Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

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Judy5cents
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Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by Judy5cents »

This Monday I'm going to New York to audition for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and I'd welcome any advice, input, words of wisdom, etc. from those of you who've been in the hot seat. They don't show it here in Wilmington, so I get my practice using the Facebook version.

What are they looking for? How hard is the test? Any ideas as to what I should say if I win the million dollars?

Your help is, as always, much appreciated.
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by The_Raven »

First off, good luck!

The best way to put it is to be yourself, but be yourself on the happiest day of your life. Act like you already made the cut, upbeat, conversational, don't stop smiling. They want personalities, not contestants. Somewhere between J! and Let's Make A Deal... Give them a schtick of some sort, something unique about you that would interest the general public.

The test is a lot simpler than the J! audition test, I aced it in like 5 minutes. It's just an opportunity for them to see who has frontal lobe activity. Personality trumps smarts.

On the "what would you do" question, don't talk about travel, bills, no mundane stuff.

Anything you put down, do remember it, because they will review it with you if you get the call to appear.
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by MarkBarrett »

This post on the Millionaire Bored should be helpful: http://wwtbambored.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16470

Good luck.
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Post by CheeseSteak »

+1 to staying upbeat the whole time.

I chatted up all the other applicants around me and just never stopped smiling and joking around. Maybe I'm paranoid but I have this belief that any time you're in the presence of show staff you're being evaluated. So, look like the kind of person that other people want to be with and talk to. When I the PA asked me why I thought I'd make a good contestant I said, "Because I like money, trivia, and having fun. I heard that you have all three here!". I was in like Flynn.
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by hanzz »

+1 to all that's been said. I'd also add to not be afraid to steer the conversation in your favor. I think my opening went something like this.

AP: "Hey there!"
Me: "Hi, how are you?"
AP: "Good, yourself?"
Me: "Great, but super exhausted after that 40 hour drive I just took."
AP: "...you drove 40 hours?"
Me: "Yeah, it was crazy! I..."

Also, silence is a killer, if they ask about something on your application, say, "So you're a teacher?", respond with something that elaborates, not just yes. And watch out for when they are jotting something down, it can be tempting to stay quiet until they're done writing, but I offered up a few tidbits or quips to go with what we'd just talked about. And rapport is definitely essential to both the AP and video interview, so find that niche that works between you and the interviewer.

And have fun! Looks like these days Millionaire is on its last few gasps, but definitely go in like it's still the biggest quiz show on the planet!
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by Bamaman »

Judy5cents wrote:This Monday I'm going to New York to audition for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and I'd welcome any advice, input, words of wisdom, etc. from those of you who've been in the hot seat. They don't show it here in Wilmington, so I get my practice using the Facebook version.

What are they looking for? How hard is the test? Any ideas as to what I should say if I win the million dollars?

Your help is, as always, much appreciated.
I would try to find recent episodes on you tube to see how it is played if your local station doesn't carry it. We get it here, but I don't ever see it. The last time I watched I had no idea what they were doing. Like a broken legged horse, it needs to be put out of its misery. After you win the million, of course.
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by Golf »

Think we're talking about two separate things here. 1, how to approach the audition. Then 2, how to play the game. If you fail 1, you don't get a chance at 2. So for now, totally focus on 1 which is probably similar to the Jeopardy process.

I did Millionaire way before the audition process, so I've got nothing for you there. But if you get the call and want some game play advice, am pretty sure I can offer some tidbits.
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Post by tgs »

Okay, so some things I remember from the third time I tried out (third time was the charm):

My answers to the application questions were brief, vague and invited predictable follow-up questions. For example: in response to "what's something surprising about you," I said I'd mastered surfing in one day. I anticipated the follow-up, which was basically, "How'd you do that?" and told the story. Ditto for the money question - I said I'd use it to get on a first name basis with some referees. What did that mean? It meant I'd use the million to sit court side at NBA games and tell the refs when I disagreed.

I found a question for which I didn't have a good answer - I don't remember which one - crossed it off and wrote in a question to which I had a better answer.

When asked if I was a gambler, I didn't hesitate in noting that while a small win would be fun, I was there to win enough to change my life. (Ultimately, I did.)

