We’ve Developed a Model for

Success
We Call S-C-R-I-P-T
“S” stands for Search and Research. The first thing you need to do when
you develop a TV show is to watch a lot of TV. You want to search out and dissect those
shows that are like yours in any way. You need to know what your competition is because
the TV development execs to whom you’ll be pitching are intimately familiar with what their
network airs, as well as, the programming of their competition.

“C” stands for Create and Develop Your Hook. You need to figure out
how your show will be different and stand out in the crowded TV landscape. You need to
figure out what would make you watch the show. What’s the story that draws people in and
keeps them from changing the channel when a commercial comes on?

Deal or No Deal is Not About the $$$$!!!

For instance, you might think that NBC’S wildly popular Deal or No Deal is nothing more
than a show about overly-caffeinated contestants winning, or losing, money. Not so. It’s a
show about real people’s lives and how a windfall will affect them. It’s about a couple who
have a dream about building an animal shelter. It’s about the daughter who wants to add on
to her home so she can care for her crippled mother. It’s about the father who desperately
wants to send his son to college. The families of the contestants are on that stage for a
reason. We all will stay tuned to the very end of the show to see if the contestant is going to
take the advice of her mom and take the deal or risk it all like her father wants her to do.

Once you’ve figured out what your hook is, then you can move onto the next step.

“R” stands for Refine. Now you know the demographic of your audience (i.e.
females 25-49); you’ve identified the networks where your show would fit; and you have a
hook for your story. This is the time for refining your show. The characters need to come to
life. The story needs a compelling enough set up to keep an audience tuned into the mid-
story cliffhanger which is resolved by a satisfying close. These elements are the same
whether your TV concept is a reality show, talk-show, or sitcom.

“I” stands for Investment. Most people with an idea for a TV show only think
about the show itself and not the pitch package it takes to sell the show. No matter what type
of show you have to pitch, you’ll want to create a presentation which helps you tell your
story. It doesn’t have to be a video sample of your show that takes hundreds of thousands of
dollars to produce. You do however need to invest time and some money in creating a pitch
package: treatment, mini-production bible, storyboards, location photos, character designs,
or anything else that might help sell your show. The contents of your package will vary
according to the type of show it is.

Don't Be Intimidated!
“P” stands for Pitch. TV execs' jobs depend upon them finding hit TV shows. They
need you! Why shouldn't the next hit show be yours? There’s no need to be overly anxious,
caught without answers to questions executives might ask you about your show, or worried
about what’s expected in a pitch when you are prepared. With expert guidance, pitching a
show is nothing more than telling your story. More about this in a moment….

The Pre-Pitch Pep Talk or Get Psyched!

Clients of ours were in Hollywood to pitch a show we had developed with them. Our phone
rang fifteen minutes before the pitch meeting so Mark could give them their 5 Minute Pre-
Pitch Pep Talk. He briefly reviewed the basics of their pitch and stoked their confidence so
they were fired up for their presentation. They were pumped! About an hour later our phone
rang again and it was all three creators screaming at once that the pitch was a phenomenal
success.

“T” stands for Take Action. Whether you have a deal or not after you pitch, you
have to be persistent and keep in touch with the executives to whom you’ve pitched.
Whether it’s sending thank you letters or follow-up materials, you want to stay in touch and
be politely persistent. The entertainment business, just like any other business, is based on
personal relationships. People do business with people they know and trust.

Want to know the BIGGEST DIFFERENCE

between the top 2% of show creators who actually have
their shows on TV and everyone else?

The difference is simply this: they know exactly how to pitch and
who to pitch.

The other 98% only THINK they do.

That's when you think, "This is ridiculous! It's like I'm living a bad TV show!" Well, why not
turn your life into a TV show? It worked for Truman.

Whether it's a comedy, a drama, or a rip-off of The Real World, every new television show
started as an idea in someone's head. But to turn that precious gem of an idea into
'destination viewing,' you'll need to sell that idea to someone (or as they say in Hollywood,
you have to "pitch" your idea). This is not nearly as easy as it sounds. To successfully pitch
a TV show, you have to have a great idea, convince powerful people that it's good, and get a
production company to buy it. It involves a lot of careful research, networking, and ass-
kissing. So take a meeting with SoYouWanna.com for the inside scoop.
1. Get an idea or concept

Sounds easy, don't it? Here are the requirements for coming up with a pitch-able idea:
• Have a unique story.
• Be passionate about it.
• Make sure it's yours and yours alone.
These sound obvious, but it's amazing how often people forget about things like "unique"
and "passion." Those are what sell ideas.

Your idea can be based on something that's true, it can be about made-up characters and
events, or it can be a combination of the two. Stories that are true are called non-fiction.
Stories that are created from scratch are called fiction. For example, The Real World is
considered to be non-fiction, while sitcoms are fiction.
Non-fiction
If you or someone you know has done something remarkable-like walking across your state
to raise awareness for a cause-that's non-fiction. Beware, though: if something is already in
the press and it's interesting, then someone, somewhere, is probably already onto it. You
might also be expected to "option," or purchase the rights to the story, as it "belongs" to
someone else.
Fiction
Sitcoms and dramas like The Honeymooners or E.R. are fiction - they feature original
characters and situations. If you have an idea for a fictional program, be inventive! Create
characters that viewers will want to visit over and over again. Again, if you get your general
idea from a book, movie, or person, you must find out if you need to option the rights to the
story. There are plenty of lawyers out there who can help you figure that out.
Whether your idea is fiction or non-fiction, you must find out as much as possible about your
subject. The creators of E.R. learned all they could about how real emergency rooms
operate, and the creators of Seinfeld used their knowledge of New York.
What kind of ideas work? Well, it's always changing. After Friends premiered, tons of
knockoffs popped up the next season. You want to come up with something different and
original, but that people would want to watch. Here are a few things to think about:
• Location: Work? Home? School? Jail? Some combination?

• Social structure: One star (e.g., The Drew Carey Show), two stars
(e.g., Will & Grace), six stars (e.g., Friends)?

• Personalities: A rich, snotty society matron? A struggling wise-ass student?

You need to create a fine balance of having people that are realistic enough for
the audience to identify with, yet are different enough from each other to allow
for interesting dramatic encounters.

• Situations: What kind of things do the characters go through? Seinfeld dealt

with minutiae, The X-Files deals with the supernatural, and The Simpsons goes for
pure laughs.
2. Write a treatment

Once you have your idea, it's time to write a treatment. A treatment is a brief synopsis of
your idea and how it is suited to television. It is not a script. We repeat, it is not a script.
Again, for those of you who forget things easily, IT IS NOT A SCRIPT. A television
treatment is usually about 1-5 pages in length, written in persuasive, snappy language. No
lingo about 'smash cuts' or 'three frame dissolves' - you haven't shot it yet, much less
edited it, and if you are not a professional producer, jargon will only embarrass you. Your
treatment is what your Development Executive will use as a guide when he/she pitches
your idea to his/her bosses. So edit it and rewrite it until it's perfect.
Wait, wait, what's a Development Executive? He/she is the person responsible for attracting,
reviewing, and rejecting or "growing" (that is, developing) new projects for his/her company.
Larger companies may have an entire department handling this task; smaller companies
may saddle one beleaguered individual with this mountain of work. Often, there are different
people for fiction or non-fiction projects.

