Make Documentary, Unscripted, and Reality TV Podcast

The reality TV podcast to help you create, pitch, sell, and produce reality television shows and documentary series – Producing Unscripted.

We’re Joke and Biagio, and we make reality TV shows, documentaries, and factual programming for a living. These days we have over 100 hours of film and television under our belts, but we remember how impossible it seemed to break in when we were two kids living in our one-bedroom apartment.

We started this podcast to teach you the nuts-and-bolts of making reality TV, but more importantly, to give you a path to pitch your projects to us.

Enjoy the podcasts below, and maybe we’ll even get to work together someday.

Make Reality TV: 5 Steps to Great Cast Relationships

February 16, 2015November 25, 2014 by Biagio

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Cast relationships — how you communicate with and prepare your cast — is key to making a great reality TV show or documentary series. Making sure those cast relationships stay strong both during and long after a show is done is not only crucial to your success in this industry, but it’s the right thing to do. So today we share how to pitch and make great reality TV shows and documentary series all while earning and maintaining great cast relationships.

Sizzle Reel: Budgets, Investors, and More…

February 16, 2015November 11, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:32 — 12.7MB)

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Should You Get Investors For Your Sizzle Reel? We’ve finally received this question enough times that we realize you want the answer. Forgive us for being slow! Today we spell out our thoughts and give you a bunch of tips to help you decide how much time and money to budget for your sizzle reel — your tool for presenting your TV concept to TV networks and production companies.

5 Scary Things About Producing TV Shows

February 16, 2015October 28, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:59 — 12.2MB)

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With Halloween just around the corner, and lots of “scare” in the air, we thought we’d share five little known, horrifying things about producing TV shows. If you’re an aspiring producer, you’ve probably never even considered these terrifying treats that come along with every new show you sell…

Make TV Networks and Studios Happy – Dealing With Network Notes

April 13, 2015October 14, 2014 by Biagio

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Whether you’re doing a TV show for a network, writing a screenplay for a studio, or creating a web series with friends, there is no getting around the notes process. Everyone has an opinion on where your project should go next. Believe it or not, the notes phase is a make it or break it part of anyone’s career! Get it right, and the people on top will love you. Get it wrong, and your career will likely stall (at best.) But being successful in the notes process DOES NOT mean simply taking every note handed your way and executing it. Here are some solid tips on surviving the notes process with your career — and your soul — intact.

Pitching Reality TV? Know This Rule for Success…

February 24, 2015September 30, 2014 by Biagio

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You’re one of the smart ones. Instead of wasting time on larger-than life formats (which are all long shots) or magazine-style travel shows (which no one wants) you understand that the fastest way to break into unscripted television is to find great, real life characters and build a show around them. After all, you’ve read our in-depth guide to pitching reality shows. But there’s one rule you need to be aware of if you want to be seen as a pro, and perhaps more importantly, keep your sanity. What’s the rule?

Landing Jobs in Hollywood – Insider Tips

February 28, 2020September 16, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:18 — 26.3MB)

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One way to break into Hollywood? Get a job on a real production. While not the simplest route, you’d be amazed to learn how many people shoot themselves in the foot by making easy-to-avoid mistakes. Seriously! Fresh off a recent hiring spree, we tell you exactly why we automatically considered some applicants, and instantly rejected others. Give yourself a leg up on the competition today by following these tips.

3 Steps: Turn a Character into a TV Show

February 16, 2015August 19, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:48 — 16.7MB)

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You’ve discovered an amazing, real life person that you are sure could be a reality TV show…now what? Today, we give you 3 concrete steps to greatly increase your odds of selling a character-centered show.

How To Make Re-Creation Reality: A Case Study

February 16, 2015August 5, 2014 by Biagio

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You’ve seen them: spooky ghost shows, high-steaks crime-retellings, beautifully-shot historical docs — all using a cinematically photographed re-creation style to bring these “reality shows” or unscripted television series to life. Yes, they are incredibly fun and fulfilling to make. Today, we’ll give you the blueprint to how we make one such show, step-by-step.

10 Mistakes That Wreck Your Pitches

February 24, 2015July 22, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:45 — 29.4MB)

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One of the best ways to succeed in our business? Learn from the mistakes of others. Today, we’ll give you the top ten mistakes we see again and again in pitches for reality TV and documentary series. Avoid these — whether pitching to us or anyone else — and you’ll be WAY ahead of the curve.

How to Get Great Interviews for Documentaries and Reality TV Shows

February 16, 2015July 8, 2014 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:02 — 20.5MB)

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Get great interviews? Many of you have asked — now we deliver! Here it is – your checklist for how to get great interviews for documentary series, reality TV, and doc specials.