Time to do the work
Producing, directing, story, sound, post, and the thousand practical decisions hiding behind every finished episode.
67 free episodes. Pick one that sounds useful and start there.
The collection
Episode 132 · June 24, 2021
Jon Kroll is the man behind some the biggest unscripted TV shows of all time. From Big Brother to The Amazing Race, he’s been in the industry for close to 30 years. (Not to mention he is a mentor to the two...
Episode 131 · April 30, 2021
It’s an exciting time to be a content creator – for all of us! Not long ago, documentaries were gloomily known as the “D” word…since no one wanted to buy them. Now they’re hot as ever thanks to streamers lik...
Episode 127 · September 29, 2020
For episode 127 we’re mining great advice from an unlikely place…the new Apple TV series Ted Lasso. What on earth does a fish-out-of-water sports sitcom have to do with making unscripted film and television?...
Episode 126 · July 25, 2020
For episode 126 we, like you, are stuck in quarantine. It’s turned into a long, hot, “can’t go anywhere” summer. We thought it was time for a little popsicle. One of the questions we get from friends and fam...
Episode 125 · April 29, 2020
First of all, we hope you’re doing okay – we know it’s a very strange, sometimes scary and confusing time. It has certainly scared us – especially because we were smack-dab in the middle of finishing a TV se...
Episode 124 · March 31, 2020
The world’s a little crazy at the moment – so we thought this would be a good time to bring you a truly inspirational tale. Emmy winner Steve Mazan, subject of our theatrically released feature documentary D...
Episode 122 · January 30, 2020
Holy cow, it’s 2020! As we enter our seventh year (!) of the Producing Unscripted podcast, we’re so grateful to all of you who’ve supported us on this journey. With a New Year comes new podcast episodes, beg...
Episode 121 · October 31, 2019
It’s Halloween, so pull out your sage, salt, and white candles! Today we’re talking about something truly spooky…our top 3 scariest moments on set! If you’ve been around production of any kind, you know thin...
Episode 120 · September 30, 2019
Get out the Tim Tams and the Vegemite…cause we’re going down under! Well, actually, the “down under” came to visit us, so we could give you an episode all about working with Netflix. We’re talking with PJ Ma...
Episode 119 · August 30, 2019
It sounds like a myth, or some kind of Hollywood urban legend, but some people actually put their own shows on television by buying airtime and selling ads themselves. They make truly independent TV. How doe...
Episode 118 · July 30, 2019
Brian Speciale isn’t just special because of his name. Not only is he a great producer, but he used his producing skills to flip the script, get himself cast on a little show called Shark Tank, and score a h...
Episode 116 · May 30, 2019
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so on this Producing Unscripted podcast episode we‘re discussing some of the more difficult aspects of working in the entertainment industry…especially on big production...
Episode 114 · March 26, 2019
Are you a producer? Or do you see yourself as on-camera talent? Either way, it’s important to realize the challenges and realities of becoming a TV personality. Pat Postiglione is in the throws of that journ...
Episode 111 · December 20, 2018
Happy Holidays from Producing Unscripted! ’Tis the season to be jolly, and if you asked Santa for a new episode of Producing Unscripted, you’re in luck! Today we share some important stocking stuffers with y...
Episode 109 · September 25, 2018
We travelled the streets of Los Angeles for the 109th episode of Producing Unscripted. Well, we went a couple of exits down the 101, where we met with this week’s guest, the multitalented Roger Nygard. Roger...
Episode 108 · August 28, 2018
Jon Kroll is the man behind some of your favorite unscripted television shows. From Big Brother to The Amazing Race, he’s been in the industry for over 25 years. He’s here today to share his secrets to succe...
Episode 105 · May 30, 2018
Marc Jackson says he feels like he’s living his dream. A retired police officer, Marc wanted to start a new career in filmmaking and TV production – but had no production experience. Like many of you, Marc d...
Episode 103 · March 13, 2018
Unmasking a Killer is our new true crime documentary series for CNN and HLN. It premieres Sunday, March 18, at 9pm on HLN. Todd Lindsey brought us the show. Additionally, he became the series Supervising Pro...
Episode 102 · February 27, 2018
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 ent...
