It’s everyone’s dream job, right? Getting paid to be in the theme parks – and not only that, but getting to wow guests with your encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the park. There are plenty of folks out there with the same big dreams – and for anyone in within a reasonable commute to Universal Studios Hollywood, now’s the chance! Universal Studios Hollywood is running a casting call for its beloved Studio Tour attraction, which recently marked a milestone 60 years of operation.
“The Studio Tour is the genesis of Universal Studios Hollywood, the original theme park in the Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio,” a press release states, the company’s pride surrounding this attraction second to none – and with good reason! That’s not an exaggeration – Universal Studios as we know it today would not have existed if it weren’t for its original attraction.
A Star Is Born: The Original Tour
Before Universal Studios Hollywood was a theme park, it was a film studio. Universal Studios Founder Carl Laemmle was a pioneer in the film industry, and had moved his studio out west to the up-and-coming Hollywood locale, making the move from New York to Hollywood in 1914. A year later, the tours began, marketed as a tour of “The World’s Only Movie City,” in an attempt to generate publicity about the new location.
A grand opening gala was held, attended by contemporary celebrities such as Thomas Edison, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Valentino, among thousands of others. This preview of the studio was such a roaring success that Laemmle continued operating the tours, allowing the general public to witness the goings-on in his “movie city”. Admission was charged, granting guests a boxed lunch and a spot on the bleachers where they could watch the filming take place.
In 1915, the price of admission to Universal Studios: 25 cents – just about 8.00 today.
Unfortunately, this original set-up did not last long; in 1927, Warner Brothers Studio in collaboration with the Vitaphone corporation produced The Jazz Singer, widely regarded as the first major motion picture featuring sound; it was a paradigm shift in the industry, with studios across the board scrambling to catch up, producing “talkies” of their own and flooding the market with a new type of moving picture film.
Unfortunately, that meant that sound now had to be recorded during filming – which made the cheering crowds watching the filing a detriment to the process. The guests were just too noisy to film the new talkies, and the earliest iteration of the studios tour came to an end.
A Second Chance: The Modern Studio Tour
It would be thirty years before the studio tour returned, but there was still a demand for guests to see behind-the-scenes movie magic, and Universal Studios has always been at the forefront of guest innovation. In the late 1950s, Universal Studios began selling tickets for the studio tour once again, hoping to drive attendance to the Studio Commissary.
Unlike the Studio Tour we have today, the version of the tour in the 1950s was not done in-house. Instead, Universal had contracted with several bus companies to allow them to drive onto the lot, giving them curated scripts to explain the movie magic, as well as to help advertise upcoming movies. With a quick stop at the Studio Commissary for lunch, the busses would be on their way, and everyone benefits from the deal that had been struck!
By the mid 1960s, the studio was so impressed with the popularity of these tours that they started to experiment with operating the entire tour in-house – from the busses to the tour guides, they wanted to make this beloved tour a permanent attraction on their lot. The first official Universal Studios Tram Tour opened in 1964, run with two trams and as few as six guides, many of whom had Hollywood connections there at the studio.
Compared to the show-stopper that the Tram Tour is today, the original itinerary for the show was slightly different; a 90-minute tour that explored the backlots, including a stop at the commissary and ending with a make-up show hosted by Mike Westmore that took place in the commissary’s basement.
In its first year of operation, an estimated 38,000 guests rode the first official Universal Studios Tram Tour. They had an unmitigated success on their hands.
Tours Today: Universal’s Casting Call
Today, Universal Studios Hollywood employs over 150 Studio Tour Guides. It’s a coveted position that receives auditions from around the globe when casting calls open; now, Universal has opened its newest call for energetic and enthusiastic tour guides from all walks of life.
Those chosen for this prestigious role will be entitled to a variety of exclusive opportunities and Hollywood insider knowledge, free acting classes and symposiums with lauded industry professionals, and the broad job flexibility that is enjoyed by all Universal Studios actors pursuing careers in film and television. Cross-training is also encouraged, allowing Universal Studios Hollywood team members to broaden their horizons within the industry, amassing valuable skills and experiences.
Universal cites its former Studio Tour Guide talent as some of the most successful names in the industry, including John Murdy, Creative Director and Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, who began his career in 1989 as a Studio Tour Guide.
“I visited Universal in 1972,” Murdy recalls. “The history of the Studio, my passion for movies and the Glamor Tram never left me. The ability to be on a movie studio lot, was one of the reasons I become a Studio Tour Guide. Being a Tour Guide was what helped me make connections and land that job. When I look back at my career, I credit the Studio Tour for the professional career I have today.”
Candidates are encouraged to visit Universal Studios Hollywood’s job site [here] to access the official job listing for this casting call, where they can submit their audition. Universal has stated that they are looking for applicants to submit a “self-taped audition that includes a brief self-introduction, toplining relevant experience with emphasis on public speaking, performance, or customer engagement and reading a passage from the official Studio Tour script.” They have noted that in-person callbacks will commence once the casting team has reviewed all submissions.
Check back soon, as Theme Park Shark will continue to report on the Studio Tram Tour and the casting call happening at Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as theme park news from Disney, Universal, and theme parks from all across the world!
