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Q & A with Robin Radin – What it’s like to be a Rockstar Entertainment Reporter

Where were you when Anna Nicole Smith died?

RR: I was writing the lead story for Entertainment Tonight when we got the news that she was being rushed to the hospital. Her surprising death became my story, and my editor and I went into "crash and burn" mode to get the piece done in time to make the show. I continued writing the lead story on Anna Nicole every day for more than 110 days following her death.

The most chaotic story you've covered?

RR: Paris Hilton being released from jail. What a crazy story that was! The only time I've ever witnessed a jail-release looking like a red carpet premiere. There were more cameras covering her jail release than any movie premiere I can remember. I had so much footage to go through, from so many different camera angles, it was insane.

Did you ever get to meet anyone you idolized? When and where?

RR: I interviewed Leonardo DiCaprio when he was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. I was never an idol-worshiper but as he approached me, shook my hand, and looked me straight in the eyes, I pretty much died. He was so charismatic, I forgot all my questions and stumbled to say anything besides "Hello."

Have there ever been any fun pranks that have gone on behind the scenes of any of your shows?

RR: When I was a young producer working in Cincinnati, one of my anchors who shall remain nameless, told me that he would never be one of those TV people who blindly read a teleprompter. So for one of our morning shows I wrote into the prompter, "I'm blank, thanks for joining us, I'm not wearing any pants." And he read exactly that. Live. On the air.

Working in Entertainment News have you ever heard a Hollywood Secret that KILLED you to keep to yourself?

RR: I have heard so many secrets working in Entertainment News that I sometimes felt like I was a fiction writer. As much as I would strive to be an honest reporter of the news, there are many things in Hollywood that are never reported. But I'm sure one day a long time from now, it will all come out.

Want to work with Robin Radin? Robin is now offering private coaching, Entertainment News reels, & will be teaching on-going classes! Call CMEG at 310.207.7333 to meet with Robin and kick off your Entertainment News career!

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HOSTING BLOG

Some Expert Advice.... :

5 Tips for a Great Elevator Pitch
By Fred Silverman

In today's business climate, getting people interested in what you do and who you are is essential. So, you must arm yourself with an elevator pitch that grabs attention and makes you stand out.

A good elevator pitch will peak curiosity and entice a potential employer to learn more about what you have to offer. In other words, it often changes the dynamic in the networking and selling process, so you can get in the door more quickly. A well-targeted pitch will position you as someone who can help fill a need and the relationship goes right into how you can make that prospective employer happy.

Improving your pitch is an indispensable exercise to ensure you have the right message. Here are 5 tips for a better elevator pitch:

1. Be yourself - your pitch should accurately describe who you are and what you offer. It must fit you. It must come from your heart. Otherwise, it won't be credible.

2. Be brief - everybody has a complicated job. But your elevator pitch is not the place to be complicated. Remember, you're trying to make an impression that will lead to a more substantive conversation where you can get into the intricacies of what you do. Break your job down to the essentials.

3. Be creative - your elevator pitch should not only peak curiosity it should be a little provocative. When you meet someone, you want to be remembered. Don't be afraid to think creatively. Do you think people want to meet "a transactional attorney" or someone who "closes deals?"

4. Be prepared - you must be able to adapt your elevator pitch for any situation. If you offer your pitch and the person doesn't appear interested, you must find another way of peaking their interest.

5. Be curious - It's about being a good interviewer and employing good listening skills. It's absolutely essential to know how to ask questions that may help you understand what their needs are and then learn to listen effectively. So, you'll be able to tell someone about what you have to offer in a way that will relate specifically to his or her business. It signals to that person that you heard what they were saying and could respond to it. Simple statements like, "Tell me about your business," can often be the most effective. You're trying to get the person with whom you're speaking to open up a bit about what they do.

Fred Silverman is a television producer who has pitched new programming ideas to television executives. He now is a marketing communications expert who helps companies and individuals hone their branding and messaging efforts.

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Marki Costello - New Years Resolutions:

Hey BecomeAHost members, it's that time of year again! It's basically the Olympics of Hosting.... you know what I'm talking about it's called AWARD SEASON.

This is a great time to create materials for your reel, to update your reel, and to always keep your materials fresh. This Friday is the Critics Choice Awards and Sunday is the Golden Globes. This is a great time to cover various events or create them on your own if you can't get credentials to actually cover the awards show; then create your destiny, go to award parties, go to pre- and post- shows, go to clothing stores, do a segment or stand up on what are the do's and don'ts to wear to awards show, interview a stylist and ask them what the trends we are going to see on the red carpet for the 2010 golden globes etc.

This is a great time for you to really make your dreams happen! If you follow these resolutions today you will be hosting your dream show tomorrow!

