Biggest Loser casting tips (season 14)
Biggest Loser is getting ready to start casting for season 14! Casting calls will be happening this summer and will be posted soon on the Biggest Loser casting website. Basically, this post is a collection of tips I’ve written based on my experience making the cast of season three, as well as some links to casting advice I don’t think you should miss:
- NBC has posted casting information and the application here. They have all the casting news and information on a special blog just for Biggest Loser casting, which you can find here.
- Pete Thomas, the season 2 $100,000 winner has some of the best casting call advice out there, which you can find at his website, Winning Man.
- Holland, a casting director for Biggest Loser sent me a bunch of great advice on how to be casted, you can find it here. She updated them October, 2009.
- I’ve been posting these casting tips for the last few seasons and they always seem to end up with thousands of comments; just about every season has contestants that were hanging out on here, reading and giving each other thoughts and advice. You can find the most recent one here.
- If you’re dealing with disappointment about not being cast, then check out my post on Biggest Loser casting disappointment.
One of the questions I hear a lot is about money … how do contestants afford to be away from home and work for months at a time? I don’t know what it is now, but when I was a contestant there was a $500 a week stipend for cast members on the ranch. When you received the check you could cash it and spend it, send it home, save it, whatever. All airplane tickets, hotel accommodations, etc., for the contestants and potential cast members are taken care of by NBC, and during the casting process it self there was a $50 per diem to cover food costs.
Another question is timing; typically a season lasts for about 8-9 months. About four of this is spent in filming; if you last all the way until the final three or four, you could be away from home for as much as four months or so. Once the ranch filming wraps and the last few contestants are sent home, however, there is still another four or five months that all the contestants have to continue losing weight until the finale. In addition, potential cast members are flown out to California a couple weeks before filming begins for the final round of casting, medical checkups, psychological evals, etc. NBC brings out more people than what they need and the cast is not finalized until filming literally begins. People have been cut at the last minute and replacements flown in with hardly any time to spare. Nothing is in stone until it’s on camera!
When will you hear from Biggest Loser about your video? There is no way of knowing. I heard back a few weeks after I sent it in, but even after that it’s a big waiting game. If you get a phone number or email from a casting direction, definitely drop them a line/call every couple weeks to find out if you’re still in the running or what’s going on. Schedules and plans change almost every day, so it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. If you don’t hear back within a month I would think your video didn’t make the cut. That doesn’t mean you can’t send in another or visit a casting call – it’s just up to you!
Finally, here’s my video application tips! This is by no means a recipe for success; it’s based on my video application and the conversations I had with casting directors out in LA in between things. I was pretty curious about the whole process so I was pumping them for info even after filming began. I’m such a nerd!
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They’ve usually decided if they’re interested in you within the first 30-60 seconds of your video, so front load it with your best stuff. Make it interesting! Start off with something funny or exciting!
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Keep in mind, if you’re going to be cast, your video is going to be watched hundreds of times by producers, executives, casting directors, etc. If it bores you or your friends the second or third time watching it … put some more time into it!
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Special effects? Don’t bother! We’ve all got video editing software with all sorts of bells and whistles on our home computers, but fancy transitions are not going to sell you to people who do video editing for a living. In fact, it can distract from who you are. I’m a video editing nerd and I didn’t use any special effects other than putting my name and contact info on as a subtitle at the beginning.
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Don’t bother talking about why you need to lose weight. When I first started filming my audition video I started describing all of my health reasons for losing weight – but when I was watching it back, I realized … they don’t need to hear it! One look at me was all they needed to know I needed to lose weight! Show them why you need to lose it; I said I needed to lose weight for my kids, and then I followed it with a minute or two of the best footage I could find of me with wrestling with my three boys. We probably filmed half an hour of that insanity and I grabbed the cutest, loudest, and funniest few moments for the audition video. Your physical need to lose weight is not nearly as interesting as who or what your losing the weight for.
