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Auditions for American Inventor 2007
by Michelle » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:43 am
-
Michelle - Black Belt
- Posts: 1529
- Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:27 am
An inventor who would like to remain anonymous shared their experiences and opinions on the X auditions with me. I asked them to post it to the forums and they asked me to convey this information to fellow inventors for them.
I do not know the accuracy of anything Inventor is writing so I am not representing anything they say as the truth. As with all emails and articles that are not mine directly or anything else you read, please use the appropriate level of skepticism and caution. But I thought Anonymous Inventor's experiences interesting to share with readers who are interested.
Here is a portion of their email to me:
* * * * *
The contracts you sign to audition are just entry forms.
I went to the auditions in X & made it through the first sets of
auditions.
Those are the simple ones. After the second audition you are given another set of contracts that are not very clear about the International side of giving up your patent rights.
They also are not clear about a couple of other issues.
They want to know everything about you.
You can not mislead them about anything including your past.
The big kicker for me was - It is up to the sole discretion of the
producer has to the judges pick on the iventions, the voting & IF THERE IS TO BE GIVIN A PRIZE PERIOD.
They are VERY CLEAR about the use of the $50,000.00 dollars, it is to be
used for ( DEVELOPMENT ONLY ) NOT FOR MANUFACTURING. Also what you do not
use in developing you have to give back to the producer. It is not yours to
keep.
They narrow the inventors down to 70.
If you are (1) of the 70, then you go in front of the (4) judges.
After the third audition they narrow it down to (20) inventors.
>From that (20) they will pick (1) winner for that city.
(6) audition cities (6) semi-finalist period.
They liked me & my product/idea & wanted to do a story on me & my
product/idea.
When I got the second set of contracts & after reviewing them (3) times I
decided that the show was not going to work for me & that the show was
seriously wrong.
This is why I am sending this e-mail.
1) There will not be a season (3) American Invertor Show
2) The contracts are wrong
3) To me the $50,000.00 dollars should be used to either develope or
manufacture the inventors product/idea.
( What's the point of having the show if you cannot have a finished
product to sell by the end of the show )
That would be a good way to decide the winner by seeing which product
America wants to buy it or if it even sells at all.
This would also mean that someone is manufacturing the product/idea which I think would also stop any infringment.
Had I known about some of this information I would have not gone to the
audition wasting my time & money.
I do not know the accuracy of anything Inventor is writing so I am not representing anything they say as the truth. As with all emails and articles that are not mine directly or anything else you read, please use the appropriate level of skepticism and caution. But I thought Anonymous Inventor's experiences interesting to share with readers who are interested.
Here is a portion of their email to me:
* * * * *
The contracts you sign to audition are just entry forms.
I went to the auditions in X & made it through the first sets of
auditions.
Those are the simple ones. After the second audition you are given another set of contracts that are not very clear about the International side of giving up your patent rights.
They also are not clear about a couple of other issues.
They want to know everything about you.
You can not mislead them about anything including your past.
The big kicker for me was - It is up to the sole discretion of the
producer has to the judges pick on the iventions, the voting & IF THERE IS TO BE GIVIN A PRIZE PERIOD.
They are VERY CLEAR about the use of the $50,000.00 dollars, it is to be
used for ( DEVELOPMENT ONLY ) NOT FOR MANUFACTURING. Also what you do not
use in developing you have to give back to the producer. It is not yours to
keep.
They narrow the inventors down to 70.
If you are (1) of the 70, then you go in front of the (4) judges.
After the third audition they narrow it down to (20) inventors.
>From that (20) they will pick (1) winner for that city.
(6) audition cities (6) semi-finalist period.
They liked me & my product/idea & wanted to do a story on me & my
product/idea.
When I got the second set of contracts & after reviewing them (3) times I
decided that the show was not going to work for me & that the show was
seriously wrong.
This is why I am sending this e-mail.
