Limitations: Open to all, though some roles have specific requirements.
Deadline: December 19, 11:59PM KST
Before even premiering, Hot Topic (stylized as Hot Topic(k)) has the attention of idol fans across the nation. Though not explicitly part of base’s programming, some of base’s resources have been put toward the show as Gold Star is involved in the production and their CEO Bang Sunyoung will be serving as the show’s host. As a result, the show’s production team is working through base to cast mentors from the three companies for upcoming episodes of the program.
IN ‘VERSE INFO
For this opportunity, on November 30, idols under the three companies were informed of the offer to apply for casting to appear as a mentor on a new boy group survival show. They have been offered to apply for a spot as a mentor on select episodes: either episode three/four (senior artist covers), episode five (idol tips & tricks), or episodes six and seven (position evaluation).
The casting information is as follows:
Episodes three & four (Senior artist cover songs, filmed December): Up to four open mentor spots.
Requirements: Open only to boy group members, Dimensions Soloist 2, Gold Star Soloist 3, and/or Element’s main dancer/lead rapper + main rapper/lead dancer.
Description of role: Mentors will appear as a special benefit to half of the teams for this round. They will help a team performing one of their/their group’s songs to prepare for their performance.
Episode five (Idol tips & tricks, filmed January): Up to ten open mentor spots.
Requirements: None, open to all.
Description of role: Mentors will appear for a special workshop episode to teach and evaluate contestants about aspects of being an idol other than singing, dancing, and rapping, such as stage presence, maintaining their visuals, variety skills, modeling, songwriting, acting, fan interactions, etc.
Episode six & seven (Position evaluation, filmed January): Up to two rap mentor spots, two vocal mentor spots, and two dance mentor spots.
Requirements: Open only to main rappers, main vocals, main dancers, and soloists.
Description of role: Mentors will appear as experts in their area (rap, singing, or dancing) and help remaining contestants prepare for position evaluations in their area.
Muses will be required to apply for casting by December 10 in-’verse.
OUT OF ‘VERSE INFO
This mini-event is only a short opportunity and not a long-term commitment as each muse will film only during one of two blocks, but those signing up their muses for consideration are still expected to be willing to use the opportunity to develop their muse and participate in the writing prompts.
If you’re interested in having your muse participate in this opportunity, there are two steps.
STEP ONE: If you are interested in your muse being a mentor for the show, please fill out this survey here out-of-character. This will be your official expression of interest for the opportunity but step two must also be completed in addition to step one order to officially enter your muse into consideration for being cast as a main cast member! You will have until Saturday, December 19, at 11:59PM KST to complete this step.
You may submit multiple muses for consideration to be cast in this Base event on separate forms, but muns will only have multiple muses cast if there are remaining open spots. Please indicate your muses’ order of casting priority if you submit more than one.
STEP TWO: Complete this form in-character and tag it with #fmdhtcasting. Please answer this as if your character is filling out the form to submit to production for casting. You will have until Saturday, December 19, at 11:59PM KST to complete this step. Muses may collect one point for doing this.
Note: For this show, step two can be completed without step one for the point if you do not wish for your muse to actually became a mentor, just make sure not to complete step one if that’s the case!
Any further questions should be directed to the main’s ask box!
GUIDELINES
CASTING:
If the number of muses interested in the opportunity exceeds the number of available mentor slots, final casting of muses as mentors will be done by random generator for fairness.
LINKS
Hot Topic(k) Show Information
Casting Form
POINTS AVAILABLE
Total available points: 1 point (Please note this points is available for all muses, whether signing up for actual consideration or not.)
+1 point: Complete step two listed above and post it in the #fmdhtcasting tag by Saturday, December 19, at 11:59PM KST to qualify for points.
OCCUPATION: leader, lead vocalist, lead dancer of lucid
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): vocal, dance
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?: it’s a little unfair, right? that people with natural talent just seem to exist and fly over all those who don’t. however, i don’t think it’s completely dooming if you weren’t born with natural talent. with training, it’s possible to develop your skills. i came in as a trainee who was pretty much at zero when it came to skills, and i ended up debuting as a lead vocal and lead dancer even amongst my members who are extremely talented. so to answer that question, i think training is more important, but you can’t deny natural talent when it does exist.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?: determination. it’s definitely the one thing that kept me going during my six years as a trainee. if you don’t have that grit to want to make it till the end, it’ll be hard to keep up with all the other idol hopefuls who do have that over you. plus, i think determination always ends up showing up one way or another during one’s training period. people will catch on to how much you want this or how much you don’t.
