Well, apparently quite a few of you want to see me get eaten by a wild animal. I received the following e-mail this afternoon:

Hi Mark,
I've been getting quite a few emails from your supporters. If I haven't already sent this to you, please see below to be considered further:

In our host we are looking for a combination of expertise and personality. True knowledge and experience in the wild animal and outdoor fields as well as the charisma and communication skills to engage us.

To be considered further, please film yourself or have someone film you answering the following questions and send me the tape (VHS, DVD, or mini-DV formats only) by Friday, February 15, 2008. Materials will not be returned. 5-10 minutes max. Shoot outdoors if possible.

- Your name, where you live, your occupation
- Describe your expertise relating to wild animals and the outdoors.
- Describe your experience working with wild animals, specifically in the field
- If you're hiking a mountain and a lion approaches, explain what you should do. Further explain what to do if the lion attacks you.
- What is the most dangerous encounter or experience you've ever had (animal related or other)?
- This show will have you out in the wild, communicating to viewers what to do in the event of an encounter with a deadly animal. The experience will be authentic -- you really will be on location encountering wild animals. Are you willing to do that?
- If possible, show us you working with or encountering a wild animal.

Thank you,

Amy Rapp | Head of Development
NorthSouth Productions

Thank you all who wrote her on my behalf! Now I have two days to shoot/edit/burn a DVD screen test. Wish me luck!

-Blast

Do you have to work with kitties?

Sue

Good luck Blast!!! I was wondering what happened to this post. It seemed to get buried pretty quickly.

If anyone can do it buddy it's you. What does the Wifey think?

Best of luck,

Blitz

Go for it dude! Just remember to put kitty in the foreground and yourself way in the background so the kitty looks large and ferocious.

Best of luck Blast.

Blast's first assignment,




















Mark good luck with your screen test, just leave the wet kitty's out of the picture.

OMG!! Those are hysterical. Now I'm going to have trouble not bursting into laughter when I'm making the demo disc.

Thanks for everyone's support. I figure there's no chance in hell they'll actually pick me, but it's the shot of a lifetime.

I'm taking a vacation day this Wednesday to shoot/edit/mail off the video. I can't help but think they gave me the short deadline as a way of saying, "Thanks but no thanks". I know where a gator burrow is that was full of babies a few months ago. Maybe I can work them into the act...

-Blast

Very cool. Best of luck.

Good thinking to start small with gators, then working your way up to bathing the cat

Very cool man.

Sorry I didn't get a letter in for you- I've been tailbone over ears for most of a week.

Okay, here is the video I submitted for the host gig:
Blast's Video Demo

The glitch in the sound was were I removed my real name before putting it up on YouTube and I also have different title screens. Other than that it's what's sitting on the producer's desk right now.

-Blast

You have my vote!

BLAST,

Terrific video, I really enjoyed it.

Your casual, honest style and discussion of experiences that actually happened to you make you very credible, I think you would make a very good nature show host.

Where do I cast my vote?

Mike

+1 vote for blast.

Don't like the glasses though... You should have weared those metal goggles...

Blast-

Feedback:

Vocal modulation - Not bad for an American. We 'Staters tend to use volume modulation rather than pitch modulation (which is how most of the rest of the world talks) to show levels of interest. Professional speech training would help you, no doubt, but right now you do a decent (i.e. better than most untrained speakers) job of casually speaking to the person behind the lens.

Physical - Your torso is a little stiff, but the main problem is your hands. You saw at the air, Blast, like a man making kindling. :-] It happens. That little red light comes on and you think, "I can't just talk. I must do something with these things hanging in front of me." Relax. Meaning comes from your face, your mind and your spine, nothing else. This is a very common problem, and every tape submitted likely has it to some degree. Sticking your hands in your pockets is not an option, but remember that the seams of your jeans are your best friends. Thumbs on seams! At worst, only one hand gets to move at a time. Anything else is too distracting.

It's a solid tape. Good luck with your audition.

Jaywalke
J.Walke
Jim Walke, member of Actors' Equity Association, the professional stage actors' union

Great video, Blast! You came across as knowledgeable, enthusiatic, good humored, entertaining, and eager to go on an adventure! Good luck!

Jim,

Thank you for the feedback! I showed the tape to an professional actor I know and he called them "pizza hands", like I'm carrying pizzas through a crowd. I like the idea of keeping one thumb hooked in my pocket, that'll definately help control my signalling to aircraft.

I have never heard about pitch modulation but it sounds appropriate. I'll definately look more into that. Are there any particular vocal excersizes you do to to imporove pitch modulation? PM me if you have any tips.

Most of my public speaking is done to international groups of scientists in big lecture halls. Humor doesn't translate well so my scientist stage persona is very different from my normal personality. I tried to break out of lecture mode a lot but it was hard. Having only a day to prepare the video, everything was off the top of my head. With a bit of script-writing time and a some practice I hope it would have been better.

Now we wait.

-Blast

Great Job Blast, couldn't watch the whole thing being at work and all, (yeah sometimes they expect me to do something) , but what I saw was excellent. You got my vote.

Best of Luck!!

Blitz

Blast,

Great video. Nicely presented. I like your vocabulary. Your choice of words was wonderful. I believe you are past the "diamond in the rough" stage and need just a little polish and training. The lecture circuit no doubt helps with the overall speaking. You'll do fine.

I couldn't help but split my sides laughing when you are talking about defending against the mountain lion...

"Kitty...back off!!!"

That was hilarious!!! Especially coming from the world's foremost cat bather.

I am on your side brother....

Blast,

I love it at the end "Brahhhh I'm a lion!" Funny $#!^. stuff. You could be a twin of my older brother.

Blitz

So what is the latest? Blast, did you ever hear anything from them?

Hey Newguy, Yellowfin,

Let me be the first to welcome you to the ETS Forum, this is a fun place!

Mike

Welcome to the fire, Yellowfin! They received my demo DVD but I haven't heard anything since then. I sent them one e-mail last Friday asking what's up but got no response. I guess I'll still be stuck down here in Mundania with the rest of you.

-Blast

Yellowfin, Welcome to the looney (not the coin) bin. Great cast of characters here. Feel free to jump in with both feet. Just beware of Blast and his kitties.

I'm sorry I missed the video earlier.

That was a pretty good demo, Blast.