1) There will not be a season (3) American Invertor Show
2) The contracts are wrong
3) To me the $50,000.00 dollars should be used to either develope or
manufacture the inventors product/idea.
( What's the point of having the show if you cannot have a finished
product to sell by the end of the show )
That would be a good way to decide the winner by seeing which product
America wants to buy it or if it even sells at all.
This would also mean that someone is manufacturing the product/idea which I think would also stop any infringment.
Had I known about some of this information I would have not gone to the
audition wasting my time & money.
Last edited by Michelle on Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:22 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Opinions of Anonymous Inventor
by Michelle » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:49 am
-
Michelle - Black Belt
- Posts: 1529
- Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:27 am
I then questioned Anonlymous Inventor as to some of their statements and in particular whether there statement that eere will not be follow on seasons of American Inventor was just their opinio or something more.
Here is Anonymous Inventors response:
* * * *
About next season it's just my personal opinion.
You could tell by the way the producers where trying to find away to put a
story together for the show. They acted like a beginning camera road crew desperate to find a story.
My point about the show is that they would make the show more Interesting & Entertaining if the Inventor can develop the Invention into a product that can be sold by the end of the show or take orders on National TV after having a finished prototype that the Inventor has developed.
Give the Inventor the $50,000.00 dollars to develop the Invention & if
possible Manufacturing a product ready to sale by the end of the show or
within ninety-days (90) after the end of the show.
So the final judging could be decided by sales or potentional sales plus
phone in voting for the Invention & Inventor to decided the winning
Invention & Inventor of the show.
This would allow the Inventor more range & depth giving the Inventor more
freedom in the development & sales process including how to Advertise &
Market an Invention.
This would give the show more character & drama giving the show it's own story line.
My personal opinion about the show is that it will not be successful because the Inventor is not allowed enough freedom with the Invention to fully develop & produce or advertise & market the Invention.
When it comes to the contracts they are not clear enough & plus everything better be clean from your past to the present this includes family & friends having clean records.
The other thing is that in the two (2) months that you're in lock down cut
off from everything & having the wear a microphone & be in camera view 42/7
plus they get everyone around you involved on being on camera, Drug testing,
Alcohol & Medication usage & knowing everything about your personal
background.
To be or not to be in litigation now or in the future.
Some Inventions will cause litigation.
They want to know who you have dated or whether or not if you are involved
in a dating service, or whether or not if you have owned a business.
They want to know standard information, which really does not matter, your
education, your credit history, your job work history, family, friends &
roommates history, tickets or your criminal background.
The ONLY thing that really matters is if it is a patented idea/product that
will possible make money in the retail marketplace & that you are not wanted
by the police.
I just think that the show will get negative feedback from the Inventors &
the public because the show is not being produced to the best of it's
ability or the Inventions do not have the right format & the show has bad
publicity in Advertising & Marketing the show, Inventors & the Inventions.
There is a lot of things in yours, your family & friends records that can
stop a good Inventor or Invention from getting on the show.
Everything is up to the soul discretion of the producers.
I just don't think that a lot of Inventors & the public will favor this type
of show this is why I say it's flawed & why it will fail.
I hope the web site finds a way to help with some of this info & maybe it
will get to the producers & voting public to help the show become a better
show for the Inventors being more about the Inventions & what it takes to
fully develop, produce, advertise & market an idea/product into a consumer
retail product.
If the public cannot touch it, buy it or order it & know that the product is
going to be on the market within ninety-days (90) after the end of the show
the public will lose interest in the show.
So what big deal is what I would think.
If they changed the rules & the format there might be a third (3) season.
The show should go something like this.
First there needs to be an odd number of judges.
Have five (5) judges experienced entrepreneur in various fields.
The five (5) judges mentor five (5) Inventors Inventions each.
The show would have twenty-five (25) Inventors & Inventions that the public could vote on & possible purchase a product within a total of six (6) months once the show starts.
Have Angel Investors & Venture Capitalist ready to invest.
American Inventor somewhat had the development side covered.
