The Grand Unified Top Gear Australia Audition Video Thread!

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By the way, GerFix, I like your reviews of our audition pieces on that Bimmer board of yours- very witty, very true.
 
But wait ... there's still more! Nice mashup of Top Gear and Jackass. The shortest Top Gear Australia Audition video posted to YouTube thus far (1:15). Worth a look.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACEcYydUcCw[/YOUTUBE]
 
I noticed those copyright signaways too, and the fact that they wanted to know if we'd used any third party copyright material (music or footage) in our pieces. This led me to think they're reserving the right to use some of our clips in the show.

I'm guessing if there is enough quality to go around - and with the rumoured 18,000 or so entries received, there would HAVE to be - it might be possible that SBS could do a whole TGA Special showing the best bits of the TGA Auditions.

By the way, GerFix, I like your reviews of our audition pieces on that Bimmer board of yours- very witty, very true.

GerFix can get away with it as he doesn't have a vested interest in the outcome (that I know of). It wouldn't look too good if actual auditioners took to some of these entries with a blow torch now, would it? ;) That said, all the comments have been pretty fair.
 
This guy would be a great asset to the advertising industry. Nice production values.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5B7wXAhH6A[/YOUTUBE]
 
This guy has a spooky resemblance to Tiff Needell from some angles. This could augur well for him. Smooth delivery, with nice production values. Could probably produce an entire car program by himself. Definitely watch this one.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qDuM3lz-Oc[/YOUTUBE]
 
This guy has a spooky resemblance to Tiff Needell from some angles. This could augur well for him. Smooth delivery, with nice production values. Could probably produce an entire car program by himself. Definitely watch this one.

Very good indeed. Doesn't sound very 'ocker' which I think will be a great help.
 
Tone, I can assure you that I am not auditioning, although I wish I had :(. Just didn't have the time.

As a Top Gear fan for many years (I first saw Clarkson on his Motorworld program in 1994), I reserve the right to critique auditions consistent with my perception of the show's appeal (or, at least those elements that appeal to me :p).

Australian television has a history of promoting talentless fluff over substance. I really hope Aussie Top Gear is different. There isn't a comedian, comedy actor, racing driver, or motoring journalist in this country (that I can think of) who encompasses the required formula. It is for this reason, that I truly hope they choose a bunch of enthusiastic, original and quirky unknowns. People with a clean public slate and no reputation to protect.

I'll stop soon, but at this point I would like to say to all those who have put their auditions up for public scrutiny, hoorah! Even if you don't make the cut, know that you have not only entertained me (and many others), but you have also reassured (in this world of strangers) that there are kindred spirits amongst the faceless masses.

The best of luck to you all .... except Holden Ute man <_<.... your slick production looks more like a Tampex commercial than Top Gear :?

:mrgreen:
 
It says on the SBS front page,
"The search for Australia's Top Gear hosts is over."

I guess they mean applications have closed...
 
It says on the SBS front page,
"The search for Australia's Top Gear hosts is over."

I guess they mean applications have closed...

Looking at the site, they now have a competition to suggest a stunt or challenge you would like to see on the show. The prize is a drive with "The Stig" ..... doesn't say whether it would be THE Stig or who (sorry ... what)ever they choose as Aussie Stig.

Speaking of Stigs, there was a driver in last years WPS 12 hour race at Bathurst whose name was Stig (see car 72):
http://www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au/results_2007.asp?navstr=24,50&Pagecat=50
 
This thread seems to have gone very quiet in the last day or so. What's up? Are you all sitting by the phone, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the call?

Just to stir things up, this is my dream team (from the auditions I have seen):

Michael Teychenne - his video is a cack and I like his comic timing (the Leyland P76 moment is perfect)

videowilliams - he is very relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera and he touched on some very pertinent issues related to motoring in this country. Also, he looks more my vintage, and I think that would balance MT's youth well

Ben Zachariah - he has a white beemer! As with the other 2 he looked relaxed on camera and was very watchable.

I like these choices because they are obviously Australian but not ocker (sp?). The difficulty is knowing whether these personalities would work well together, but I think these 3 could work. If MT has a problem with spectacles, maybe videowilliams could wear some as well? Three presenters, 12 eyes. :blink:

Near misses:
Scott and his helicopter (I liked his commentary through the town and he looked the part in the in-car shots)
Tone76 (yes ... but you will have to do something with those hands)
Tim4TopGear (he was very good, and I love old Alfas)
Patrick Fagan (the guy with the Espirit. He looked like he had a real sense of fun to him)

Flame away :wicked:
 
Just to stir things up, this is my dream team (from the auditions I have seen):

Michael Teychenne - his video is a cack and I like his comic timing (the Leyland P76 moment is perfect)

videowilliams - he is very relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera and he touched on some very pertinent issues related to motoring in this country. Also, he looks more my vintage, and I think that would balance MT's youth well

I concur with 2 of your 3 top picks. Definitely Michael (hell funny) and videowilliams (wise old soul). Dunno about Ben Z ... he doesn't seem as warm and likeable as the other two. I think you're biased because of his choice of hardware. ;) I'd substitute Ben for Scott - not just because Scott is reading this thread, but Scott has broadcast experience (radio, IIRC) and it shows.