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Live loud! Reality TV is over the top, dramatic, and filled with loud personalities. They need to see that on your video! I wanted them to know that even though I was morbidly obese I was up to the challenge of the crazy competitions and workouts – so I threw on a bunch of clips from my different youth group activities; me getting slimed, snowtubing, playing paintball, screaming at events, being on stage, running around … you get the idea. Other contestants did things appropriate to their lives; Tim from Oregon had himself spinning out on his Harley, Tim from Delaware recruited his elementary school class to do things with him, Heather Hanson filmed herself running around in a sports bra all day doing her household chores and errands. The less talking and more action you can have, the better (in my opinion)!
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If you have footage or photos of yourself thin, include those at some point on the video. If you can show them what your after will be, then do it!
Remember, enjoy the conversation here and know that I will never compromise your anonymity – not to NBC, 3Ball, Casting Directors or anyone. You can post anonymously, or you can leave your names and contact information … just remember that NBC likes to be the one announcing their cast for the show, so if you start identifying yourself publicly as a finalist, you’ll probably find yourself eliminated from the casting process. Be aware that casting directors do check in at my blog to see what people are saying, get a feel for what questions are going on out there, and sometimes to give us updates. Good luck to everyone … and let me know if you make the show! I get a kick out of hearing about the different contestants that have hung out on my blog before making the show! 
I'm Matthew, and you've found my blog! I'm married to Heather, a father of four boys, the Youth Pastor at Brandywine Valley Baptist Church, and former contestant on NBC's Biggest Loser.
OH OKAY! thanks!
was this after they were picked?! or finals week!? do they film during finals week?
@awesome
they had a bunch of clips filmed before contestants were selected but those are the ones that I can no longer find. I have a feeling these were filmed after they were selected but don’t know for sure.
The candied almonds are gone. That’s good. I ate them. That’s bad. Guess I’ll be at the park again this evening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5dUO8_h0Ao&feature=plcp think i found it
@Awesome
Some Vets did not go to a CC or submit an SV; they were just called about two weeks ago and asked to send in an HT…I’m trying to see if their were any others beside Chunky Monkey…
@BFG, I did a Callback interview from a call but no casting call.
I wonder if I can train myself to not look at Vimeo until late Wednesday.
I made a salad for lunch that I’m thinking of calling The Kitchen Sink. It’s got strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, almonds, sesame crunches, a bit of bacon dressing, turkey, roast beef, and a bit of ginger dressing. Oy, I forgot the lemon juice. Sweet, tangy, soft, crunchy, Asian, American, summer, spring, a proverbial Gemini’s dream. This homemade salad rocks.
Yes, I waxed poetic over a salad. It was just that good.
@Rogue
Did they tell you it was a CBI? Or was it just a phone call out of the blue and you talked to them? When was it?
@SCQueen
me too. thinking i should stop looking at vimeo altogether. it’s so hard not to though. i wish my email had a read receipt too to be sure someone received my application.
@BFG it was a CBI but it was out of the blue. I was not intending on auditioning again this season. It was held the day before the CC.
Have you been contacted since? Were you asked to send in a Bio, BGC, or App?
Yep…took the app to the CBI like usual, then had to submit the BGC and HT the week after. I checked Vimeo over the weekend and they downloaded my HT on Monday and Tuesday of last week, but haven’t heard anything yet…
BFG, sorry for the delay. Judging by your comment about them blowing smoke and how upset you sounded there was not nearly as much innuendo in my call as there was in yours, but there was some.
I only sent in the HT with nothing else requested so far so I assume I am out.
@rogue
Ohhh..so you were called for a CBI then went to one,,,all around a CC…I see…that is different
@Chunky Monkey
Same here, I think you and I are either way in or way out… i would put my money on the latter. It just pisses me off how quickly it turned around this time if it is. At this point, and as many of these as I’ve been thru, my attitude is if your not pitching me to NBC, why bother calling me. It makes no sense. They have all my info, plenty of tape from 4 seasons of HT and an hour long CBI. Pages and pages of bio, app, and whatever else they needed me to write. They know who I am, my full story, and a hell of alot more. Why call the guy if youre not serious? Why blow all that smoke? I can only come up with us being Way in, or theyre just ‘”Hollywood Cruel”.
