“If I Can Dream” is what co-creator Simon Fuller calls a “post-reality show.” Fuller, who also created “American Idol,” says “If I Can Dream” will document the authentic stories of five young people who dream of success in Hollywood. Viewers will be able to interact with the stars in real time by commenting on the 24/7 live stream that will air on www.ificandream.com.
“If I Can Dream” gives viewers open access to a show in a way that has never been done before. Watch the Hollywood hopefuls’ every move live online as they rehearse, write, socialize, and plan their careers.
In this new type of reality show, there’s no Snookie; there are no booze-fueled sex-rampages — well that’s actually to be seen. But according to Fuller, this is meant to be more of an intimate peek into the lives of normal people struggling to become one of the lucky ones that make it big in Los Angeles.
The five cast members met for the first time in New York City before embarking on a global tour introducing them to the world. They have traveled to Berlin, Tokyo, Taipei, Sydney, Rio, and Toronto, and have returned to the U.S. for a cross-country road trip before moving into their Hollywood Hills home to begin filming on March 2.
Blast met up with the stars at The Hard Rock Cafe where Justin Gaston, the musician of the group, performed following Selena Gomez. Gaston, 21, is a Louisiana native who has already gained some notoriety for being in Taylor Swift’s "Love Story" video as well as for dating pop princess Miley Cyrus in 2009. Along with Justin is Ben Elliot, 22, an actor from Hamburg, NY; Kara Kilmer, 21, an actress from Crowley, TX; Giglianne Braga, 20, a model from Kearny, NJ, and Amanda Philips, 23, an actress/model from Geneva, NY.
BLAST: Justin, how do you think your performance went?
JUSTIN GASTON: I thought it went great.
KARA KILMER: It was an epic performance.
BLAST: How’s Selena Gomez?
BEN ELLIOT: Very sweet girl.
KK: She seems really solid and carries herself very well.
BLAST: Have you seen where you are going to live in Hollywood?
ALL: Yes!
KK: It’s really amazing. On hulu.com you can look up trailers for the show and you can see the house.
BLAST: You guys have been on a tour all over the world the last few weeks. Where is your favorite place?
AMANDA PHILIPS: Everyone says Australia but my favorite was Rio.
KK: I loved Taipei.
BLAST: Did you get some good food in Taipei?
KK: Good food. Good people.
BLAST: How did you guys like the interviews there?
BE: (laughs) Different.
AP: Absolutely crazy!
BLAST: Were they game shows?
KK: They were all partly game shows. It’s so indescribable. It was kinda like walking into Candy Land.
JG: There were always teenage kids interacting on the shows.
KK: (laughs) They always had crazy sound effects going the whole time. You would say one thing and then “booooinngg.”
BLAST: How were you guys cast for the show? Did you send videos?
KK: It was different for all of us.
JG: I was in LA and casting directors had been sent out all over the city for the show.
BLAST: Did you guys ever think you would be doing something like this?
ALL: No.
KK: Great opportunity though!
BLAST: Has this all been a whirlwind lately?
KK: It is still sort of surreal going into interviews and taking pictures with people.
AP: I love every second of it. I got a chance to go home for a couple of days after we got back from Toronto. I’m from upstate New York. It feels so different to be home after you get out of the whole interview thing. You’re home then all of a sudden you are back out in it.
BLAST: Who wants to give our readers a sum up of what the show is and what you will be doing?
AP: To viewers it’s an inside look at Hollywood. But to us, it’s a way to make our dreams come true by getting great acting coaches. Justin will be working with amazing songwriters and producers; Giglianne will be working with modeling coaches. We are getting the best out of the business and get to progress in our talents and a chance to be somebody, and of course make our dreams come true!
BLAST: You guys seem very excited for this opportunity.
BE: We are pumped. But we realize how fortunate we are to have an opportunity that no one really gets.
KK: We all know we are very lucky.
BLAST: Did you guys go to school or have you been focusing on this your whole life?
JG: Well, we went to high school. (Laughs)
BLAST: Hopefully.
KK: I am actually in my last semester at Baylor. I am completing it abroad.
BLAST: At Blast we get a lot of twilight fans hitting the site…
JG: TEAM ED!
GIGLIANNE BRAGA: Team Ed.
JG: I really don’t think there should be a team Bella, personally. There should just be Ed and Jacob. I mean they are going after Bella right? A team Bella shouldn’t exist.
BE: I really think you should really know that we are gonna be on 24 hours, completely unedited on ificandream.com. There are 50 cameras in the house and you could click on me and follow me around all day. There are even cameras in the car so the car is like part of the house.
AP: A Ford Fiesta.
BLAST: What about the bathroom?
BE: There is only one in the mirror. You can’t see anything inappropriate.
BLAST: Do you feel prepared to be filmed 24 hours a day?
ALL: No idea.
BLAST: Guess you can’t actually prepare for this experience.
JG: Well, I had my roommate follow me around with a camera for a while.
BLAST: What! Really?
JG: No, not really
ALL: (laugh at gullible journalist)
BLAST: It’d be a lot funnier if you did. Any advice for young people looking to get in the industry?
KK: Keep trying.
JG: MySpace has an audition process for the show so definitely try out. Once one of us moves on in the industry and out of the house they will put someone new in.
BE: Yea, this is going to be an ongoing type of thing.
JG: But, yeah, just definitely be persistent.
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