If someone approaches you about “buying” your reality show, whether it is a distributor (such as a network) or a production company, I want you to take a step, a breath, a vacation, SOMETHING before excitedly saying, “Yes!” These are things to consider once you have created a show.

1) Legal representation. You absolutely must hire an attorney who has done many reality production deals to go over any contract that anyone presents you. No one else (as in, not a divorce attorney, a film attorney, etc.). It is too easy to be cut out of a show (or locked into one), depending on what you are or are not bringing to the table at this early stage. Things to consider include what your role will be if the show is picked up by a network, what your role will be if the show survives past one episode or a full season, and, surprisingly, what options you will have to get away from the show even if it is picked up and produced. Our business model is unlike any other in the entertainment industry - trust me, you want someone who has seen and circumvented all manners of horror and hilarity representing you in any negotiations with anybody.

2) Payment possibilities. In non-fiction TV, there are typically no creator fees or credits. Instead, there are production fees, which usually represent a percentage of the overall budget once a series order is negotiated. And those fees go directly to the production company that the network hires to produce the show, not to creators. A successful pitch might first get a development contract, which typically means about $5-15k that goes to a production company or show runner who will work with the network to create an executable treatment, budget, schedule, etc. That is to cover company overhead for usually up to 6 months, so it does not go very far at all! If you have a deal with that production company, though, you can negotiate for a small piece of the development money, and they may actually give it to you. They probably will not because they will be doing all of the work to get the series order, but they might do so to remove you from the project. So here, you may be able to get a couple thousand dollars.

3) Pitch partners. Not all prod cos are created equal! So before you agree to partner with a prod co before the show is picked up, be sure they have a solid track record of producing reality shows for the networks you plan on trying to sell the show to. Because even established prod cos can have a tough time cracking new networks they have not yet produced programming for. Check IMDb.com for shows that are similar to yours or networks that are right for your project to cull a list of companies you should be talking to.

All of the money that exchanges hands in non-fiction generally is for production work, whether it is development or actual production. If you have reality production experience, that is a strong card to play to stay attached to the show and earn a weekly salary if the series is picked up. If you are the central talent, or have a contract on the central talent, that is another way to stay attached - and requires a heavy attorney presence to protect you for other gigs and revenue streams that the distributor will want to control. But in our business model, you are rarely paid to walk away. You are just cut out of the deal.

As always, I recommend that you read through the dozens of posts in this blog to learn more about our business, and be sure to check out my book, The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, if you are serious about selling a show and staying attached.

Over the years, the team at Tidal Wave TV and I have overseen dozens of top-rated shows througout the reality TV explosion. If you think this might also be the career for you, here are some insights that will help you ride the reality wave:

Industry Structure. Usually, production companies (independent or studio-owned) produce shows for the networks (our “distributors”) to broadcast. Therefore, working on a reality show means getting staffed at the production company that’s producing it. Teir logo card airs at the end of the show on most networks, or you can look the show up on IMDb under “Company Credits.” There could be more than one company listed, so you may have to reach out to find out which company oversees physical production of the show!

Reality Myths. Non-fiction shows aren’t shot in the field then pieced together in an editing bay…or they shouldn’t be! Producers are needed who understand story beats and character arc in order to track stories from pre-interviews to field shoots to editing. And reality isn’t all about shaming guests or grossing the audience out! There are a lot of life-changing/life-affirming shows getting great ratings - I know because I’ve produced them.

Types of jobs. If any of the non-fiction genres appeal to you as a possible career goal, consider the skills you have that would work in these five areas:

• Casting needs recruiters to feed the machine with qualified, charismatic people to appear on shows.
• Story/Creative needs writers, researchers and bookers/interviewers to work with guests to develop their stories.
• Field needs directors, camera and audio operators, and support crew to capture the show in action.
• Production needs skilled office coordinators and production assistants to keep the machine running smoothly.
• Post needs editors, loggers and assistants to cut the shows together into hits.

Be warned: reality TV is brutal work (6-7-day weeks, 12+ hour days) with little time or money for error, so don’t try to start at the top by launching a production company and pitching shows before you learn how they operate. This is an industry where it pays off to learn fast as you go, and you absolutely will rise if you get the experience and contacts you need to create and sustain hit shows.

Finding a job. The truth is, you usually need to know someone to get a job. Wherever you live, join at least one professional writer or producer’s organization (or start one if you can’t find one). FIND is nationwide, for instance. Be a good contact, and you’ll make good ones. Post your rez at RealityStaff.com, and check there and Craig’s List and www.mandy.com for regular listings. If you live in L.A. or NYC, contact a show you love with a one-page, typed rez (use a Word table for a clean look), and offer to work for free for a set period of time. Everyone’s got a lot of interns, so stick it out until you find a company who needs you. Then wow them with your skills and see if you don’t get a paying job (or at least an all-important screen credit).

Selling Your Own Show. Selling your own reality show is not impossible; it just is not as easy as many people think it is! Our Show Starter service puts on seminars for professional organizations, film festivals, colleges and more to help people understand the unusual business model that is reality TV. If you are trying to sell your own reality show, be sure to read this blog and our book, The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System: Ten Steps to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show. Don’t forget to order the online goodie bag, filled with key resources you will need to make that sale!

Reality Checks… are lower than the fiction world, but it’s a great living once you get going.

If you’ve read my book and this blog or attended my seminars, or seen the sometimes irate responses to both, you will know that people are insistent on seeing selling a reality show as a “get-rich-quick” scheme…and I am insistent on saying, this is not even a “get-rich-slow” scheme.  I do admire the persistence with which show creators try to come up with a different approach to allow them to sell a show and walk away with riches.  That persistence absolutely will serve you when the step into the show selling process for the first time!