Wow. If I had some Xanax I would be passing it out to y’all about now. Anonymously of course
I got another hit today. Must have been within the last two hours. Pass me the Xanax.
You know what’s funny? My original video, which I sent June 17th, has not been watched. However, the one I sent on the 25th has just been watched for the 2nd time. Confused.
lurking lol and was wondering if anyone knows how many people they call back for interviews at each city? There were 13 cities this casting, so I wondered how many pitches they do? How many go to finals?
i second @Misters question…i tried asking this earlier today..
Think about it…
13 cities, 3 days worth of Callback Interviews @ 1 hour a piece…..12 per day, I am thinking between 25 and 40 per city so that would be about 325- 520. Now, keep in mind that I’m sure not everyone that makes a call back interview gets moved on in the process. By the time you weed out people from that and the fact that they will NOT take the time to do the Background, Bio, and even Home Tape, I think it is safe to say about 275-500 make it just from Call Back Interviews. Somewhere in there is probably where the pitches amount to, however, I don’t really know how that works. I have heard that some people don’t make it far b/c other casting directors rule them out before they start going through the network pitches….btw, I think they have to pass through the production company first before that.
Now, I have heard that depending on the cast number, they can bring as many as 3 sets of the same people out for finals. So if a cast is calling for 20 people, they will bring 60 people, etc….
So just typing this, I realize…DANG, this is quite the process! Hope that helps.
callbacks are usually spread from sun-wed (maybe it’s stretched to thursday but, remember, they were moving on to the next city by then) and it’s usually a full day of them. i remember mine (not this season) was at 5 and I think they had one more person after me. They last anywhere from 30min-1 hour. So, I figure, about 24-30 people. Not to mention the ones they did over the phone.
I’ve heard tell that the sequester number is about 50.
does anyone recall from seasons past….do they try to pick someone from each casting city?
@BFG thanks! : D thats hard to fathom… but still awesome if you get that far!!!!
@mister no they do not pick “at least one person from each city”.. the CD’s may not even pick one person from every city… I recall Holland saying that they just pick depending on the person not the location.. potentially could have 15 potentials from a certain city and then 0 from another
also I heard that just by getting a call back interview doesn’t guarantee you will be pitched … as they may not request the bio/bgc/photos/HT after the on camera interview. so on so forth… just because you get pitched doesn’t mean you will get to move on… : /
the process is so hard..emotional..worth it..stressful…happy..sad…all of the above.. : ) …: /….. : (
Ok y’all. I am 34. I got drunk dialed last night waking me up at 11:30. Friend was bawling like her mom just died. I am too old for this. I wonder if she’ll remember that she called me. I’m the one who feels hung over now. Signed,
Lack of sleep
Oh wow. I just got a message where someone offered to send me some of her dead kids ashes. I can’t make this up. I feel terrible for her…she was already having a rough time before her son died.
W that said you can’t say no to that!
Um, I can as tactfully as possible. “I really think the most special place for your son’s ashes are with you. Maybe you can take a trip in his name and sprinkle them there as a way of taking him with you or plant your favorite flower using his ashes. This way, he’ll always have/give life.” Something other than yes or no.
So….how’s everybody today?
good… patiently waiting,…. lol so hard….
@Anonymous
Nah…I don’t need Xanax, just to quit doing this BS. If you guys would have heard the conversation, you would have said the same thing; especially the Vets.
There was someone on here that mentioned some Ahole newb that was bragging about going to Finals Week already…must have received the same phone call I did…lol. Welcome to BL, son…
Dear young one,
Please take care of your body and your mind. The jobs will wait; your education can’t. Enjoy your summers and your friends. Cherish the moments when your biggest stressors are passing all your final exams, not paying all your bills (on time). Avoid the credit cards and, if you can’t, only take one, spending only what you can/WILL pay off at the end of every month. Technology changes, only invest in it if it’s in the form of stocks. Otherwise, materially speaking, everything today will be outdated tomorrow. Go for quality instead of quantity. Take pictures, not of yourself but of your moments. Remember, today is always here and tomorrow never comes. YOLO is not just a catchy phrase over a groovy beat but the truth. A friend is not just a title on Facebook; cut off your computer/laptop/cell phone device and get some. “Yes” is not a word everyone deserves; neither is “no”. Figure out with who and when to use them. You are just as good, if not better, than the next person. Live with these things in mind and you’ll be just fine.