Samples for television treatments can be found in books like Writing Treatments that Sell, or
on websites like www.donedealpro.com. For further guidance in preparing your ideas for a
pitch, you might want to check out courses offered at local colleges, or through associations
such as IMAGE in Atlanta, BFVF in Boston, or American Women in Radio and Television
nationally.
Once you've written your treatment, register it with the Writer's Guild of America. You do not
have to be a member of the union to do it, and it'll only cost you $20. Registering your idea
will prove that you had the idea first if it's ever questioned, and it'll protect you from having
other people steal it. As an added bonus, the WGA registration number on your cover page
is a subtle way to show that you're a pro who knows how to play the game. Details like that
really help.
3. Meet, greet, and network

Make tons of copies of your treatment, stick it under your arm, and start swimming with the
sharks it's now time to think very seriously about whether you want to align yourself with a
known producer who has a track record. We don't want to discourage you, but it is extremely
tough to get a pitch meeting if you are new to the business. If the Development Executive
you are trying to contact already has a relationship with a successful producer, your idea will
be more likely to be heard if Mr./Ms. "Known Producer" brings it forward. It's all about who
you know (hey, no one said Hollywood is fair).

How do you meet a producer who wants to work with you? You network. That is, you must
build a support system of powerful (read: well-connected) people who like your work. This is
also called "schmoozing," and it's what makes the Hollywood world go 'round. Attending film
festivals (yes, even if you're pitching for television!), industry conferences, classes and
entering writer's contests are time-honored ways to schmooze. So even if you can't get
into NATPE (the annual conference and new programming market for the National
Association of Television Program Executives) this year, don't despair. Enter all the
television writing contests that you can. Industry professionals often serve as judges, and
you might win a development deal. More likely though, you'll start a very useful collection of
business cards.
If you can afford to make a complete career change, getting an entry-level job or internship
with a television production company can help you meet the right people. (Check those
industry associations again, or browse the phone book). Exposure to groups like these will
help you to connect with like-minded people who might offer some good input. Plus, it's
always nice to have friends.

If you still want to try to pitch your idea yourself, almost all networks and production
companies require that you approach them through an agent or an entertainment attorney.
TV is all about money, and as such, networks are wary of wasting any time on an unknown,
no matter how cute you are. Agents and entertainment attorneys know the inside of the
business, and if you hire one, it's his/her job to help you work the system. A professional's
services can be crucial if you are optioning a title, too.
4. Research networks and production companies

Pitching is hard work, and you don't want to waste your energy talking to a development
executive who simply doesn't produce the kind of show you're offering. That is, unless you
really like to collect rejections, or "passes", in development lingo. So you gotta do
homework.
This homework is fascinating if you love television, 'cause you're going to be watching
television. Lots and lots of it. Why? For these reasons:

• It'll keep your couch warm.

• This orgy of television viewing will help you see if there's anything currently
on that's remotely similar to what you're planning to pitch. (Get it? "remote"?) If
there is, consider retooling what you have. It'll also help you package your show.
(e.g., "Six 20-somethings start a bar - it's Friends meetsCheers.")

• It's important for you to get familiar with the style of different networks
and production companies. Some networks are family-oriented, while others focus
on history (The History Channel), comedy (Comedy Central), or animals (Animal
Planet). Some production companies specialize in game shows, dramas, or sitcoms.
You want to be sure that you're approaching the right home for your project.
The growth of cable TV has meant that there are more homes for possible TV shows (HBO,
USA, Showtime, A&E, and Lifetime all have original TV series), but most broadcast and
cable networks do not accept unsolicited submissions. So unless they asked you first, you
must approach them through an agent or attorney.
Some of the many prominent broadcast and cable networks that currently do provide
submission agreements for unsolicited treatments are:

Comedy Central Coordinator of Development

Comedy Central
1775 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-767-8600
Discovery Communications Development Liaison
(for the network, such as The Travel Channel)
7700 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-986-0444
MTV Networks Series Pitch Line
2600 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-752-8000
Another tactic is to try to approach production companies directly. Regularly watch the end
credits of programs you like. Notice the name of the executive producer? Write him/her a
letter inquiring about procedures for reviewing new projects. Listings of production
companies that handle new projects are also in The Hollywood Creative Directory.
Do market research
Be prepared to explain WHO the target audience is for your planned program, and WHY
your idea will appeal to them. You can conduct grassroots research without performing a
grim statistical analysis. For example, if the heroine of your sit-com idea is a twelve-year-old
girl with a wry take on life, ask every pre-teen girl you know what she likes and doesn't like
about the character. Poll a Girl Scout troop. Interview the kids in your sister's class. Get to
know your target audience's taste. Then in your pitch meeting, you can wow 'em with
something along the lines of "I polled one hundred teenaged girls in my city and they
unanimously voiced my character's point of view." You are now the voice of a generation.

In doing all of this research, you must always always ALWAYS read the "trades." These are
the well-established industry magazines, such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
They're full of wacky slang, have regular news about development and production deals in
the works, discuss executive "transitions" (who works where this week), and loads of other
useful information such as how shows are doing in the ratings. So order a double skinny soy
latté and study what's going on in the biz.
5. Get additional material

You have a killer concept and you have a convincing, succinct treatment. Congratulations!
You're almost ready to start knocking on doors. But remember, a good part of your pitch
(and it's the fun part) is all about you. You're not only selling the project, but you're selling
yourself as well. Whore.
Along with your treatment, you may be asked to provide:

• Budget parameters and information about financiers already on board, if

you have them. It's not absolutely required that you provide funding for your
project, but it's unlikely that a network or production company will foot your bill
entirely. If you have a rich benefactor who has promised to pay for the
pilot episode, let 'em know. You'll get points for initiative, credibility, and
understanding the bottom line.

• If you are pitching an idea for a series as opposed to a special, include a

brief Episode Breakdown, outlining key dramatic events in each episode or
installment.

• A demo tape or a portfolio of current or previous work of yours or any

other key individual whom you may have associated with the project. If your cousin
is a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who has agreed to consult about the dietary
habits of the extra-terrestrial villains in your program, let 'em know.
Check your submission agreement or call your contacts again to learn exactly what, if any,
supplemental materials are required. Remember that they may not be returned, so keep
copies of everything.

6. Get (and ace) a pitch meeting

Getting a pitch
Here's where the agent, attorney, or known producer comes in really handy, because
development executives take their calls. Tell the person on the phone that you have a
treatment that you want to pitch to his/her network or Production Company, and you would
like to receive submissions guidelines.