A common question, which I address in detail in The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, is if you can go out and pre-sell the advertising for the show by bringing sponsors on board with your pitch before approaching a network distributor.  And if so, can you keep part of that money, or get a better payout when the show gets picked up?

The quick answer is NO, NO, NO! You don’t want to bring money to a table that may not want it. Say you bring Home Depot and the network has a buyout with Lowe’s. There goes your show. Next, that money is Ad Sales’ money to earn, and they will cripple you if you take commissions out of their pocket. Third, brand integration is not simple to acquire, and there are considerable controls to be exercised, particularly with conflicting placements or language. That is what experts are for. The best you can do is bring letters of interest, which are tough to get without a series order, but no committed money unless it is critical to the show being made (if, for example, you implode a casino in episode 1, you’ll want a letter of intent from Steve Wynn that he is in for blowing up one of his buildings).

If you are trying to cash out in this business, take a closer look at writing a screenplay, where you actually will be paid to walk away. It is not the reality business model. And for all the work you would do trying to hunt down advertisers and pay attorneys to hammer out deals, you could be shopping a script and trying to make that sale.

Think of it another way. Take away the entertainment industry aspect of your questions because I know Hollywood is portrayed as one big lottery ticket with a zip code, no matter how much professionals insist it is otherwise (and it IS otherwise). Is there another industry you can think of where you would comfortably expect to start at the top of the industry with no experience and be able to do the job properly, at least as well as the leaders in the field, and expect to be paid top dollar for it? In my screenwriting book, I talk about expecting to do open heart surgery the first day you walk into a hospital because you’ve watched E.R. and have a passion for medicine. No one would let you operate on them, obviously, and you would not argue with them about that because you would not think you could actually do it. And you probably would not expect to be paid the hundreds of thousands generally charged for the surgery either, given that you are not a med school graduate.

This is not an easy business. Not (just) because it is hard to make the contacts you need to succeed. It is actually hard to do what we do. Crafting a show takes actual skill, understanding of legal issues, of how your client (the distributor) operates, of who you will need to make each piece work correctly, of what kind of money is spilling off of the page of creative, of the insurance issues that might crop up without critical changes to concept, of casting strategies, etc. And that is just in preparing to pitch, not in running it, which I know is not part of your note below.

Take a moment and remove the term “cash out” from your goal of making this show. Is there any other reason to make it? Will it change the world in some way? Will it change your life in some way? Is it worth all of the hard work required to craft it and get a series order? How much money were you hoping to make to walk away? Is there another way to make that same amount of money in the next 6-8 months, which is the amount of time it may take for anyone to see any kind of check even if the show is picked up on the first pitch? Even if you brought money to the table, why should you be entitled to keep any of it since it is there to pay for production and distribution, neither of which you are supplying?

If you have a contact to pitch a solid show to, I trust you have already read my book, gone through the blog and prepared a powerful, compelling, entertaining treatment with that key element that attaches you to the sale. If you want to make money, staying attached and working the show is the way to go. All the best with your pitches!

This is the number one question I receive across all avenues of access. My detailed answer in post #13 - “How do I sell my own reality TV show?” - remains one of the most popular posts on my blog.

With this post, I want to talk more specifically about how to get pitch meetings to shop your show. That’s because the expression “selling a reality show,” honestly, is a bit misleading. It suggests that someone “buys” your reality show, and that, therefore, money changes hands in that process. As I explain yet again below, that is not typically part of our business model, especially one’s first time out. So with this post, I want to clarify that the two real verbs in our industry are “pitching” (or “shopping”) a show in the beginning, and “getting an order” for a show at the end (which may be a pilot order or a series order for multiple episodes - not always 13!).

As you try to shop your first show, please, right now, reframe your language to say “How do I get a pilot or series order for my show?” That will more clearly set up the journey you are about to embark on, and it will keep you focused on your actual goal in the process.

Next, I want you to reframe your initial step in this process, the pitch, from the singular to the plural, as in, “How do I pitch my own reality shows?” You never want to scratch and claw your way into a meeting, at last, and bring only one idea. There is a lot of opportunity sitting across from you at that moment, and if they say, “That pitch is not right for us - what else do you have?”…well, your having nothing else is going to be a shame.

So are you with me? You are not trying to “sell a reality show” anymore. You now are trying to “pitch multiple reality shows” to try to “get an order” for at least one of them. Here’s how you are going to do this.

There is one main way to pitch any reality show, and that is through someone you know. If you feel resistance or despair or skepticism upon reading that statement, stop for a moment and regroup. That is not a flip answer - it is an industry truth, and embracing it will help you strategize correctly towards your goal. You simply must actively and regularly seek to meet people who will enable you to pitch (more on how to do this without being a parasite in post #10 “How can I get someone to help me break into the biz?“).

How do you start networking effectively? Ideally, you or someone involved with your projects is a reality industry professional, so you should first reach out to the heads of any production companies where you have worked to see if they are a fit for your particular genre of show or will make an introduction to a prod co or network on your behalf. In addition, professional groups like the TV Academy and Producers Guild offer many resources, from meeting network heads to educational and social gatherings where you can network and try to set up meetings, so your team’s reality insider(s) must take advantage of those. Finally, a reality professional absolutely can cold call development heads at networks for shows they have worked on to try to get a meeting, but it is a tougher route. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you reach out to a prod co or a net; it matters that you find someone who will take your call AND that they have a track record making shows like yours that actually air.

If you do not have anyone on the team with a reality track record, it is harder to shop a show, understandably (since that represents starting at the very top of a tough industry), and appreciably harder to stay attached to it since you would not be bringing valued experience to the table. It still can be done, with a lot of cold calling and persistence - and a focus on the unique and exceptional talent (like a Cesar Milan) that you have built the show around. Reality show ideas are not hard to come by (please believe that), but great talent is, and that will be your in! Otherwise, you are asking for a favor in getting any meeting, and that can stick you in the “parasite” column quickly (see above), even if that seems unfair. You can pitch to either nets or prod cos; again, that will be determined mainly by whom you can meet and convince to take your pitch. Expect to sign a release, as well.