As for your runners up, fair call. I'd probably add Ben P, Stephen Gale (the Tiff Needell lookalike) and that other WRX bloke from Queensland to that list. Of course, what we're all forgetting is there could be three absolutely stellar talents that decided not to post their work onto YouTube for public scrutiny, lest we all die from overexposure to mass qualities of awesomeness. ;)

So ... how do I rate my chances? Without wanting to sound like fig jam, if my presentation skills were as sharp as my writing, I'd feel a lot more confident about getting a call. Still, it's a good incentive for me to continue to produce videos for online consumption - as the only way I'd get more confident is to spend more time in front of a camera, and this whole adventure has already produced a shitload of fun anecdotes to share at the pub ...
 
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Hi Tone,

Yeah, number 3 was the most difficult, and you may be right about Scott .. not because he may read this, but because he does appear more likeable and down-to-earth on his vid. It is a difficult choice, because you have to pick people who you think would work well together as a unit.

If they do get the 10,000 applicants (that has been mentioned), I hope they do have a segment showing the best of the unsuccessfuls. Given that there are only about 30-40 on YouTube, and given the quality of many of them, the editors/producers should have many hours of excellent entertainment available to them.
 
Old Age and Treachery Will Overcome Youth and Skill

Old Age and Treachery Will Overcome Youth and Skill

This thread seems to have gone very quiet in the last day or so. What's up? Are you all sitting by the phone, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the call?

Well, you just had to talk about us, dude! Thanks for the recommendation. Not sure how fond I am of being seen as the old man of this group ("more my vintage", "wise old soul", and from another board, "Dug's old man here") but then again, for once this may be an Australian TV show where youth and hipness ain't everything. As opposed to the usual vapid fluff of a typical- ahem- Tampax commercial. (Having worked in television, I agree it's mostly like that.)

I really must watch Michael Teychenne's piece, and all the pieces you've mentioned. Damn my speed-restricted internet connection! While we're at it, damn all nanny state speed restrictions!
 
Hi all,

I am not convinced that they are looking for 3 presenters from the submissions. I have a sneaky suspicion that they'll take 1, and take the others from media and racing. It seems like a safer bet to me, but I'm happy/hoping to be wrong.

Anyway - they key thing here is that we've all had a crack at it, and the efforts have at least made other people laugh (with us or at us), or at least given them something to discuss.

My take - I have buckley's chance of making it, as I re-read the criteria and massively missed the mark. They didn't want any of us to make a TG segment! I just hope that helicopters and lambos are enough to make them laugh. I really do appreciate the comments from the FG people too.

I have been thinking about this for a week or so now, and think that I'll continue to make some vids (including a remixed/longer version of my submission - I have loads more stuff to edit in). There's a chance to get some exposure via a video podcast (or web show), which may lead to bigger and better in the future.

Dare I say it - TGA might be completely rubbish, which is still going to leave us with a gap in the local market. If some of us keep up the efforts, surely one of us may have a chance in the future! Anyone want to get involved?

Edit: With 18000 estimated entries, I figure it's going to take a long time to screen them all:
18000 x 10 mins = 3000 hours of viewing
With an 8 hour working day, for one person, that's 375 days!
Perhaps a team of 5 people? That's still 75 working days.
75 working days is 105 elapsed days.
105 elapsed days from the closing date of 1st of February is 17th May!
And there's public holidays too!
 
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Edit: With 18000 estimated entries, I figure it's going to take a long time to screen them all:
18000 x 10 mins = 3000 hours of viewing

Thought about this too, no way they would watch the entirety of each. Most on Youtube that I have watched I skip through just to see what happens, you can get an idea of the person without listening to every "witty" bit of script. Perhaps when they get a short list they would watch the entire thing.

My audition I did with a friend, we took the video resume approach, trying to cover off all the points. We did integrate some different segments, but a lot of it is just sitting there and talking.
 
You know, I'm thinking 18,000 must be a massive overestimate of the number of entries TGA has received. I'd have thought it would be closer to a thousand.

Last year I went in for a similar type of TV casting cattle call: a Steven Spielberg-produced filmmaking reality show called "On The Lot". (If you're an insomniac with cable you might have caught it.) It required only that you add a one minute intro to the front of any film you'd ever made, and send it in. It was massively promoted, US-based, a worldwide search, and received 12,000 entries in the end.

Whereas TGA is Australia-based, a local search, and needed entrants to produce a ten minute audition, as well as filling out a 3-page story-of-your-life application form. Which surely meant a lot less entries rather than more.

I think our odds may really be shorter than 1,000 to 1.

If that's any comfort...
 
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