Optionals Actress

  Memorize and present a commercial line.

  TIPS!!!!
   Okay, so in the past judges have liked the funny presentations, with the accents, or overkilled, not so much anymore. I'm not saying they never favor those, but espeacially for the older girls they are looking for a real actor.

   1)Pick a line with emotion. Like the zit one. You can be all moon-struck. (Actually that is a very common one picked, so you might think twice about doing it.)

2) Try it two different ways, like love-struck, and annoyed, annoyed or mad. But don't go over the top. ANd espeacially for older girls I advise you to be serious.

3) Practice saying your name. The emecee will say slate, and then you should say "Hello, my name is ________  _________ " Practice it now so you can do it confidently.

  Have fun, follow me and good luck.

Photogenic

  A lot of girls come up to this contest and they are all, this easy, just take a picture, and I have a chance of wining! No. Just no. I don't blame you for this thought, but this is the one NAM contest that really doesn't that really can't judge mostly on the girl and her personality. So here are my tips.
 
  1) If you can get a professional. Seriously, there are a lot of girls who don't and win, but you have way more chance of winning if it's professional. At the same time don't not do it just cause this my first tip. Try something new, you could win.

2) Smile. This is a very optional tip but if you read the mag they send you, they like smiles the best, even though they don't always win. I love smiles. So smile for me.

3) Try to show personality, whether it's a quirk of the eyebrow, a tilt in the head or a favorite accessory. Your personality, could win it for you.

4) Have good lighting. Like really good, make as few shadows as possible, and don't be squinting.

5)Keep the background clear from junk. Just a little note, the right back ground could add personality.

6)Be as natural as you can. I don't know about you but when I smile into a mirror I can smile better. Practice being natural.

7)Research, google pageant head shots. See what works and doesn't (the pageant planet is a great sight to research on, and to like on facebook)

  This is a great example of personality!
   
I hope you rock the photo!
 

Casual Wear

This is probably one of the hardest optional contests for me to give advice on. Because I love it and I love modeling but I'm not really that great at it. However, I do have some tips.

 Number 1. Smile you may think this is obvious or you may be planning on going out all sexy looking and not smiling at all. Remember one of the things National American miss really looks for is a sincere smiling girls. So put your heart out there and smile

Number 2:  Make sure they see your whole outfit from the front and the back. So add some twirls.

Number 3 listen to the announcer while you're on stage. You don't really want to leave the stage until they say your name and your contestant number. Enjoy it while you're on it.

Number 4: You need to wear something original something that is you, but make sure you add some pizzazz so that you stand out.don't dress too casually but don't be too formal

Number 5: Practice.  Its called freestyle modeling but you really need some practice. make a basic routine but be ready to improvise when you're modeling with the announcer.
Good luck and have fun.

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Optionals Spokesmodel!

Hi everyone!
  Okay so, obviously spokes model is the most hated optional (or at least the most feared) there is, which is obviously why I have to like it the best.

  Tips for spokes model 1)Look the part. Look put together and professional, because although NAM doesn't focus on appearances in anyway, looking professional, not like you just woke up (even though you probably did) is a big key. That means everything from perfect hair (not necessarily curled, but defiantly one hundred percent neat) to wearing heels and nylon.

  2) Be ready. You would be, or at least I am, surprised at how many girls not only don't memorize their script, but don't even look up once while reading it. EYE CONTACT IS CRUCIAL. I know it's scary, but seriously, there will be at least one girl who makes eye contact with the judges, and if she's the only one she'll win.

3) Have a CTA, and a what I am doing. A CTA is a call to action. Whether the topic is about a role model, or your community project, you need to have something to leave them to do, even if it's just, "So challenge yourselves to try to do your best at everything. CTA's are not required, but they add meaning to an otherwise pointless speech. Also you need to have a this is what I am doing. Both the girls who beat me mentioned what they were doing to help their "cause" even though they didn't both have causes. A this is what I am doing can be as simple as, "Every day I make it my goal to share a smile with a hurting person."

4) Perfect your walk. My interview heels are huge, and I made an awkward circle. That means the judges first impression was, she's awkward.  Walking is the easiest part, so practice it.

5) Be bold. In your word choice, in your stance.

6) Even if you aren't confident, pretend you are. Talk about something that matters to you, and make sure to remind yourself it's important so you need to present it as though it is.

  Well I hope you rock the speech contest (I sincerely hope you at least try it), I also hope you follow my blog. Even if you aren't on blogspot you can type your email into the box in the upper right hand corner, and you'll get a notification each time I add some awesome advice to this site (I plan on doing each optional!) You following me would be more radiant than the invention of the light bulb :)

Okay, this girl is probably too young to compete in spokesmodel, but she is so adorable.

