The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Matt Ottinger on May 23, 2012, 01:07:37 PM

Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Matt Ottinger on May 23, 2012, 01:07:37 PM
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/tlg/3032538656.html

The ad is pretty straightforward and vaguely encouraging, as they evoke the memory of Dick Clark and say they're looking for "contestants who know how to play the game".
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Matt Miller on May 23, 2012, 02:20:51 PM
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/tlg/3032538656.html

The ad is pretty straightforward and vaguely encouraging, as they evoke the memory of Dick Clark and say they're looking for "contestants who know how to play the game".
Is this for another pilot or did it finally get picked up?
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Jay Temple on May 23, 2012, 04:22:39 PM
Matt O: You picked up on exactly the same phrase I did. It sets it apart from various other recent shows, where ability to play the game takes a back seat to photogen... uh ... -icity?
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Matt Ottinger on May 23, 2012, 05:23:03 PM
The judges will accept 'photogenicity'.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: tvwxman on May 23, 2012, 10:40:23 PM
The judges will accept 'photogenicity'.
Ding! yep.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Otm Shank on May 24, 2012, 12:48:08 AM
Is this for another pilot or did it finally get picked up?
Pilot.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: mmb5 on May 24, 2012, 08:38:58 AM
Is this for another pilot or did it finally get picked up?
Pilot.
(citation needed).  Just asking because I don't want to expend a whole bunch of energy and money to try out for a pilot.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: DoorNumberFour on May 24, 2012, 09:00:37 AM
Is this for another pilot or did it finally get picked up?
Pilot.
(citation needed).  Just asking because I don't want to expend a whole bunch of energy and money to try out for a pilot.

http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/gsns-pyramid-revival-now-casting/

"The pilot will tape on June 11th and, if successful, the remaining 39 episodes begin taping July 24th."
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: mmb5 on May 24, 2012, 10:16:27 AM
http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/gsns-pyramid-revival-now-casting/

"The pilot will tape on June 11th and, if successful, the remaining 39 episodes begin taping July 24th."
Thank you.  Energy will have to be expended.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Jimmy Owen on May 24, 2012, 11:33:39 AM
A friend of mine who makes his living as an audience member in Cali says Andy Richter will host.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Jay Temple on May 24, 2012, 11:50:42 AM
A friend of mine who makes his living as an audience member in Cali says Andy Richter will host.
I'm not being snarky here, because there's not much about show biz economics that would surprise me. Is that hyperbole, or does he actually make a living at it?
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: BillCullen1 on May 24, 2012, 12:15:38 PM
Hey, if they can give away $100K on Engvall Lingo, they might do it on the new Pyramid as well. As for the host, I personally don't have a problem with Andy Richter. That might be why they're doing it in L.A., since that's where Conan tapes.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Matt Ottinger on May 24, 2012, 12:19:46 PM
I'm not being snarky here, because there's not much about show biz economics that would surprise me. Is that hyperbole, or does he actually make a living at it?
Probably not much of a living.  While paid audiences are becoming more and more common, they can't possibly be paid much more than minimum wage.  Sitting in air-conditioned comfort and clapping when Randy West tells you to clap is probably easier work than the fast-food drive-through, but not much more lucrative.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Jimmy Owen on May 24, 2012, 12:33:31 PM
I'm not being snarky here, because there's not much about show biz economics that would surprise me. Is that hyperbole, or does he actually make a living at it?
Probably not much of a living.  While paid audiences are becoming more and more common, they can't possibly be paid much more than minimum wage.  Sitting in air-conditioned comfort and clapping when Randy West tells you to clap is probably easier work than the fast-food drive-through, but not much more lucrative.
He's trying to break into acting but does paid audience work until that opportunity arises.  It's usually an 8 hour day when he does it.  He does a fair number of the court shows and Byron Allen productions as well to get by.  By no means has he reached his career goals, it's a supplement.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Brig Bother on May 24, 2012, 01:02:15 PM
I'm not being snarky here, because there's not much about show biz economics that would surprise me. Is that hyperbole, or does he actually make a living at it?
Probably not much of a living.  While paid audiences are becoming more and more common, they can't possibly be paid much more than minimum wage.  Sitting in air-conditioned comfort and clapping when Randy West tells you to clap is probably easier work than the fast-food drive-through, but not much more lucrative.

It's interesting, I've been to loads of game show recordings (in the UK) and they're very rarely much fun for the audience. It's a much more difficult job than you might think - seats are usually uncomfortable with not as much leg room as you'd like, the stop start nature of a lot of shows means a lot of boring downtime, the production team don't tend to like people going for toilet breaks despite a 3-5 hour (plus!) session... I've often felt that the better the audience is treated, the more confident the producers are in their show. I've been to shows where 90% of the audience at the start have gone by the end.

In some European countries such as Germany, you actually have to pay for tickets.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Matt Ottinger on May 24, 2012, 01:26:33 PM
It's a much more difficult job than you might think - seats are usually uncomfortable with not as much leg room as you'd like, the stop start nature of a lot of shows means a lot of boring downtime, the production team don't tend to like people going for toilet breaks despite a 3-5 hour (plus!) session...
I'm sure there are downsides, as there would be with any job, but in the category of things-one-is-paid-to-do, I have a hard time going along with the idea that this sort of work is "much more difficult" than I think it is.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Brig Bother on May 24, 2012, 03:15:57 PM
It's a much more difficult job than you might think - seats are usually uncomfortable with not as much leg room as you'd like, the stop start nature of a lot of shows means a lot of boring downtime, the production team don't tend to like people going for toilet breaks despite a 3-5 hour (plus!) session...
I'm sure there are downsides, as there would be with any job, but in the category of things-one-is-paid-to-do, I have a hard time going along with the idea that this sort of work is "much more difficult" than I think it is.

Long term? I'd take burger flipping. Doing nothing is *hard*.
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: vtown7 on May 24, 2012, 09:45:35 PM
In some European countries such as Germany, you actually have to pay for tickets.

Yes, this is true, I paid around 25 Euros for my ticket to Wer Wird Millionar in Germany.  Worth it though!

(Not that I minded; the very polite audience staff allowed me to jump a two year waiting list as I was "from out of the area").

Ryan :)
Title: Pyramid is Casting
Post by: Otm Shank on May 25, 2012, 12:46:56 PM
He's trying to break into acting but does paid audience work until that opportunity arises. ... By no means has he reached his career goals, it's a supplement.
Everything in business is about networking. By showing up to multiple productions, he's visible to some production people. By coming back and sitting through long taping sessions, he is showing his reliability. While he's likely visible only to the low-level production types, people move up the ladder or jump to different ladders. Can't hurt.

Frankly, it's no different than being an extra on a movie or television set. No one answers "what do you do?" with "I'm a professional extra." It's just another way for L.A.'s large pool of waiter-actors to avoid having to take the midnight train to Georgia (or the midnight plane to Houston, as I learned watching $25,000 Pyramid).