Smile, you may be on camera

Now you’re going to have to look good even before you go to the salon.

The next time you visit Salon Gregorie’s at Newport Beach, wear plenty of makeup, because you could be on camera. The popular Newport Center salon is the subject of a new television pilot episode that producers hope will be picked up by MTV or another cable channel.

The concept is to follow five of Salon Gregorie’s student stylists as they compete for a full-time spot at the high-end salon.

“It’s a show about what it takes a student fresh out of school to get into a top salon in Newport Beach and be trained by top hairdressers,” said Dusty Simington, the salon’s artistic director.

The show will also follow Simington as he styles the hair of his celebrity clientele and works on a Details Magazine cover shoot featuring actress Tiffani Amber Theissen.

Salon Gregorie’s is one of the few area salons with its own graduate program for newly licensed stylists. About 25 students participate in the program at a time. Students are taught to master the seven basic cuts that Simington said all other styles are based upon. Five students selected for the show will get to travel with Simington to assist on various projects, as well as participate in normal student activities like day-long seminars and recruiting models from shopping centers and restaurants to showcase new hair designs.

“It takes a lot of dedication. They basically have to give up their entire lives for a few months,” he said. “It’s a strong and sought-after position.”

A Hollywood production team will tape the pilot episode from May 2 to May 12 and hopes to present the episode to television executives by June 1. If things go well, the show could start taping in July for the fall television season.