I always point out that our business model usually does not include a show’s creator being paid for getting a green light (be prepared, in fact, to spend money to “sell” your show). In non-fiction, an order often instead triggers a small development fee that goes directly to the production company hired to flesh out the project, which is usually a company the network has a close and trusting relationship with. So as you list the reasons you want to sell the show, remove “making money” from the list and push ahead. Money comes AFTER production begins if you can stay attached (which is easier if you already have reality credits), so be sure to have an experienced non-fiction attorney on your team to fight for you to have a production position if it sells. That’s where some of the expenses come from.

What about the agent option? It is very unlikely you will be able to secure a reality agent unless your team’s reality insider is an established show runner, or at least at the senior producer level on a show. Non-fiction agents don’t typically rep shows or projects; they rep talent. That’s because, per the last point, there is no money in selling reality shows, but there is considerable money in taking 10% of a show runner’s weekly salary. If you (or your team’s reality person) have management level credits on a successful show, it is perfectly all right to cold call agents to try to set up an introductory meeting. Your job there is to convince them you are hirable onto many shows at the management level and that, again, you have multiple pitches ready to shop so they can try to sell a show for your own production company once you have the credits to warrant that (for which they can fight for a bundling fee as you hire all of their other clients to the show’s staff).

Are you ready now to pitch your show? That depends on if you have multiple projects prepared to present and have networked your way into effective people to present those projects to. I discuss our industry’s business model and shopping shows in enormous detail throughout this blog and in my book on pitching and selling reality shows, “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System: Ten Steps to Crafting and Pitching a Sellable Show.” As you research more about the biz, stay focused on success in reality TV in terms of having a successful career in reality TV because that is where you can both sell a show AND make money in the process.

Every week, I probably field about a dozen queries from people all over the world who ask these general questions:

• How do I own my show?
• How do I keep the rights to my show?
• How do I produce my own show?
• How do I syndicate my own show?

Without fail, after we’ve talked, the real question underneath those original ones is: “How do I make as much money as possible for as little effort as possible in reality TV?”

If you already have read my book (it’s been called the “bible” of the biz!), this won’t be news, but if not, know this: Reality TV is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s not even a get-rich-SLOW scheme. The phrase “as little effort as possible” is not in the game plan. As guilds battle over how to organize and represent reality staffers, keep an eye on these telltale complaints: “Seven-day work weeks,” “Eighteen-hour days,” etc. Reality was the first career I had where the higher I rose the crazier I had to work. From PAs to show runners, reality professionals lead very intense lives.

To better grasp this, I encourage you to settle in and read all of my posts from year one. Until then, let me walk you through the business model briefly.

WHO MAKES THE MONEY
Advertisers, networks, production companies, staff. See how “show creator” is not on the list? That’s not part of our model typically. Even development dollars are slim in non-fiction. If you’re planning on cashing in by selling an idea to a show for big bucks (which honestly is a lot of people’s plan, based on my email), buy a lottery scratcher and up your odds. Not to be harsh! Just to really drive home that it is not the way we work.

HOW THEY MAKE MONEY
Advertisers sell products. Networks make ad income and licensing and DVD income from re-distributing your show. Production companies get a fee for making the show. Staffers make weekly paychecks (they’re the only ones pretty much guaranteed to be paid, no matter what).

WHY THEY MAKE MONEY
These institutions make all the money because they take all of the risk and do all of the work. They already have lots of ideas, including a few dozen that are pretty darn similar to yours. Move past having an idea as the money-maker and focus on executing it into a sellable pitch. Come to my seminars (they’re usually free) or read the book! There is a way to navigate this, and it’s not impossible. It’s just a lot of work - and shouldn’t it be for all of the reward?

All right, I’ve laid the groundwork and can answer those questions now:

• How do I own my show?
  • Produce, distribute and market it yourself. That’s even more work and more money than the network route, but if you’ve got a ton of reality experience and an existing audience, it’s not a bad plan. If you’ve never made a reality show in your life before, reconsider this option. The time and money you spend trying to start at the top might be better invested in taking seminars and actually earning money working on someone else’s show to learn the ropes.
• How do I keep the rights to my show?
  • Same as the above. As soon as someone invests the time, money and risk to distribute and market your product, they are going to want the rights so they can make their money back.
• How do I produce my own show?
  • Usually, you work for a few years on other people’s shows, learn the biz, form a production company or partner with a more experienced company and produce a couple of shows to get some traction, rep and connections before launching your own projects independently. If reality is entirely new to you, at the very least you want to invest in an experienced show runner to build the production out and oversee it. Show runners aren’t cheap, but they’re less expensive than shows that you scrap due to poor production value, blown clearances, lack of story development, etc.
• How do I syndicate my own show?
  • That requires some strong tentacles in that world or an excellent showing at a product conference, like NATPE’s annual gathering in Vegas.

The big tip I always open with when I talk to reality enthusiasts is: in each of these questions, replace the word “how” with the word “why”? That’s when we usually get to the “instant money” plan. Instead, imagine what the most is you will get for the MOST amount of effort you put into this business. That attitude shift alone will open far more doors.

I have twice gotten a note that my advice is “discouraging” to newcomers. That may be true. It is not my intention to discourage anyone from succeeding in this very amazing industry. But if the tough truth about how to get the job done does anything other than motivate you to get the job done right the first time out with someone’s generous free advice, believe me, your first day on a reality staff is going to be brutal. So I hope you decide to process the information, apply it, and send me links to your show credits as you advance.

All the best with your projects!

