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.

Success & Happiness in the Entertainment Industry with Daniel Strange

February 1, 2024February 27, 2018 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:52 — 30.5MB)

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Daniel Strange is a TV commercial director who has also dabbled in unscripted television – and he’s one of the most honest people you’ll ever meet. Today, Dan shares tips and stories about working in the entertainment industry. More importantly, he discusses finding true success and happiness. The conversation is a no-holds-barred discussion of day-to-day working life in the entertainment industry. It’s also chock-full of useful tips. Plus, the ep includes an AMAZING Richard Marx story you won’t want to miss…

The Journey from Seed Idea to Pitching TV Networks with Abra Chouinard

February 1, 2024January 23, 2018 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:24 — 42.8MB)

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Many people visit this site to learn how to pitch their own TV shows. Today, we give you an inside look at what happens when our production company teams up with an aspiring producer. We met Abra Chouinard through this very podcast and our newsletter. We did not know her before she submitted her concept and package to us. Now, she’s joining us for pitch meetings at major TV networks (and getting great response!) Abra shares the whole process, from pitching to us, to teaming up, making a tape, and meeting network execs. Plus, she shares actionable tips to help you stand out when pitching your first concepts…whether to us or anyone else.

100 Tips. 1 Million Thanks.

February 1, 2024November 14, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:53 — 12.2MB)

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Episode 100! Thanks for supporting us over nearly five years. To celebrate, we made you a “thank you” gift. It’s a brand new resource we wish we had when we started in this business. It’s completely free, and it will save you hours of time. Plus, a very special tip from Joke. And of course, a tiny bit of nostalgia from the early days of the podcast.

Casting True Crime Projects with Alexis Linkletter

February 1, 2024October 3, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:19 — 20.8MB)

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Casting true crime projects takes special care. With networks hungry for true crime programming, the genre is currently exploding. But every true crime project has one essential element that can’t be forgotten. At its center is someone who went through a tragedy. It might be a survivor, or friends and family members of a victim. Many want to share their stories. Many don’t. So how do you reach out in the most courteous, professional manner? Here’s how to find and approach survivors and victim’s families respectfully. These tips work for any true crime project including documentaries and TV series. Plus, how to recognize which stories will translate to film or TV, and which should be told in another medium. Know these tips before you start casting true crime.

Back To School: TV & Film Style!

February 1, 2024September 5, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:20 — 28.1MB)

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If you have, or know, kids — well, you know it’s that time of year…back to school! Being parents, we feel it’s only right to celebrate the spirit of education we feel filling our household. So, we’re sharing our favorite 2017 resources for learning and improving filmmaking skills. We have a wide range of resources for you…the same ones we use every day. You’ll get the methods we use to put these resources to work on our own TV shows and films. Plus, a few Joke and Biagio insights you won’t find anywhere else. Let’s get learning!

How To Freelance in Hollywood with Joey Korenman

February 1, 2024August 8, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:35 — 48.5MB)

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If you want to work your way up in the entertainment industry — especially in unscripted television — chances are you are going to spend more time freelancing than working staff jobs. Today, Joey Korenman, entertainment professional and author the book The Freelance Manifesto is here to inspire you to greatness. Get practical, hands-on tips to help you find freelance work in “Hollywood” (or wherever you are.) More importantly, start weighing what’s truly important to you…and your happiness. Plus, some amazing free resources from Joey Korenman and School of Motion to help you improve your filmmaking skills by using better design. This episode is about more than just your career and making pretty pictures…it’s about your dreams, and living a fulfilling life.

Who Owns a TV Show? Can it be You?

July 11, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:02 — 23.3MB)

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Who owns a TV show in the land of unscripted television? Like it or not, when it comes to documentary series, reality TV, true crime, and anything else that is considered “unscripted” — the owner is not usually the producer (not in America, anyway. Europe is different.) Just like us, you may spend months or years developing a project. But when it finally gets to air, someone else (the network, a studio, or a combination of both) will more than likely take all or most of the ownership. They’ll profit from selling the show around the world, merchandising, and more. You’ll be hired to work on the show, receive on-screen credit, but likely share in no profits, or none worth speaking of. To many (including us when we first started) this is hard to swallow. So why does it work this way? Should you allow someone else to own the show you develop? And what options do you have if you absolutely want to be the one who owns a TV show? We’ve got your answers…

Producer Takeaways from Four Years of Podcasts

December 9, 2017June 13, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:26 — 12.7MB)

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Just a tiny bit over four years ago this site launched with its very first podcast episode. To be honest, we didn’t know if anyone would listen, or be interested in learning the nuts and bolts of unscripted television, documentary series, and reality TV.

5 Tips: True Crime Series – Develop Deep Dives

December 9, 2017May 30, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:54 — 21.3MB)

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“Deep Dive” True Crime Series – you’ve seen them. The Jinx. Making a Murderer. Our own upcoming CNN/HLN series, Unmasking a Killer, is also a deep dive. How do these series work? How can you develop true crime series like these? And why do these types of series come with far more responsibility than others? Today we share five crucial tips you need to know. Plus…where we’ve been for the last two months.

Life After Reality TV with Shalandra Champ of Beauty and the Geek

April 4, 2017 by Biagio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:14 — 11.6MB)

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Shalandra Champ is more than just one of our favorite cast members from Beauty and the Geek. She’s a working mom, a fearless go-getter, and as of now…officially a “Beauty” turned “Geek!” Today she shares the truth about life after being a reality TV star, and so much more. Listen in on a spirited, intimate conversation as we relive some moments from season four of Beauty and the Geek. Plus Shalandra, a.k.a. “Shay” offers some advice anyone, anywhere can use. This ep is a lot of fun – and you’ll find it surprisingly useful!