Have a verity of different Manufactures ready to help the Inventors
Manufacture a product.
American Inventor fails when it comes to the Advertising & Marketing areas about the show.
How to qualify an Invention in front of the judges with the rules being
spelled out loud & clear before you get involved including the rules about
the Investment Seed Capital being spelled out.
If you can get a passport, be bonded or have NO current outstanding arrest warrants wanting you, I think that an Inventor should be able to qualify an Invention for an Investment Opportunity in Developing an Invention.
They don't need the Inventors locked down for two (2) months with
microphones & cameras on them 24/7 with family & friends being involved having to have clean records as well.
They should have a format like this twice a year so that it can be a year
round format giving Inventors Hope & a Chance with a format that they can go to having Angel Investors, Venture Capitalist & Other experts willing to help make some Inventors Dream Come True Creating a product bringing it to the marketplace & possible making some money.
Making the program more an educational learning show about what it takes to bring an Idea into a real concept & into a product for the Retail
Marketplace.
Kind of like a How It's Made Show, which would be more educational &
learning something with better entertainment value.
This would give the show it's own Character & Personality creating it's own story line about the Inventors & the Inventions which would happen naturally also creating Competition & a Contest among Inventors & Inventions.
There needs to be a format that Inventors can go to get Investment Seed
Capital In front of judges that are experiences entrepreneurs in various
fields that are willing to invest time in mentoring an Inventor making the
Invention a good consumer product for the Retail Marketplace or a learning process about the Inventions.
The Network has an exclusive opportunity with twenty-five (25) or fifty (50) if they do the show twice a year with Inventors & Inventions to have the Inventors make a thirty (30) second to a one (1) minute commercial. The Network could run the commercials once per month over the course of a month for a total of twelve (12) times for a year or they could put them all together in a half (1/2) hour or in a one (1) hour info commercial.
Promoting the show, the web site, the Inventors & Inventions with everybody making money.
It would be nice if AmericanInventorSpot.com web site can be like ebay being able to showcase & sale patented merchandise with a format that the public can go to being able to talk to the Inventors or to get Information & help with an Idea.
AmericanInventorSpot.com would be able to get or help with funding, Sale products & be a learning tool for Inventors with a portion of the sales
going to run the web site.
Giving Inventors with Inventions a place to sale there strange new crazy
wacky products like ebay where the public can purchase a product & also talk about the Inventions & about the Invention process & a place where an Inventors can go for help.
Between the Network & the AmericanInventorSpot.com web site there would be a good format for Investors, Manufactures, Advertising, Marketing & Retail focusing on the Inventors & Inventions.
AmericanInventorspot.com web site already does a good job of allowing
Inventors to post & sale their new crazy wacky Inventions Ideas/products.
If AmericanInventorSpot.com web site could also run video of these
commercials which would support the web site & the Inventors Inventions.
Profit from the sales of the Inventions can go to the Investors, Producers & the web site with the Inventor getting the product on the Market & maybe making the Inventor & Invention famous Internationally also making some money.
I know all of this is way to simple & easy of an Idea of a format to really
help Inventors with there Inventions.
Just my opinion, thoughts & views on what the Show &
AmericanInventorSpot.com web site could do for Inventors & there Inventions.
Anonymous Inventor
EDITORS NOTE: AMERICANINVENTORSPOT.COM IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE TELEVISION SHOW AMERICAN INVENTOR. WE ARE A WEBSITE FOR INVENTORS THAT COVERS THE SHOW, BUT WE HAVE NO AFFILIATION OR ASSOCIATION WITH THEM OR ANY OF THE PRODUCERS OF AMERICAN INVENTOR.
Here is Anonymous Inventors response:
* * * *
About next season it's just my personal opinion.
You could tell by the way the producers where trying to find away to put a
story together for the show. They acted like a beginning camera road crew desperate to find a story.