Your Host Resolutions

As a Host I resolve to do the following:

I will scour BECOMEAHOST.COM and other casting sites for Host opportunities every Morning

I Will update my BECOMEAHOST page at least once a week

I will work on submitting myself every morning for castings that fit my brand

I will network with anybody and everybody

I will make sure my materials are up to date and are truly Indicative of my brand

I WILL Keep up on the industry by reading everything I can find about it. I will search the Internet for industry trades and find at least five different shows that are being developed that represent my view point as a host and track down the info I need to submit myself

I will create and maintain a Professional Facebook page that will demonstrate my abilities, describe my work history and skills, recount professional highlights and describe what I am currently trying to achieve as a host

I will create a website that has my picture gallery, bio and reel and i will commit to writing a blog that reflects my brand and point of view of who i am once again as a host

I will spend time everyday on BECOMEAHOST, ACTORS ACCESS and any other sites that are dedicated to casting and my profession and SUBMIT MYSELF AT LEAST THREE TIMES A DAY

I will have "informational" cards created. The same size and look of a business card, but with my name, picture and all contact information including Facebook and BECOMEAHOST pages. I will hand out these cards to anyone who may help me get an interview or Audition

I will try to set up meetings with people in the industry and ask their advice about job seeking, the future of the industry and current trends.

I will add one segment to my Reel once a month to make sure always my materials are fresh as well as my blog

I will write a specific resume and cover letter for each job I apply for. I will send out at least three press kits a week to different buyers, agents and or managers to keep them updated with my most recent wins

I Will make sure I'm taking different classes to make sure that I'm always in shape FOR AUDITIONS

I will learn new skills relevant to the industry.

I will stay up to date with current events. This makes me a more interesting person, and therefore, one that people will be more willing to HIRE

What you put your focus on expands! Make your New Years resolutions for you and your career; if you follow these simple steps one hour every morning you will be hosting your own show with in this year anything worth anything in life takes hard work and perseverance SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO FOR IT!

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Katie Wagner - Host to Host Blog:

1) Name:

Katie, Kate, Katharine, but never Kathy.

2) Education:

High School, and the School of Life, Travel, Relationships, Motherhood, Work, the Entertainment Industry, etc.... I did take classes at UCLA in entertainment journalism, but truly my education stems from my life experiences.

3) How long have you been hosting?

20 years, give or take.

4) How did you get your start?

Well, I was just in the right place, at the right time.... There was a show called "Born Famous", and me and my father (Actor Robert Wagner, best known as "Number 2" in the Austin Powers Series) were being interviewed. At the time, I'd done a lot of different things in the industry, dabbling and trying to find my place; when the interviewer asked me what I wanted to do, I half-jokingly/half-seriously said "I wanna do what you do." Well, someone on set remembered my answer and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime....

It was a network special called M&W (a Don Mischer ABC Special). They asked me if I could get a few celebrities to interview on camera, so I interviewed Dan Aykroyd and his wife Donna Dixon.

So, to sum it all up, basically, having the desire, and a lot of luck and being at the right place at the right time is how I got my start.

In regards to getting my start ..... I know that the opportunities that I was given in the beginning is a little different from most peoples experiences when they start off in this industry. Because I grew up in Hollywood, and because my father had such an amazing reputation in this business because of his professionalism, I was given certain opportunities that are very hard/rare to come by. But, I also learned a lot from watching my father - I learned how to be professional from him, how to treat people with kindness and that once you get your foot in the door - that's one thing. It's entirely another thing to KEEP your foot in that door! Keeping your foot in the door, that's all you!

5) What keeps you motivated?

What keeps me motivated? The truth is, it's hard because currently I'm so focused on being a mother. But, nothing feels more right to me then when I'm hosting (which is about my relationship I have with the camera, the audience that I'm communicating to, and the people that I'm collaborating with); that's when I know I'm in the right place for me. So, that's what keeps me motivated.

6) One of your most defining moments as a host….

Well there's memorable and mortifying moments..... For instance Michelle Pfieffer was defining in a way that was a little bit mortifying! I was interviewing her for Batman and asked her something suggestive about the Cat Woman outfit she wore, and she made a comment about how actors get paid so much not for the acting, but for "dealing with people like you."

I don't think she meant it in a cruel or demeaning way, I think her point was simply to define that she was in it for the work of being an actor, and what became clear to me was that I was in it to help sell the product.

Um, there's been defining ones because they're just legendary people - like Robert Mitchum and Sydney Poitier, who were both so intimidating with their intensity; or Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who couldn't have been more different, shall we say, in their professionalism towards me...... Madonna remains one of my idols.

