How to Become a Celebrity

Flashing lights, admission to five star cafés, and herds of people shouting your name; the life of a celebrity is truly surreal and many of us want it. What many of us dreamers don't realize is that becoming a celebrity does not require much investment or true talent at all, and we have seen that with the rise of media sensations such as Octomom Nadya Suleman and John & Kate and more recently with "Pants on The Ground" sensation Larry Platt. These once regular everyday people took advantage of their resources and propelled themselves into the world of stardom and you can too.

1. You first need to find a talent or situation that you can use to help you become famous. For example, can you sing, dance, act, draw, or are you some type of genius? Do you have a bizarre personality or living situation that media networks might want to capitalize on? Once you find that meal ticket you will be ready to start the journey to becoming a celebrity.

2. Now that you have found your talent, you want to invest in internet service, a webcam or digital camera (with video recording capabilities.) You should start producing videos of your talent or bizarre living situation and upload the videos to popular social networking web sites such as Youtube, Facebook, and Myspace. Be forewarned; whatever you put on the internet stays on the internet so be cautious of what you post on websites.

Uploading your videos on popular social networking sites will broaden your chances of getting discovered. You never know who might be watching your videos. Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber was discovered when a marketing executive at a major record label viewed a video of him singing on youtube. Justin Bieber's mother had uploaded these videos of him singing onto youtube! In 2005, Lucas Cruikshank, a young teen from Nebraska created a series of videos featuring a fictional character named Fred Figglehorn. He produced and uploaded these videos on youtube from his home. Soon after, he was discovered on youtube and has since filmed a movie for Nickelodeon and has been featured on such shows as Tyra Banks Show, iCarly and Hannah Montana.

3. Audition for shows such as American Idol, America's next Top Model and America's Got Talent. When these shows come to your town take advantage of the opportunity. Carie Underwood was a mass communications major at Northeastern State before deciding to audition for American Idol. Now at the age of 27, she has collaborated with Randy Travis and the Clark Brothers and is the recipient of multiple Grammys. Sure the lines to audition for these shows will be long but standing is only a small sacrifice compared to what you can have when you do make it.

4. Take advantage of local resources for example; if you are an aspiring actor or actress research on the web for open calls near your area. www.casting-call.us is a free website that allows you to scan through the database for open calls in different entertainment mediums. If you are an aspiring writer purchase the Writer's Market or borrow the book from your local library. Take advantage of the resources that pertain to your talent. The internet, newspaper, magazines and your local library are valuable resources that will help you in your search.

5. Get an agent. Agents have an abundance of connections and will do the majority of footwork for you. Agents usually do not require an upfront fee to represent you however they do get a share of the profits you earn from the assignments that they book for you. Generally, agents get 10-15% commission. A diligent agent will have you working within 1-3 months.

6. Market yourself. You should make yourself known. Showcase your talent wherever there is open-mic. Look for no-pay assignments on the internet. You will not get paid for these assignments but you will garner recognition as well as pieces to add to your portfolio.

7. Build a website- If you start to generate a small following you can sign up with a web host provider and create your own website. Establishing a website will keep your followers updated on your status. You can establish a website for as low as $4 a month.