If the company accepts unsolicited material, you will be required to sign a submission
agreement before sending anything in. This document, usually thick with legal-ese, asks you
to state that you own the idea you're submitting, and to acknowledge that they may already
have a similar idea in development or on the air. This is a lawsuit prevention method on the
part of the company reading your treatment. It prevents you from showing up and claiming
that you're owed millions because you believe that it was really your idea to have a hit show
about a stand up comic and his three neurotic friends in Manhattan.
Some time after you have signed and returned the submission agreement along with your
treatment and any other supporting materials requested, you may get a call from the
assistant to the Development or Creative Affairs department requesting a meeting. (How
long depends on company policies, individual workloads, and how conscientious the caller
is.) In this call, he/she will discuss your project in more depth, probing to determine how
closely your idea fits current programming needs. Based on the outcome of that initial
conversation, you might be heading out to buy new duds to look spiffy when you 'take' your
meeting.

Practice pitching to friends. Watch their reactions. Are they interested in your idea? Did you
tell the story in a friendly, engaging manner? Do they want to hear more? That's the idea.
Things to do in the pitch
When the big day comes, relax! Remember why you're here: to generate interest in the story
that moved you to try to create a TV show in the first place. It's your moment (and we mean
moment: it's very likely that you have been scheduled for meeting that will last all of ten
minutes) to convince the producer or executive that he/she (and the viewers) will love it, too.
• Arrive at least 15 minutes early.

• Bring extra copies of your treatment and any other material you have been
asked to provide. Your meeting will involve you, a Development or Creative Affairs
Executive, an assistant, and maybe a few other people who dropped in to cruise
the snack tray.

• You'll be asked to give a verbal description of your story. Consider this a

friendly chat about you and your big idea.

• It's wise to have two or more pitches ready in the meeting, just in case
you're doing great but the executive already has an idea like yours in the works. In
case you missed it, we just said that you must come in with at least two different
show ideas in case your first one is a bust.

• Remember that you are SELLING yourself and your idea. Your goal is to
hook your 'audience'-the people listening to your pitch. Be upbeat and positive. Use
creative props if you think they'll help illustrate your story. Consider this an "open
mic" performance without the comedy. Don't read from your treatment, but do
distribute copies. Your pitch might start out something like this . . .

"Visualize this. It 's a dark and stormy night. Our hero, a moody,
intelligent teenaged boy, is struggling to get into a second story bedroom
window. Is he a burglar? Is he in some kind of trouble? No, he's a teen
superhero and he's locked out of his house for the third time this week!"
OK, so that's kind of lame, but you have to admit that it's a lot better than,
"My show is about a teenager. He's a superhero, too." The first speech
shows passion.

• Be willing to answer questions readily, and be flexible about suggestions,

but don't lose your train of thought. Believe in yourself and be positive! Your goal
is to make the Development Executive your ally, as he/she may want to champion
your idea to his/her bosses.
The verdict
Just like in driver's ed, in the television and film biz, a "green light" means go. (Hey, a bit of
jargon never hurts.) If you get a call back sometime after your meeting telling you that your
project has been "greenlighted," then you are officially on the road to seeing your great idea
produced as a television show.

If your pitch is rejected, or "passed" on, don't take it personally. Keep practicing, keep
networking, and try to set up a meeting somewhere else. Believe in yourself and your work.
And don't forget to mention us in your Emmy acceptance speech.
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW get a talent agent?

Read more: SoYouWanna pitch a TV show? http://www.soyouwanna.com/soyouwanna-

pitch-tv-show-1092-full.html#ixzz14uwRqdNe

My name is DMA, and I wrote, produced and ran top-rated reality shows for a decade before
ultimately selling and successfully delivering my first series. Now I’ve detailed the process of
creating a sellable reality show, step-by-step, in The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple
System: Ten Steps to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show, including:

The Show. All shows start with a simple concept, but a single sentence rarely sells! You want
to develop a fleshed out pitch, including reality TV’s five key story elements and at least one
original element in the areas where originality actually matters. You’ll then craft a logline, one-
sheet and probably a treatment so you can survive in “the room” if your pitch sparks some
interest. We walk you through all of it in the book.

The Business. You will need to build a team that includes an attorney, maybe (but not
always) an agent, and your partners in the project, who may be your central talent or expert,
a show runner or line producer or another experienced reality insider. Finding that team and
professionally structuring those relationships is critical to your success. The book covers who
you need, when you need them and where to find them.
The Sale. You ultimately have to meet people who are in a position to get your show on air,
whether it’s a production company, a network or independent distributors for syndication.
There is substantial footwork involved in making those contacts - which should never include
spamming strangers (or me) with your unsolicited pitch or treatment. Don’t worry the book
will guide you through the professional steps! Once you actually set up a pitch meeting, you
must have a rock-solid verbal pitch, the necessary paperwork, and a vetted estimate of what
it will cost to produce your show, all following our steps from the book. If you get a pilot or
series order, it’s Deal Time - congratulations!

I wrote this book because Hollywood is hard to crack. You absolutely have to know somebody
- and when you meet them, you’d better know someTHING. But compared to the rest of
Hollywood, non-fiction TV is considerably more open to outsiders. With this book, everyone
from newcomers to professionals finally has a simple blueprint for how the top of our business
works and the precise steps you have to take to get there.

Entertainment Industry Professionals - It’s important to learn how different the reality TV
business model is from other areas of our industry, like music, sitcoms and film. You’re usually
not going to get paid up front, or reap a fortune in residuals, or own a piece of your product.
There IS money to be made, but in a different way. (Reality staffers, you will make more
money at first working on someone else’s show than selling your own!) Everyone, please skip
the quick money for now so we can get “big picture” professionally. We break this down in the
blog and the book.

Newcomers to Entertainment - If selling a show has been presented to you as a way to

make a check and walk away, then you were, unfortunately, misled. That does work for selling
a screenplay (as tough as that is to do), but in reality TV, it is rare to be paid for getting a
series order. We have a different business model that DOES lead to money, though, which we
explain in detail in the blog and the book.

Talent - If you are a performer or an established professional in another industry, you may be
considering a reality show as a way to extend your brand and make more money. That’s
absolutely possible; it just requires a lot of work and a clear strategy to profit. We address this
extensively in the blog and the book, and it is our top consulting request.

I recently did an interview with Twyman Creative about working in Hollywood and enjoyed
answering the questions so much that I wanted to share them here. Here’s the first tip:

Question: What do you recommend for people getting in the industry?

DMA’s Answer: VOLUNTEER TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN TEACH
YOU SOMETHING. The only way to get jobs in Hollywood is to know people. The best way to
get to know people is to help them achieve their goals. Then they will help you achieve yours -
if only by letting you see firsthand how a job is done right!
It’s completely self-defeating in the entertainment industry to be about what you can get from
others; people smell a user or a bloodsucker a mile away. Know what your strengths are and
volunteer them. If you can type, help someone update their database. If you have a car, offer
to drive someone around town on a day they have back-to-back meetings. If you have
Internet access, help someone post film announcements at all the hot sites.
When I was a political aide in San Francisco, Tom Bradley was running for governor, and he
was coming to town from Los Angeles. I called his office and said, “I’d be happy to drive
Mayor Bradley anywhere he needs to go.” They cleared it with him and my boss, and I spent
about sixteen hours talking politics and personal history with a legend. He offered to give me a
great reference for grad school, too.