My jobs are like my great loves, they're intense relationships, so it's hard for me to talk about that "one defining moment" as they are all fantastic and wonderful and memorable in their own ways.

7) First word that pops into your head when I say Marki Costello...

There are two words: Fuck, and awesome, in no particular order. For instance, my guess is that she is an awesome fuck!

8) When you get an audition, what’s the first thing you do?

Read over the sides, think about what I'm going to wear. Not always in that order.

9) How do you prepare for an audition?

Sometimes you get a gut feeling about whether or not you're right or wrong for the project. So I usually prepare by just becoming extremely comfortable with the material and thinking about what the subject matter is, what the particular gig is, and it's hard to say- because these days it's hard to say what exactly you're walking into. So, that being the case, I just make sure I'm familiar with the copy if there is copy, and to think and know when and not to put your own words/voice into the project.
Each audition is a completely different experience, based upon what kind of show it is, so it's hard to say how to prepare...

10) So you’ve booked the show, how do you maintain your relationship with the casting director, producer, etc.

Personally, I maintain them by just doing a good job at the gig. that's the best way of maintaining the relationship. Good news travels almost as fast as bad news.

11) Any final parting words of advice to people starting out as hosts?

Ummmmmmmmm.....my father's advice which is always my advice is: "Don't forget to smile, it makes yer eyes dance!"

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Marki Costello - Blog to me about it....

I started in this business at the tender age of 13. Yes, that’s right, 13. I would go to the studio with my mom on the weekends - she was a contestant coordinator for Mark Goodsen Productions; they would tape "Card Sharks" on the weekends at CBS on Fairfax and I would go with her and hang out while she worked. I loved the studio, I loved production, I loved getting lost at the studio. After my internship at Mark Goodsen Productions (during my senior year of high school), I was totally hooked.

I finished school, my mother had passed away, and I was doing a summer job at Chuck Barris Productions. They had me working the extremely glamorous position of cue cards with my good friend Nikki Trebek (Alec’s daughter). While I was working at a taping of "The Newlywed Game" with Nikki, I would always be talking to the audience – basically, I sucked as a cue card person. But Chuck saw me talking to the audience one day and thought I would be great as a contestant briefer (A contestant briefer is someone who briefs the contestants before they go on stage.), the progression from contestant briefer to casting was a natural one. I managed to bop around many different productions companies and work freelance.

One day, I realized that there were no casting companies that cast both reality and scripted shows. Recognizing the need for such a company and the marketability, I decided to open my own casting company called Casting Entertainment Group. From there, I decided that in order for me to be a better casting person I needed to learn the actor's language, so I studied with Sandy (Sanford) Meisner on his island, and then with the Joanne Baron / DW Brown Studio’s two year program. What those classes taught me was that I could be a great teacher too. I saw things in people that they couldn't see in themselves and coupled that with developing my abilities to cut through to the essence of what was going on in the copy, I became a premiere coach in cold reading. During this time, I found myself coaching so many talented people, that I decided to open a management company where I could really dedicate and foster the careers of these talented people....now i guess the rest is history....I run a huge company that manages and guides some of the premiere host talent in the business, I own my own school and website dedicated to teaching people how to become hosts, and I still cast when I get the "itch." I guess you could say I eat sleep and drink this world. I think the best part of me and what I know is that I know it from every angle .......I’m truly an expert in the field of the crazy business we call show business

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Jason Kennedy Answers 10 Questions:

1) Name:
Jason Kennedy

2) Education:
Broadcast Journalism/Theater Major at the University of Miami

3) How long have you been hosting?
I’ve been an anchor with E! News since 2005 but I’ve really been doing this since I was 10

4) Why did you become a host?
After I took a tour of a local news station in Miami, I was hooked! I loved all aspects of the business and I went home and built a studio in my house.

5) How did you get your start?
I would chase news trucks around the city and do mock reports on whatever the news of the day was. It progressed and I was asked to host a local cable access show. I continued to work on shows throughout college and eventually here in Los Angeles.

6) One of your most defining moments as a host….
It’s a toss up between my appearance on Larry King Live and hosting a Primetime Network show on ABC. Even typing that is surreal

7) First word that pops into your head when I say Marki Costello:
Sugarrrrrrrrrrrrrr

8) How do you prepare for an audition?
I pray, I look over the copy and make it my own with some of my lil sayings, I also have to remind myself that it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get it!

9) So you’ve booked the show, how do you maintain your relationship with the casting director, producer, etc.
Be real with them, don’t be afraid to offer suggestions and constructive criticism. After you’ve developed a working relationship, buy them a fancy car or dinner will suffice.

