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Shocking - The Truth About The Audition Process!

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 477
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Very interesting article about what goes on behind the scenes of the auditions before acts ever get to perform to the judges. Looks like contestants get treated like dirt until they get to the judges.

Queuing for 11 hours to sing two lines of a song and a producer tells you NO. You ask "Why?" knowing you can hold a tune and he replies, "We don't give feedback, go on home".

The team tell the crowd to scream and wave, the crowd thinking it's to warm them up. Not true, the editors later edit in videos of the judges arriving to crowds of thousands of people so it looks like they stay there all day judging people.

The team also hand out signs to the crowd with "I Love Simon, Cheryl, Danni etc.".

Sounds horrible and the television show is so misleading. I knew there was a few auditions before the Judges audition but this is unbelievable.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8209429.stm
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    SurrenderBillSurrenderBill Posts: 19,084
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    If you are only just learning that things are not as they seem... that really is unbelievable!

    It is an entertainment show... just!

    Did you think it was a talent show?

    Oh, and um... 2009?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 789
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    Are you really surprised? I though everyone knew how it works.

    Several people I know didnt even make it in front of the judges, just being told your not what were looking for (and they have been on the semi-pro circuit singing in propper bands - you know with instruments and stuff - for years).

    The ones that get in front of the Judges are either:

    1. Freeks/Jokes

    2. Have an attitude proble/think there gods gift

    3. Have a decent enough voice BUT also a sob story/dont fit the pop star look

    4. Have good looks and a voice to go with it.

    You can be a world class singer - but if your just ordinary/average looking you wont even get to the judges.

    Sorry to burst any bubbles - but thats how its always been. It is NOT (as its billed) taking average Joe off the streets and giving them a chance.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 591
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    I've known people who''d sing terribly in the first audition round (even though they have good voices) just so they can get through to the round of the judges ( you have a much higher chance). So when they arrive at the judges they actually sing in their actual voice since theyre more fair at judging.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,275
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    The test will be when a new pop star emerges, through a traditional non talent show route, who then reveals that they once audtioned for the X Factor and didn't get past the first stage (pre-TV judges).

    But yes, we knew it was a contrived process. It's just an entertainment show. And all 'talent' shows have been the same since the beginning. Opportunity Knocks, Stars In Their Eyes, Fame Academy, etc. The Voice will be the same.
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    SatnavvySatnavvy Posts: 5,211
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    Many of the acts screened on TV have been scouted and auditioned prior to the whole process starting. This IS NOT A TALENT SHOW - IT IS SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT!
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    robtuk06robtuk06 Posts: 4,561
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    And the winner of the 'Most Naive DS Member of the Day goes to....
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    blowupblowup Posts: 1,850
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    Thanks for giving the link to an old article. I think most people know the audition process isn't what it seems, if anything, I thought that article wasn't have as bad as I thought it would be.
    Lots of shows give out signs or offer the tools to make them on the day.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    Thats hardly shocking or even news...

    Where have you been OP? :)
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,630
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    Have I gone back in time? :confused::confused:
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    OsusanaOsusana Posts: 7,535
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    Also - no-one forces anyone to go and audition so if they get treated badly, they can just go home!
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    Diceroll_81Diceroll_81 Posts: 904
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    I'm no singer but from what I can see, the trick to approaching the XF auditions is to take your friends/family and just treat it as a day out. If you end up making it through the 'cattle call' rounds it's a bonus.

    I think it's a bit unfair that the production staff in the first round don't give any feedback though!
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    andy614andy614 Posts: 45,259
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    I haven't auditioned but i went with someone who did, and we weren't treated badly. If you go you already know you are going to be waiting for hours, thats a given and you should be prepared for it and expect it. Theres thousands of people, what do you expect?. Regarding the 'choreography' of the shouting and cheering ect, it was pretty obvious what that was for,there was cameras, you were doing it to the cameras, how could that be misleading? We had to pretend to cheer without making a noise for dermot's links and so on. It was actually quite fun after you've been waiting for hours to have something to do. Though doing each thing 10 times in a row got a bit tiring.

