Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Prepare

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BigDaddyJ
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by BigDaddyJ »

Randy and Stephanie, thanks for the webinar! That was a lot of great information!

I heard you afterwards mentioning that you weren't sure whether you had a complete list of attendees. I was listening in through Skype, so I'm not sure if I showed up on the list or not, but I was listening!

I really appreciate you taking the time to do this!
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Dr. J
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Dr. J »

Thanks for letting us know; the software we were looking at showed 3 callers, and we were pretty sure there were supposed to be more, so I'm glad folks heard it even if we weren't aware of you :)

Feel free to contact Randy or me if you have any questions, or ask right here in this thread!
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by RandyG »

BigDaddyJ wrote:Randy and Stephanie, thanks for the webinar! That was a lot of great information!

I heard you afterwards mentioning that you weren't sure whether you had a complete list of attendees. I was listening in through Skype, so I'm not sure if I showed up on the list or not, but I was listening!

I really appreciate you taking the time to do this!
You are so welcome BD! Thank you for sharing in on our FUN session.

It wasn't a Skype thing. I just realized that I ended the event and the recording, but didn't put listeners on hold, so everything we said afterwards went out to the world.... well, a little part of the world. At least we didn't insult our audience into a live mike. So many things to keep track of in running one of these things. At least I managed to get the slides and recording going..... and the replay looks good, so I'm more than satisfied, especially since this is the first time I've tried to do one of these things.

Thanks again. :D
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by RandyG »

Dr. J wrote:
econgator wrote:Well done and thanks to you and Stephanie!


(speaking of which, one more thing to remember to do at an audition - -THANK THEM. It sure can't hurt. :) )
OF COURSE!! How rude of me to forget :) Thank YOU for listening and reminding me of this!
Ditto! Thanks, C.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by RandyG »

Replay is available at the same link that was sent to you when you registered. If you haven't yet, you can register at any time to get the replay link.
http://jeopardyaudition.com

We didn't have time to get to the questions that were posted during the webinar, but I'll address them here later tonight..... I need a little breather now. Actually, I need a big breather now.

Thanks again to all who participated! 'Twas a blast for both Stephanie and myself!
Last edited by RandyG on Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Woof »

Thanks to both of you, Randy and Dr. J., for putting on this webinar. I can't say that I learned a whole lot that I didn't already know about the process, but it did give me a few ideas for upping my game for the next time I audition (how's that for positive thinking?) And Dr. J: the lack of differences between your on-air and normal personae was quite evident to anyone listening to the webinar. You sounded like you were having almost as much fun as you did when you were on Jeopardy.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Dr. J »

Woof wrote:Thanks to both of you, Randy and Dr. J., for putting on this webinar. I can't say that I learned a whole lot that I didn't already know about the process, but it did give me a few ideas for upping my game for the next time I audition (how's that for positive thinking?) And Dr. J: the lack of differences between your on-air and normal personae was quite evident to anyone listening to the webinar. You sounded like you were having almost as much fun as you did when you were on Jeopardy.
Thanks, Woof. If you can't have fun doing *whatever,* you're not doing it right. (I don't always feel that way whilst grading papers, but then I remember that I can mock the bad ones with my friends.)

Keep thinking positively -- I hope you get the chance to give 'em your best :)
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by dhkendall »

I mentioned this afterwards in an email to Randy and Stephanie, but I realized afterwards that this is probably good advice (imho) to those that want to get on, so I'm sharing it here.

As a member of Toastmasters for 23 years now, I can't say enough about how this organization can help you if you aren't the type to be "camera ready" and need a little more confidence in your public speaking skills and yourself. (I know I wouldn't even be considering going on J! if it wasn't for Toastmasters). You can see if there's a club near you at toastmasters.org and check them out. (The members magazine I receive every month has profiled a couple of former contestants that are also Toastmasters, so that in itself is testament.)