My point about the show is that they would make the show more Interesting & Entertaining if the Inventor can develop the Invention into a product that can be sold by the end of the show or take orders on National TV after having a finished prototype that the Inventor has developed.
Give the Inventor the $50,000.00 dollars to develop the Invention & if
possible Manufacturing a product ready to sale by the end of the show or
within ninety-days (90) after the end of the show.
So the final judging could be decided by sales or potentional sales plus
phone in voting for the Invention & Inventor to decided the winning
Invention & Inventor of the show.
This would allow the Inventor more range & depth giving the Inventor more
freedom in the development & sales process including how to Advertise &
Market an Invention.
This would give the show more character & drama giving the show it's own story line.
My personal opinion about the show is that it will not be successful because the Inventor is not allowed enough freedom with the Invention to fully develop & produce or advertise & market the Invention.
When it comes to the contracts they are not clear enough & plus everything better be clean from your past to the present this includes family & friends having clean records.
The other thing is that in the two (2) months that you're in lock down cut
off from everything & having the wear a microphone & be in camera view 42/7
plus they get everyone around you involved on being on camera, Drug testing,
Alcohol & Medication usage & knowing everything about your personal
background.
To be or not to be in litigation now or in the future.
Some Inventions will cause litigation.
They want to know who you have dated or whether or not if you are involved
in a dating service, or whether or not if you have owned a business.
They want to know standard information, which really does not matter, your
education, your credit history, your job work history, family, friends &
roommates history, tickets or your criminal background.
The ONLY thing that really matters is if it is a patented idea/product that
will possible make money in the retail marketplace & that you are not wanted
by the police.
I just think that the show will get negative feedback from the Inventors &
the public because the show is not being produced to the best of it's
ability or the Inventions do not have the right format & the show has bad
publicity in Advertising & Marketing the show, Inventors & the Inventions.
There is a lot of things in yours, your family & friends records that can
stop a good Inventor or Invention from getting on the show.
Everything is up to the soul discretion of the producers.
I just don't think that a lot of Inventors & the public will favor this type
of show this is why I say it's flawed & why it will fail.
I hope the web site finds a way to help with some of this info & maybe it
will get to the producers & voting public to help the show become a better
show for the Inventors being more about the Inventions & what it takes to
fully develop, produce, advertise & market an idea/product into a consumer
retail product.
If the public cannot touch it, buy it or order it & know that the product is
going to be on the market within ninety-days (90) after the end of the show
the public will lose interest in the show.
So what big deal is what I would think.
If they changed the rules & the format there might be a third (3) season.
The show should go something like this.
First there needs to be an odd number of judges.
Have five (5) judges experienced entrepreneur in various fields.
The five (5) judges mentor five (5) Inventors Inventions each.
The show would have twenty-five (25) Inventors & Inventions that the public could vote on & possible purchase a product within a total of six (6) months once the show starts.
Have Angel Investors & Venture Capitalist ready to invest.
American Inventor somewhat had the development side covered.
Have a verity of different Manufactures ready to help the Inventors
Manufacture a product.
American Inventor fails when it comes to the Advertising & Marketing areas about the show.
How to qualify an Invention in front of the judges with the rules being
spelled out loud & clear before you get involved including the rules about
the Investment Seed Capital being spelled out.
If you can get a passport, be bonded or have NO current outstanding arrest warrants wanting you, I think that an Inventor should be able to qualify an Invention for an Investment Opportunity in Developing an Invention.
They don't need the Inventors locked down for two (2) months with
microphones & cameras on them 24/7 with family & friends being involved having to have clean records as well.
They should have a format like this twice a year so that it can be a year
round format giving Inventors Hope & a Chance with a format that they can go to having Angel Investors, Venture Capitalist & Other experts willing to help make some Inventors Dream Come True Creating a product bringing it to the marketplace & possible making some money.
Making the program more an educational learning show about what it takes to bring an Idea into a real concept & into a product for the Retail
Marketplace.
