Auditions 101

CEBU, Philippines - As head of Talent5, TV5’s talent management and development division, Audie Gemora is feeling the bulk of the pressure in coming up with the best crop of showbiz aspirants for the reality-based talent search “Star Factor” set to air this September.

During the Cebu callback auditions recently held at the Rosario room of the Marriott Hotel, Audie, who sits as chairman of the panel of Starmakers, would be seen pacing around in deep thought while his co-judges took personal phone calls or went out for a quick break. It’s not that the rest of the judges — Ryan Cayabyab, Direk Joey Javier Reyes, Annabelle Rama and Raymund Isaac — aren’t taking their job as seriously as the veteran theater actor-director. But the fact is, once “Star Factor” will culminate by December, the other judges’ tasks are basically done while Audie’s challenge after the winners are declared will be even greater. In his shoulders lies the responsibility of crafting out successful career paths for these eventual Kapatid stars.

“Whoever the panel will end up choosing, I will inherit them. So they should also listen to me sometimes. Paano kung hindi ko sila mapapasikat?” Audie voiced out his sentiment to renowned composer Ryan Cayabyab. There were a few instances that a kid was to Audie’s liking but didn’t impress the rest of the jury and he couldn’t do anything since the majority vote wins out. That afternoon, the Starmakers screened a total of 51 teeners sifted from the thousands who auditioned from Cebu and Davao.

Direk Joey had earlier assured that if ever they will be butting heads, it will all be in the spirit of fun. “We have disagreements of course. But hindi nangangahulugan na if we disagree, we end up hating each other. We disagree because we really are working hard in looking for the right talents,” the muti-awarded director, who was once a college professor to both Audie and photographer Raymund back in 1985-86, said.

Not surprisingly, there were a lot of strong singers from Cebu. “So far, every single kid who came in is able to sing ha,” was Audie’s observation during the first round of screening from the Cebu batch. But looks-wise, there were a lot of “artistahin” hopefuls who flew in from Davao and their beauty ranged from Japanese, Asian, European to Black-American. Cebuanos should make sure to tune in once the show starts because we also do have a lot of promising entries who were stamped with a “star” approval.

“Maraming maganda na puwedeng gawing bida. Mas marami pa kesa sa Manila. Sa Manila nang magpa-audition kami, wala akong nakitang maganda. Ang hitsura nila puro pang- suporta lang. Dito ang daming magagaling at magaganda,” talent manager Annabelle noticed.

Audie, who is also a “Talentadong Pinoy” resident judge, mentioned that Star Factor’s first episode will tackle the subject of “how to properly audition.” The process during the Marriott callback was, an auditionee comes in for a brief interview and they do their prepared acting/singing/dancing piece. Then the judges wait for the kid to exit and out of hearing range before they drop their nice or nasty comments. Seated in the Director’s Room were the Manila press, who out of fun were also doing their own judging while watching through a monitor and interestingly, their verdicts also matched with those of the Starmakers.

For sure, I’m no expert in auditioning, but since The FREEMAN had the opportunity to observe the Cebu audition proceedings from start to finish, we rounded out a few pointers on what to do and what to avoid during an artista audition, based on the Starmakers’ often entertaining, no-hold’s barred remarks. Passing an audition, much less summoning up the courage to perform in front of these high-caliber personalities is no walk in the park. So here are just a few things to remember for young dreamers and to their parents (usually the first to drag their kids to these go-see’s) who will in the future find themselves another opportunity to audition and get another crack at stardom.

Take care of your teeth and skin.

If you’re still young and it’s really your ultimate dream to be an artista, then it’s never too early to start fixing any teeth problems. Get braces this early so the sooner it can be taken off. Go to a dentist and have any crooked alignments corrected. Beautiful teeth makes a big difference to making a good first impression as Annabelle attests. “Ako pag tumitingin sa isang talent, palagi akong tumitingin sa ipin. Importante sa akin ang ipin eh. Ayoko yung mga may false teeth. Lahat ng talents ko magaganda ang ipin,” she said.

