2016

Movies can have obscure or ambiguous

titles, but television is an advertiser’s
medium that demands quickly capture
of attention, so the viewer knows
generally what the show may be about.

The Entrepreneur Annex

5/7/2016
 HOW TO CREATE AND PITCH
A REALITY TV SHOW IDEA

Reality TV programs are for the most part unique

stories and stunts reflecting "our world".
Now, with the Internet connecting Producers to the
rest of the world, Reality Television has become the most
viable genre for new Writers, Creators and everyday
people with great ideas to break into the Industry.
Producers look for interesting subjects, people,
professions, and original formats to purchase and produce
as new shows.
No longer can Producers be limited by their own
development team. They must reach out to outsiders who
can create and deliver unique concepts for TV.
At The Entrepreneur Annex Vault we've witnessed
this renaissance of the industry system with many
producing deals landed by new concept creators, and
several projects produced and broadcast globally on major
networks.
 TVIdeaConnect.com is the television industry's first
website to bring "ideas" from people outside the industry
system to production and global broadcast, and we
welcome anyone with a unique idea for a television show
to register and submit a new project in our marketplace.

When you first set out to create a reality TV show

idea to pitch, you're going to propose either a formatted
concept, or a documentary style concept.

- A format has a specific structure that takes place in

each episode that provokes dramatic or compelling
competition, typically resulting in one person
winning.

Reality TV Studio Filming "Survivor", "Top Chef",

"Wipe Out", and "The Bachelor" are all competition
formats, each with a different structure and premise.
One is about survival, another is about cooking,
another is about stunts, and the other is about romance
and relationships.
- "Survivor" pits all contestants against each other, with
one person voted off each week by the group as a whole.
- "The Bachelor" has contestants competing for a
relationship with one or more voted off each week by the
star of the show.
- "Top Chef" has contestants competing each week, with
judging and eliminations done by "Experts".

Each of those series evolves and progresses over the

course of a season, with a limited number of episodes (an
Arc).

- "Wipe Out" is a straight competition series with the

fastest finisher winning the show in each episode. Each
episode is a "stand alone", with new contestants and
challenges each show.

This is similar to "Fear Factor", with both shows

translating well for syndication because viewers don't
have to follow the progression of a story and competition
over multiple episodes.
 Documentary-style reality series are finding
unmatched success with Networks right now, and this is
perhaps the most viable sub-genre for new Creators to
pitch and sell as a reality TV series.

Reality Show Cast Producers look for unique

"worlds" and "characters" in real life that are entertaining
and interesting to watch.
This can be a unique profession or business, an odd
or funny family, a certain lifestyle, a social club, real
people on an adventure, or any area of our lives that may
be interesting to watch.
And they can be pitched by anyone.
At The Entrepreneur Annex Vault, we've had reality
documentary-style series ideas sold by Housewives or
Mothers, Car Salesmen, Plumbers, Tire Salesman,
Magicians, Doctors, Lawyers, Air Traffic Controllers,
Performers, Process Servers, and other "real" people
from outside the industry system.
They were either the subject for the show, or they had
access to a subject for a show. None of them had any
formal training or experience as a creative writer.
 They simply pitched the unique aspects and scenarios
of their proposed idea, and Producers were able to see the
entertainment value.
Given the right subject, people, and approach, the
Production Company knew they could sell a Network.

Here's one trick in helping identify potential subjects

for documentary-style series: - They are essentially
Sitcoms and Drama Series'.
Regardless of the genre, it is always and only about
"Story".
"Duck Dynasty" could also be a great premise for a
sitcom.
"Deadliest Catch" could be the premise of a great
drama series.
So when you look at your world and the world
around you, look for areas of activity and people that
generate incredible moments and stories.
And remember, it’s not all about drama.
 Humor goes a long way in any pitch, and we've all
seen the success that an odd or funny family can find on
television.

Pitching a reality TV idea is as simple as

communicating a Title, Logline, and Synopsis.
This applies to all formats of reality-based ideas.
The title should hit on what we're seeing, but may be
a play on words.
It can be as simple as "The Restaurant", or clever as
"Around the World in Eighty Dates". It needs to give a
direct clue as to the subject we're watching.

Movies can have obscure or ambiguous titles, but

television is an advertiser’s medium that demands quickly
capture of attention, so the viewer knows generally what
the show may be about.

Loglines are perhaps the most important aspect of

pitching.
A logline is the short pitch that communicates the high-
concept of the show in one or two sentences.

Any Producer reading a pitch for a reality TV series

needs - the logline tells the unique premise and agenda
of the concept.
Too often new writers will create a logline that reads
more like a movie tagline, hitting on themes or general
ideas.
• For a TV Logline, the writer needs to be more
specific about communicating what we're actually
watching. What is the PREMISE, and what is the
PLIGHT?
Keep it simple and clear.
Once you establish that your logline tells what the
show is, then you can REFINE it to read in a more clever
style.
• Writing a SYNOPSIS for a reality TV show pitch is
all about communicating the unique and important
moments in the show, in a very efficient and original
manner.
 This is where you establish your originality of the
format and content proposed. Communicate what we're
potentially watching, detailing the progression of story or
format beat for beat.

A Reality TV Show Pitch may be 1 to 4 pages long,

depending on the concept.

In a documentary-style series pitch, you're pitching

that specific world, and the unique people involved.

