This week, RealityWanted talked to casting director and Iconic Casting president Brendon Blincoe, the casting mastermind for shows like Rock of Love Bus, For the Love of Ray Jay, Real Chance of Love 1 and 2, From G’s to Gents 1 and 2, I Want to Work for Diddy, and 50 Cent’s For money and Power.  Blincoe is now casting I Want To Work For Diddy Season 2 and dropped in to give RealityWanted members some insight and casting tips.  Be sure to read his tips when it comes to applying to reality shows!

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: To start, what are some reality casting projects your company has worked on?
A. Brendon Blincoe: The past year, I have worked on Rock of Love Bus, For the Love of Ray Jay, Real Chance of Love 1 and 2, From G’s to Gents 1 and 2, I Want to Work for Diddy, 50 Cent’s For money and Power, and we did some model casting for Deal or No Deal.

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: What are you guy currently working?
A. Brendon Blincoe: Well, right now, I am working with VH1 to do the casting for I Want to Work for Diddy 2. Sean “Diddy” Combs is looking for a new assistant, so we are doing a six week casting that started last Thursday.

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: This is probably a good time to cast a show about employment due to the current economic state.
A. Brendon Blincoe: The cool thing is that, with the current market being the way it is right now, the show really hits home. People are really looking for jobs and Diddy is giving someone the opportunity to work for him.

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: Will you be holding open casting calls
A. Brendon Blincoe: Yes, we will be traveling to New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, Chicago, Dallas, L.A., and Atlanta.

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: How can people apply for the show?
A. Brendon Blincoe: They can go to http://www.realitywanted.com/call/4578-vh1-now-casting-i-want-to-work-for-diddy-2 and apply online. We will contact anyone we are interested in within a few weeks.

Q. Mark, Reality Wanted: What are you looking for in an assistant applicant?
A. Brendon Blincoe: Well, we are truly casting people who will not only make for good TV, but will really be a good assistant for Diddy. We are actually looking for the same things as him. We want someone intelligent, charismatic, and driven. They have to have experience in business and really be the total package.

Q: Mark, Reality Wanted: What sort of prize does the winner receive?
A. Brendon Blincoe: Well, last season there were actually two winners. Their salaries are probably that of any assistant starting out, but they are getting an awesome opportunity to learn from Diddy. Not many people are able to get that kind of experience.

Q: Mark, Reality Wanted: Do you have time to give the readers some casting tips?
A. Brendon Blincoe: Honestly, the best thing you can do is to follow all of the instructions on how you are asked to apply. Follow all of the directions because if a casting director sees that you couldn’t fill out the online application properly, they will doubt that you will be able to fill out the offline application or the contract if you get chosen. Second, just be yourself. Casting directors want to see you and your personality. Don’t try to be someone you are not. Finally, be selective about the shows you apply for. If people just apply for every single show, it shows that they are not necessarily interested in that particular show and rather just want to be on TV.

Q. Mark, Reality: Tons of people email us asking us when to expect to hear back from someone in casting after they apply or go to an open call.
A. Brendon Blincoe: For this particular project, if you don’t hear back from us in six weeks, you probably didn’t get it. What people do not realize is we normally audition 1,000 people per show on camera. Just be patient. There is a show for everyone out there. If we see someone who isn’t right for one show, we may remember them and suggest them for a show in the future they are right for.

Q. Mark Reality Wanted: When someone sees a show they are interested in, how soon should they apply? I have had friends email asked when deadlines are and I tell them not to wait.  They should apply immediately.
A. Brendon Blincoe: If you see a show that you are interested in, apply as soon as possible. It shows that you are interested. If you wait, then you may miss your shot. If four weeks have passed since the original posting date, we may have started out looking for 8 people and already filled 7.