All right the telephone rings. You hear an authoritative voice say, Hello, I'm the producer of...Good Morning America or Oprah, or Larry King Live or any other top talk show, where ever you look. This is your big moment, the break you have been awaiting. Once you catch your breath what do you do?
Producers make an instant assessment of you in thirty seconds--or less. When you are getting that coveted call from a producer, you are not just talking to him: you're auditioning. You're being screened to become accepted or eliminated as a guest on their show. How could you pass the audition?
1. Ask Before you Speak. Before you even open your mouth to begin pitching yourself as well as your story to the producer, ask them an easy question: Can you let me know a bit about the kind of show you envision? In other words, ask the producer the angle he is planning to take.
Doing this has two advantages. First, it gives you a minute to beat the shock and also to collect your thoughts.
Second, when you hear the producer's reply, you are able to gear your pitch to the kind of information he is seeking. Listen closely towards the angle that he's thinking about and tailor your points into it. Publicists often use this technique to get their clients booked on shows. They get before they give - so that they have been in a good position to tell only the most pertinent information about their client.
2. Wow the Producers with Brevity. Stick to the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: It's not how much you play. It's how much you leave out. Keep the list of talking points by the telephone whenever you call a producer (or perhaps a producer calls you), so you'll be succinct. You'll already have rehearsed your points so that they will sound natural and inviting. Be prepared with several different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your information. Nobody gets on these shows without a pre- interview, says publicist Leslie Rossman. Be a great interview but don't be concerned about the product you want to sell them if you are a great guest and also you make great TV, they'll want you.
And bear in mind the words of Robert Frost: Half the world consists of those who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.
3. Prove You aren't a Nutcase. If you are a nutcase when you are on the air, the producer will lose their job. What is really a nutcase? You may think it is a positive trait to become enthusiastic (and it is), but anyone who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut. Best-selling author and screenwriter Richard Price talks about this phenomenon as The dangerous thrill of goodness. He says, What happens is you can get very excited by your personal power to do good. Do not get overly enthusiastic by this thrill.
One way to tell if you are being too zealous is that you're hammering your point at top speed with the energy of the locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I recall a man calling me up about how exactly he was single-handedly dealing with Starbucks - who, he felt, had done him wrong. He wanted me to advertise his cause. Although this might have been an excellent David versus Goliath type story, he was long on emotion and short on facts. Some statistics or figures might have tempered his mania.
However he also never checked in with me to see if he'd gotten my interest. By talking loudly and barely pausing for a breath, he seemed to be a man who wouldn't take direction well. His single-mindedness was off- putting, not engaging.
When you are speaking with a producer speak for a few seconds or so after which sign in by asking, Is this the type of information you are considering? Listen for other verbal cues, for example encouraging grunts, or uh huhs.
4. Can you Mark The Big Point? Contributors towards the popular radio show This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, have taken to calling the wrap-up epiphany at the conclusion of the story, The Big Point. This is the moment that the narrator gives his perspective on the story so that they can elevate it in the mundane to the universal.
One more radio personality, Garrison Keillor, is really a master at it. He tells long, rambling stories (bad advice for you), then ties up all of the story strands in a coherent and satisfying way. Like a great guest, you need to illuminate your story with a big standout point that helps the crowd see the significance of your story in their world and the world at large. Instead of hitting them over the head with a two-by-four, you want to share your insights having a feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the producer to the fact that you are a thinker and may contribute great insights and clarity to a story thus increasing its appeal. - 40732
Producers make an instant assessment of you in thirty seconds--or less. When you are getting that coveted call from a producer, you are not just talking to him: you're auditioning. You're being screened to become accepted or eliminated as a guest on their show. How could you pass the audition?
1. Ask Before you Speak. Before you even open your mouth to begin pitching yourself as well as your story to the producer, ask them an easy question: Can you let me know a bit about the kind of show you envision? In other words, ask the producer the angle he is planning to take.
Doing this has two advantages. First, it gives you a minute to beat the shock and also to collect your thoughts.
Second, when you hear the producer's reply, you are able to gear your pitch to the kind of information he is seeking. Listen closely towards the angle that he's thinking about and tailor your points into it. Publicists often use this technique to get their clients booked on shows. They get before they give - so that they have been in a good position to tell only the most pertinent information about their client.
2. Wow the Producers with Brevity. Stick to the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: It's not how much you play. It's how much you leave out. Keep the list of talking points by the telephone whenever you call a producer (or perhaps a producer calls you), so you'll be succinct. You'll already have rehearsed your points so that they will sound natural and inviting. Be prepared with several different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your information. Nobody gets on these shows without a pre- interview, says publicist Leslie Rossman. Be a great interview but don't be concerned about the product you want to sell them if you are a great guest and also you make great TV, they'll want you.
And bear in mind the words of Robert Frost: Half the world consists of those who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.
3. Prove You aren't a Nutcase. If you are a nutcase when you are on the air, the producer will lose their job. What is really a nutcase? You may think it is a positive trait to become enthusiastic (and it is), but anyone who is overly zealous about his passion is considered a nut. Best-selling author and screenwriter Richard Price talks about this phenomenon as The dangerous thrill of goodness. He says, What happens is you can get very excited by your personal power to do good. Do not get overly enthusiastic by this thrill.
One way to tell if you are being too zealous is that you're hammering your point at top speed with the energy of the locomotive pulling that toot lever non-stop. I recall a man calling me up about how exactly he was single-handedly dealing with Starbucks - who, he felt, had done him wrong. He wanted me to advertise his cause. Although this might have been an excellent David versus Goliath type story, he was long on emotion and short on facts. Some statistics or figures might have tempered his mania.
However he also never checked in with me to see if he'd gotten my interest. By talking loudly and barely pausing for a breath, he seemed to be a man who wouldn't take direction well. His single-mindedness was off- putting, not engaging.
When you are speaking with a producer speak for a few seconds or so after which sign in by asking, Is this the type of information you are considering? Listen for other verbal cues, for example encouraging grunts, or uh huhs.
4. Can you Mark The Big Point? Contributors towards the popular radio show This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, have taken to calling the wrap-up epiphany at the conclusion of the story, The Big Point. This is the moment that the narrator gives his perspective on the story so that they can elevate it in the mundane to the universal.
One more radio personality, Garrison Keillor, is really a master at it. He tells long, rambling stories (bad advice for you), then ties up all of the story strands in a coherent and satisfying way. Like a great guest, you need to illuminate your story with a big standout point that helps the crowd see the significance of your story in their world and the world at large. Instead of hitting them over the head with a two-by-four, you want to share your insights having a feather-like touch. By framing your story you alert the producer to the fact that you are a thinker and may contribute great insights and clarity to a story thus increasing its appeal. - 40732
About the Author:
Free Movies Online For Free Full Movie Downloads These websites provide hundreds of other movies. Downloading movies online will give you an almost infinite number of films to choose from. Downloading movies online from legal sites is much cheaper.
No comments:
Post a Comment