- The first paragraph should be about the main

character, their situation, and what they do.

- Then expand into the details of their daily

challenges, and the most interesting events or
circumstances they may encounter.
Remember, what is filmed in the series hasn't
happened yet, so you need to first talk about what makes
the subject interesting, but quickly get into proposed
scenarios and events that are likely to unfold.
 You're pitching "proposed content", based on the
real activities and lives of those involved.

If you're writing a pitch for a reality TV format

(competition, elimination, or other variation), then you're
writing a very clear step-by-step overview of how the
series progresses.
Often new writers will get bogged down with
paragraphs and pages of writing that is "justifying" or
"educating" the reader on why the idea works, but in fact
isn't telling us specifically what we're seeing unfold in the
show.

Example;
Don't spend a page telling us about the chemistry or
conflict that contestants will face in the relationship series
you're pitching.
Instead, describe the specific moments of decision
and ultimatums that create that chemistry and conflict.
Those are the moments that captivate us, and propel
the show.
 Those are the moments that Producers create and
control to deliver that end result of "chemistry" and
"conflict".

Another important technical skill to keep in mind

when creating your pitch for a reality show is to be
efficient in your writing.
Good writers may also get caught up in writing too
many descriptive passages or expository writing simply
because they're good at writing, and they feel they have to
hammer a point home by describing it in more detail and
length.

Here's THE GOLDEN RULE;

“If it takes a page to describe, cut it down to a long
paragraph. If it takes a long paragraph to make the point,
cut it down to one or two sentences.”

When you hit it hard and efficient, you make impact,

and then you move to the next beat in the show.
This keeps the reader engaged.
 Especially if a Producer reading your pitch is already
sold on the concept, they don't want to be turned off by
having to read a lengthy section that isn't moving the story
or format forward.

TV Show Contract When a Production Company

wants to buy your idea for a new reality series, know what
you can ask for.
We always recommend having an EXPERIENCED
ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEY negotiate any deal on
your behalf, but it’s also very important to know what to
expect, and what Production Companies may be willing
to give.
Assuming you're a new Writer/Creator, and your
concept is being "Optioned" by a Production Company
who will then sell the show to a Network, here's what to
look for.
- You should expect some form of Producer credit.

This may be Consulting Producer, Co-Producer, or

similar. A "Created by" credit is also appropriate as you
are the original creator of the unique concept.
 Often a creator will also share such credit with
certain parties at the Production Company since they're
the entity physically creating the show.
So be open to a "Co-Creator" or shared "Created by"
credit.
As such, you should require a "PER EPISODE
FEE". This may be a percentage of the per episode
budget, or it may be a flat fee.
How much financial success you'll gain from selling
a TV show idea, depends on the success of the show.

Production Companies always hope for additional

seasons ordered, and successful ratings will equate to
bumps in fees and residual income.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a Production

Company may be successful in selling the project to
multiple countries and varying networks.
Make sure your deal applies to any network or third
party broadcaster sale, and that a different network equals
a different run of fees.
 Often we're asked, "When is pitching season for
new reality shows"?
The great news is that there is no specific or limited
period when Producers secure new TV show ideas for
development.
They scout year-round, every day of the week and
even on vacations when they have time to review new
projects.
Of course there are specific events in the industry that
take place annually, where Production Companies debut
their new projects for sale to broadcasters, but at the point
of creating and selling a reality show idea to Producers, it
is a process and period that doesn't end.

They buy projects all the time.

We appreciate the dedication and creative drive that

so many of our members have, and we look forward to
assisting all new writers in the process of creating and
pitching new reality TV shows to top Producers in the
television industry.
 THE FUTURE OF REALITY TELEVISION

Anything that makes a splash like the "Reality TV"

boom is bound to bring out the skeptics.
What's most interesting about this hot genre in
programming is that the skeptics are both the buyer and
the seller.
The viewing audience and the Networks both ask the
fearful question, "How long can this last?"
The truth is that both continue to tune in, as well as
produce and promote new shows.

The creators and producers of these shows are people

that think "outside the box" to begin with, and many have
been vocal in explaining that the format of reality
programming only broadens the possibilities of various
forms of hybrid shows.
 It's the same thing we've witnessed with scripted
shows over the past decade- Rules are broken and new
forms are accepted.

There has always been an appetite for event-type

programming. And when real people are involved,
viewers will watch with the same addictive appetite as
those who are hooked on soap operas.
What's more powerful in even the highly formatted
reality-based programming is that even though the
situations are set up and driven to deliver a result for
content, we are watching people with real emotions in
circumstances that create real drama.

As long as we continue to be fascinated with the

human condition, and have an appetite for entertainment,
there will always be some evolving format of a reality
show.
We've also seen the evolution of documentary-style
programming with hit cable shows becoming extremely
popular.
 The viewing audiences' appetite for experiencing
lives and worlds they'd otherwise never know or see in
their own reality is what pulls them to these programs.

Producers are reaching out to discover real people

with fascinating lives, businesses, and families to create
and produce as new shows, and many of them were
discovered right here at The Entrepreneur Annex Vault.

People are now pitching their own lives as reality-

based programs, and many are succeeding.

“We feel that as long as people have passion, and a

drive to create, prosper, and pursue adventure, there will
always be original reality TV programming.”
Thanks.
To making life better!

Brand Development Entrepreneur and A Global Citizen

www.aladesuru-walter-adewale.strikingly.com