Casting Tapes: Show, Tell, or Both?

As you already know from reading our in-depth guide on creating and pitching reality shows, there is no better way to quickly break into the business than building your show around a great, real life character. But when you’re putting together very basic casting tapes to test whether or not someone might be great TV, there’s a HUGE mistake you need to avoid.   Characters Sell Themselves Best…   …when they’re not talking about and commenting on themselves. But what does that mean exactly?   Casting Tapes for Reality TV A bit of what we cover today: * Casting tapes that have big, red flags * Things that turn off producers and executives * How to properly illustrate what your character is all about * Tricks for casting tapes that aren’t shooting a lot of footage And so much more! NOW… press that giant red “PLAY” button above to learn everything you ever wanted to know about casting tapes that make your talent look their best. Transcript Coming Soon! Helpful and Related Links: Making casting tapes? These past eps and links offer additional tips and techniques you need to know. Be sure to check them out: What makes great reality TV and documentary series characters? Everything you need to know. This post explains how to develop shows (including shooting casting tapes) without going broke. Three case studies including the casting tapes that lead to our MTV True Life special. When you’re shooting your casting tapes, use our guide to getting great interviews to get the gold you need to sell your characters. Ready to Make Some Reality TV or Unscripted Television? Already discovered a terrific person or people you believe would make great TV? Making sure you properly present them on you casting tapes? Thinking you’re ready to pitch to us? 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.