Pitching a Reality TV Show

Reality TV Production:
Reality Show Pitching

So I was watching this video online with reality TV show producer, Mark Cronin, who talks personally about pitching concepts for TV networks. Mark Cronin's production company "Mindless Entertainment" joined with Cris Abrego's "51 Pictures to Form 51 Minds" to eventually produce way too many reality dating shows on VH1. It started with the "Surreal Life" where they filmed a house full of washed up celebrities AKA Vanilla Ice... and Trishelle from RW Las Vegas? Then Flavor of Love, I Love New York, Rock of Love, Charm School, and still hundreds of more invested shows to come. In the video, he explains that it is important to always have a compelling way to present the idea to whichever group of executives you are meeting with. He says you have to consider every person in the room who may be potentially purchasing your show idea, and convince them all or as many as possible that your show is good. His advice is to present an idea that will go in into the future, because networks love shows that go on instead of short lasting shows that cost them money (I'm sure they're all millionaires anyways).

He maintains that a good show must have some sort of repeated format with a continuous formula that will WORK. I could have told you that. Studios want something that will continuously pull the same profiting tricks... like "Glee." He describes his experiences pitching and says that he tries to make everyone in the room laugh and make them believe a concept or show is funny. Well yeah if you're pitching a funny show, it would probably be a good idea to aim to make people die laughing. Just pull out your tricks. That's what I would do. Cronin also heeds some advice to aspiring reality TV show producers, stating that most networks only talk to people who have agents. And the agents must be well-known in the industry because the execs don't have much time to waste. If they're going to waste time to meet with you, they better believe the agent when he or she tells them you're good at producing. My favorite line is this cocky one, "If you are not a professional (TV) reality show producer, you have an enormous uphill battle." I guess you have to be really determined, as well as have a really great and lucrative concept.