Thanks again for putting that on guys, I hope it stays up for a while, as new visitors to the site would find all that useful. (I know something like what was in the webinar was the exact reason I came looking for this site (well, its predecessor, the Sony board) 5 years ago.)
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by goongas »

Thank you for the seminar. As a veteran tryout participant, the only thing that I don't think was stressed enough is that you have to follow their instructions. They want you to buzz in a certain way, they want you to keep the game moving, they want you to speak up.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Dr. J »

goongas wrote:Thank you for the seminar. As a veteran tryout participant, the only thing that I don't think was stressed enough is that you have to follow their instructions. They want you to buzz in a certain way, they want you to keep the game moving, they want you to speak up.
That's a very good point. Do what they tell you, and speaking loudly and clearly is something Maggie hammers over and over. It's their show; they know what contestants need to do on the show to be successful, so follow their instructions! Thanks for adding this.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by hbomb1947 »

Thank you to both Randy and Stephanie for an entertaining, helpful, and inspirational presentation. I very much appreciate the time that both of you put into this and your willingness to give back to the community in this manner. And I definitely feel more confident now about my ability to prepare effectively for, and perform well at, my next audition.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by dhkendall »

hbomb1947 wrote:Thank you to both Randy and Stephanie for an entertaining, helpful, and inspirational presentation. I very much appreciate the time that both of you put into this and your willingness to give back to the community in this manner. And I definitely feel more confident now about my ability to prepare effectively for, and perform well at, my next audition.
I know you will hbomb! I got the clear indication that TPTB is looking for "interesting people" and you're one of the most "interesting people" I know ...
"Jeopardy! is two parts luck and one part luck" - Me

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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by BobF »

So, get this, you guys just get through your intros, and my wife comes down to me and says "We have to go pick up [our friend] at the hospital."

My thought: "Damn what crappy timing."

But in a way, it's kind of karma. An hour earlier, on my facebook page, I posted this tongue-in-cheek status.

Why the heck would anybody ever pierce their nose? I am now watching the daughter of a friend who is in the emergency room because her nose piercing became infected. I would hope anybody who is considering a nose piercing will remember this and realize that any time you pierce your nose, it has a fairly decent chance of inconveniencing ME!!!

Although I did add a parenthetical just kidding and I hope our friend is okay. And in truth, her daughter is a wonderful kid who plays well with my son.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Skipper643 »

I caught the end of it in real time and am now viewing what I missed. Thank you so much!

(auditioning 5/31)


--Skip
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by hbomb1947 »

dhkendall wrote:
hbomb1947 wrote:Thank you to both Randy and Stephanie for an entertaining, helpful, and inspirational presentation. I very much appreciate the time that both of you put into this and your willingness to give back to the community in this manner. And I definitely feel more confident now about my ability to prepare effectively for, and perform well at, my next audition.
I know you will hbomb! I got the clear indication that TPTB is looking for "interesting people" and you're one of the most "interesting people" I know ...
Aw, you're making me blush. I think you are a pretty interesting individual yourself, DHK. But anyway, one of the takeaways for me from the webinar was that even if I have that quality you are ascribing to me, it's not enough to have it in the abstract; I need to package it in a way that shows TPTB that I'm a good fit for their product. That, presumably, is something that I wasn't able to sufficiently achieve during my 5 previous auditions.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by RandyG »

The following questions and comments were submitted during the live webinar, but we didn't have time to address them, so I'll give them a go now:

Chuck C - Melbourne, FL
Not a question, but a comment: I'm one of those people who speed through/ignore the interview section. However, once you know you'll have an audition, start watching them, as the stories might remind you of something that happened to you.

Sure, good idea.


James - Providence, RI
Maggie et al. ignored my five anecdotes completely and asked general questions about my interests. Is that a bad sign?


Not necessarily a bad sign. If you were able to steer the conversation in a way that brought out the personal qualities that you wanted to bring out, then that wouldn't be lost on Maggie et al. Keeping your composure and a cheery, positive and confident attitude, despite the unexpected curveball would minimize potentially "bad signals."


David - Winnipeg
Are the "interesting stories" that you are to provide something that you fill out at the audition itself, or do they send you the sheet for "interesting stories" (and the rest of the legalese) weeks before you leave for the audition?

You'll probably have the forms at least 2-3 weeks prior to the audition. The way it worked for me 6 years ago, and I have no reason to believe it's changed, is that you'll receive two emails prior to the audition. The first congratulates you on being selected for an audition at a given location and date, and asks you to confirm back within 2 business days. You'll then get a follow-up email with detailed instructions, including the famous "information sheet", all of which you'll bring to the audition. It isn't really 10 pages at this point (as Stephanie suggested) and there's very little legalese. The forms required before getting on the show are the voluminous legalesified ones.


Mark - Lafayette, IN
What sort of personal stories would seem to find the most favor with the CCs? I have a big collection of stories, some humorous, some self-deprecating. Should I avoid ones involving exotic locations or activities or others that make me seem elite or privileged?