Episode 100 · November 14, 2017
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, an...
Episode 99 · October 3, 2017
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 forgott...
Episode 98 · September 5, 2017
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...
Episode 97 · August 8, 2017
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, e...
Episode 95 · June 13, 2017
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...
Episode 94 · May 30, 2017
“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 cri...
Episode 93 · April 4, 2017
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...
Episode 91 · March 7, 2017
Producing documentaries sounds alluring or terrifying. It depends on where you’re sitting. Today, we’re sitting with Sundance fellow and TV producer Amanda Spain. Amanda is one of those rare people who’s man...
Episode 90 · February 21, 2017
Dana Golder is one of the biggest casting directors in reality TV. Just some of her credits include The Biggest Loser, The Amazing Race, and Cash Cab. We’ve been lucky enough to work with her on Beauty and t...
Episode 89 · February 7, 2017
Mickey Ramos is not only a terrific, prolific TV producer who survived an attack by over 600 killer bees while filming Naked and Afraid. She’s also the voice of Kenny’s girlfriend on South Park (how cool!) P...
Episode 88 · January 24, 2017
Happy 2017! Today, on episode 88 of Producing Unscripted we’re helping you kick off the new year right. Trying to break into unscripted television, documentary series, true crime or reality TV? Here are thre...
Episode 87 · December 13, 2016
The Hollywood Notes Process: also known as “collaboration” to some and “notes hell” to others. Today, on episode 87 of Producing Unscripted we’re thrilled to be joined by Troy DeVolld, TV Producer extraordin...
Episode 86 · November 29, 2016
Production hangovers? It’s episode 86 of Producing Unscripted, and today we’re being way too honest. Want truth? Production can burn you out! Doesn’t matter how much you love your film or TV project. Doesn’t...
Episode 85 · November 15, 2016
It’s episode 85 of Producing Unscripted, and today we’re discussing a crucial skill that will help you in business…and life. Handling criticism. If Steven Spielberg, Mark Burnett, and Shonda Rhimes have to d...
Episode 84 · November 1, 2016
It’s episode 84 of Producing Unscripted, and today we’re having a crucial discussion about the illusive “lucky break.” We’re not just talking about finally catching your lucky break in Hollywood. We’re also...
Episode 83 · October 18, 2016
In this episode, part 2 of Tools We Use to Make TV, we discuss our television post-production workflow. We’ve spent many years building a post workflow that can help us deliver any kind of TV or film project...
Episode 82 · October 4, 2016
You asked, we answered. These are the tools we use to make television. Many are free or inexpensive. All have free or less expensive alternatives.
Episode 80 · August 23, 2016
It’s episode 80 of Producing Unscripted, and today we’re answering your reality tv questions. How to stay creatively motivated? Should you work with a distributor? What concerns change as you earn more succe...
Episode 79 · July 26, 2016
Filming real people is crucial to making unscripted entertainment. It’s also very delicate. It takes trust, respect, forethought, communication, and silly arguments with lawyers. Here are five factors you mu...
Episode 77 · June 28, 2016
Your first time on set? Your 1000th? No matter how many times you’ve worked a film or TV set, it’s important to remember setiquette. That’s a fun way of saying “on set etiquette.” The little things that you...
Episode 76 · June 14, 2016
Creative control. It’s something most artists strive for — even demand. At the same time, in the entertainment industry, there are a lot of entities entitled to shape the creative of a TV show or movie. So h...
Episode 75 · May 31, 2016
Sure, we’ve made a lot of television. Yes, we’ve had a few (small) films in theaters. But there’s always more to learn. And when it comes to pure, unadulterated, guerrilla filmmaking awesomeness, there’s no...
Episode 74 · May 3, 2016
You’re dreaming of working in the entertainment industry. But you have doubts. Are you too young? Too old? Live too far away? You can come up with a million potential stumbling blocks to your career. But is...
Episode 71 · March 8, 2016
We just came off of an exhilarating – and exhausting – weekend shooting a cable network pilot for a huge, formatted TV show. In our sleep-deprived, semi-delirious state, it occurred to us this is the perfect...
