What you need to know about talent shows ...

... before you decide to participate.

Talent shows are all over in the television programming. The hype started with Idol's international derivatives, and today there are shows from X-factor via America's Next Top Model through So You Think You Can Dance and [insert country] Got Talent, each claiming to emphasize a unique part of the participants. I think that almost everybody has at least once wondered how far they would get, were they to participate.

Advantages and disadvantages

While there is an obvious difference between a talent show for upcoming models and a talent show for upcoming singers, as  soon as the audience gets to vote for their favourite participant, it doesn't matter whether you participate in The Voice or X-factor or Popstars. The audience will most of the time not vote for a singer because they have 'the voice' or because they have 'the X-factor', but because the participating singer has something the audience likes about him or her. This can indeed be the voice or the X-factor, but there are also many teenage girls voting because 'the guy looks hot' or 'I don't think the other one should win' or 'she has had such a troublesome youth, she deserves to win'. So, basically the concepts of most, if not all, talent shows come down to the same thing as soon as the audience gets a vote. 

A good thing about talent shows is that people, who do not have the (financial) means to record and produce a nice demo  of themselves or who cannot afford dance lessons, can now show themselves by filling out an online form and head to the nearest audition location. The judges there decide who is good enough for the next rounds and who is not. The further you get in a show, the more coaching you'll receive and the more experience you gain, which both can be valuable on your way to making it. This is way to make a career without having to invest hundreds of bucks per year in voice/dance lessons, demo recordings, and photo shoots.

However, after the show's finished, you usually have to do very much on your own. You have received coaching and gained experience, now it's time to show what you've got. In fact, the real hard work starts now, because you no longer are on TV on a weekly base. Everything now comes down to getting connected with the right people who really want to work with you and not just because they have a contractual duty to help you, doing gigs / photo shoots and show the best of yourself there. It is also important to stay in touch with the fans: one negative story will hurt you more than hundred positive stories will help you to get further! Naturally, this counts as well when you're meeting people from the industry. The worlds are usually small and the lines are short, so remain professional, whoever you meet. 

Another advantage is, of course, the whole experience of participating in talent shows. I am not talking about the experience of performing and media training, but about the experience of being a participant. The media madness, getting to see front row how television works, and the organization of the whole show. I can tell from first-hand experience (not going to specify it further than this) that it's really impressive if you see how much show-specific decoration, how many cameras, how much directing are involved, and how many other impressions you'll get when it's the first time in your life you decide give it a try. For those who are certain that they won't stand a chance: much of what you see on television during the audition phase is already directed by people who are part of the show's crew, except the performances themselves. I am personally glad to have experienced it, as I now have seen a glimpse of such a show is made. For the program I auditioned for, there were 2 audition days. I already knew this because a judge from a small-scale talent show in which I had participated told everyone who was there, but when I heard this, I found it quite surprising. The first day was with 'shadow judges', or local people with some kind of involvement in music who judged whether you are worth being judged by the real judges, for whom you will perform on the second day. However, even on the first day, cameras are also recording each and every audition. These recordings were used for quick clips that were shown right before and right after each commercial break, before the hosts or an actual audition was shown. So even when you don't get to see the real judges, you might still get your minute of fame! 

Although it all seems amazing, you must reckon with disappointments. The first 'shadow judges' may decide to not let you through to the next round, no matter how good you are. And in the end, only one person can win, out of the thousands that register initially. Calculate your odds. 

'Realness'   

Here in the Netherlands, there have been countless rumours about the winner of the show having been decided upon far before the audience decided. It has also been rumoured that the judges on television get scripts as for what to say to the contestants and that they do not get to express their real opinion about them. Needless to say that the people making the program countered this by stating that there is an official solicitor and that the audience decides. Since I have not further deepened my knowledge about talent shows and reality TV since my auditions, I am not the right person to say whether the aforementioned rumours are true or not. I am also not the one to judge the 'realness' of talent shows. I did, however, have to read a book for a course last year which sort of confirmed me in my personal idea about talent shows that the producers have a profile of the winning candidate. This profile is given to the judges and 'shadow judges', so that they can decide who fits this profile and who does not. Since the odds for finding someone who exactly matches the profile are small, they will aim to find someone who comes as close as possible. Note that this is how I think it goes! It is a personal idea and not how it really works! In my mind, however, a  'winner profile' could look as follows: 

• The winner is into pop music, but also likes R'n'B and soul.
• The winner has therefore a voice similar to Aretha Franklin, Joss Stone, or Beyoncé.
• The winner is skinny, but looks healthy to the audience.
• The winner has a clothing style  similar to Rihanna or Beyoncé. 
• The winner is at least [x] inches / centimetres tall.
• The winner has a heart-shaped face or an oval-shaped face. 

No matter the truth, in order to keep up the veil of 'realness', a variety of contestants will be selected for the live shows. However, even though most of the shows are directed to the second and even though there may be 'winner profiles' and scripts + auto cue for judges or so, it is still a valuable experience that you will remember for life.

Your thoughts
What do you think about talent shows? Do you like them or not? Do you think they're real or that most of it is fake? Have you considered entering? Have you ever participated in big talent show?