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Okay, on to today’s question, one I receive regularly in various forms. Most people want to know how they can raise their own money for a film or show so they can retain their rights and keep all or a good chunk of the back-end profit. To quote Chris Rock, “um…slow down.”

In this post, I am going to speak to the television business model. For filmmakers, just know you can replace “networks” with “studio distribution arm” and “advertisers” with “financiers,” and you will have pretty much the same answer.

Whoever distributes your project to its audience is going to want rights to that project so they can make money from that project. Distribution is the space the broadcast and cable networks occupy for TV, and they are not interested in sharing the profit from that when they are the ones doing the distributing that garners the audience that attracts the advertisers who pay the money.

Even if you funded your project entirely, if you want a network to distribute it, they are going to want all of the distrib rights, including syndication, foreign sales, etc.

How do you get around this? Distribute it yourself.

Hard to do for a television project, right? Of course! That is why the nets make a nice dollar - they control most of the means of distribution. Or, at least, they did until new media. That is the core of this WGA stand-off, the upfront craziness the past two years and many more battles to come. (Clearly, we learned nothing from
Napster. Okay, Steve Jobs did. But seriously, no one else in the industry seems to have caught that clue.)

With new media, a producer can bypass the network middlemen and distribute straight to your audience. From there, you can take those hard-won audience stats to advertisers and keep all the ad money for yourself.

But wait! you say. I don’t have the money or knowledge to build a Web site! I’m a producer, not a marketer. I don’t know how to find my audience, convince them to come to my site - and how would I pay for all of that site promotion? Plus, I don’t have the personal contacts, staff or infrastructure to go solicit advertising and track the numbers and report to my clients. I just want my show to be seen!

That is the network’s argument EXACTLY. If they are going to establish and utilize the distribution infrastructure, deliver their core audience and pay to build a bigger one, throw a marketing team behind it, build an ad sales team to bring in the ad dollars, draw on their Madison Ave. relationships to get it paid for, manage the numbers and reporting, stand behind those numbers if they fall short and make it up to the advertisers…then they should be the ones making ALL OF THE MONEY for those necessary efforts.

In short, the nets don’t demand all of the profits from your show because of what it cost to PRODUCE it (that is part of the equation, but not the biggest). They expect that money because of what it takes to DISTRIBUTE it. And they are pretty much the only distribution game in town.

There are some ways to get around this, all of which require a SUBSTANTIAL CASH OUTLAY on your part. But you would not expect great reward without great risk and great investment because…well, you have read all the posts on this blog and my books. So on to the real question underneath today’s topic:

HOW DO I KEEP EVEN A SMALL PIECE OF MY PROJECT?

1) ATTACH STAR TALENT (small piece). If you know Barack Obama, and have something on him that forces him to agree to doing a behind-doors reality show about his campaign, then get a firm deal memo with Mr. Obama and start shopping. When you two demand a piece of your show, you will get it. Not ALL OF THE BACK END, mind you…not 50% of the back end…not even 25% of it probably, because someone else is paying for distribution.

Your Costs: Extraordinary legal fees plus production fees for a sizzle reel to prove the level of access you are claiming and show how it is different from the 24/7 Obama-rama we all can access on his site, You-Tube, our cell phones, etc.

2) SELL DIRECTLY INTO SYNDICATION (big piece). Hey, NATPE is every year in Vegas (Google “NATPE” if that’s new to you, everyone). So go ahead and shoot your series and take it straight to the buyers on the floor of the convention center. It’s a tough road, but it’s an independent one! Why isn’t it the whole piece, you ask? Because you will still need a distributor to deliver your product to the station groups around the country (Oprah works with King World, for example).

Your Costs: Full production costs of multiple episodes, legal fees, booth and promo at NATPE (that is in the 10s of thousands alone).

3) GO STRAIGHT TO THE ‘NET OR MOBILE (whole pie). The money you spend trying to circumvent network ownership, I strongly assert, is far better spent building a new media presence for your project. Bring that audience into a room to pitch it AFTER you’ve built it, and you are having a different discussion entirely.

Your Costs: Building a company, including Web developer(s), production team, ad sales, marketing & PR, support staff, etc. With the right hires, that’s only a handful of very savvy, very driven people. Hint: Look for network escapees/burnouts.

Final thought. Definitely read my books on how to sell reality shows (or screenplays), and read EVERY POST IN my blog (it’s free!). Get comfortable with the fact that you are not going to print up an enormous profit on one foray into the biz, especially your first. As I once told a horrified producers’ roundtable, “Hollywood is not the lottery with pretty canyons.” Reality TV, in particular, is a long-term, quantity-driven business model - that people oddly/incorrectly/insanely believe is the easiest way to get rich quick in the biz.

Instead, jump into the industry at whatever level you are qualified to participate (remember, selling your own project is the TOP OF THE GAME). Give yourself time to get established, learn the profession, make relationships, learn every angle of making television (each genre is a wildly different beast), then try to inch towards profit. You will see results from that effort.

My good friend JM says, “Why is everyone in Hollywood so busy trying to be the exception when there is so much money to be made just following the rules?” I wrote my books so people could learn the rules and get busy playing by them so they can begin their entertainment careers.

Go get ‘em!

Ownership is a very simple discussion in reality production. You can’t offer any because you usually won’t have any (sad but true!). And even if you managed to get any on paper, you would not see anything in the bank.

Ownership vs. Income: “Front-End”
Very quickly, a lot of people confuse “ownership” in a non-fiction TV project with front end payments. Wrong! Front end payments are just that, fees for service. And typically, all front end money from a network goes to whatever physical production company is going to make the show. In reality TV, even creating a show, you personally would be lucky to see any of that. That money’s for production, and if anything is left over, the production company keeps a portion. That’s why you have to produce a lot of shows to make any money on our side of town. And that’s why production companies are reluctant to share any front end payments with people who aren’t doing any of the production work or taking any of the production risk.

