Do you hate it when you go to an audition and the casting person says, “Feel free to make it your own” … as if they hadn’t hired a completely competent writer to slave over every work in the script! It’s not as if you’re getting paid to rewrite their bloody copy, right?
WRONG!
As a host here’s what I say to the ole make-it-your-own comment, “Make it your own, people – whether they offer it up or not!”
Huh?
It all comes back to my very basic assumption on hosting: they’re hiring you, the creative, likeable, earnest, witty, snarky, trustworthy, affable, bright person to be the show’s host.
So, who are they hiring? You!
Who do they want to see? You!
So, give them more YOU — more sweetness, wit, sass or whatever it is that YOU bring to the table! How do you do that? By “making it your own” and, of course, by not sounding as if you’re reading it off of a cue card. Pretty simple, really.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, feel free to paraphrase a bit, to add your little “isms,” just as long as you don’t change the general content, too much. If, however, you’re auditioning to host an infomercial product, never ever so much as even think about changing anything about the product’s features and benefits or the “offer, “ as it’s called. Those sales points are written in stone and should not be tweaked… unless your first name is Suzanne and your last name is Sommers!
In the infamous words of my husband, Marty Metro, “Good luck and be yourself!”
Tracy Metro is a TV host who has worked for Fine Living, TLC, Discovery, Disney, Sony, Mark Burnett, et al hosting shows about cooking, DIY, shopping, eco-lifestyle, et al subjects. To learn more about her (because now you’re intrigued), go to www.tracymetro.com