THANK YOU, RealityWanted.com!!!!

Thank you for helping me to achieve my dream of getting on Solitary v3.0.  If it wasn’t for your great advice and your insightful interviews with casting directors (especially Leyna Raskoff and Frank Prather from Solitary), I don’t think I would have made it through the entire auditioning process.

All of the little things added up to successfully being cast on my favorite reality show. Things like making sure I followed all of the directions in the application, making sure my audition tape was real and energetic and entertaining, and making sure I submitted EVERYTHING at one time (application, audition tape, photos, etc…)  If you only submit an application and tell them you’ll send the rest later, you’re not going to get cast on the show. They’re not going to keep track of it and match it up later.

I had applied for Survivor a long time ago and never heard back, so I never tried again. But when I saw the call for Solitary, I had to try even though I honestly didn’t think I would hear anything again. Then Leyna called me and said that my audition video was the best she had seen in her 9 years of casting. I was so excited and happy that I had decided to try again for a show I love. When it’s meant to be, it will happen. If any of my fellow RealityWanted members would like to watch my audition video, I have it on my website at www.robrob.org, and it is also posted on my profile here under the Additional Media tab. 

(See Robs Audition Video Here)

I have watched a lot of the other Solitary audition videos and most of them were so boring, I couldn’t watch more than 2 minutes of them, so I can imagine the casting people could not either. I think you really have to show excitement and energy for the show you’re trying to get on. Let them know that it’s important to you and that it’s something you REALLY want. That’s why I built my own Solitary pod in my living room, so they could see how much I love the show, and so they could visualize me on the show.  You can’t just sit there in front of the camera and read the questions off the application.  And you can’t just apply for every show that comes out because they can see that and probably won’t give you the time of day. Find one you care about and that you honestly think fits your personality.

The nerve racking part came with flying out to California and meeting the executive producers and everyone else involved with the show.  This is where the interviews with Leyna Raskoff and Frank Prather really helped. I was able to learn what they like and what they don’t like. I learned to be myself instead of trying to pretend like I was what I thought they wanted me to be. I learned I needed to get over my nervousness and not get shy and try hard to maintain eye contact.  When you get to this point, everyone is on your side, and you just have to bring it.

And NEVER GIVE UP.  I didn’t get the call that I made the final cut until only 4 days before shooting started.

I also want to give a shout out to my Solitary pod girl #5 (Maureen Francisco) who is also a member of RealityWanted.com and landed herself in Solitary confinement thanks to RealityWanted.com. You Go Girl!!!!  You can watch both of us every Saturday night at 9p/8c on the Fox Reality Channel.

Once again I would like to thank RealityWanted.com, Mark, Jay, Leyna, Frank, and VAL [O] for their encouragement and making my dream come true.
 
Much Love,
#4 (RobRob Hakel)