Every week, I probably field about a dozen queries from producers all over the world who ask these general questions:
* How do I own my reality 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?"
I cannot stress my immediate response enough:
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:
Q: How do I own my show?
A:
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.
Q: How do I keep the rights to my show?
A:
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.
Q: How do I produce my own show?
o
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.
Q: How do I syndicate my own show?
A:
That requires some strong tentacles in that world or an excellent
showing at a product conference, like NATPE's annual gathering in Vegas.
The
big tip I always open with when I talk to reality enthusiasts is: in
each of these questions, replace the word "how" with the word "why"?
That's when we usually get to the "instant money" plan. Instead,
imagine what the most is you will get for the MOST amount of effort you
put into this business. That attitude shift alone will open far more
doors.
I have twice gotten a note that my advice is
"discouraging" to newcomers. That may be true. It is not my intention
to discourage anyone from succeeding in this very amazing industry. But
if the tough truth about how to get the job done does anything other
than motivate you to get the job done right the first time out with
someone's generous free advice, believe me, your first day on a reality
staff is going to be brutal. So I hope you decide to process the
information, apply it, and send me links to your show credits as you
advance.
All the best with your projects!
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New media and reality TV executive producer DMA shares how to sell a reality show
in her book, "The Show Starter Reality TV Made Simple System: Ten Steps
to Creating and Pitching a Sellable Reality Show" and create a production budget and schedule with the new "Show Starter Plus" software.
She
began her career in Hollywood as a story analyst for a major production
company, where she first developed her "1-3-5" system of story
structure for screenplays. After teaching the system cross-country for
nearly a decade, in 2006, she published her popular technique in "The
1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements
of a Sellable Screenplay."
DMA is a graduate with distinction of Stanford
University and an active member of the Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences, the Producers Guild of America and Showbiz Mensans.
More insider tips, tools and resources are at Planet DMA!