Here’s more insider information adapted from my interview with Twyman Creative.
Question:What do you need to know to succeed in the industry?

DMA’s Answer: After more than a decade in the industry and attending or speaking at
countless conferences, festivals, seminars, etc., this is what I’ve found consistently to be the
source of guaranteed failure: People at every level of this game fail because they don’t know,
respect or believe how the industry operates. It’s that simple and that unfortunate. Here are
the biggest areas where I think people truly soar or crash in this industry. This is not for the
defensive or faint-hearted: I really want to state frankly what I mean!<
FAIL OR FLY REASON #1: DO YOU KNOW AND USE INDUSTRY LEXICON?
I talk to filmmakers (emerging and established) as often as I possibly can, and I tell everyone
to learn the language of the industry (”beat sheet,” “line producing,” “first look deal,”
“turnaround,” etc.). No one trusts you as a doctor if you don’t know what the word “scalpel”
means, and no one trusts you as a filmmaker if you don’t know what the acronym “E&O”
stands for or where to get it. If you know the language and the proper spelling and meaning of
important names and events, at any level of success, people take you more seriously. The
best classroom is a J-O-B. Get one in the industry at whatever level you’re truly qualified for,
and watch what happens.

FAIL OR FLY REASON #2: ARE YOU ALWAYS LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?
This is the only industry of the many I’ve worked in where people are proud that they know
nothing and think natural talent and big plans are all they need. Imagine if your attorney took
that approach…and still wanted to be paid well just for being “passionate” about the law,
despite never having gone to law school or been inside a courtroom!
Go online and read about the studios and production companies (look at the credits of films
you watch and write names down to see who you want to research). Watch great films in and
outside of your generation, favorite genres and cultural connections. Read the trades to see
which companies are doing what and who the movers and shakers are today (I read five every
day, and I will keep reading them until I no longer work in the industry). Attend seminars and
truly listen to what you are being told; I attend easily a dozen seminars a year and take notes
and read further when I get back to work the next day. It always impresses me when people
have information far beyond what they need to know to do what they do. It makes me think
they are certain of and prepared for bigger futures.
Hands down, the best way to learn is to get a job in the industry! The education and contacts
will be more valuable than the money at first.

I want you to ask yourself if the real question you are asking is “How do I start making BIG
money in this industry?” And the answer is, you invest years of time and sweat equity, and
you will be rewarded. It might be one year; it might be ten. But getting filthy rich won’t be the
very first thing you do. Those American Idol winners didn’t come from nowhere to get a record
deal. Look at the backgrounds of every single winner. There are years of toil and training and
passion behind that victory. It just LOOKS like they got handed their dream. They earned it,
and so must you! And earning it is FUN because, hey, this is Hollywood!
Throughout your time in this industry, whatever level you are at, don’t prioritize fame and
funds over fulfillment. It will cost you dearly, both professionally and emotionally. If you are in
ANY business just so everyone will know you and be envious and want to be just like you, you
are in a world of trouble. Your self-worth is low (yes, it is! YES IT IS.), and no amount of
outside adoration or material things will make you feel better. In fact, it will make you feel
worse because any success will make you feel like a fraud (which is why drugs and alcohol
consume so many people in this town). Fix all of that in therapy, not the production office.
And don’t sell me or anyone else out by creating, funding or green lighting stereotypical,
embarrassing, dangerous or flat-out wrong images about entire groups of people so that you
can make a quick buck. A conscience is better currency than cash in the long haul in this
industry. You will not be at the top every minute of this ride. Sometimes you will have dry
spells, and your reputation and honor and goodwill will take you farther than your savings
account ever could.
Not that money doesn’t matter! This business costs cash to survive. You have to pay to live, to
be in professional organizations, to learn at seminars, to enter competitions, to network and
entertain, to make a reel, to have a car (please have a car), etc. If you don’t have the money
to do all of that yet, get a second and third job if you have to. Don’t sit on the sidelines saying
you can’t jump into the business because things cost too much. And really don’t spend all of
your time writing a script instead of working nine jobs, especially if you haven’t earned the
cash to take the classes and read the books and meet the people who will teach you how to
write a script you can actually sell! Work at the mall, answer phones, work at Best Buy (get
that employee discount!), just pay your bills, and invest every extra dime in your career!
This is for anyone trying to enter the business: be sure you are not getting things backwards.
Imagine an attorney saying, “If I can just win enough high-profile cases, I can earn enough
money for law school.” Or a doctor trying to do enough high-paying plastic surgery so he can
pay for med school! That’s what the industry hears when you are spending all of your effort
and limited funds trying to start at the top of the game by directing a film or selling a script to
the top company in Hollywood or selling a show to a network. What I want you to consider
doing is getting a job and learning and earning you way to the top. Because it will be so much
harder for anyone to knock you down if you are standing at the top on a strong foundation.
Put your money and time into education and preparation and EXPERIENCE. The success and
money will come.

You can best get someone to help you by helping yourself then offering to help them.
This is a business of know-how and know-WHO. Spend time learning everything you can, at
every level you achieve, and helping everyone you can, whatever level you are at. Your peers
are your greatest resource; cultivate them! Unless you’re an Oscar winner yourself, Denzel
and Julia are not the people you need to meet; they already have a pile of people they already
are indebted to and taking care of. Instead, do everything you can to help your circle of peers
achieve because when they do, they are going to open the door to bring you in with them. And
if you are the one who gets through a door first, bring the people who have taken care of you
in with you - at their level of competence. Don’t offer or accept jobs that greatly surpass
someone’s (or your) ability; everyone loses.

Don’t let your opening line to anyone be “Can you do ____ for me?” Ever. This is not a taker’s
market. It immediately sets you up as an energy drain, and it shifts the balance of power
between you and that person. Equally as awful, don’t ever have a conversation with someone
and not know who they are and what they do if there was time to find out. Go see their film or
watch their show or read their book or visit their Web site before meeting them. When I’m on
a speaker’s panel, I spend the days before researching my fellow panelists so I can draw their
experiences into a discussion point or have a conversation with them afterward about
something they’ve done that I’m dying to learn more about.

Don’t think I don’t know that mentors are wonderful. But they are not the people to break you
into the industry! Your mentor(s) will show up when you are already just in the door, working
your hardest, making everyone’s life easier around you. Believe me, someone will approach
YOU to offer you assistance and guidance. You have to earn a mentor and an advisor just like
you have to earn everything else in this industry.

