sitting.
October 05, 2008
Dress Shopping
Jon and I went to the Carousel Mall in Syracuse so I could buy a dress for a wedding we're attending this coming Saturday.
Around this time last year, I went on a similar shopping trip. It was a much different experience.
Last year, I tried on dresses that were size 18 or size 20. Today, I bought a dress that is size 12.
Yeah. It was that kind of day. I also bought a pair of size 12 pants and a vest in size 12.
It was a good day.
Around this time last year, I went on a similar shopping trip. It was a much different experience.
Last year, I tried on dresses that were size 18 or size 20. Today, I bought a dress that is size 12.
Yeah. It was that kind of day. I also bought a pair of size 12 pants and a vest in size 12.
It was a good day.
Cortland
Jon and I are up in Cortland visiting with my in-laws. Last night we celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at a lovely little Italian restaurant favored by the locals. I think I ate more last night than I have in a week. I'm scared to get back on the scale.
Their guests were interesting. The couple sitting across from us has been married since 1943 - that's 65 years in case your brain isn't working yet this morning. (I know mine isn't.) The husband is from New York City and he served during WWII as a dentist for the armed for the armed forces. He's 93 years old. His wife is from Vienna and her family came to the States before everything got crazy for Jewish families in Europe - most likely saved her life. She was a model and is still gorgeous at 86. I'm hoping to visit with them some more tomorrow - they live down the block from my in-laws. It was hard to speak A -- because he wears double hearing aids. Because we were in a restaurant he had trouble differentiating our voices from the general hubbub around us.
There was another holocaust escapee sitting next to me. Gosh, she is lovely. Another stunning woman and not even for her age. She is just beautiful. At 82 years of age, she keeps current by reading New York and New Yorker Magazines and she's sees a new movie once a week at the theater. Also from Vienna, she was married to a man who survived the Holocaust thanks to the Kindertransport. The Kindertransport was a British program where English families hosted Jewish children that were in danger during WWII. That story had a happy ending in that he was reunited with his family.
It was nice to be able to celebrate a happy occassion with people we love.
Jon and I should be married for 40 years.
Their guests were interesting. The couple sitting across from us has been married since 1943 - that's 65 years in case your brain isn't working yet this morning. (I know mine isn't.) The husband is from New York City and he served during WWII as a dentist for the armed for the armed forces. He's 93 years old. His wife is from Vienna and her family came to the States before everything got crazy for Jewish families in Europe - most likely saved her life. She was a model and is still gorgeous at 86. I'm hoping to visit with them some more tomorrow - they live down the block from my in-laws. It was hard to speak A -- because he wears double hearing aids. Because we were in a restaurant he had trouble differentiating our voices from the general hubbub around us.
There was another holocaust escapee sitting next to me. Gosh, she is lovely. Another stunning woman and not even for her age. She is just beautiful. At 82 years of age, she keeps current by reading New York and New Yorker Magazines and she's sees a new movie once a week at the theater. Also from Vienna, she was married to a man who survived the Holocaust thanks to the Kindertransport. The Kindertransport was a British program where English families hosted Jewish children that were in danger during WWII. That story had a happy ending in that he was reunited with his family.
It was nice to be able to celebrate a happy occassion with people we love.
Jon and I should be married for 40 years.
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