10) Any final parting words of advice to people starting out as hosts?
Be Patient!! Don’t let the saying "keep updating your reel" become cliché, it’s really important and will get you work. I update my reel all the time.

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Todd Newton's Host-to-Host Blog:

When I was a boy growing up in Missouri, I always knew that I wanted to be on television but I never wanted to be an actor. I wanted to be Todd on TV...not someone else. At first, this seemed as crazy as wanting to be a football player but wanting to avoid the Super Bowl.

So I decided to get into radio. I could be me and it was also a great way to meet girls. Radio was very kind to me and eventually some of the local television stations started asking me to appear in PSA's and local commercials. Once I saw the lights, the cameras and felt the action I knew I had found my calling.
I realized early on that success on the tube was going to require three things:

1) Hard work and determination.

2) An abnormalability to absorb and learn from rejection, and

3) Stellar representation.

The first two you are born with. The third is a gift from God.

The entertainment industry is reserved for those of us who know in our hearts that we would fail miserably in a 9 to 5 environment. We seek thrills and take risks that others label foolish. We are the dreamers that live by ratings and second season pickups. While most people consider a year to consist of 365 days, ours is only 13 weeks...and we love it that way. This December will mark the twentieth anniversary of my first full time hosting gig. In that time I have traveled the world, met the most amazing people and had access to places and things that I never would have seen had I not had a camera crew in tow. It has been, is and will continue to be a fascinating journey...and I have done it all as me. I am a host.

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Tim Kessler's Do's And Don'ts of Finding An Agent

All things considered, the entertainment community is relatively small, and the hosting community even smaller. Within this charismatic community I have found as many opinions as I have people, and as you read on, what you will find here is my opinion. For the most part, my belief is based on research, careful thought, and years of professional experience. I will begin with helpful hints- the do’s and don’ts in finding an agent.

1. If possible, have someone refer you to an agent as opposed to a blind submission.
2. Make contact with the agent’s office prior to sending in your materials.
3. Send in your materials before asking for a meeting.
4. Only send materials you are proud of.
5. Customize your cover letter to the specific agency and agent.
6. Your cover letter should also include any common denominators in your work experiences and any referrals.
7. Demo tape is as important as a cover letter and headshot, so don’t forget to include one.
8. Bring an extra set of materials to the meeting.
9. Dress the way you feel most comfortable and in a way that is a reflection of your personality.
10. Be engaging and promote positive conversation.
11. Be socialable but ask questions pertinent to obtaining representation.
12. Have a list of items you want to convey and a list of thoughtful questions.
13. Establish a follow up conversation and be sure to adhere to it.

And when you get to that meeting -- remember to be on time and be prepared.

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Andrew Strauser's Word of Advice

WOW! Busy week! I'm casting a host, co-host, a judging panel, two competitive style teams and two makeover subjects...and that's just ONE show!!! On Saturday, I'm having a host casting session for a Food Network pilot. I'm working on a docu-soap trying to find a hot young group of girls, ah la "The hills"...AND just started host and judges casting for a new CBS summer series...<Deep breath>

The good news is I'm working with great people. The production companies and the networks on these projects really have been very professional and helpful. If you don't already know, sometimes that's rare for casting directors. We can get tortured! It's not easy doing what we do, as we're expected to find the perfect people at a moments notice. There is a lot of pressure. That's why I want every person who comes through the door to be great! I really am rooting for you.

With that said, I'll give you a word of advise. If you want to get on my good side, staple your headshot to your resume!!!!! Get a little stapler and millions of boxes of staples and leave it in your car because if I get one more headshot that's not stapled to the resume I'll SCREAM!! Seriously, it really is important. If you've ever seen the inside of a casting office, you'd know why. We gets zillions of headshot, resumes, reels and bios so if you don't have your stuff stapled it will be lost in two seconds. I've had people get callbacks, but because they didn't have their headshot stapled to their resume I couldn't find them and they lost out. I've done my work to get you in the door and put you on tape, often times edit you to make you look even more fantastic...so do your work and be prepared!!! Wow, can you tell that's a pet peeve of mine!?!

Okay, I'm out of time. Good luck!

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Annie Roberts Loves New Faces

I have been working for E! Entertainment and the Style network as Casting Director for the past 5 years. Recently E! Networks became Comcast Entertainment Group which services the cable networks: E!, Style, G4, E! International, The Vine @ E! Online, VS, Golf, Exercise TV, TV ONE and other channels. My job is different every day which is what I love about it. I love working with talent, auditioning and meeting new and interesting people. I recently wrapped casting a show we will be doing for E! with Katalyst Films (Punk'd). I'm constantly on the lookout for fresh faces: hosts, experts and reporters that bring vitality and passion to our networks.