Basically I was a bolder, friendlier, more outgoing version of myself. I didn't equivocate, and I embellished a little for the sake of telling more straitforward anecdotes.

Good luck!
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by billiej »

I can echo what everyone else has said - pretty much be you but bigger!! I auditioned several times, but the one that was successful I was terribly sleep deprived, making me totally punch drunk, leading to nonstop smile and chatter (YMMV). I don't think it matters so much what you say you'll do with the money, as long as it's not vague and boring. The more specific you can make your goal, I think the better. For example, mine was to travel to all 50 states (vs. just travel).

Oh, and the test? Pitifully easy. You might want to check out the WWTBAM Bored transcripts. The vast majority of the test questions seem to come from previous shows (usually the past season or so).
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Post by Jeff-thecdboy »

For the record, Meredith Vieira's version stopped airing in my area in 2009, and even Cedric's version didn't get picked up here either, so if Cedric's star power couldn't get the show to be picked up here, why should I have any hope whatsoever that Terry Crews' version will get a clearance here when it starts this fall (this is nothing against Crews himself)? Anyway, good luck to the OP in trying to get on the show.
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Post by cutlaaah »

Take up knitting now and you'll have something to do in their draconian green room.
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Post by tgs »

cutlaaah wrote:Take up knitting now and you'll have something to do in their draconian green room.
You mean aside from VHS tapes of old episodes and white board pictionary?

At least the sandwiches were good.
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Post by CheeseSteak »

cutlaaah wrote:Take up knitting now and you'll have something to do in their draconian green room.
I spent three days in that green room. My therapist says I'm doing much better...
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Post by billiej »

tgs wrote:
cutlaaah wrote:Take up knitting now and you'll have something to do in their draconian green room.
You mean aside from VHS tapes of old episodes and white board pictionary?

At least the sandwiches were good.
Pictionary????

Lucky! :lol:
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Re: Looking for advice from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Alums

Post by tgs »

There was only one small set of prompts, so it was super easy to guess the second day.
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Post by Judy5cents »

Thanks all. I'm pretty good at being me but bigger.

The questions on the application are a pain. "What made your journey to audition for Millionaire unique?" At this point I got nothing, besides "Greed and a burning desire to be on a game show again," and that's certainly not unique. Which is also my answer to "Why do you want to be on Millionaire?"

I had a lot of fun at the Jeopardy! audition. I figure Millionaire should be fun too.
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Post by tgs »

Judy5cents wrote:What made your journey to audition for Millionaire unique?"
I would just answer a slightly different question - I'd say something about how I always watch the show in the gym ("so it's weird not to be on a treadmill right now"), or how the first time I saw Millionaire I was pregnant, or how I always share my favorite questions from the show on Facebook to see how many of my friends know them, or whatever.
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Post by Judy5cents »

I had signed up for an audition last year, but I couldn't make it because that's when my mother died. (She was 88, so it's not like it was unexpected). I suppose I could say something about my mother being a big fan, although she actually liked "You Bet Your Life" and "What's My Line?" way more than she ever liked Millionaire.

On the other hand, how are they going to know?
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Post by tgs »

Judy5cents wrote:I had signed up for an audition last year, but I couldn't make it because that's when my mother died. (She was 88, so it's not like it was unexpected). I suppose I could say something about my mother being a big fan, although she actually liked "You Bet Your Life" and "What's My Line?" way more than she ever liked Millionaire.

On the other hand, how are they going to know?
Yeah, they'll like that, as long as it's not told in too maudlin a manner. "I was going to try out last year, but my mother passed away. But she loved the show and encouraged me to try out in the first place" sounds like the kind of story they really go for. If you're willing to embellish a story about your mother.
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Post by bpmod »

Judy5cents wrote:I had signed up for an audition last year, but I couldn't make it because that's when my mother died. (She was 88, so it's not like it was unexpected). I suppose I could say something about my mother being a big fan, although she actually liked "You Bet Your Life" and "What's My Line?" way more than she ever liked Millionaire.

On the other hand, how are they going to know?
They might lurk at jboard.tv

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