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE: hopefully my members agree that i’m more on the laidback style when it comes to my leadership. i think i might be the same when it comes to teaching. i’ll be upfront about what needs to be criticized, but i’m not exactly a yeller. i like to explain things through and get people to understand why a certain skill is important to have or how one can improve in a skill.
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?: while it won’t be useful for everybody, i do believe i have a good grasp on how to be a leader of an idol group. having to work with other people and learning to sacrifice things for the group is important for debuted idols. i also work as a dj right now so i could help out with hosting and emceeing.
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
leader of performance praised group, lucid, for 3 years
radio dj host for kbs music plaza since september
multiple guestings on various variety shows
debuted solo in july, 2020 with mini-album “don’t make me laugh”
OCCUPATION: main rapper, lead dancer, vocal of unity and champion
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): rap, dance
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?: hard work is definitely not the most important factor. both are important of course but if it had to be one or the other, solid training is much more reliable and much more motivating than sheer natural talent. no one can get by solely on the skills they were gifted at birth, not in such a competitive setting, sooner or later that will always end up becoming your downfall. it’s far too risky to leave your entire career up to some stroke of luck with natural skill.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?: perseverance. if you don’t have the ability to grit your teeth and pull through you’ve come to the wrong place. it’s not going to be easy and if you don’t have the drive to stick through that you’re not going to succeed. it’s not all that glamorous truly but if you have the strength to stick it out it’s most definitely worth it, you just gotta pull through.
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE: i’ve been told to be harsh, mainly by unity. but i think as a leader that’s a necessity. i’m strict definitely but not for no reason, it’s always with a cause, to put down the best possible performance, to show growth, whatever. i’m not in the business of scaring anyone off or making them feel miserable about themselves, as long as they cooperate and try their best, i won’t give them a hard time. or well, no harder than what is needed to bring out the best of them.
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT REAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?: n/a
summary: the question and answer application.
warnings: none
LEGAL NAME: chung gyujeong
STAGE NAME: Haon
DATE OF BIRTH: april 22, 1994
OCCUPATION: main rapper, vocal of knight
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): Rap
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?:
“natural talent mixed with training. you can’t start on baseless concepts, especially when it comes to rap. you can’t expect having zero flow or rhythm to come even if you practice for ten years. sure, you can base lyrics on a ghostwriter, or rap something someone else writes. even learn to mimic flow — that’s when you lose individuality, and then you no longer create a niche for your rapping. it’s easy to get washed up, sound the same as everyone else. but when you venture on into individual career linings? that’s when your own sound should pull through. you lose artistry when you’re told how to say, what to say — and that part is essential to finding your own color in this industry.”
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?:
“eagerness to learn. there’s so many different genres, and people are constantly experiencing things. there’s trends that come and go, and sure you can stick to what works for you. but there should always be that facet of wanting to get better, or trying out different things and letting that influence the music you make. if you don’t have any sort of eagerness and you’re half in everything you do, then what’s the point? what’s the point of trying to make it when you’re satisfied with the status quo and floating along to what everyone else does? there’s no fun in learning to be a robot.”
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE:
“i’m not cookie cutter nor am i kind. i’m not gonna praise these kids with complements and tell them they’re doing great ala kris jenner. i say it like it is, pick out the negatives and constantly pummel in on these aspects hoping to fix the weaknesses. you want to call me strict? go ahead, but i’d say i’m far from it. i see things in black and white, and i’m not afraid to tell them they’re hopeless if i see nothing able to be worked with. at that point, it’d be a waste of their time and mine. you can say i’m pessimistic in terms of teaching styles, tough love. but i’m also not going to bother bulldozing after the first few hours if it means that i’m shouting for a lost cause.”
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?:
n/a
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
member of knight, est. 2012 (eight years)
creative credits on specific knight tracks (link)
underground rap since 2008
OCCUPATION: main dancer + performance unit leader of charm
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): dance
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?: “i think that both play a part. there’s a lot of benefits to having natural talent, but i also think that someone with less talent who works hard can easily overtake a naturally talented person who isn’t working hard. stuff is constantly evolving, so it’s important to maintain your training to keep up with everything.”
