Insider Guide.

Insider's Guide Entertainment

How to get on a top reality show

Spillman is the casting director for Survivor and works with Mark Burnett (executive producer of Survivor, The Apprentice, and The Restaurant). We're looking for driven, type-A individuals who can keep America's attention right up to the finale. Here's how to convince us you're one of them. * Apply yourself. Check application dates on the networks' websites often. There may not be a banner screaming "APPLY NOW," so look carefully. * Knock us out. Creativity counts, but that doesn't mean performing elaborate skits. Show us who you are. While physical stamina is important for Survivor, we don't just want to see you mountain biking -- tell us what makes you tick. I love it when applicants give us a slice of their lives. Elisabeth, the Survivor: Australia contestant who is now a cohost of The View, did an adorable tape of herself driving with a friend. At one point she went over a giant bump, and her reaction to the friend wasn't, "How did that look on camera?" but "Are you OK?" * Don't skimp on the written. I'm always surprised by how careless people can be with the written application. The most important thing is being consistent -- that what you write matches the way you come across on video. If you are presenting yourself as America's Sweetheart and write down that your favorite movies are Breakfast at Tiffany's and Grease, that will ring true. If you say you loved Blow, you will make us nervous. * Be honest. We get faked out all the time -- but not for long. Once we've narrowed down the pool from tens of thousands to 800 or so, we conduct in-depth interviews. There's no point pretending to be someone you're not. Those who make it into the final 50 go through ten days of ...