Episode 69 · February 9, 2016
“Remember, pressure is a privilege.” It was some of most mysterious — and meaningful — advice we’ve ever received. Today, we explain why this nugget of knowledge will keep you sane, drive you to new heights,...
Episode 68 · January 26, 2016
TV versus YouTube – it’s something that comes up in discussions with aspiring producers on a daily basis. Why do some shows work better on YouTube than TV? Is TV always better than YouTube? What are the pros...
Episode 67 · January 12, 2016
Happy 2016! Today’s episode is all about new beginnings — in fact, it’s a big picture guide to making film and TV as seen from the point of view of new starts. We’ve made over 100 hours of TV and film. Every...
Episode 66 · December 8, 2015
As 2015 ends and 2016 dawns, we couldn't be more excited for aspiring filmmakers and producers everywhere. Here are three things we think deliver amazing news for all budding media artists in the new year.
Episode 63 · October 27, 2015
If you want to work in unscripted television, reality TV — or the entertainment business in general — there are two well-worn paths that lead to success. Which one is right for you? Today we reveal pros and...
Episode 61 · September 15, 2015
Nothing can make your production seem more professional — or more amateurish — than the quality of your sound. Today, audio pro Brett Ulery shares tips and secrets to help you get pro sound on any budget (an...
Episode 60 · September 1, 2015
People ask us all the time how we edit our TV shows. Until recently, it was a complicated, rambling answer filled with a mish-mosh of pseudo best practices. Not anymore. We’ve just taken our entire company i...
Episode 59 · August 18, 2015
Reenactments in documentary, film, and TV projects give visual life to past events. They do so by re-creating those moments in a cinematic way. You’ve seen them in groundbreaking films like The Thin Blue Lin...
Episode 57 · July 21, 2015
Do you need an entertainment attorney? Are you sure? How much will an entertainment attorney charge you? And when choosing an entertainment attorney, how can you be sure you’re picking the right one? Choosin...
Episode 55 · June 9, 2015
Is there any such thing as a dumb question? YES. Use these three secrets to always know when, where, and how to ask questions without driving professionals up the wall. Asking questions in Hollywood is an ar...
Episode 44 · January 6, 2015
Happy 2015! To kick off a great year, we wanted to start out with five traits you can actively develop to become a better film or TV producer. And it’s all brought to you today by the letter “L.” Today…The L...
Episode 42 · November 25, 2014
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 aft...
Episode 40 · October 28, 2014
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 nev...
Episode 39 · October 14, 2014
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 pro...
Episode 35 · August 5, 2014
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 te...
Episode 33 · July 8, 2014
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. Get Great Interviews that are...
Episode 24 · March 4, 2014
You already know we want to team up with you to make some great TV. But what does that mean for you? How you can increase your odds for success not just with us, but in the industry? Here you go: This Episod...
Episode 20 · January 7, 2014
Want to go from idea to TV series? You’ll learn a lot in today’s podcast. In less than a week our new show Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne premieres on A&E. Today, we share our secrets about how we sold the show, m...
Episode 17 · November 26, 2013
What happens when you only have a tiny bit of money, but need to make a project look big? We’ve got 5 tips guaranteed to add production value, make you stand out from the crowd, and stretch those dollars to...
Episode 14 · October 15, 2013
You don’t want to suck. Neither do we. That’s why when we discovered this amazing, hilarious, and most importantly, accurate blog post on making it in the entertainment industry, we had to dedicate a whole p...
Episode 12 · September 17, 2013
Anyone can break down the doors of Hollywood…but doing so will likely get you arrested, and certainly not invited to stay. Here’s three tips to get you through the door and keep you there. Think You Can Smas...
Episode 11 · September 3, 2013
It’s your first big project — or just a really huge step forward in your career. You are the lead creative. Don’t die. Useful Tips You Can Use. We’re still shooting our top secret new show for a major cable...
Episode 9 · August 6, 2013
Want to get that concept out of your head and on TV? This episode we’ve got three real-world examples from people just like you, plus take-aways you can use to help get your ideas on television.We cover a lo...
Episode 1 · June 8, 2013
Want to make reality TV, documentary series or unscripted specials? So did we. But when you’re just starting out, how in the heck do sell documentary series or make reality tv? Seems like it wasn’t that long...