If you already work in reality TV, know this - the production companies you’ve worked for over the past few years? No way they own any of the shows they’ve made (okay, unless it’s Burnett or Bankable!). The network owns everything. They have all rights, worldwide, universally and in perpetuity to distribute the completed show and retain all the money from that because, well, they paid for it and, well, you signed a contract agreeing to just that.

Ownership vs. Participation: “Back-End”
What most people confuse for ownership in TV actually is “back end” payments. Again, you don’t usually OWN anything, but you get to “participate” in sharing any profits from the show. That comes from things like overseas sales, format spin-offs, ad income against re-runs, etc. (all of which still are rare in reality TV - don’t think that The Apprentice is the norm). Back end is a joke in Hollywood because no one usually sees any of that. Movies that break records with $200 million takes…often break hearts at the studio when marketing and production costs still leave them in the red! Since networks and studios usually recoup their money in the back-end, they are less than inclined to share that action with you.

Sadly, the complicated formula for back-end leaves the network infinitely free to charge expenses against any income your show ever makes then give you .01% of the balance (or whatever number you negotiate), which will pretty much always be negative. Trust me. In reality TV, sometimes nets don’t fight about giving you back end. That’s because they know they never will show a profit that warrants paying it.

Keep in mind that in non-fiction, back-end also is a production company perk, not a show creator perk. That’s something the production company can choose to share with you. Not unheard of…because everyone knows it’s often a meaningless number.

Talent Participation
If you want to offer talent 10% of your back-end, should you actually get any of it, that’s generous relationship-wise but fairly meaningless financially. The big question for your talent really is: what does s/he want to get out of this show if it sells? Is it fame and exposure? That comes from working with the network to be available for publicity 24/7. Is it revenue stream? If that’s the case, tell your talent to start creating his/her own branded back-end that s/he CONTROLS THE RIGHTS TO. That means books, speaking presentations, product lines, whatever the talent’s specialty warrants. Tell them to bring as much into the game as possible and have an instant way to distribute it if the show becomes a hit. Trust that Cesar Milan is not making most of his dough because he has a piece of the back-end of a half-hour show on “National Geographic.” He is leveraging that show into a 24-hour infomercial for his books, ranch, CDs, personal speaking engagements, etc. He’s getting a weekly salary to promote his empire!

Creative Partner Participation
For a partner, the same “big picture” applies. The money to be made on a first show is in working on that show. So if they have production credits, what they want to fight for is a staff to management position that gets them a weekly salary. If they have no credits, this is a good chance to get one - in a position that they are qualified to hold. While you and your partner are building your show-selling foundation, these gigs will pay you well until you are in a position to finally be the company producing the show - and earning that production fee. But know this, too, those first few shows your company produces…you will earn less than you were making before as a management-level staffer!

Your Big Picture
As for you, as the show creator, I recommend against getting too invested in back-end yourself. Until it’s your production company, the amount will be fairly meaningless even on a hit. Go ahead and ask for it, but your efforts right now will best be served in getting the highest title on the show you can get so you can move closer to being a show runner on the NEXT show you sell. That’s when you negotiate for your own production company either to do the show or to PARTNER with the company the network approves. Because that’s how you’ll start getting a piece of the front end, which is the only guaranteed money in reality TV.

If you’re excited about your latest TV or film project and are hitting a pitching wall, you may be tempted to grab a camera, call in some favors and shoot the whole thing yourself! Is there ever a right time to do that? Well, yes. And there also are right times to not even consider it. Let’s talk about the truth and consequences behind shooting your own reels.

Presentation Reels
For filmmakers, you’ll often want to shoot a presentation reel to convince funders to come aboard. That actually is a terrific idea. But not always a necessary one. Start with a solid screenplay first. Shopping a screenplay is far easier and certainly wholly acceptable as a means to get financiers, key team members and even vendors on board. If you’re not getting any action from the script, put your next budget dollars towards a professional script analysis. Make sure your script is truly shootable and worth shooting. It costs only a few hundred dollars for detailed development notes from The 1-3-5 System, for example. It will cost you a few thousand, at the least, to shoot a reel and hope you can do with pictures what you haven’t yet done with words.

EXCEPTIONS: The big exception here is when you have a challenging, non-CGI visual, setting or performance that repeatedly is questioned by script readers. If you keep hearing “Can that be done?,” it might be time for a presentation reel.

RULE: Once you commit to doing a reel, hire a professional staff and crew. A shoddy-looking reel may cost you credibility, while excellent production value can really boost it.

Sizzle Reels
For reality producers, your show’s demo tape is called a “sizzle reel.” And your battle cry is all too often, “I’ll just produce the show myself!” Slow down. I had an interesting discussion last weekend with two major reality production and network execs, both of whom were happy to get sizzle reels since they feel reels help them sell an idea to others on their team. But I have often heard exactly the opposite from execs: “Sizzle reels can kill a deal.” One concern is that reels often don’t match the vision your pitch was building in an exec’s mind. Bye-bye sale. Another concern is that a good producer conforms a pitch to work with the brand of each partner s/he meets with. So a sizzle reel you shoot that satisfies one prod co’s brand may completely violate the mission of another company, etc. How many reels do you plan to shoot?

For more detailed dissection of when to sizzle or not, read The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1: How to Create and Pitch a Sellable Reality Show.

FYI, the general consensus at the end of last weekend’s debate was, if at all possible, be sure to ask the exec you plan to pitch how they feel about sizzle reels.

EXCEPTIONS: If something in your show is visually electrifying or conceptually challenging in words, a demo reel of just that portion of your show is a big help.

RULE: Don’t cheap out on the shoot! Make it look great; it’s also your calling card to show what you can do if they keep you attached to the show.

