So, you're going to a final audition......

Wow, what a slew of new members lately. Might I ask how you new users found this site?


Congratulations! You should tell your friend about this site.


And let's not forget that dantastic312 patiently(?) waited fifteen months to tape (August 2012-January 2014). There's really no telling how long it can take. That's amazing that your friend got called so soon, Mellissa, but the fact that he was a teacher meant they had to have him for Teacher's Week, naturally. Very lucky timing for him. There have even been records of people being asked to tape next week at the audition.

I just found this site by googling. Trying to do research and wondering if others received a letter while I wait. I'm so glad I found this site.

Exact same story here! I'm willing to bet there are a lot of lurkers. I also mentioned this board to the row of people behind me during the grading of the tests, though I'm not sure if they made it over (hi if so, send me a message! )

^ Yes. Hope you get it, Dylan!

Thanks, Mario.

Just for kicks, here's my video. Critique away, please. Good bad or just plain ugly? I recorded it with my iPhone.

youtu.be/lL0h6rBGRXE

Thanks for the review! I had actually planned to go "over the top" and do some funny things, lots of editing, but then I said to heck with that. They want to see me and who I am, so here I am. This is plain 'ol me. I watched other auditon videos on YT, and that's how most of them were - plain and simple. The over the top ones actually didn't impress me much.

Welcome! We all wish you luck. Keep in mind as of the last couple pages, recent auditioners have been reporting that the process has altered slightly in that if they don't invite you to stay after the written test, it no longer means you're automatically out of the running. It now appears to indicate that they have seen enough of you to make a decision (good or bad). We have had a couple of reports from people saying they were not asked to stay after the written test, but received a letter in the mail two weeks later.

Woffan- Your video looks fine. Mine was as plain as vanilla (just me holding my iPhone) and look where it got me. They care more about you than how well you can edit a video.

I might as well add my two cents about going to a final audition.

On February 3, 2016, I had gotten an email that there was going to be an audition at the Double Tree Westside in Culver City on the 11th. I was so excited for it, I had sent my audition video in back in September and I didn't think I'd get picked; the nerves were there.

Before the date, we had to do a couple of things. We need to make sure that we reserved our spot for the audition and that we filled out the application for the staff to see. Did I mention that they were looking for College kids there (though not exclusively them). We had to include a recent photo of ourselves and if we didn't they were going to take one at the hotel anyway.

When that day had arrived, I was ready. I made sure to leave my house early (on a normal day it takes me about 2 and a 1/2 hours to get to Culver City) and that I was properly dressed, sufficiently studied, and ready for what was up ahead. While I got there earlier than I should have, most of the people started to arrive about 30 minutes before audition time. We chatted, some of them didn't know why they got picked and some had been waiting for a long time (3 years!), but all of us were ready. About ten minutes before 10, the crew had opened the doors and let us in to the ballroom. We turned in our email we had received and then we got seated based on the order we walked through that door (I'd say there was about 40 of us).

After we had gotten seated, we got a rundown of what was coming with the mock games and puzzle test. They had us call our favorite letter and they wanted us to be loud, louder than I was expecting. We also went over what they want us to use the Free Play for (Vowels!). Now it was time for the mock games. How they worked was Kyle, the tech guy, would load up the puzzle on the screen like it would look on the puzzleboard. The contestant coordinators would call out someone's name and they would start playing the game. One of the ladies would spin the wheel and the contestant would call a letter. This would continue until either the contestant picked a dud letter or a penalty wedge was spun. If it was getting towards the end of the puzzle and a new contestant had been called, the spin would "happen" to land on Top Dollar, probably to both show what can happen if you keep spinning and to see how we reacted to that.

I managed to get two shots at playing. The first time I got only two turns in and I called the only bad vowel in the puzzle (SPECTACULAR OCEAN FRONT PLAYGROUND). The second time I got lucky and was called towards the end of the puzzle. I was able to get a couple of letters before solving YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG DIVISION for a hat. Not everyone did as well. There was one person who ended up repeating a letter already called, a lady picking some odd consonants (including a K on Free Play which I like, but they probably didn't), and a guy who could not get TABLECLOTH & NAPKINS with most of the board revealed.

After playing 10 or so mock games, we got the puzzle test. As mentioned earlier, we had 5 minutes to fill out puzzles. Besides using the two colors to prevent cheating, the categories were different between the two as well. Both had Phrase and Proper Name while the Yellow test (mine) had Before & After and Thing while the Pink test had Same Name and Living Thing.

Throughout the day, they had played some videos. At the beginning and end of the audition, they played the 4000th show, an older clip show with some great moments. We also got to see something like a pitch tape for the show and an late 90s era video of Pat and Vanna saying hi and giving some tips (although some of them are a bit outdated).

After the tests were graded and the staff came back to the room, they started calling out some names of who they wanted to see a bit more of. I was not one of those people and was on my way to do other things. I thought I had done pretty well both on the mock games and the test (believe I went 13/16) and others seemed to have liked me as well. I know that not getting called isn't a bad thing necessarily. Unfortunately it has been 2 months and I haven't heard anything from them. Part of me wonders if I'll get something once the new season starts taping, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I really enjoyed doing this process though and I would gladly do it again. I do really love this show and it would be really great to be a contestant on the show.

I just hope someone else made it, I want others to be happy and it would be great to see people from this audition on the show.

^ It's actually a "sizzle reel". They update it every few years. When I auditioned in 2012, we were shown one that was obviously made for Season 25. My 2015 audition showed a new version made for Season 30 that features clips from Seasons 24-29 of excited contestants and memorable moments like the I'VE GOT A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS solve. It was set to the song "Firework". They also played it before each taping at the 2013 New York City remote, but now they play a full version of the Pat & Vanna reel set to "Still the One".