2 Paths to Hollywood Success

If you want to work in unscripted television, reality TV — or the entertainment business in general — there are two well-worn paths that lead to success. Which one is right for you? Today we reveal pros and cons on each, and share which one worked for us.   Known Path versus Your Path     Like any business, one way to break into the entertainment industry is to start at the bottom. Get an entry level job, and work your way up. While this path might not sound glamorous, don’t underestimate it. Along the way you’re earning real credits, meeting people, and getting a sense of how the business really works. The problem? Working in the entertainment industry is usually long hours. So long, in fact, that by the time the day is done, you’re sapped, and have no energy to put into your own creative endeavors. On the other hand, there’s the more independent path. Strike out on your own, produce your own projects, and prove you have the skills needed to work in the industry. The problem? The industry, almost out of reflex, won’t take you seriously. You’ll have to fight to prove that what you learned away from the more “standard” path about making film and TV translates, and that can be difficult. Don’t believe us? Just listen to the RIDICULOUS way we finally broke into the industry. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have made it eventually (we believe we would have ended up here either way) but it does to show just how much harder the independent path can be. Which Path is Right for You Over the years, we’ve come to believe one path isn’t better than the other — just different. The most important thing is that you understand your personality, and what’s going to make you happy in the long run. Some of what we cover today: * Financial security versus creative freedom * Prioritizing your own projects (and what that really means.) * Deciding how you want to spend your years of hard work * Pros and Cons of both paths into the entertainment industry * Which path we chose and why NOW… press that giant red “PLAY” button above to help decide which Entertainment Industry path is right for you. Transcript Coming Soon! Ready to Make Some TV? Among those who want to strike out and produce your own unscripted television, reality TV, or documentary series? We’re always open to considering your pitches. Here’s how:

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*Named "New and Noteworthy" across all podcasts, as well as TV & Film, Arts, and Education. Subscribe now. Ready to create, pitch, and sell documentary series, unscripted TV shows or reality series and specials? From creating pitch tapes to meeting with TV networks, developing your ideas to discovering reality TV stars, this podcast features tips on working in unscripted film and television that you won't find anywhere else. Get top-industry secrets and even pitch your shows to Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers and Unscripted Television Producers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina. Recently, the duo have helped both new and experienced producers bring projects to television on MTV, BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY, A&E, and CNN/HLN. Your show could be next. Subscribe now. ABOUT JOKE AND BIAGIO: With over a decade of experience in unscripted film and television, this married couple has made TV shows, specials, and pilots for CNN, HLN, A&E, The CW, Biography Channel, NBC, CBS, Discovery, Investigation Discovery, Discovery+, E!, IFC, Logo, Oxygen, Style Network, VH1 and MTV. Their feature length documentary DYING TO DO LETTERMAN played in theaters across America, was invited by the International Documentary Association to qualify for Academy Award® consideration, and named “New and Noteworthy” on iTunes alongside The Dark Knight Rises, Brave, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Subscribers to this podcast will learn the secrets of the Unscripted TV and Film worlds, and how to apply them toward career success. Subscribe today.