Performer Reels
No disagreement here. Any time you are presenting unknown talent to an executive, a reel that showcases their ability and brand is a winner. For fiction, that’s a casting tape; for non-fiction, that’s a talent reel. For a casting tape, invest in real audio, and choose sides that sell your talent in his or her strongest part of the script. For a talent reel, you can include a brief personal introduction (interview set-up is fine), the talent in action in their natural environment and even testimonials. Whatever project you’re doing, light this reel beautifully and edit it professionally - this is the face of your project!

Professional Reel
If you are a director, producer, DP, editor or other B-T-S professional, you often will be asked for a demo reel of your work. Note that there is a huge difference between a professional reel…and a professional anthology. You don’t/shouldn’t/can’t put absolutely everything you’ve ever done onto a tape. Take the following advice - even though it challenges everything you believe in. Make a branding statement with your demo reel. Choose shows and selects that all accent your point-of-view as a content creator. Or that highlight your particular visual style. Or that showcase your big league clientele. Decide what impression you want your reel to leave, what makes you special as a project hire, then play the rough cut for people and ask them to share their gut reaction. If their feedback doesn’t match the kind of projects you most want to get - get back in there and re-cut that reel.

All Reels
You have 5 minutes at the most for a reel, but know that an exec really will only look at the first 2-3 minutes. Don’t get carried away! If studios can get you to pay $14.00 for a film by showing only a 30-second trailer…well, you get the picture. Now go get that deal!

One of my most popular posts to date has been “#16: Do I need to read the trades?” In that post, I outlined the minimum types of information you should scan the trades for and also suggested key trades to read. Thanks to the strong response I received, in this post, I’m going to follow up with specific examples of what you might find in the trades – and how you can translate that information into selling your own projects.

Whether you work in film or TV, you can put these tips to use, even if the specific example is not from your industry.

Let me start by recommending you immediately ditch any hard copies you receive of the trades and sign up for the electronic versions instead. That way, you can easily copy and paste information straight into your databases or share it with partners and reps. Remember, always show copyright love whenever it bears stating!

Now, here are six ways to “trade up” your daily reading into a focused, project-selling process:

Trade-Up Tip #1: Track the Trends
As you prepare to pitch various projects, the trades tell you what’s hot and what’s not. Guess which trend you want to be riding? For example, for reality TV professionals, over the past two weeks, we’ve learned that:

• My Network TV is about to replace 33% of its programming with reality TV AND 180 from telenovelas to targeting male viewers (reality producers, take note);
• Court TV’s first scripted project is a hit with viewers (fiction producers, here’s a new potential buyer!);
• NBC, the CW and Bochco himself all are about to launch original Web-based programs (everyone, are you still ignoring new media?); and
• Networks in general are looking for cheap ratings bonanzas in brand-friendly game shows (got a talent option you don’t know yet how to capitalize on?)

All of that info ought to help show creators decide which ideas they are going to prioritize developing to maximize sales possibilities. Database these updates in a simple table or spreadsheet, and you’ll always be timely in your pitch meetings. And remember, the execs you’re pitching expect you to know this info if it was in the trades!

ACTION PLAN: In Word or Excel, build a simple table with columns for network/studio name, programming announcement(s) and announcement date(s). If you’re a member of the Show Starter Online Group, we’ve started you off with a file of over a dozen network programming announcements from this year’s upfronts! If you’re not a group member yet, be sure to sign up when you buy the book (or join if you already have the book) by clicking here. Group membership is for book purchasers only.

BONUS ROUND: If you don’t have any pitches that ride the trends, rework existing projects to stay current. Is there a cooking pitch you love that also might make a terrific game show? For helpful process tips, read “Show Starter, Vol. 1,” pp 25-27.

Trade-Up Tip #2: Run “Comps” on Projects that are Similar to Yours
TV producers, before any pitch meeting you ever take, be absolutely sure to check the overnight ratings for the current shows at that network AND any shows anywhere else that are similar to yours. Filmmakers, regularly track the weekend box office for any studios or companies you hope to meet with or any films in your genre.

Now for the example: remember the hot new – and now former – ABC show “The Great American Dream”? At the end of March ’07, if you were about to pitch any dream fulfillment shows anywhere, or any show AT ALL to ABC, a quick glance at one day’s trades would have shown that “Dream” utterly tanked episode one (ratings report - 3/28/07)…and was cancelled after episode two (cancellation article - 3/29/07 - as in the NEXT DAY’s trades).

Translation: this might be a pretty bad time to pitch a new dreams-come-true project anywhere, and ABC execs might be particularly cautious about new genre projects in general. Isn’t that something you’d like to know before entering the room? You BET. At least so you can explain why your project isn’t vulnerable to the same ratings risks? And don’t be blinded even if you see high ratings. Just because the trades report “Fox Picks Up 13 More Episodes of 5th Grader,” it might mean Fox wants to do another deal with Mark Burnett rather than buy your equally biting game show.

ACTION PLAN: Do a quick ratings review in the daily trades to compare your pitch list to current shows. Push danger zone shows to the bottom of your list, if you pitch them at all over the next few weeks. Then shift at least one brand-appropriate trend-winner into your top three opening pitches.

BONUS ROUND: Brainstorm alternative versions of your danger zone pitches (Show Starter, Vol. 1, pp 25-27) so they no longer heavily rely on now-risky elements. Then if an exec challenges them, you can come right back with a well-thought-out twist on your pitch.