If you want to break in and have no contacts, you are going to be a production assistant (PA)
somewhere. That is our industry’s entry-level position, and it pays about $500/week. YOU
WILL NEED A CAR. So work all you can to get some savings a buy a car of some kind before
you jump in. And once you battle your way into that PA job, be the best PA that company has
ever seen! You are being evaluated on your work ethic at every level of this industry. Learn
new stuff on your own time, not the company’s. You will get a shot at a promotion because of
your attitude, not your skill set. Show them you are a person who invests in your company
and its projects, and they will want to keep you around - or give you a great referral for your
next position.
You can best get someone to help you by helping yourself then offering to help them.
This is a business of know-how and know-WHO. Spend time learning everything you can, at
every level you achieve, and helping everyone you can, whatever level you are at. Your peers
are your greatest resource; cultivate them! Unless you’re an Oscar winner yourself, Denzel
and Julia are not the people you need to meet; they already have a pile of people they already
are indebted to and taking care of. Instead, do everything you can to help your circle of peers
achieve because when they do, they are going to open the door to bring you in with them. And
if you are the one who gets through a door first, bring the people who have taken care of you
in with you - at their level of competence. Don’t offer or accept jobs that greatly surpass
someone’s (or your) ability; everyone loses.

Don’t let your opening line to anyone be “Can you do ____ for me?” Ever. This is not a taker’s
market. It immediately sets you up as an energy drain, and it shifts the balance of power
between you and that person. Equally as awful, don’t ever have a conversation with someone
and not know who they are and what they do if there was time to find out. Go see their film or
watch their show or read their book or visit their Web site before meeting them. When I’m on
a speaker’s panel, I spend the days before researching my fellow panelists so I can draw their
experiences into a discussion point or have a conversation with them afterward about
something they’ve done that I’m dying to learn more about.

Don’t think I don’t know that mentors are wonderful. But they are not the people to break you
into the industry! Your mentor(s) will show up when you are already just in the door, working
your hardest, making everyone’s life easier around you. Believe me, someone will approach
YOU to offer you assistance and guidance. You have to earn a mentor and an advisor just like
you have to earn everything else in this industry.

If you want to break in and have no contacts, you are going to be a production assistant (PA)
somewhere. That is our industry’s entry-level position, and it pays about $500/week. YOU
WILL NEED A CAR. So work all you can to get some savings a buy a car of some kind before
you jump in. And once you battle your way into that PA job, be the best PA that company has
ever seen! You are being evaluated on your work ethic at every level of this industry. Learn
new stuff on your own time, not the company’s. You will get a shot at a promotion because of
your attitude, not your skill set. Show them you are a person who invests in your company
and its projects, and they will want to keep you around - or give you a great referral for your
next position.

I keep saying “attitude is altitude.” I’ve talked a lot about what attitude you should not have.
Now here’s the attitude that will help you thrive in the business.

• In life, you get exactly what you give. Don’t think because you don’t have stature or
money that you have nothing to give to Hollywood! Time and simple talents are great
assets to everyone. And don’t think that because you do have stature or money you
don’t need to give (”I got mine!”). You stay relevant in entertainment by staying
connected and useful to everyone around you.
• You’re not competing with anyone. No one can do exactly what you do. You are
competing against your own level of ambition, work ethic and self-identity. Concentrate
on that, and you will succeed. Get distracted by someone else’s opportunities, and you
just lost your own game.
• No one owes you anything. Let that sink in, please. No one owes you a script read, a
job, a promotion, a chance, a contact, a way in, their time or even basic respect. If
someone gives you any of those things, in any form, recognize that as a gift and THANK
THEM. When you let go of what people can do for you and empower yourself instead with
what you realistically bring to the table, the world around you makes a giant, fantastic
shift. You start to control your experience in this industry instead of reacting to someone
else’s.
• If you’re not having any fun at all, stop. There are so many amazing things to do in
this world. If you’d met me twenty years ago, you would be shocked to see me now, not
being a world-changing United States senator and future president. Be open to change. I
was.
This is a tough post to publish, but it’s just so important! The message of this missive is
simple: stop asking people to hire you. STOP IT. It is not only not an effective way to break
into the industry, it is a sure way to drive away the very people who are able to help you.
Does this sound counterintuitive? Completely against the whole concept of “taking initiative”?
Let me explain.

If you have few or no credits (and little or no income), you know the frustration/panic of not
knowing how you’re ever going to break through the gates of the entertainment industry and
get both recognition for your passion AND a paycheck for your bills. That’s a given, and that’s
entirely valid and understandable.

But take a moment before you ask the next person you’ve just met to hire you to visualize the
same scenario OUTSIDE of the entertainment industry. If you’d just met the senior partner of
a law firm, and had neither work experience in a legal firm nor a law degree, would you open
and/or close the conversation with a request to be hired? I hope not! Because if you did, the
head of that firm would not be impressed by your passion for law. They would be baffled by
your lack of understanding of how one gets hired to work in a law firm. They also might be a
bit miffed by your lack of respect for what they do since you think that someone with no
experience merits some of their hard-earned income. And finally, they might really like you
and appreciate your enthusiasm for their field, but they already have a long line of entry-level
applicants they’ve already got a relationship with and will offer the next opening to.
Notice the “entry level” qualification in that sentence. That’s because if you are approaching
the head of a law firm with no experience or degree and asking to be hired as an attorney,
well, you are insane and deserve the outraged expression you are about to see on his or her
face. But you know that already. In fact, you would never dream of asking a senior partner at
a law firm to hire you as a lawyer if you had no background qualifying you to do so!
Now, if you understand that boundary in the legal arena, but you approach employment
differently in the entertainment industry, you are setting yourself up to fail. It is imperative
that you enter this field recognizing and respecting it as a real business. Your passion for
medicine will not earn you a spot in the operating room if you have no degree, and your
passion for Hollywood will not earn you a gig in this industry if you have nothing to bring but
your passion. And why should it? Why would you demand to be paid top dollar as a surgeon if
you have no idea how to perform surgery…and why would you demand to be paid any dollars
as a filmmaker if you have no idea how to make films?
Now I know you might be saying: “I know how to make films!” “I know how to write a script!”
“I know how to produce a TV show!” “I know how to act!” Can I ask you, for one moment, to
consider the possibility that if you have not already done one of these things, professionally,
and regularly paid your bills doing so…that there is something, in fact, much…that you do not
in fact yet know?

Still with me? Okay, now what if your approach to the industry became “What do I need to
learn to succeed here?” rather than “How much can I get out of this as quickly as possible so
my dreams can immediately come true?” What if you slowed down a little and decided to learn
before you leap?

As soon as your energy becomes “What do I need to learn?” instead of “What do I want to
earn?,” your experience in this game is going to change. FAST!

