RTA Media Production student competes in current season of Canada’s Got Talent

RTA Media Production student Eshan Sobti is competing in Season 4 of Canada’s Got Talent, the country’s biggest talent competition show. The second-year student showcased his singing to the panel of judges during his audition on Tuesday and immediately received a unanimous yes from all four judges. Now, he moves on to the next round, the semi-finals, where his fate in the show will be decided, with a chance at the $1-million prize. 

“I walked in with purpose and confidence and had some banter with the judges. I sang my heart out, and I could see and hear the judges and audience reacting throughout the performance, which gave me more energy to perform,” he said. "They loved the performance, and I cried… a lot!” 

Sobti also notes that he wants to use this opportunity as a point of representation. Growing up as a Punjabi-Canadian, he explains that pursuing a career in the creative industries wasn’t always encouraged. However, he shares that his parents and family have become a large support system – even flying out from British Columbia to attend the audition in-person. 

Building a personal brand as a media professional

As an RTA student, Sobti said he has had the opportunity to extensively learn about the business side of the media industry, including concepts such as pitching, branding, and storytelling. He explained that part of pitching yourself as an artist is being able to successfully tell a personal story, to add depth and humanity beyond a talent. 

“Shows like Canada’s Got Talent look at stories as they want their viewers to be emotionally invested in the contestants. So, I knew that I had to tell my story in a meaningful and moving way, almost “pitching” myself to the show,” he said. “I knew going in what the story that I wanted to tell was, and I knew how I wanted to tell it. The skills I’ve learned throughout my time at RTA so far have allowed me to come into this competition with a foot in the door, as I’ve learned what casting producers and story producers look for in their talent.” 

Behind the scenes of Canada’s largest talent competition show

Sobti’s experience auditioning for Canada’s Got Talent consisted of a long 13-hour day that he describes as “insane, but very fun.” He says the experience was something he dreamed of for so long that it felt so surreal to be experiencing first-hand. 

“The experience of auditioning for Canada’s Got Talent was insane! My call time was at 7 AM, and I auditioned around 8 PM. I got to do some b-roll, walking around the Fallsview Resort in Niagara Falls and taking some shots throughout the venue,” he said. “I did a 1-on-1 interview for my biopack which got pretty emotional. The entire experience was pretty surreal, and I was living out a dream I’ve had since I was a kid.”

Sobti notes that many of the crew members on set were RTA grads, which served as a great opportunity to make connections and bond over similar educational backgrounds. 

“Talking to the RTA grads who were crew members, I got to learn about different shows they worked on, and what they do in the industry, and even talk about how I could work with them in the future,” he said. 

If you would like to support Sobti, tune in to the semi-finals this Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on Citytv, he may need your support to get to the finale. It will be revealed at the end of the episode if he needs your votes, and if so you can do so at citytv.com/vote (external link) . Voting is only open May 7th from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. EST, 3 votes per email. 

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