Kind of like a How It's Made Show, which would be more educational &
learning something with better entertainment value.
This would give the show it's own Character & Personality creating it's own story line about the Inventors & the Inventions which would happen naturally also creating Competition & a Contest among Inventors & Inventions.
There needs to be a format that Inventors can go to get Investment Seed
Capital In front of judges that are experiences entrepreneurs in various
fields that are willing to invest time in mentoring an Inventor making the
Invention a good consumer product for the Retail Marketplace or a learning process about the Inventions.
The Network has an exclusive opportunity with twenty-five (25) or fifty (50) if they do the show twice a year with Inventors & Inventions to have the Inventors make a thirty (30) second to a one (1) minute commercial. The Network could run the commercials once per month over the course of a month for a total of twelve (12) times for a year or they could put them all together in a half (1/2) hour or in a one (1) hour info commercial.
Promoting the show, the web site, the Inventors & Inventions with everybody making money.
It would be nice if AmericanInventorSpot.com web site can be like ebay being able to showcase & sale patented merchandise with a format that the public can go to being able to talk to the Inventors or to get Information & help with an Idea.
AmericanInventorSpot.com would be able to get or help with funding, Sale products & be a learning tool for Inventors with a portion of the sales
going to run the web site.
Giving Inventors with Inventions a place to sale there strange new crazy
wacky products like ebay where the public can purchase a product & also talk about the Inventions & about the Invention process & a place where an Inventors can go for help.
Between the Network & the AmericanInventorSpot.com web site there would be a good format for Investors, Manufactures, Advertising, Marketing & Retail focusing on the Inventors & Inventions.
AmericanInventorspot.com web site already does a good job of allowing
Inventors to post & sale their new crazy wacky Inventions Ideas/products.
If AmericanInventorSpot.com web site could also run video of these
commercials which would support the web site & the Inventors Inventions.
Profit from the sales of the Inventions can go to the Investors, Producers & the web site with the Inventor getting the product on the Market & maybe making the Inventor & Invention famous Internationally also making some money.
I know all of this is way to simple & easy of an Idea of a format to really
help Inventors with there Inventions.
Just my opinion, thoughts & views on what the Show &
AmericanInventorSpot.com web site could do for Inventors & there Inventions.
Anonymous Inventor
EDITORS NOTE: AMERICANINVENTORSPOT.COM IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE TELEVISION SHOW AMERICAN INVENTOR. WE ARE A WEBSITE FOR INVENTORS THAT COVERS THE SHOW, BUT WE HAVE NO AFFILIATION OR ASSOCIATION WITH THEM OR ANY OF THE PRODUCERS OF AMERICAN INVENTOR.
Last edited by Michelle on Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Contextion » Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:09 am
-
Contextion - Blue Belt
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:03 pm
- Location: San Rafael CA
So if I advance they are going to lock me down for 2 months with microphone and camera and not allow me to go back to work? I was hoping that if I become a finalist that I could go back to work after taking a week of vacation and just work on the development each day after I get off of work.
by 5rocks » Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:20 am
-
5rocks - Green Belt
- Posts: 213
- Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:36 pm
- Location: milwaukee
Contextion,
You should expect a substantial amount of time away from family and work if you make it to the finals. Last year, the top 12 was away for 6 weeks. Some lost their jobs. I can speak for Jodi Pliszka. She is the woman with Alopecia who invented the "Headline it". She lost her job. I had it set up with my work to take leave, if I would have been picked for the top 12. Although some aspects of the format have changed for this year, time away from home will still be required to some extent. When we were in Hollywood they confiscated our phones, internet, etc.... when we were filming. The top 12 could not call loved ones unless a producer was present. That is how reality shows work. They do not want any information getting out before the show airs. It is a big decision to make along with the royalty schedule, but the payoff from free product publicity can be great!
