6 Steps to Get Paid For Your Reality Show Ideas

Monsoon50

Editor

posted on 17 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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If you believe you have a great idea for a Reality TV show, you can sell it even if you don't have any experience or contacts. Here is a brief guide.

Steps

Create your basic idea. You need to be able to describe your idea in 30 words or less. This will be called your logline. It should tell the premise and agenda of the show.

Create a format for your show. In other words, provide an outline of what will happen during the show. For example, in "Dancing with the Stars," celebrities are paired with ballroom dance professionals who then compete in live dance exhibitions where they are then judged by a panel of judges and the television audience. Write the specific and main events of each episode, including any elimination, also showing how it evolves over the course of the season to a final episode.

Increase your chances of success by getting professional TV advice. Avoiding this step can be like going to court without legal advice! Professional TV advisors are usually current or ex senior TV pros. They'll help you shape your idea so that it makes sense to the industry. The good ones will help you get funding and even walk it into the senior industry figures for you (google 'professional tv advisors' or similar)

If you want to 'go it alone' you can develop a list of producers to pitch the show. There are industry directories such as the Hollywood Creative Directory that list most producers and what kind of shows or movies they produce. Using a reference book like this, you can build a contact list.

Pitch the shows to producers. Almost all Production companies prohibit unsolicited pitches, so you'll have to call a lot of companies to find any development executives or producers who may take submissions. If they do, you will most likely be required to sign a release form. Be polite, but direct in your communications.

Use the TV industry's online marketplace, such as the TV Writers Vault, to submit your Reality Show Idea. There you will receive protected exposure, with electronic record of any Producer reviewing your material. Producers will then contact you directly for any deal proposal. You do not need an Agent when using these types of services, but always use an Attorney to negotiate and close any deal proposed when you're selling your project.