Love,
Your older self
Just some things I got flitting through my mind. What other words of wisdom would you share with your younger self? Take the challenge and write that letter.
@squeen… ahahah im totally writing my speech for my cousins wedding this Friday.. your words of wisdom came at a great time!
@SCQueen
…And don’t forget…wear sunscreen…
…Don’t make all those jokes about certain friends you encounter that do idiotic things, as having an extra chromosome…the irony is going to shock you.
@BFG Hahahahahahahaha!
That shoulda read:
Younger Self,
…Don’t make all those jokes about certain friends you encounter that do idiotic things, as having an extra chromosome…the irony is going to shock you.
Sincerely,
Older Self
Ok, I’m going to do something radical– well, not really. I just feel I’m not even under consideration and I’m not applying to the show after this season (unless they hunt me down and even then…). Sooooo, I’m going to post my video. It’s a little different than the one I sent to The Biggest Loser in that I took out some really personal stuff and replaced it with the ridiculous wig clip. Your critiques are welcomed.
Leave a message on Vimeo if you wanna see the other one for that other show (it has a bit of profanity, they wanted over-the-top) but, since I don’t really have grudge-issues that are within the last 10 years, I guess, they can’t fit me on that show either.
I don’t get the weight loss reality show casting stuff and I’ve even been in a scripted “reality” show (youtube south beach tow #2– cake lady, shocks me how many people who know me, including relatives, believe that I was 1) a cake baker 2) a person of that kind of behavior).
Video: http://vimeo.com/46762244 Password: QueenCannon
Is this the nail in the coffin? I suppose so.
@SQUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE THE BEGINNING… ROLLER SKATING..im smiling watching your video!!!!!!! hehe your desk part : D What do you teach!?
BFG – I am in the same boat as you! So don’t fret you are not the only one.
I could not pull it up on iPhone. Said something about embedded video and no permission and nowhere to stuck a password.
Ok, Anonymous, try again.
Awesome, glad you liked it. I teach high school Language Arts.
Thats awesome! (hehe) i would love to be in your class!!!!!!!!!!! : D
Maaaaybe. I can be a little strict and demanding. But I like to have fun at the same time.
I’m really interested in what they used to determine the “deserving” criteria.
I teach at an all-girl school, preaching to them that they can be whatever they want, whatever their hearts desire, and I stand before them, having twice failed to conquer this one huge thing in my life (the other is procrastination, hmmm). I’m aiming to become a motivational speaker and hold symposiums for young women but, again, I would feel like a hypocrite.
I want to leave teaching, it’s been my safe haven for 8 years. Teaching is to where quite a number of lost souls wander. I’ve found myself, now it’s time to go.
Ten ppl watched my video and only you commented, Awesome. So gold star to you! Yeah!
@SCQueen
Thanks for sharing! Loved it. You are beautiful!!
Thanks, Cheeks. I was just saying that myself. Lol! No, really.
I only had one season (#8) where the casting director wanted and fought for me. That was Tad Frank. He left/was replaced after that season.
For The Revolution, the casting directors fought for me, brought me all the way to LA, but either JD said no or the network did.
I had the CD for the other show wanting me, but my story isn’t current enough.
I got far with The Fat Walk and some other show whose name I don’t remember.
I give up trying to get help. And I’m just so tapped out spiritually– more than a little defeated over my recent loss and regain. I wanna love and be loved. But I live in one of the vainest cities in the US– Miami.
Positive note: down 12lbs this summer just from sitting on my bum. Hope it’s not muscle atrophy. Eek!