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?: “being motivated, maybe? yeah. there’ll be a lot of times you won’t want to keep going, which i’m sure the trainees already know. you have to power through that somehow. it’s hard to do that without a sense of motivation as your foundation.”
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE: “i can be pretty strict, but only because it’s needed. dance is fun, but you can’t have fun with a choreography until you absolutely know it. you have to keep up with the rest of your group, unless you want to drag them down. people will always be able to point out the person who’s out of sync. i guess i’m tough. i’ll reward people at the end of the day, though, for a job well done, and for putting up with me bossing them around.”
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?: n/a.
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
member of charm + leader of charm’s performance unit.
years of choreography experience as part of charm.
SUMMARY: the questions and answers to a show that sooah is not prepared to be part of, but what could go wrong?
LEGAL NAME:
cho sooah.
STAGE NAME:
sooah.
DATE OF BIRTH:
february 28, 1999.
OCCUPATION:
maknae, vocal and rapper of fuse.
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP):
vocals.
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?:
“It’ll depend a lot on how you’ll handle these. If you have natural talent to be an artist but it’s unpolished, there’s a high chance people won’t give you the chances you deserve just because you didn’t put effort in becoming better than you already is. I lean more towards the side that if you have training, you’ll be able to do anything you want, as long as you put your heart into it. I believe there’s just so much natural talent can do for you, while if you practice, you can go places not even you knew you were capable of.”
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?:
“Perseverance. It’s not an easy line of business. It has its great points, you can do what you love for a living and be on the stage, give people all you have to offer and have this amazing exchange with others but reaching that, even after debuting is difficult and can be overwhelming and sometimes discouraging. But if you don’t go there and try, you’ll never know how it would turn out. Having that patience and curiosity is essential to not let yourself fall when you’re an idol.”
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE:
“Knowing the pace of the people you’re teaching is the most important step I believe? Otherwise, you’ll spend hours of your day on something that won’t be giving back any results. Slowly but consistently sounds like the best way to describe my way of helping them figure out their style?”
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?:
“Modeling and variety have been things that I’ve done a lot in the past few months, and I’ve picked up on how things work mostly that makes me think I can work as someone who will help them in it. It’s awkward at first, I think, especially for modeling and CF shoots because it doesn’t require many of the skills that we’re trained on as idols. It’s not a requirement to know how to smile at the camera, but it turns out to be quite essential to make yourself look good once you debut. I hope I can teach them to be less awkward and more confident on themselves.”
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
- Member of fuse for almost six years.
- Brand ambassador for multiple brands, from drinks to make-up.
- Writing, composing and producing credits.
- Released a collab single with 7rophy’s Lux, with I’m Your Girl.
summary: the question and answer application.
warnings: none
LEGAL NAME: kim taejin
STAGE NAME: taejin
DATE OF BIRTH: february 20, 1990
OCCUPATION: leader, lead vocal of decipher
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): vocals
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?:
“a mix of both, don’t you agree? i think there’s sheer validity in things such as having natural talent, and helping the training refine that. however, if you don’t have any talent, i don’t see why you can’t learn a few more things. anyone can be taught how to sing, and practice makes perfect as shown with how i was able to learn how to dance despite decipher having difficult choreography in the early years. i think it just takes positive reinforcement, and teaching the kids that you can learn a lot. just because someone is better off with basic given skills doesn’t mean you can’t catch up to it.”
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?:
“they need to have a good head on their shoulders. i’ve seen so many things within my twelve years, and it takes a toll on you mentally despite what’s showcased on tv and in mass com. i think it’s important to know that there’s light somewhere, even in the darkest points of hopelessness. that whole learning to rely on yourself? it’s important because at the end of the day in shows like these — you don’t know how the final matches up. to find that place to rely on, lean on when you’re trying to crawl your way to survival, it’s important. it’s okay to cry to yourself, and tell yourself it’ll be okay. i think that’s one thing that people forget in this modern day in age.”
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE:
“i've learned that i’m more of a positive push. i’m guessing the stress and pressures of the journey are enough stressors placed heavy on these kids, so the last thing they need is another adult ridiculing them on their flaws. instead, they need to be told what they’re good at and to continue at these specific points. the point of a group is that there’s rarely any all-rounders, and for that — where one person falls short, the other person picks up. it’s okay to accept that assumption, and to maximize on what skill specifically shines for the individual. i’d become a source they can rely on, and even offer myself on after the show ends that they can come for advice or a place because at the end of the day, what they deserve is a safeplace.”
