Pitching Reality TV? Know This Rule for Success…

You’re one of the smart ones. Instead of wasting time on larger-than life formats (which are all long shots) or magazine-style travel shows (which no one wants) you understand that the fastest way to break into unscripted television is to find great, real life characters and build a show around them. After all, you’ve read our in-depth guide to pitching reality shows. But there’s one rule you need to be aware of if you want to be seen as a pro, and perhaps more importantly, keep your sanity. What’s the rule? Best Cast Wins. When we first heard this phrase from an exec years ago, we were surprised. What did it mean? Why was it part of the business? Just a few things we cover today: * Why ideas aren’t enough. * Could your terrific cast be all wrong? * What happens when execs and production companies have to choose between competing projects? * How can you give yourself the best chance at presenting a “winning” cast? * Where can you look to learn exactly what casts work for which networks? * Why understanding this rule can mentally prepare you for long-term success. Hit the giant PLAY button above to instantly increase your odds of getting a job in Hollywood. Transcript coming soon! Helpful and Related Links Why Ideas Aren’t Enough. Your Characters: 6 Must-Have Traits of Reality TV Characters and Documentary Subjects. Top Secret: What TV Networks Buy (And Why) 7 Steps to Pitch Us Show. We’re speaking at Getting Real, and here is more info on the event. Subscribe to Joke and Biagio on Youtube. Seriously, subscribe. Biagio has talked Joke into going on camera. A minor miracle. Come on, you know you want to click this sexy subscribe button: Come Make a Show With Us! Okay, you’ve found the best cast! You win! Here’s what’s next:

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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.