Need Ideas: Ken Wants to Audition for "Survivor"
 

Yep - he's very serious about it too. We put off making his audition video last year for obvious reasons, but now we're ready to do it, especially now that I can make it look professional.

The tip I was given by a Survivor crew member is to make it something catchy that stands out - kinda crazy even.

So, fellow swankers, I come to you for ideas.

So far, I could only come up with playing off the fact that he's an Eagle Scout. I figured it might be fun to enlist a local troup of young scouts that he "proudly" beats at different challenges, from fire-building, to even those "God's Eyes" (the yarn-wrapped popsicle sticks). He's even got his old scout shirt which is too small, making it even more perfect - because he'll be like "stuffed" into it, trying to fit in and show how strong he is by winning against a bunch of kids. ;)

Anyway, that's all I can come up with at the moment, but I want other ideas. I even have thoughts to present it like a movie trailer, but I don't know what exact "story" to pitch.

We want to shoot this in April, so it will be ready for submission in May. There's time to come up with something good - we just need help. :)

Ideas??

I don't have any ideas but I do think it is about time that the LoT be represented on Survivor.

I wanted to do it but they said that my extraordinary physical condition would be unfair to the other contestants.

I've never watched Survivor but I like his idea about the Eagle Scout.. I would guess you'd want to showcase his personality. They probably look more at that than outdoor skills, but as I said I've never seen it.

Good Luck Ken!

Show him bravely disarming a sinister looking Lite Brite...

I say show him making his way down Main Street on a busy weekend.

With a large stroller. ;)

Hey, I could always put him on IASW over and over, with the theme of "If I can survive this, I can survive anything!" Heh.

If we do the scout thing, I think I'll still film it as a trailer for a "film" called, "Scout's Honor". It could be funny if done right.

OMG, you're totally missing the D&D / L.OTR geek angle! Play him up as fantasizing that he's somehow capable of surviving on a quest through rough country, get shots of him pulling Sting out and wielding it, hell, have him "show and tell" the sword collection while wearing his hobbit costume!

Then play up the Eagle scout thing, just to seal up his image as a mockable dork... and to make it seem like a slightly realistic audition video, like he might have reason to believe he can do it. Be sure to add in shots of him downing some junk food so they get "ideas" about how fun it'll be to watch him be hungry. And maybe get him to make a cooking fire and go through all the trouble of preparing food only to pull out a candy bar while he's waiting and say "a boy scout is always prepared!"

snickers?

I totally didn't realize that! I can imagine a shot of him rolling a d20 to see if he's successful at making a fire. HA!!!

I'm forgetting he also has his hobbit feet and cloak - there's some more opportunity. He even has the glowing hobbit sword now.

tell them he has been known to eat the roasted flesh of his competitors.

he'll be a shoe in :evil:

I'm pretty sure they don't let anybody on the show who has actually given thought to being able to start a fire or make a reasonable shelter.

At least that seems to the case from my limited viewing experience.

Can't he also paddle one of Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes? Climb to the top of Tarzan's treehouse? Spin a teacup? Survive an encounter with a yeti? Leap over double strollers in a single bound? Tell a hapless family what time the 3:00 parade is? Sail the high seas with Captain Jack Sparrow? Get thrown into the Briar patch and come out without a scratch?

Heehee, too bad the show isn't on ABC.

If I were doing this, I'd demonstrate knowledge of previous Survivor seasons, and mention mistakes that others made that you won't repeat.

Morrigoon is right. Play up the lovable geek angle. Alex is right, too. Downplay the Eagle Scout angle.

I love your idea of filming this at Disneyland.

People watch Survivor to see people suffer and fail, not triumph and succeed.

However, after last year's absurd tiebreaker where neither girl could make a fire after being given matches and a gallon of gas, it might be funny to show (a) that he can make a fire in the Survivor way and that (b) everywhere he goes, things burst into flames, he sneezes fire, etc.

I don't think that's true at all. True, I definitely like to see the morons who deserve to fail fail, but the most popular contestants are almost always the unlikely success stories. Rupert and Cirie come to mind. Rupert was a big lovable oaf who in most situations would have been a social outcast but in Survivor was the most popular player ever. Cirie was a city girl completely out of her element, literally scared of leaves who ended up being an incredible competitor and nearly winning it all. Those are the compelling stories. The losers who act like losers and lose are certainly entertaining for a while, but they aren't the ones that last in the minds of Survivor fans.

Having never watched the show, I have nothing to offer except immoral support.

Be careful filming anything at Disneyland - they can be REAL touchy sometimes if they feel you are filming anything other than family memories. In other words, don't bring a whole light and sound crew with you.

I'm just remembering back to all the fuss with Disney security when Ken proposed. We had a LOT of 'splainin' to do when they suspected it might have been a surreptitious marriage ceremony. Obviously not quite the same thing, but I know how they can be.

Now THAT would be funny!! :snap: I have an effects program.... hmmmmm.

We probably won't end up shooting at DL - TSI is closed for awhile, and that would have been the ideal place. :( And, it will just be me and my camera. They allowed my camera in for the MiceChat Anniversary, so that won't be a problem.

My first reaction is to tell Ken not to do it. They're going to make you drink yak's blood mixed with milk! And make you eat balut! Don't do it!
:D

But if he really wants to do it then I say go for it.

:)

Spontaneous Human Combustion! - How Cool!

But I always thought it a trick you can only do once...

Not if you do it to someone else.