Trade-Up Tip #3: Dissect Deal Points
If you’re not sure what to expect and request in your own deals, read the trades to keep up with what everyone else is offering or receiving! For example, for all you filmmakers who are fighting mainly to get a piece of DVD rentals in your deals, shouldn’t you know that the “Netflix Founder Predicts End Of DVD Rental Business” and now is investing millions in digital film downloading? Meanwhile, reality newcomers and pitch partners can set some basic contract expectations by reading news like “Hedda Muskat has been named Consulting Producer on WE’s new show, ‘Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter’ debuting on April 20. Hedda brought the show to World of Wonder who sold it to WE.” (© 2007 Cynopsis).

ACTION PLAN: Scan for any deal discussions regarding professional peers or potential buyers. The Cynopsis example above lets you know right away what you might expect to be offered by WE and/or World of Wonder as a new show creator.

BONUS ROUND: Oh, you know what I’m going to say: add this info to a database – and review it before you actually pitch any partners!

Trade-Up Tip #4: Improve Your Project Development Process
Seeking “the right” talent to attach to a project? You can test the industry’s temperature for star “heat” by reading that “Kid, Not Play, May Get Talk Show.” Or get a great lesson in built-in conflict for reality pitches when you read that “Season three of Run’s House on MTV begins April 9 at 10p. Rev. Run and the Simmons family return to face new crisis and growth situations such as the two oldest daughters, Angela and Vanessa living on their own in Manhattan.” (© 2007 Cynopsis). Whenever you read about greenlit projects in your industry, consider it powerful development guidance for your own projects.

ACTION PLAN: Scan the trades for talent and story success stories and see what equally compelling “headlines” you could write to promote your own projects. Do you have more work to do to develop the project?

BONUS ROUND: Write the headlines – and send them to your focus group to see if they want to see that show!

Trade-Up Tip #5: Gather Insider Information
I call this “Room Wisdom.” These are articles that give you explanations of how our business works that help you get inside the minds of the studio, network and production execs you are pitching. For example, the Hollywood Reporter recently ran an article called “Ad Ratings To Gain At Upfront,” explaining that advertisers increasingly want to base the ad dollars they commit to a network on ratings for the actual commercials that run during programs, rather than ratings for the shows themselves. Is that a big shift? Of course! Is that something you can talk about intelligently in the room when possible ratings enter the discussion? Sure – if you’ve read the article.

ACTION PLAN: Read insider information articles and make sure you can summarize the general idea into a straightforward sentence (like I just did above).

BONUS ROUND: Learn the article’s new buzzwords and do additional research on them. For my example article, you would research “ad ratings” (aka “commercial ratings”) and the new Nielsen measurements they represent.

Trade-Up Tip #6: Scan for Who | What | Where
I’ll say it again – success in isn’t just about know-how; it’s about know-WHO. You absolutely must know who the players are that can buy your projects or otherwise assist their sale. All the trades announce executive hiring, firings and job-swappings. Many also feature producers who have just sold new projects. You must know these names to learn whom you already know and whom you need to meet with – not just in the room, but also at panels, seminars and conferences you see advertised.

For example: got contacts at “The Amazing Race”? Guess what? Now you might have contacts at Oprah’s new wish fulfillment show – the trades just announced “‘Race’ duo to oversee Harpo reality series.” But before you send an e-mail blast to everyone you know who works anywhere, please read Post #12: Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” Please don’t ever let the first thing you say to someone – a stranger OR a friend – be “What can you do for me?” Make sure your energy in this industry is balanced between advancing your own dreams and sincerely investing in your core circle’s dreams at the same time. Those contacts are the ones who’ll call YOU to yell, “Hey, I just got the new Oprah show – send me your rez!”

ACTION PLAN: Database the names of studio execs, network execs, production execs, financiers and show runners and keep it updated through your daily trade reads. Start with the network and prod co dbs we give you at our online group (book purchasers, click here to join!), and keep it up-to-date. Those names are the key to your selling a project.

BONUS ROUND: Today, right now, send an e-mail to the five people who have helped you most in your career. Offer something specific to help them back – even if its updating one of THEIR databases. Get balance back in your professional relationships – and watch the immediate shift in your professional progress.

BONUS, BONUS ROUND – Stop typing your latest email blast asking people you otherwise never check in on to find you work. Now re-read “Bonus Round” and give that approach a try instead. Please trust me on this. And remember, send thank you truffles or coffee cards to everyone who ever gets you in front of anyone else for a meeting - whether you close a deal or not.

NOW GO SELL THOSE PASSION PROJECTS!

For more in-depth process and resources, buy:

• “The 1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements of a Sellable Screenplay“; and
• “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1: How to Create and Pitch a Sellable Reality Show”

now from Movie in a Box Books!

There are 3 ways to be cast on a reality show:

• Attend a cattle call;
• Submit directly for consideration;
• Know somebody who works on the show and get walked in.

#3 is terrific, but it’s not necessary (really!). What’s more important is knowing how to NOT get on a reality show. Let’s start with sending naked photos, videos of yourself in the restroom and a truly bizarre mix of other attempts to get cast. Your personality is enough. Maybe.

Now for the Do‘s.

PICK A SHOW
If you want to be on a reality show but don’t have a specific one in mind, just surf the online casting sites for casting calls and direct submission listings! Lots of shows post casting calls every single day (to stay at the top of announcement lists). Your best bet is to start with Craig’s List in Los Angeles or New York listing. Surprise! Companies post there for national searches because they’re not allowed to do multiple posts across different city lists. Check the “Gigs/Talent” category for the most listings.

Also check the sites of your favorite networks for multiple show listings. Similarly, if you find a production company that produces a show you love, check their site for other shows. A company that produces one HGTV show could easily produce five other ones because they’re trusted by the network – and some of those other shows might be the perfect fit for you!

Your most important consideration in selecting a show to submit to is: How can this show change my life? If it can’t change your life, if you just want to be on TV, you are going to have a hard time getting cast. Your story MATTERS.