Second is complexion. The camera is a cruel medium. One should always be ready for a close-up even without make-up so healthy, flawless skin is important. Pampering one’s skin should be one vanity you wouldn’t be faulted with if you aspire to be a star. “Pag may nakita kami na talented talaga at mukhang may future, ina-advisan ko muna na pumunta sa derma o ayusin ang ipin,” was Annabelle’s candid advice.

Practice your tagalog.

Yes, Cebuano pride and our disdain for the so-called Imperial Manila makes us cringe at this thought but reality is, unless you’re oozing with attractiveness, it’s hard to get a break in Manila and get meaty roles if you’re poor in Tagalog. When the Starmakers see someone they liked based on appearance, their first question was, “Marunong ka bang mag-Tagalog?” Often, the answer to that determined a big part of their decision.

Dress and act your age.

Star Factor set the age requirement to 13-18 years old, which means if you’re 13, you don’t have to dress like a loose girl out in a club. “She looks like a child whore! A pedophile’s delight!,” Direk Joey exclaimed disapprovingly after one petite 14-year old appeared in a corset, majorette skirt and knee-high boots, then did a seductive routine of Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro”. Since the child obviously had vocal and dancing chops, she was asked to straighten her curled hair, wear the outfit she wore on her way to the venue and told to come back. And indeed, when she returned wearing something age-appropriate, she looked cute and registered better on screen. This is often a mistake parents make, dressing their barely-minor children in revealing attire thinking it would look more impressive, when in fact, it just comes out cheap.

Easy on the make-up.

A little powder and light lip gloss is what one really needs because the judges will definitely want to see your bare face to determine if you are naturally good-looking. There was one very pretty girl who had Egyptian genes and was a deadringer for Rhian Ramos. She was handed a tissue by Annabelle and told to wipe off her dark lipstick. Also, the judges prefer you tuck your hair behind your ear and do away with complex hairdo’s so they can get a really good look of your face.

Leave your pile of strands and bling at home.

We’re not saying you come in looking like you happened to just stroll by. Just strike a balance between looking presentable yet not over-the-top. Pick an ensemble that will not distract from your face but will instead enhance your assets. The judges thumb down on wearing a lot of accessories.

Submit your best photograph.

The judges aren’t always present in the first round of auditions which are usually held in malls. So there are times when the judges have not yet personally met those candidates approved by the production staff for a callback. If your file does not have a picture or has a bad picture, you can be misjudged or get lost in a pile of hundred of applicants.

Modeling, arnis or wushu are not talents.

Tyra Banks would be quick to disagree, but if you’re in an artista search, do refrain from saying you’re going to model when asked what you will present for the talent component. They will not have a use for modeling on TV so you either sing, dance or act. Waving some arnis sticks doesn’t count for dancing, by the way, as two male auditionees did. And would you believe, there was this one girl who really excited the Starmakers because she possessed such an angelic face. But to Direk Joey’s consternation and to the amusement of everyone who was just holding in their mock laughter, the girl folded her hands before her chest and sang Ave Maria!

“The first attractive girl finally comes in but she sings a song para sa patay!” Direk Joey shrieked. So mental note everyone: no funeral songs on auditions!

Acknowledge your jitters but don’t let it overpower you.

They will understand if you’re a bit nervous and will even give you time to breathe. But if your shyness is just too much, the judges might think twice in letting you in even if you have a bit of talent. In a sea of other talents who exude more confidence, the judges are afraid that come competition hour, “lalamunin ka lang nung iba na may killer instincts.”

Parents should assure their kids in advance that rejection isn’t the end of it.

The 13-18 age bracket is still vulnerable to sensitive comments, which reality TV judges sometimes need to make to spice up the show. Which is why it’s important to explain to the kid before they face the firing squad that it doesn’t make them less of a person or less talented if they don’t make the cut. It could be it’s not just their type that a particular search is looking for, or they’re not yet ripe enough for the picking.