Exotic locations or activities should work well. Humorous and/or self-deprecating.... absolutely. Don't fear at all embarrassing situations. The directions specifically point you towards relating them. Stories that make you seem elite or privileged.... I might want to stay away from those, but it really depends on the what. I think something that Stephanie said during the webinar is a good guide: you don't want to come across as entitled, particularly feeling that way about making it on the show.

You're asked for 5 stories, but there's nothing that says you can't add another 1 or 2. (The forms before appearing on the show ask you to elaborate much farther about who you are, including more stories.) I think I've mentioned this before on the Sony board, that on my audition form I attached a cartoon that I had drawn -- well, sorta had drawn -- hoping that that little extra item would get noticed in a positive way, and it was. I wasn't feeling all that confident in my 5 stories, so I decided to add a twist. But you certainly don't want to get carried away.... you started by saying that you have a big collection of stories. I would say pick a sampling of different kinds of stories, but all entertaining in a Jeopardy! kind of way. If there's one, maybe two on there that resonate with the CCs, and which you're prepared to follow-up on, then you're in good shape.


Mark - Culver City, CA
Hi, Stephanie! I have already had an audition and will be in the contestant pool for the next 12 months. Anything that I should be doing now to be ready when/if the call comes?

That's a subject for a whole 'nother webinar, which Steph and I are thinking of doing btw, and a whole series of new threads on the board. For now, I would suggest you search for existing threads here on the subject... there are plenty of them. To be brief: knowledge study, wagering, timing, practicing with the show, develop a strategy for how you'll proceed in various game situations, for starters. It's great that you're ready to start preparing before the call even comes. Being an L.A. local, you should be aware that you might get a call on very short notice to fill a spot as an alternate or a guaranteed contestant.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Dr. J »

RE: stories -- the contestant coordinators are a fun bunch, and appreciate a funny story. At my audition I heard a lot of pretty bland stuff about how folks met their spouses, traveled to a different country, etc. My stories mostly focused on either embarrassing things that happened to me (I fell into the orchestra pit during show rehearsal through a hole in the floor! -- That one never made the show) or things that allowed me to talk about being a performer. I wanted them to know that I was comfortable on a stage, funny, and capable of laughing at myself. Like Alex, they ask you questions that require you to do the conversational heavy lifting, and if this doesn't come naturally to you, you should practice with someone interviewing you. Maggie started mine off with, "so you had a talent show at your wedding? Tell me about it." She does a lot of that: "Tell me about this kayaking incident," and you have to start really talking. The forms you get in advance of the audition are filled with prompting questions designed to get you thinking about life experiences that may be worth sharing. But ask other people, too, if you don't have any stories at the ready.

RE: THE WAIT -- there's lots of stuff you can do, like watching the show, playing along, quizzing yourself, etc. The problem with that is it can be very stressful to be in that mode without knowing when/if you're going to actually be on the show. If you do get the call, it's likely that you're ready to go and don't need a ton of that prep. And once you get the call, you'll have at least 6 weeks to prep before your tape date. So feel free to prepare, but I would temper that with breaks, especially if you're susceptible to stress-induced illness, as I am (when migraines show up, things are bad!). Maybe set up a routine where certain days or weeks are dedicated to study or buzzing, but you get others off. I was lucky enough audition and call during the summer when school was out, but most of us have other responsibilities that still exist while we're waiting for the call. Try to maintain a balance as best you can.

Good luck!
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Stanislaus Jacob »

Thank you for having done this.
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Dr. J »

You're welcome! And for heaven's sake, if you want to escape the wrath of the Wager Vikings on the board, get yourself over to The Final Wager and practice your wagering strategy!!!
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Re: Free Webinar on Thursday 5/29: The Jeopardy! Audition Process and How To Pre

Post by Bamaman »

I finally got around to listening to the replay. While there really wasn't any new information for me, it was fun hearing your voices as normal people and not just on TV.

The bit about "no new information" wasn't a criticism, just that most of what you said has been said on here from the many people who have tried out and been on the show. But I understand that I wasn't necessarily your target audience and I hope a lot of people learned something.

I liked it when Dr. J mentioned her first interview piece. I couldn't remember what it was, so I looked it up in the game thread and got a chuckle recalling her adventures at the laundry mat.

I hope you do a sequel where you can talk about how to play the game itself and various strategies.

Thanks again for putting it on, great job by both of you!!!!!!
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