Here is my suggestion to you the next time you meet someone you’re dying to work for. Don’t
tip the balance of the exchange by becoming a “supplicant,” someone with their hand out for a
job. And don’t end the possibilities of the meeting by pretending you know or have done more
than you have done. Instead, talk to that person with passion about what they do! People in
the industry work the most ridiculous hours you can imagine, as will you. And they do it
because they are obsessed with what they do. Let them talk. Learn from what they know. Buy
them a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME. And walk away from
that exchange without asking for something additional in return.
I do mean something “additional.” Information is money in this industry and every other one.
Someone’s precious time and pearls of wisdom are worth a lot to you if you listen and learn.
Don’t add to that generous gift by also asking them for money!
If you find a connection between a talented person and yourself, this is a person to follow up
with later and ask if you can give THEM something back in RETURN! This is the person you
want to VOLUNTEER for. Now that you know what they do, figure out what skills and contacts
and assistance you can offer them. And this is key: don’t offer to do something for them that
will help make your dreams come true; offer to help them achieve one of their own goals.
Because once you do that, you’ve evened the exchange, and the ball is in their court now to
want to help you! And if you go in and do an incredible volunteer job, believe me, they will
want to help you.

I cannot count the number of times I’ve had this conversation with new people in the industry.
I CAN count, however, the number of times they’ve sent me a thank you note and asked me
for a job, despite all I’d just told them. Do you think I hired them? Of course not! They
couldn’t follow the simple, free advice I’d just given them; I knew they might once again think
they knew better than I do when I gave them instructions to do something at work at my
company! Why would I take that risk when I already have a long list of people I’m already
hoping to help move ahead?

On the other hand, the one…and I do mean ONE…person who followed up with me and offered
to work for free for a week (on a massive show) in order to cross out of music videos into TV
production….well, we hired her at the end of the first day. She was that good.
Are(n’t) you?

#13: How do I sell my own reality TV show?

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
theShow 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.

#15: Who should I pay to get paid?

I’m going to keep this short, but not at all sweet! Who should you pay to make it in show biz?
You should expect to pay any professional whose products or services help you break into the
industry if that person will NOT otherwise directly financially profit from your income.
YOU NEED START-UP FUNDS. Whatever area of entertainment you’re driven to thrive in, do
yourself an important favor before you begin - or continue - that pursuit. Stop for at least 1-3
months and work as many jobs as you can to raise real seed money. You’re shooting for
$1000 - unless you’re moving to New York or Los Angeles, in which case, you’re shooting for
$5,000 (don’t come to L.A. and not have a downpayment for a car). Believe me, it will change
your experience when you can pay for what you need rather than wait for people to do you
favors. And a favor is what someone is doing for you if you have no experience or contacts to
help them out with in return!

Okay, let’s start with the models. As you get started, you SHOULD PAY photographers, make-
up artists, hair stylists and fashion stylists for your test shoots. You don’t have to, of course;
there are many rising photogs and set artists who are looking for models for their book. But if
you are just starting out, you don’t want to work exclusively with other newbies. A paid
professional with a solid portfolio and good references gives you not just more experience
(and when it comes to lighting, that counts), but more contacts s/he can turn you on to. You
SHOULD NOT PAY any agent or talent scouts upfront. The scouts get paid by the agency if
you’re signed, and the agency takes 20% of what you earn. That’s all they get - it’s enough!
Next up, actors. Follow everything I wrote for the models (except your agents only get 10% of
your earnings). Now add that you SHOULD PAY acting coaches, dialect trainers and other
instructors. May I add that that includes casting directors who hold casting seminars? If they
are teaching you something you don’t know and giving you a front row audition for their
critical services, why wouldn’t you pay them for that? They aren’t going to profit directly from
your income! You won’t be mad about it if you’ve saved up the cash to pay for training at the
beginning of your career.

Singers and songwriters, you’re next. Read everything for the models and the actors (except
the casting directors). Now you’re going to add that you SHOULD PAY for studio time, an
engineer, possibly a producer and a vocalist for you non-singing songwriters to get your demo
CD made (with mp3 files if you can’t convert tracks at home). In this modern day of Cakewalk
and ProTools, you should be able to find a very talented arranger with a home studio to lay
your tracks down with you, and many of them need vocalists for their cuts, so do your
homework and partner up. But when it’s time for a demo, you want a professional
environment, and not all composer/arrangers are producers. A real audio booth, a mixer who
really gets the boards and knows how to make the vocals shine and a producer who has a
trained ear for your genre (and for pitch!)…that’s invaluable. Pay for it! That money isn’t just
buying you experience, it’s buying you a guaranteed session (free connections love to flake)
and, once again, industry contacts if you show them you’re as good as you believe you are.
You SHOULD NOT PAY for people to shop your deal; they are going to get a management
commission for that, usually 15% of your overall deal.

Writers and producers, you’re the lucky ones because you’re behind the scenes. You SHOULD
PAY for professional memberships and seminars to learn your trade - and because contacts
are the only way you’ll get a job! You also need some good coffee, lunch and giftie money
because you SHOULD PAY to treat professionals who share their expertise with you. Thank
people! A Starbucks card does wonders. You SHOULD NOT PAY anyone to shop your projects.
They get a piece of your sales pie.

For everybody in the biz, the most important person you SHOULD PAY…is an experienced
entertainment attorney. Now we’re talking $150-500/hour. But the money s/he will save you
by reviewing and negotiating your deals…priceless. Don’t you dare sign even the simplest
contract without a lawyer looking over it. A real one. Not your ex-boyfriend, the divorce
attorney. Or your best friend’s mom who went to law school. An attorney who has done many,
many, many of the same deals that you are about to sign is the only one you’re going to work
with, okay? Why wouldn’t you protect yourself with the most informed, well-connected
professional you can find?

Well, it turns out that wasn’t even short, but it’s important information! Trust me on this: you
won’t mind paying people if you’re actually approaching your career as a business, not a
DREAM. Do you see the difference? If you were opening a bakery, you wouldn’t be looking for
people to work for you in exchange for exposure to customers, or bartering for ovens, or
expecting to get a license from the County for free! And you sure wouldn’t sign a 5-year, $3
million lease without a contracts attorney looking it over. It’s only in the entertainment
industry that people throw their good sense to the wind and let pride and entitlement and
panic take over. It’s show BUSINESS. Accept it, embrace it, and watch your experience in this
game change once you do.

#16: Should I read the trades?

I very regularly hear the question: “Why should I read the trades?” Here’s the quick answer:
you have to read the trades to know what’s going on in the industry you’re trying to earn
work, income and respect in.

I think a better question is: “HOW should I read the trades?” That’s because once you zero in
on the key information, you’ll be less overwhelmed by all of the additional stories that make
reading the trades feel like such a task.

Which trades should I read? Everyone in film and television can benefit from Variety,
Hollywood Reporter or TV Week. But yes, they cost quite a lot, so you might just want to
subscribe to the weekly edition rather than the daily one. Even better, go online and subscribe
to the e-trades - many of those are free! I’m a fan of Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis. There is also
a great mix of e-mail newsletters available through Media Week. And this just in from a
colleague: TV Week has a free e-newsletter, and right now, they’re also offering free access
to their extensive site to new subscribers! TV Week is a major money-where-your-mouth-is
champion of diversity in television, so I’m thrilled to announce any great opportunities from
them.