 

Your Letter

Hello NAM, and future NAM girls, 
  How are you all doing? I am fine thank you. And no, I have not posted for a year, but that was because my pageant was over, and I love National American Miss, but I have a life besides them, so I spent time focusing on that.
  
  And I know everyone was just like, oh my gosh, I don't know you I don't follow you, I've never read your posts before. 
 And I'm like I don't care.

  Anyway, NAM letters should soon be arriving in the mail boxes of little girls all throughout the United States. You may have already had an open call, or are preparing for one, I've already written a post on that, and I may do another one. 
  
  So to the Letter, what is it? Basically NAM got a hold of you, I don't know how they do, but they get a lot of people, and asked you to join their pageant. I love NAM, and I can promise it is not a fraud, I really hope you go to the open call.  Here is all the basic info you need to know to decide if you want to do it or not.
  
 The total required money is $520. That's $480 for entrance, and $40 for the required production outfit. Other "optional" costs will include hotel stays, optional contests, food, and pageant entry for your family. Altogether my pageant probably cost almost $1,000, but I paid for at least $680 with sponsors. (Sorry I changed font, my computer is mean.).

Okay, I'm back.
 
  So you want to know about NAM, and now (if you haven't read the post below this, you should. It's part one of the synopsis of NAM) I'm going to do a quick overveiw of how it works.
 
  They have three must competitions, formal wear, an escort, you onstage, lights around a lovely gown; interview, one-in-one judges and you talking, and introduction, my favorite! You on a smaller stage, giving a 30 sec. intro to tell everyone who you are.

  National American Miss main focus is to give confidence to girls. You will do well if you aren't afraid of public speaking, and like being on a stage, or in an interview setting. At the same time, even if you aren't the most comfortable with being onstage, I would still encourage you to try it. Just read the magazines (after open call) and practice, then when pageant weekend comes, have fun.

Random Tips

Okay so this post, random topics, mostly I'm really mad and just want to write, because I like writing, and I already published a post on my other blog, and I think people would freak out if I published to posts in one day.
  If any of you care, which obviously you don't (which may not be true) I do plan on posting more about NAM when open call starts up, or whatever. Plus I am signed up for Natianols so I might actually know more.
  Okay, so something I think is really important for first time girls is to have a reason you want to win. Especially the older girls. The judges do not know how much if any community service you have done, except for what's on your resume, but they want someone who at leasts wants to do it.
  Darlings, if you really hate community service, don't go out. You would have a really bad year.  But I'm assuming you don't hate it. I'm assuming you might be interested in trying it out, or maybe you already do that. Let the judges know about that when you can.
  Interveiw is hard to be serious in, because of what they ask you, but try and keep the goal in mind.
 
  Okay so my next tip is on clothes, there were 172 other girls in the Iowa Jr. Teen. You're gonna have a hard time being remembered. THAT DOESN'T MEAN BUY A HUGE DRESS! If you win because of a dress NAM isn't NAM. Sometimes plain dresses win, actually, a lot of the time. Love you're dress, but you don't necessarily want that to be how the judges remember you..
  A good way to be remembered by them is to have almost the same hairdo every time they see you, don't switch from a bun to down, curls to straight, have one hair do, it can change a little in interveiw and formal wear, but again keep it as close to the same as possible.
 
  Let's say you've done all 3 required parts, and you're ready for the pageant, you don't know it yet, but you're in the top twenty (five, ten, whatever number the judges replace)., when you walk on that stage you are being re scoured. They are watching you in dance, they are watching you in formal, as you receive your prizes,and they are saying is this girl who we want. So when you are doing you're finale pageant, look your best. So many girls were like, either I won or I didn't, why should I curl my hair. 3 answers, you might be rejudged if you scoured high enough, people are filming, and watching, and if you win, you'll want to look ah-mazing for the crowning.
 
  Okay so now you lost. Keep practicing for next year! So few girls ever go back. They think it dosen't matter. Learn, try, win. I hope to be queen someday, and see one of you go to nationals with me, but neither one of us will if we don't try, if we don't think about it, if we don't care.
  Good luck!
                                Love Shadow.

More on Interveiw

Why, if NAM scores equally on all three categories is interview such a big deal? I think it's because they score the most drastically on it.
  So here are even more tips on interview, well one really.
  Start looking at questions (you'll get examples at some point, and if anything strays to far far from those then they probably won't be asked) and start thinking about things in your personal life that you want them to know. Fireflies, your dreams, chocolate cake, anything you love, start thinking of ways to put those in simple questions. Also start thinking about ways to make the most out of their questions. Make them want to get to know you.

  I still need the $. Thanks.