    Once inside again there was more waiting but you know that and from what my friend who went up to audition said, he sang more than 2 lines and although he got a no was treated perfectly fine by the producer.
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    .Lauren..Lauren. Posts: 7,864
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    Does anybody really still think there is nothing manufactured about X factor.

    Chart Throb by Ben Elton gives a good insight into the process. I believe he said at the time his info came from people in the industry.
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    EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    And what's more relevant is the suspicion is that most of the people who genuinely audition never make the live shows. Rumour has it that many of those who end up in the finals were "invited" to audition by the producers.
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    user1234567user1234567 Posts: 12,378
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    danom8 wrote: »
    Very interesting article about what goes on behind the scenes of the auditions before acts ever get to perform to the judges. Looks like contestants get treated like dirt until they get to the judges.

    Queuing for 11 hours to sing two lines of a song and a producer tells you NO. You ask "Why?" knowing you can hold a tune and he replies, "We don't give feedback, go on home".

    The team tell the crowd to scream and wave, the crowd thinking it's to warm them up. Not true, the editors later edit in videos of the judges arriving to crowds of thousands of people so it looks like they stay there all day judging people.

    The team also hand out signs to the crowd with "I Love Simon, Cheryl, Danni etc.".

    Sounds horrible and the television show is so misleading. I knew there was a few auditions before the Judges audition but this is unbelievable.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8209429.stm
    I've auditioned before and I can tell you that contestants don't get treated like dirt. When you get the letter/email confirming your audition venue, they tell you to expect long delays and to bring food and drink with you. They also tell you to expect to be part of filming for the show and that you only get a few minutes with a producer and you will not be given any feedback, so there is no point arguing. They have 1000's of people to get through and don't have all day. Everyone gets their two minutes and you have to make it count. Unless you are expecting to get A-list treatment, they are very honest about what to expect.

    I went with my cousin and if you are a fan of the show and how tv works, then I would highly recommend it. It is a very long day and the filming can get tedious but if you approach it as a fun day out, then it will be a fun day out. When I was at filming at the O2, they told us that we had to do crowd shots of us cheering and then we had to do shots of silent cheering, so they could have Dermot walking through the crowd and still be able to hear him. Every step of the process was explained.

    There was one guy in a section who wouldn't stand up and cheer. He through a hissy fit and said that he was there to audition and didn't want to be part of any manipulation :rolleyes: The producer told him to either stand up and take part, or leave. He left. The producer then told the 20,000 people in the O2 that anyone who didn't want to take part in filming was free to leave. He made it clear that as you progressed through rounds, there would be more and more expected of you and anyone who couldn't handle that was best off going home.

    It sounds harsh but I can't blame them. They are there to make a tv show and if everyone refused to take part in the basic things, then the show would be shite to watch. The manipulation which drives me mad is when they introduce a sing off in the semi-finals, after saying that it would be a public vote. That is seriously bad form. Expecting auditionees to put in a bit of effort and do some crowd cheering when they have been told even before arriving that that's what they should expect, isn't.

    Auditions are a long way off but to anyone who does go, I would advise bringing lots of food and drink, don't expect to get through and just enjoy the day :)

    To those who complain, look at it this way. We all see ads on the telly by the National Lottery, showing how all your dreams can come through if you simply buy a ticket and win. Does anyone act all outraged when they, shock, horror, don't win and become an instant millionaire? Of course not!
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    EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    I've auditioned before and I can tell you that contestants don't get treated like dirt. When you get the letter/email confirming your audition venue, they tell you to expect long delays and to bring food and drink with you. They also tell you to expect to be part of filming for the show and that you only get a few minutes with a producer and you will not be given any feedback, so there is no point arguing. They have 1000's of people to get through and don't have all day. Everyone gets their two minutes and you have to make it count. Unless you are expecting to get A-list treatment, they are very honest about what to expect.

