Need help with Reality TV Show Idea

[bminich]

Hi,
I Have a really awesome idea (i'm sure a lot of people say this) for a reality tv show that would include myself and a few of my friends and would make for an amazing show. I have been thinking about it for over a year now and I would like to know if anyone can tell me the steps to protect the idea, find an agent, a producer, ect.? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Wavy_Blue]

You said it yourself. A lot of people think they have really awesome ideas.

Why you posted this at a writing community I'll never know...

[dgiharris]

Wow,

You don't want much do you :) Here is my swag on what you need to do

1st step. Understand the Challenge. Understand that you are trying to break into an almost inpenetrable market.

2nd Step. Learn the Industry. You need to learn the market and industry. Buy a few 'How To' and 'Idiot's Guide' books on: Screenwriting, T.V. Production, Pitching and Idea, Finding an Agent

3rd Step. Obtain Legitamcy. Do something that gives you some legitamacy in the industry. Whether it is getting published, producing a very successful youtube video, putting on a successful Public TV show, etc, etc. In most cities, Public Television has 'free slots' avialable on a regular basis, just have to sign up far enough in advanced.

4th Step. Demonstrate Viability. Very similiar to step 3. You need to prove yourself in the media that you wish to gain acceptance in. Whether that is a million youtube hits, or the most popular Public TV show in your local area. Do something that proves you are a good investment

5th Step. Look for the right Agent. Research agencies and find one that works in the market that you want to produce

6th Step. Make the Pitch.


ANyways, that is just my 'out of my ass' list. I'm sure there are other ways to go, but in my mind, unless you are the child of a famous movie star, you will need to proceed along those lines.

Also understand the flip side.

A reality TV show costs MILLIONS of dollars to create and produce. You face a lot of challenges being 'Joe Schmo' from the street, walking in to some network's office and say, "Hey, you guys should invest 3 Million dollars with me because I have a really cool idea."

Great ideas are a dime a dozen. The thing that really matters is execution. The above steps demonstrate that you have what it takes to execute an idea.

ANyways, good luck, and welcome to AW

Mel...

[katiemac]

You might get more help in the screenwriting forum. They're probably more familiar with how television pitches work.

[wordmonkey]

Make a sizzle reel.

You have the cast and the idea. SHOW don't tell.

[Joe270]

Make a sizzle reel.

Do something that gives you some legitamacy in the industry. Whether it is getting published, producing a very successful youtube video

This utube or sizzle reel approach has been successful lately. I think it helps 'show' rather than 'tell' the concept. Besides, it seems like TV execs can't read, or if they can, they consider it a great chore, so this sidesteps that problem.

I have ideas about how you could copyright the work to protect your intellectual property, but I'd rather not speculate. I'm sure other members here know the effective means to protect your ideas.

Best of luck to you.

[icerose]

This utube or sizzle reel approach has been successful lately. I think it helps 'show' rather than 'tell' the concept. Besides, it seems like TV execs can't read, or if they can, they consider it a great chore, so this sidesteps that problem.

I have ideas about how you could copyright the work to protect your intellectual property, but I'd rather not speculate. I'm sure other members here know the effective means to protect your ideas.

Best of luck to you.

I've read the equivilent of slush, trust me, it does become a real chore to read when most of the stuff is utter and total crap. It becomes eye bleedingly painful, soul killing even. It's why they hire readers, even with agent submissions so they can spare some of the pain. It's this way in both the book industry and the movie industry. There are hundreds of thousands of people who think they can get rich quick with no effort, no training, no editing, no rejections because some rare gifted writer/lucky bastard with an angle hit it big. There are far too many people who submit without ever improving writing beyond the most substandard levels and think they're geniuses. Both industries are saturated with it, you'll find the same thing in the music industry with thousands of tone deaf "artists" trying to hock their work as masterpieces. You'll find it in the painting industry where someone's convinced they're the next piccasso and really their art is just really that bad. If I was a top exec I would avoid reading until they'd past all the possible barriers I could throw in front of them too.

All of those points aside and back on topic, doing a mock-up and getting some public feedback as others have said would probably be a good idea.

[small axe]

Quote:
Make a sizzle reel.
Quote:
Do something that gives you some legitamacy in the industry. Whether it is getting published, producing a very successful youtube video

This utube or sizzle reel approach has been successful lately. I think it helps 'show' rather than 'tell' the concept. Besides, it seems like TV execs can't read, or if they can, they consider it a great chore, so this sidesteps that problem.

I have ideas about how you could copyright the work to protect your intellectual property, but I'd rather not speculate. I'm sure other members here know the effective means to protect your ideas.

Best of luck to you.

Good advice from both, imo.

DV cameras and PC editing = dirt cheap.
"Reality show" = lower bars of expectation about production quality (the advantage to "reality tv" is the grungier it looks -- within common sense limits, which good prosumer 3chip mini-dv is -- the more "reality" it looks)

DYI. Get the book $30 FILM SCHOOL.

Might someone rip off your amazing idea? Yes. That can happen anyway. What you NEED is to have enough standing in court that you can SUE THE THIEVES and win (that is, demand a pay-off)

How?

Shoot it. Go to your local cable access (free) or leased access station (you're BUYING airtime there) and put on the show.

In your own hometown, that's easy; the trick is this: SYNDICATE.

If you get it playing on a SECOND station, ACROSS STATE LINES ... you just engaged in 1) a business and 2) INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

If you have some $$$ ... try to put it on in LOS ANGELES. Why? Because if it plays on LA tv ... that makes it impossible for the LA thieves to claim they didn't see your show (can you PROVE they SAW your show on tv? No. But you just gave them another thing to worry about in court)

So ... MAKE SOME SHOWS. That makes you real, gives you cred, and it's 100x easier to rip off your IDEA than your REAL ON-GOING SHOW.

It's a seller/sampler that will hook potential money-guys and producers (who can take it up the ladder FOR you)

Engage in BUSINESS and INTERSTATE COMMERCE: that way, you can sue them / threaten them with DAMAGES ("Damn! I was syndicating it nationally! It was a source of real income! And then they STOLE it!? DAMAGES!")

Anyhow ... that's my advice. I don't know nuthin' about nuthin ' If you have MONEY hire lawyers, but established big cats still rip each other off. YOU just want to be in the game ... so others can get rich being in bizness with YOU.

There's people with money, but no creativity.

There's people who make things happen by one phone call ... but they need an idea to acall ABOUT.

Your idea, your gumption getting the ball rolling ...

Get in the game by MAKING THE TV SHOW.

[Joe270]

I've read the equivilent of slush, trust me, it does become a real chore to read when most of the stuff is utter and total crap. It becomes eye bleedingly painful, soul killing even.

Yeah, those 'top 100 loglines' sucked to read through.

Perhaps we're all wrong thinking they want something similar to what they see every day. Perhaps choppy dialog, fragmented sentences, etc. might be fresh enough to open their eyes.

Hell, I don't know. I have no clue how any of them get made. The best seem to take forever, the worst are made in no time.

I don't get it, Ice. Seriously. I really don't get it.