Almost all entertainment fields have excellent trades targeting their members’ needs and
offering employment info. For actors, you should at least regularly read Backstage. In the
music industry, Billboard and Vibe are king, but regional trades may be more important for
local information. For example, Music Connection, an L.A.-based mag, has great articles,
artist spotlights and free classified, with national news, too. Fashionistas need Women’s
Wear Daily, of course, but I’ve never come across a legit trade paper for modeling. Open to
hearing suggestions on this one!

What should I read in the trades?There’s so much information packed into trade papers
that it can seem like too much to tackle. So rather than read nothing, here are the three
things I suggest you scan for:

1) Who’s working where in your industry’s “gatekeeper” positions? This means heads of A&R in
the music industry, development executives in TV and film, casting directors in acting, fashion
directors for stylists and designers. Start tracking the names you need to know, where they’re
being hired/fired/reassigned, and get familiar with their points of view!
2) What are the current trends in your industry? TV & film producers, find out what types of
shows and films are being produced (remember when cutthroat reality shows gave way to
feel-good TV? That was foreshadowed in the trades!). Singers/writers/composers/producers,
read what type of artists are being signed (is this really a good time to form a new hair band?
Maybe…). Fashion folks, do I need to tell you to research what colors, textures and styles are
current on the runway and the streets of Tokyo? And everyone, learn how new products are
being pushed. For instance, musicians, if you’d been reading the trades, you would have
known last year that building a solid MySpace fanbase gave you a better shot at a record deal.
Those stories were breaking back in 2005!

3) What technological changes are taking place? Right now, everyone needs to be learning as
much as they can about streaming media, mobile content, RSS feeds, mpeg4 and future video
formats, and more. Not just to expand your reach to your audience - but to understand the
scope of the contracts that are coming your way! Are those terms all total news and a mystery
to you? That’s why you need to read the trades.

#20: What materials do I need to market myself in the entertainment

industry?

A funny thing happened a short while ago that prompted this new post. First, I was invited to
speak at an event. I replied with an enthusiastic yes (for those who have seen me, you know
how I love a workshop/panel/parking lot…anywhere I can talk passionately about the biz)!
Then I immediately sent the organizer my current bio, with links to more information and
pictures online. The organizer was very surprised by my speed/efficiency and sent a nice
thank you.
That SAME DAY, I was helping a friend of mine put together materials for an upcoming
project. We already had sent three requests for a bio from one of the participants, which
finally arrived a few days later, with typos. And I thought, “It’s time to talk about what you
MUST bring to the table if you want to work in entertainment!” While you are hoping and/or
expecting to be respected and sought after and paid for your talent, be sure that you are
100% on point in delivering what the industry expects of you.
UPDATED RESUME
Nothing is more important than a résumé that accurately reflects, at least:

• Your job titles;

• The project name;
• Your employer;
• Any production partners (e.g., choreographer, production company, director, etc.);
• Your dates of employment.

An example would be:

Principal Dancer THE NUTCRACKER Lompoc Ballet Chor: Justin 12/2006
Background Dancer “LOVE MY BABY” (Baby Tee) Paramount Music Chor: Jayn J 10/2006

This really is just a credit list, so employers can instantly see not just what you have done, but
FOR WHOM. Those names are the ones that will get you hired more often than your titles! If I
know someone on that list, and I call them, and they rave about you, my job hunt is over.

Also include degrees, professional affiliations and awards.

Let’s talk about the format for your credit list.

• It must be ONE PAGE ONLY;

• It must include, at least, your legal name, professional name (if different), mailing
address, contact number, e-mail address and Web site (if any);
• All names must, must, must be spelled correctly (check online - these could be
established shows or friends of your potential employer);
• Create your list in a table (in Word, that’s Table/Create Table) with columns (skip tabs
and spaces!) so you can easily line up columns, update and move things around;
• Stick to one format for each credit and make it uniform throughout the rez (e.g., if
project names are in caps once, they should be in caps always);
• Include your name, professional title and year in the title of the document. That way,
when you e-mail it to a potential employer, they can save the file and always know what
and whose it is. So you might call it: “Rez_LeeBryant_Producer_2007.doc”

Organize one credit list by job title and another by date (most current down).
You might end up needing a more extensive rez that includes job descriptions for some
submissions. But your current credit list is an absolute must for all job submissions - update it
on the last day of every job.

CURRENT BIO
A bio is not a two- or three-page brag sheet. It is a one- to five-paragraph summary of what
you have done and why it makes you stand out from your peers (check out About DMA for an
example. Don’t re-list every job from your rez here. Summarize and sell. So your five directing
credits might be presented as: “Over the past five years, Corrinne has directed several
acclaimed regional and off-Broadway productions, including the Lucent Award-winning
production of MacBeth at New York’s Ventana Theatre.”
If you are kind of weak in the spelling and grammar area, please send your bio to someone
who is excellent at it. No typos. No grammatical errors. No syntax errors. Let it put your best
foot forward for you!
Celebrate each new professional milestone by immediately updating your bio. That should be
the final thing you do to signal the end of a gig. A call could come the next day, and you’ll be
ready with current info.

CURRENT PHOTO
Even if you are not a performer, on many occasions, you will be asked to submit a photo with
your written marketing materials for promotion, including Web sites, brochures, event
programs, etc. You should have a current, accurate photo in both 8×10 print format and a
small, digital file (say, 100px x 150px, 72 dpi, JPEG).

CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESS

Hey, we work in entertainment; we’re expected to move around the world! Addresses and
phone numbers change, but make sure you have an e-mail at a free service you know will be
around for a while (Yahoo!, G-Mail, etc.), and use that as your permanent address (don’t rely
on your current DSL or cable address; buyouts happen too often). If someone tries to reach
you three years down the road off of a submission, know that they can at least find you there.
If you don’t have a computer, go to the library and get online for an e-mail account. It is not
an option to NOT have one.

WEB SITE
In 2007, Web presence is REQUIRED! Having a Web site markets you 24/7. Visit Planet
DMAand imagine how much time it would take for me to walk every person through all of
those products and services on a one-on-one basis. Web sites don’t cost a fortune, and they
are worth every dime you spend, especially if you are selling your services. Visit Planet DMA
Portals to see the sites we create for entertainment professionals and performances. At the
very least, MySpace* is free, or you can create a blog on sites like this one (Google’s Blogger)
for FREE. You want to expand your visibility in the industry? Get yourself onto the Internet.
*If you currently use MySpace as a social network, please create a second page that’s a
professional site ONLY, with your pictures, video, music, credits, what-have-you. You are
using this site as a selling tool; keep it clean and simple to navigate.