    I went with my cousin and if you are a fan of the show and how tv works, then I would highly recommend it. It is a very long day and the filming can get tedious but if you approach it as a fun day out, then it will be a fun day out. When I was at filming at the O2, they told us that we had to do crowd shots of us cheering and then we had to do shots of silent cheering, so they could have Dermot walking through the crowd and still be able to hear him. Every step of the process was explained.

    There was one guy in a section who wouldn't stand up and cheer. He through a hissy fit and said that he was there to audition and didn't want to be part of any manipulation :rolleyes: The producer told him to either stand up and take part, or leave. He left. The producer then told the 20,000 people in the O2 that anyone who didn't want to take part in filming was free to leave. He made it clear that as you progressed through rounds, there would be more and more expected of you and anyone who couldn't handle that was best off going home.

    It sounds harsh but I can't blame them. They are there to make a tv show and if everyone refused to take part in the basic things, then the show would be shite to watch. The manipulation which drives me mad is when they introduce a sing off in the semi-finals, after saying that it would be a public vote. That is seriously bad form. Expecting auditionees to put in a bit of effort and do some crowd cheering when they have been told even before arriving that that's what they should expect, isn't.

    Auditions are a long way off but to anyone who does go, I would advise bringing lots of food and drink, don't expect to get through and just enjoy the day :)

    To those who complain, look at it this way. We all see ads on the telly by the National Lottery, showing how all your dreams can come through if you simply buy a ticket and win. Does anyone act all outraged when they, shock, horror, don't win and become an instant millionaire? Of course not!

    Just out of interest Mary, did anyone from your audition make it even as far as the televised audition.....did you recognise anyone?
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    user1234567user1234567 Posts: 12,378
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    Eurostar wrote: »
    Just out of interest Mary, did anyone from your audition make it even as far as the televised audition.....did you recognise anyone?
    No. There was too many people there for me to remember anyone. I do remember that I got a no but the three people after me got yeses.

    The chances of getting to the judges, nevermind being televised are incredibly slim. The O2 can hold about 20,000 people. Roughly 12,000 of those are familiy members who have come for support and out of the 8,000 who actually audition, only 40 will get as far as the judges. From those 40, maybe 2 or 3 will get shown on tv. The chances of getting through are very slim and it's not enough to have a good voice, you have to make good tv.

    Edit: I remember seeing a guy dressed in yellow bright clothes who got as far as the judges but got a no. He was obviously a novelty act. I'll try and find his audition. He was a nice guy and chatted to everyone :)
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    EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    No. There was too many people there for me to remember anyone. I do remember that I got a no but the three people after me got yeses.

    The chances of getting to the judges, nevermind being televised are incredibly slim. The O2 can hold about 20,000 people. Roughly 12,000 of those are familiy members who have come for support and out of the 8,000 who actually audition, only 40 will get as far as the judges. From those 40, maybe 2 or 3 will get shown on tv. The chances of getting through are very slim and it's not enough to have a good voice, you have to make good tv.

    Edit: I remember seeing a guy dressed in yellow bright clothes who got as far as the judges but got a no. He was obviously a novelty act. I'll try and find his audition. He was a nice guy and chatted to everyone :)

    The reason I ask is that I suspect that the vast majority who attend the public audition don't get as far the judges, apart the ones who eventually get four 'no's.

    Which means I'm suggesting that most of those who end up at bootcamp never actually tried out for the show at this initial audition at all. There are occasional exceptions of course : apparently Mary Byrne attended the initial public audition.
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    user1234567user1234567 Posts: 12,378
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    Eurostar wrote: »
    The reason I ask is that I suspect that the vast majority who attend the public audition don't get as far the judges, apart the ones who eventually get four 'no's.