APPLY TO THE SHOW
You will have to complete an application for any show you submit to and sign a release granting the production company the right to use anything you submit in any way they wish, which is usually to promote the show itself. In many instances you may also need to send in a personal videotape for consideration.

For your reel, be sure to strictly follow any format guidelines, like duration or VHS vs. DVD format. Your ability to follow directions here is the first indication of how well you’ll manage on a set. As far as content, I always recommend turning on your “First Date” personality. That means great look, great personality, good stories and a little of your playful, naughty side if you have one (no, not NAKED. “Naughty”). Don’t try to shock or impress
or create a character. Just try to intrigue us into going out with you again!

Here are some technical tips for your shoot:

• Clothes: Don’t wear black, white, busy patterns or anything with a logo on it anywhere.
• Sound: make sure you’re in a quiet room or outdoor space (no phones, dogs, kids, traffic, etc.). We want to hear what you have to say.
• Light: don’t stand in front of a bright source of light; you’ll be backlit, and we won’t be able to see your face. If the rules allow, just go outside into natural light; otherwise, be sure that your face can be seen.
• Look: let your appearance to emphasize who you are and why it’s right for the show; it’s the easiest message to send. That could be a business suit and glasses, a gown with big hair and tiara or no make-up, a tank and shorts. Don’t wear a costume; wear your personality.

All the best with your submission, and maybe I’ll see you on set in L.A!

I get this question a lot, so I now have published a definitive book on the process. It’s called “The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System, Vol. 1 - Ten Steps to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show.” It’s only $29.95 (including tax and U.S. shipping) at the Show Starter Web site - and it comes with FREE STUFF. Until your order arrives in the mail, here’s a very clean and concise explanation of what to expect from the process.

Let’s start with the “gut” answer. If you’re like most people who work in reality TV, you sell a show by working for some years in reality television, amassing good credits and production experience, building strong relationships with production companies, networks and vendors, running someone else’s shows for trench education, then pitching your concepts and your solid reputation to make your first sale(s). If that doesn’t sound like you, or even if it does, please read on.

If you’re like most people who don’t work in reality TV, you sell a show by coming up with an entertaining concept and find a personal “in” to a network exec or a production company where you can pitch. If a network exec likes the idea, s/he will partner you with a production company or show runner s/he already knows and trusts, and they will execute your concept. You will turn all of the control of your show, as well as most of whatever initial fees come in, over to the show runner or production company.

The same process happens if you approach a production company yourself to bring your idea to a network for you. Your attorney will work with the production companies to hammer out a “deal memo” that spells out what involvement, if any, you will have in the show. The company will do their best to remove you from any control over the process…because you have no idea how to run a television show. They also will take most of the money involved…because you are bringing nothing to the table but an idea that they will have to do all of the work to develop then execute, as well as use their hard-earned contacts to sell. In their eyes, you are bringing nothing to the table.

If you are still reading this blog after that stunning statement, you are ready for the road ahead as you try to pitch a show. You understand now how the industry will perceive you, and you accept your own limitations as someone who knows nothing about making a show but has an entertaining spin on a popular concept. You also understand, because I’m about to tell you, that you are not going to become rich when the show is sold.

Don’t confuse non-fiction TV with selling a movie or a sit-com or drama. “Back-end” and “created-by” fees and “residuals” are rare in this world. On your very first sale, be ready for some serious compromise if all you have is an idea. Your attorney is going to work hard enough just to keep you from being removed from the show entirely.

I’m going to write that again. YOUR ATTORNEY IS GOING TO WORK HARD ENOUGH JUST TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE SHOW ENTIRELY.

So how exactly do you sell your own show?

The smart way is to work in the biz and know that you are selling yourself and your experience and your reputation and your contacts far more than any concept itself. In fact, networks who have come to know you will call you and ask you to do a show for them! And you will be able control the production process and make the fees from it, because you’ve learned and earned you way into that position. Your agent is your best friend here because s/he is pitching you non-stop to the nets, setting up meet-and-greets with execs and keeping you up-to-date on how the net calls for content are shifting (and they always are shifting).

The fast way is to have a terrific concept and partner with someone else who can get it executed. You will have researched similar shows, checked out imdb.com for company and network information and approached the right people to match your genre and audience. If all goes well, you, indeed, will have sold a show, but often with limited involvement or reward! Your attorney will be your best friend here because s/he will need to be determined and creative to keep you a part of the process after the sale.

The back-door way is to know a person or property (like a popular book) that people want a piece of, develop a show with them attached to it, and have a written “option” that binds them to any sale. This is where having Paris Hilton as a close friend actually is a good thing. A hypothetical: Yes, she stole your boyfriend, but she felt so bad that she signed an option agreement allowing you to shop a makeover show with her as the host. Pretty much anyone will talk to you now, and you’ll have a lot more power keeping yourself attached since you are, at last, bringing something bankable to the table!

Whatever way you try to sell your show, remember, as always, to do an “entitlement” check before you start the process. If you are not Tyra Banks, do not expect to get a deal like Tyra Banks. If your talent is not Donald Trump, don’t expect to get a budget like Donald Trump’s. And if you have never run a television show (I didn’t say never written, produced, edited or shot, I said RUN), then don’t expect to run even your own. Not the first season, at least.

And please don’t go into reality TV to get rich. (Where are all of these Discovery Health- and Food Network-producing millionaires people think they’re joining the ranks of?) If you want to get rich, please go back for your MBA and head to Wall Street and build and protect your stock options like everyone else does. There’s way more chance you’ll get a return on your investment - and in a far shorter period of time! If you want to get rich quickly, with minimal effort, keep buying scratchers and hope for the best. But if you really want to make reality TV, while there’s no money at the start in this world, like almost everything else, working hard in this business ultimately has its own personal, professional and, yes, financial rewards. Plus sometimes, you get to make people eat bugs.