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?:
“i’d say my expertise apart from decipher. i’ve been leader of decipher for over ten years, and by now i know generally how things work. i know how to pick up on the subtle cues, and the shifts in moods of my members and adjust — i mean, we’re all a team, and maybe that’s how we’ve managed to make it for twelve years. musically, i don’t release much nor collaborate — however, i know how the collabs and songs work to make it a smooth run for not only the producers but anyone i work with. some how, i’ve managed to find some success in that area, unintentionally. aside from that? i’d say my expertise would be acting. it’s always an on-going struggle to dive into new roles and make sure the public knows to separate me from taejin of decipher to kim taejin the actor. currently, i’d say it’s going great. don’t you? and when you really put yourself in the mind frame of having fun with what you do, you end up reaping the success as i’ve somehow managed a few individual brand deals and covers, which i attribute to just the public being accepting of my roles and growth as an individual.”
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
member of decipher, est. 2008
acting since 2012 — career highlights: fight my way, crash landing on you, parasite, itaewon class (on-going).
solo song release — that’s okay.
collab song release — rain (with jiah of bee)
modeling — dominos, kb card, chamiseul soju, unicef ambassador, boy de chanel, good feel
multiple solo magazine covers
OCCUPATION: main dancer and lead rapper of element
AREA OF PERFORMANCE SPECIALIZATION (VOCALS, DANCE, AND/OR RAP): dance
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRAINING OR NATURAL TALENT TO BE AN IDOL? WHY?:
“it’d be a bit hypocritical of me to say that talent is necessary. i joined gold star in 2009, with no musical talent at all. i was brought up in a business-oriented family. i’ve come as far as i have because of my eight years training, and because i didn’t give up. performance, and music, were things i fell in love with by being a trainee, and so, here i am, eleven years later, as the main dancer of my group. anything’s possible with enough effort.”
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ONE TRAIT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR AN IDOL HOPEFUL TO HAVE AND WHY?:
“passion, i think. this job isn’t always the easiest. the hours can be long, the work can be strenuous on the mind and body, and there’s always going to be people judging every move you make. if you’re training only for money, or fame, i don’t think you’ll be very happy. it’s best to love what you’d be doing, so that when things become tough, you have your passion to lean on.”
DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING/MENTORING STYLE:
“hah, it’s quite different from how i am usually. when it comes to songwriting and producing, i try my best to pick into someone’s mind to figure out how they might work best. being friendly, getting to know my partner, that’s all very important to me. but, um, i’m a bit strict when it comes to dance. i’m not a mean person at all, but i do get tunnel vision. i expect my students to be aiming for perfection, and to reach that point. it’s a bit like ballet teachers, if you’ve ever taken ballet classes. it’s my favorite genre of dance for how elegant and precise it is, which is something i take into my teachings.”
IF APPLYING FOR A POSSIBLE MENTOR ROLE IN EPISODE 5 (IDOL TIPS & TRICKS), WHAT AREAS DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN THAT YOU COULD TEACH TO IDOL HOPEFULS (OTHER THAN SINGING, RAPPING, OR DANCING)?:
“i’ve been writing songs for the last four years, um, about two years very seriously. i would hope by now this is a specialty of mine, maybe more so after appearing on our songs. it’s something i would say i have a lot of experience in by now. radio hosting, too! i’ve done that for about two years as well. -uh, and modelling. i’ve done a bit of that lately, but, yeah, i... don’t know if i’d say i could be a good teacher there.”
CAREER EXPERIENCE/HIGHLIGHTS:
-11 years of dance training and experience, with specialization in ballet, contemporary, and idol dance
-4 years as a member of the most successful co-ed group of the 4th generation
-2 years of original radio show hosting
-2 released solo albums
-4 years of songwriting, with chart topping hits “hello tutorial”, “artist”, and “don’t”
-viral moment in 2019 of a cover dance
-winner of dancing with the stars season one
-awards:
2017 AAA Rookie Award with Element
2017 CJ E&M Hottest Rookie with Element
2018 AAA New Wave Award with Element
2019 Korea-China Management Asia Rising Star Awards with Element
2020 MMA Hot Trend Award with Lipstick’s Hyeju for “Don’t”
