访谈录 2008-08-14&08-16 真人秀培训学校

Why are these people subjecting themselves to this crazy exercise? They're building their emotional endurance because they desperately 1 long for a chance at this-"She bangs, she bangs"-possible superstar among American Idol 2.

‘I mean ever think about it, it was grotesque 3.’

… can't say love on The Bachelorette, (No, I can’t.) or maybe just a good old cat fight on Flavor of Love. ("No way, slap me bitch, or what...")Yes it seems these days everyone wants a piece of reality TV.

 “I love reality TV. I think my personality would be great for a reality show. The hope is that the fame will actually last and for a lucky few it has.

 Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a Survivor 4 alumna 5, has become a star on The View. (I just don’t understand why it’s my fault.) And Jennifer Hudson crooned her way from an American Idol nobody to Oscar Gold. (Look what God can do.) Perhaps you could be the next reality show's super story if only you had some coaching. (Bring it in, Let it out)

 Welcome to the New York Reality TV School (A little bit noise, breathe, ahaaaaa.) where extroverts 6, hams and dreamers have come to free their inhibitions and get comfortable in front of TV cameras so they can hopefully one day land that "make-it-or-breaki-t" role.

 ‘Well I'm a dermatologist 7, and I came here to learn how to present myself on camera.’
‘I'm a firefighter and improviser 8, and I came to check it out.’

"Being at a certain age I want to portray 9 on reality shows, how a sexy woman does in reality TV."

 "Feet, shoulder-length, apart, let’s just put our hands on the hips 10 and roll your hips."

The school is the brainchild of acting 11 coach Robert Galinsky. The seminar‘s cost 139 dollars a pop, and the curriculum is all about, quote “being real".

 The camera’s that are in this room, soon enough you are gonna forget they’re there.

 "I'm coaching them to be themselves to be clear about what makes them unique."

He also teaches confidence and strategy, he calls this exercise "the perp walk". By the way it feels absolutely awful.

 "We have them walk through that line, and have to build up some emotional immunity 12 to what's going on because it's very much like on a reality show."

 The yelling and the cameras were too much for one woman, she actually broke down while we were there. And the pressure let another man to literally 13 explode.

 ‘No, it’s…’

I mean, you got metrosexual perfect guy here insulting me as I walk past him and you’ve got, you know, a cheerleader over here , you got college girl with boy scout 14 over here...’

 It tends to be the craziest people that win, so it's almost like you teach them how to be themselves in their most crazy form.

 "To be comfortable with yourself in your most crazy form, definitely a part of it."

 Galinsky even corralled an impressive group of D-list reality celebs to give the students tips. Among them is his star student, Jorge Bendersky.

 Just months ago Jorge was an average New York dog-groomer. But he felt he had "TV potential".

I'm good at what I do, I'm funny".

So when he heard cable channel Animal Planet was doing a competitive reality show for dog groomers…
"I was like, oh my god that is just screaming my name." He just knew it was his destiny.
"I was so excited until I really tried to do their auditioning 15 tape. That was a disaster."

So he hired Robert Galinsky for coaching, and the rest is TV history.

Jorge made it to the final three on Groomer Has It. (Groomers, the judges have made their decision.) He didn't win the cash prize but he did win a little bit of fame.

"I'm Jorge, as usual, I’m Jorge, hey.’

"Who knows? Maybe I do have a future on the entertainment industry, you know, 'Grooming 16 Dogs with Jorge?, Jorge-licious, let's make the dogs Jorge-licious."

Yeah, Ok, for now he is doling 17 out tips to other wannabes at the reality school. Once they get the show they need that out of you and then you can concentrate on the challenge.

The class also preps them to be comfortable with emotional cast mates. Remember her?

"I'm sorry I had a breakdown 18, just want, let you know that, I was hired by New York Reality School to do my little sit?"

And that guy, he was a "hired plan", too. There're obstacles and stressful moments that cast members also bring on, the calmer you are, the clearer your head is, the better your decisions will be.

"If you think this school is a bunch of baloney, casting agent Risa Tanania says reality TV is a serious business.

"People who want to either be in the spotlight 19 or have a story to tell，or have a name to sell or whatever it is，this is a very serious avenue."

So here are the top tips you can't live without.

No.1: Don't perform--be yourself. If I wanted an actor, I would hire an actor. So don't song and dance me.

No.2, be open about personal issues. You’ve got to always be ready to be on the surface with your personal issues, whatever they are. People are not asked to come on to reality shows to be private and reclusive.

No.3, be camera-pretty. I don't like shiny people on TV. I don't like shiny foreheads.

No.4, speak in sound bites to increase your airtime. Just train yourself to always include the question on your answer. Sound bites are so important because that's what people are going to remember.

And finally, No.5, be a hero. Your future is going to go, God knows where? You wanna be likable.

Maybe if you are likable enough, a little of the fame will last. Jorge-licious is going global.

That's the funny thing about getting bitten by a little bid of fame. "I get to have my celebrity 20 picture"---makes a lot of people yearn 21 for a little bit more.

I'm Gigi Stone, from Night Line in New York.