A CELL PHONE
I know you have one. Please remember to turn it on, carry it with you, check it regularly, and
keep the message box clear so you can get messages about jobs, interviews, casting, go-sees,
auditions, rehearsals and bookings. Also, take the pop songs off of your message, please, and
let people get straight to hiring you! “Hi, you’ve reached Darwin Smith, please leave a
message. Thank you.” Done.
Okay, that’s the minimum list. Add to that a current reel, a portfolio, spec scripts, references
and more to show people who can advance your career that you are ready, able and worth
every possibility they can present. Best! Dma

#27: How do I retain the rights to my project?

Hi, everyone - Planet DMA is back after spending the last half of 2007 creating our
unbelievable new production software, Show Starter™ Scheduling & Budgeting Plus.
Imagine creating a production calendar and completing your budget and cash flow at the
same time. As one Emmy® -award winner put it: “This is a game changer!”
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!

#25: When should I just shoot a project myself?

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 fewthousand, 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!

#26: How much ownership can I offer talent or partners on a reality

show pitch?
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.

#31: How do I make money in reality TV?

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!

#34: How do I pitch my own reality show?

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.

#36: How do I get a job in reality TV?

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.

#38: What should my reality show creator agreement include?

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.

Quick tip - if you are raising money right now to shoot your own pilot, or you are prepping
storyboards, or writing a business plan, STOP. That is not how the reality pitch process works!
You will need that money and time for the contract reviews, talent reel and other expected
elements of our sales process, as we outline in the Show Starter book. You also might need
that cash to hire an experienced reality line producer to prepare a budget estimate for the
show. That’s because when you make it into a pitch meeting, at some point, someone is going
to ask, “So what’s a show like this going to cost?” Yes, they DO know the answer already. But
they want to see if YOU know.

One of the very real “gatekeeping” barriers of shopping a project is being asked to submit the
budget and schedule for a proposed show. That stumps - and STOPS - a lot of interesting
pitches. Even reality professionals may never see a full series budget or schedule before
running a show; they are proprietary documents that are not to be shared.

Fortunately for me, before I ever pitched my own project, I had produced a lot of shows
independently and understood how creative crunched out into costs. I knew to set up a
production schedule first, then figure out who and what I needed each week for cash flow,
then tally it all up for a master budget. And I knew who to call for quick quotes.

As straightforward as that process sounds, it took at least three software programs to execute
it! Last year, I set out to find faster, simpler, smarterapplication to do all of it at once. And
when I couldn’t find it, I created it. Show Starter Scheduling & Budgeting Plus finally lets you
create a production calendar and generate a fully synched budget and cash flow at the SAME
TIME. We even built in industry contacts so users can access speedy, professional quotes. By
the time we were done, our industry testers were finishing up their pre-production documents
in just a few hours instead of days or weeks. And updates took minutes, since all of the docs
talk to each other!

* Research current televised programming to educate yourself in current trends or

emerging formats for new show.

2* Study the professional advice given by the television industry (see

the external links below).

3* Read the current reports on format and concept protection given by

the industry (which can also be found through the links below).

4* Write a descriptive but brief outline of your idea; usually 3-5 pages
for reality-based concepts, and 2-5 pages for scripted projects. It's
important to be very original and specific in your descriptions, while
also writing efficiently. Move the story or outline along briskly for the
reader. Most importantly, ask yourself "what are we watching?" Many
first time writers get caught up in describing the idea or why its
interesting, while the reader (the Producer) isn't able to clearly see
what they would be watching.
5* Register your project with the Writers Guild of America or the
Creators Vault ( http://www.creatorsvault.com ) for time-stamped
proof of creation.

6* Submit your television project and idea to the TV Writers Vault

( http://www.tvwritersvault.com ) for review and consideration by
leading production companies and networks.

7* Receive electronic proof of review for your protection by the TV

Writers Vault, and track any companies reviewing or requesting to
contact you for the purchase of your concept.

8* Use the Hollywood Creative Directory to cross-reference companies

and producers who might be interested in your type of show. Make
cold calls and write query letters requesting submission of your
project.

9* If an in-person meeting or pitch is scheduled, be on time, be brief,

be open to change or suggestion, and give the producer reason's to
feel they can sell the show. And again, get right to the point of "what
are we watching". At the very least, you've created a new contact to
bring projects to directly.

If they choose to purchase your show, then they'll offer you an option-
deal and you'll be collaborating with them on a limited basis as they
move into packaging the project with talent to pitch the networks.

Read more: How to Write and Pitch an Idea for a TV Show |

eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_2026862_write-pitch-idea-tv-
show.html#ixzz14ylWi0Hr

How to Write a Television Pitch

By an eHow Contributor

Logo for TV Pitch for Under1Roof

If you have an idea for a television show rattling around in your head, the
following steps will enable you to take your rough concept and transform it into a
formal television pitch.
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
• A housing folder
1. 1
The first step in putting together your pitch is to write a logline. The logline is a
simple one sentence-summary that tells your story. Rightly or wrongly, it is a
long-held belief in the industry that if you can't boil a concept down to a logline,
it is probably not a very good idea. It is simply a step you cannot skip. To find
excellent examples of loglines, read a few movie posters. They almost always
carry a logline.
2. 2
Next, write a one-page synopsis on your show idea. Be certain that it includes
the conflict, the resolution and main points of your story.
3. 3
The third step in the process is defining your characters and what makes them
interesting. Write a one-paragraph description for your characters and explain
how they relate to one another in the broader context of the story.
4. 4
Step four is the creation of story springboards, which are also known as episode
summaries. Story springboards should provide a one to three-paragraph outline
for each show that relates to the overall story concept.
5. 5
Although you can include logos and artwork, they should always be
professionally done. Sloppily drawn material or a homemade look will only work
against you and diminish the pitch. If you can include eye-popping logos or
artwork, however, it will most certainly help to bring a visual life to your idea.
Where artwork is concerned, when in doubt, leave it out.

A sizzle reel can also be a very useful and effective tool in a television pitch,
although it is not mandatory. Sizzle reels can run five to ten minutes long, and
are provided to visually present the concept. A sizzle reel should also hint at the
first three or four episodes, and can include animations, graphics and titles. If
you do not have the skill or equipment to create a sizzle reel, one very good
resource is your local college or university. Often, film majors are looking for
material to use for student films and assignments. Frequently, they can provide
the gear and basic expertise that you need to put together a terrific reel. Once
again, though, it's always better to leave something out of your pitch, than to
include weak material. Sizzle reels should only be included when they are highly
professional and provide an effective video representation of your concept.

There are other things that can be included in a television pitch, including a pilot
script, a completed pilot, a trailer (which is an abbreviated version of the sizzle
reel) or a script treatment. These materials are optional, but are good
supplemental additions to your pitch.
What is mandatory is a housing folder. It can be a three-ring-binder or
something that is bound at your local printer. By submitting your pitch in a
housing folder, you are ensuring that key materials will not be lost or separated
from your presentation.

Remember, when completing a television pitch, you are only bound by your own
imagination. Be creative, be original and always let your vision be your guide.

Read more: How to Write a Television Pitch |

eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_5330337_write-television-
pitch.html#ixzz14yp6W1WR