Pat Rock
You should expect a substantial amount of time away from family and work if you make it to the finals. Last year, the top 12 was away for 6 weeks. Some lost their jobs. I can speak for Jodi Pliszka. She is the woman with Alopecia who invented the "Headline it". She lost her job. I had it set up with my work to take leave, if I would have been picked for the top 12. Although some aspects of the format have changed for this year, time away from home will still be required to some extent. When we were in Hollywood they confiscated our phones, internet, etc.... when we were filming. The top 12 could not call loved ones unless a producer was present. That is how reality shows work. They do not want any information getting out before the show airs. It is a big decision to make along with the royalty schedule, but the payoff from free product publicity can be great!
Pat Rock
by DaddyMathis » Sun Apr 08, 2007 7:04 am
-
DaddyMathis - Yellow Belt
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:42 am
- Location: Georgia
I don't know about you guys, but I just (barely) claim to be an inventor. Not a manufacturing marketing ad wizard! I think the show, just like last year, should be about making one product one time to find out if it will sell.
by Robbissimo » Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:59 am
- Robbissimo
- White Belt
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:19 am
- Location: Barefoot Bay, FL
Wow... Sounds to me like Anonymous Inventor should create his own show! He/She basically has challenged and or changed every single aspect of what the producers have created. Funny though, their "flawed " production last year has resulted in a season 2. Inventors are still lining up to have their product "discovered". And the creators have even tweaked some aspects of the show since last year. But the full on assault of every aspect of the show proves one thing... Anonymous Inventor is smarter than these producers and the inventors willing to endure the show's process.
I, personaly, am trying out for one reason, and it's not winning! Let's be realistic here though! It is an outside shot at $1M! And odds of winning are a hell of alot better than the lottery! What? Six locations at an average of 4000-5000 inventors trying out at each city? 1 in 20,000 or 1 in 30,000? For $1M!?! For the amount of my investment, I'll take those odds every day!
I have a decent product with a good back story. I'm certainly not a one shot wonder and the product I'm trying to bring to market is good but not one of my prime inventions, (and it is also early in development and thus perfect for what the producers are looking for). If I can make it on TV and if someone eventually beats me to market with the product, so be it. That happens every friggin' day! But, the general public will recognize it as mine, and whereas I will not get the royalties, the publicity will pay off nicely with what I really, really want! OPM!
C'mon folks... the publicity of being on television in front of MILLIONS of viewers cannot be bought! And as far as Anonymous Inventor is concerned... you're name is likely synonymous with your future and your product... You won't be alone, though, most inventors (and I include myself in that group) are religated to that existance! Good luck!
I, personaly, am trying out for one reason, and it's not winning! Let's be realistic here though! It is an outside shot at $1M! And odds of winning are a hell of alot better than the lottery! What? Six locations at an average of 4000-5000 inventors trying out at each city? 1 in 20,000 or 1 in 30,000? For $1M!?! For the amount of my investment, I'll take those odds every day!
I have a decent product with a good back story. I'm certainly not a one shot wonder and the product I'm trying to bring to market is good but not one of my prime inventions, (and it is also early in development and thus perfect for what the producers are looking for). If I can make it on TV and if someone eventually beats me to market with the product, so be it. That happens every friggin' day! But, the general public will recognize it as mine, and whereas I will not get the royalties, the publicity will pay off nicely with what I really, really want! OPM!
C'mon folks... the publicity of being on television in front of MILLIONS of viewers cannot be bought! And as far as Anonymous Inventor is concerned... you're name is likely synonymous with your future and your product... You won't be alone, though, most inventors (and I include myself in that group) are religated to that existance! Good luck!
by Contextion » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:32 am
-
Contextion - Blue Belt
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:03 pm
- Location: San Rafael CA
I like it better how it was last year when there where 12 who got $50000 and they were the best from all the cities combined. Now it partly depends on your luck of what city you choose. Someone who loses in one city could have won in another city. I guess they do let the winners know if they won in a shorter amount of time and that allows those who lose not to lose as much from waiting around so long. I still think they should at least pick 2 from each city to have a total of 12.
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