    Which means I'm suggesting that most of those who end up at bootcamp never actually tried out for the show at this initial audition at all. There are occasional exceptions of course : apparently Mary Byrne attended the initial public audition.
    While I don't doubt that there are people who have been invited by the producers, I don't think it's as many as people suspect. Contestants who go through the whole audition process and aren't put off by what is expected of them, will be far easier to control than people who have been invited there and who might feel more entitled because of being asked.

    When I was going up to Dublin to see the audition show, I met someone on the bus who was auditioning. He had gone through all the auditions (he didn't get past the judges) and the main thing he said was that the producers went through his life looking for things to tell the media. He had a very middle class life and there was no scandal/backstory. He had a decent enough voice and I wonder was it the lack of media fodder that went against him?

    I think the people who allegedly (:p) get the free pass are the exceptions, rather than the rule and the vast majority of people we see have gone through the whole process but the ones who get through are the ones not only with good/bad voices but also the ones who will generate the most media interest and are the most comfortable on camera. There is no point putting someone through who can sing but clams up as soon as a camera is put in their face. The contestants are interviewed constantly (and is why so many of them lose their voices) and it's ok to have a shy personality but if you cannot handle the camera's, then they won't put you through.
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    EurostarEurostar Posts: 78,519
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    While I don't doubt that there are people who have been invited by the producers, I don't think it's as many as people suspect. Contestants who go through the whole audition process and aren't put off by what is expected of them, will be far easier to control than people who have been invited there and who might feel more entitled because of being asked.

    When I was going up to Dublin to see the audition show, I met someone on the bus who was auditioning. He had gone through all the auditions (he didn't get past the judges) and the main thing he said was that the producers went through his life looking for things to tell the media. He had a very middle class life and there was no scandal/backstory. He had a decent enough voice and I wonder was it the lack of media fodder that went against him?

    I think the people who allegedly (:p) get the free pass are the exceptions, rather than the rule and the vast majority of people we see have gone through the whole process but the ones who get through are the ones not only with good/bad voices but also the ones who will generate the most media interest and are the most comfortable on camera. There is no point putting someone through who can sing but clams up as soon as a camera is put in their face. The contestants are interviewed constantly (and is why so many of them lose their voices) and it's ok to have a shy personality but if you cannot handle the camera's, then they won't put you through.

    We'll have to agree to disagree Mary :) Too many of the finalists of recent years look to me as if they may have been scouted by the producers or ended up on the show by means other than walking into the first public audition. A lot of them had previous record contracts or releases and showbiz experience, meaning their name was out there and they already had contacts in the business. For example the top 2 last year, Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson, had already released albums.
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    starsailorstarsailor Posts: 11,347
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    Amazed at anyone which didn't think it would work this way. 200,000 people applied for series 6 of the X-factor. Did anyone think the judges looked at 200,000 acts?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,418
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    No. There was too many people there for me to remember anyone. I do remember that I got a no but the three people after me got yeses.

    The chances of getting to the judges, nevermind being televised are incredibly slim. The O2 can hold about 20,000 people. Roughly 12,000 of those are familiy members who have come for support and out of the 8,000 who actually audition, only 40 will get as far as the judges. From those 40, maybe 2 or 3 will get shown on tv. The chances of getting through are very slim and it's not enough to have a good voice, you have to make good tv.

    :eek:
    LOL, thanks for this, didnt know thats how it goes down.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,418
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    starsailor wrote: »
    Amazed at anyone which didn't think it would work this way. 200,000 people applied for series 6 of the X-factor. Did anyone think the judges looked at 200,000 acts?

    Yeah;)
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    user1234567user1234567 Posts: 12,378
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    ArsenalX wrote: »
    :eek:
    LOL, thanks for this, didnt know thats how it goes down.
    Apparently it was news to the op :p
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    decobelledecobelle Posts: 4,717
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    My sister in law auditioned, she got past the 'pre-judges' and was told to dress in the same clothes when she went back (a different day) to audition in front of Simon, Louis and Sharon - all part of the smoke and mirrors they use! Simon told her she was good but reminded him of a singing Lorraine Kelly :rolleyes:
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