Shopping Agreements for Reality TV Concepts
Producing Unscripted: Make Reality TV Shows and Documentary Series with Joke and Biagio - A podcast by Joke and Biagio | Reality TV Producers, Award Winning Filmmakers, Documentarians
A production company (maybe ours) wants to team up with you on your reality TV concept. The idea of “shopping agreements” comes up. But what does that mean? How long should you agree to let someone pitch your idea? What will that process be like? Let us answer all these questions…and more. If you have EVER thought you might want to pitch your unscripted TV idea to a production company, this episode is a MUST LISTEN. Shopping Agreements: What to Expect Those of you who get our newsletter know that we reached out two weeks ago to ask what questions you would like us to answer. We received a lot of questions about shopping agreements. This one came in from Kevin Hanna, who writes: Long time listener, first time caller….How long is someone normally locked in to a submission agreement before they are free to shop their show elsewhere? Ryan Murphy also reached out with a more in-depth question: What is the right amount of time to give a producer to shop your show to the networks? I had a known, successful producer shopping my reality show to the major networks. We had a 6 month agreement in place. At the end he asked for another 6 months… I wasn’t sure if I should have my idea tied to this one producer for a year so we agreed on 2 additional months. My show did not get picked up but now I am seeing other similar shows being advertised. Should I have just given him more time? Should I actually be part of these pitches to the networks or is it standard for my producer to handle it on his own? We recorded some sizzle reel stuff but the rest of the time I was just sitting around waiting for feedback. Great questions, Kevin and Ryan! So today, we’ve dedicated the entire podcast to answering these. NOW… press that giant red “PLAY” button above learn everything you NEED to know about shopping agreements. Transcript Coming Soon! Helpful and Related Links: Showbiz is Slow-Biz – It’s a simple truth that can drive you crazy. This post breaks down how to win the Hollywood waiting game. The Truth About Your Big Idea in Hollywood – More advice to help you get out of the “waiting game” rut. 412 Days Later – a true story of winning the Hollywood waiting game (sort of!) Soft Pitch Blueprint: Beyond Ideas for Reality TV Pitch Success – beofore anyone talks shopping agreements with you, they’ll want to know what you’re pitching. In certain circumstances, the “soft pitch” technique can be helpful. Hollywood Pitch Meetings: Pro Tip For Success – Blow ’em away at your next pitch meeting and shopping agreements may be in your future. Want the “cheat sheet” to pitching shows to us? Pitch Shows to Joke and Biagio. Dying to collaborate with us? Okay — you listened to today’s podcast, and think you might like to have a shopping agreement with us? Here’s what to do next:
