How do I protect an idea for a TV show?

How do I protect an idea for a TV show?

Protecting Your Work

  1. Write out as much of your idea as you can in the form of an outline, character list, episode ideas or script.
  2. Collect all your written ideas for the television show into one document.
  3. Register your idea with the Writers Guild of America West.

How do you market a reality TV show?

How to Pitch a Reality Show in 5 Steps

  1. Read this free guide.
  2. Fully understand how the unscripted television and film business works.
  3. Prepare your pitch for different TV networks and streaming platforms.
  4. Determine if you need to team with a third party approved production company.
  5. Take your pitch to buyers.

Can you copyright a reality TV show idea?

Copyright Law – IDEAS are NOT protected The law is stated by the United States copyright Office as follows: “Copyright law does not protect ideas, methods, or systems. So, as you can see, getting protection for a reality TV show “idea” is not going to work.

How much money can you make from selling a TV show idea?

If you sell an idea or a storyline, you can expect to get $5,000 on the front-end and about $20,000 on the back-end if the movie gets produced. If you sell a treatment, you should expect around $15,000 on the front end and $30,000 on the back-end.

What do you do if you have a TV show idea?

Preparing Your TV Series Idea

  1. Identify a Fresh, Unique Concept.
  2. Get to Know Your Story’s Characters and the Setting.
  3. Write the Script for the Pilot Episode.
  4. Ideally, Write Several of the TV Show’s Episodes.
  5. Make Sure You Can Summarize Your TV Series Idea in One Sentence.

What makes a reality show successful?

Structured reality TV is successful because we know that the cast is broadly in control of the storylines, but consumption of the events portrayed is not restricted to watching the TV shows.

How much can you sell a reality TV show for?

It’s much easier to sell a reality TV show.” Depending on the network and content, Manville says budgets for reality shows can range from $100,000 to more than $500,000 per episode.

How to sell your TV show idea online?

It has produced some of the most popular reality shows like House Hunters, Downsized, Joan Knows Best, Chef and the City, and many more. It has been operating since 1996 and is always looking for talented individuals that have great ideas for reality TV shows. Writers can submit their proposal by clicking on the “pitch us” tab.

Where can I find a reality show company?

Pie Town is a reality show production company located in California, US. It has produced some of the most popular reality shows like House Hunters, Downsized, Joan Knows Best, Chef and the City, and many more. It has been operating since 1996 and is always looking for talented individuals that have great ideas for reality TV shows.

Is there such thing as unscripted reality TV?

People tend to lump all reality TV together in one giant bucket of “unscripted stew.” But there’s a wide range of reality TV shows out there, more properly called “unscripted programming.” When you start thinking about how to pitch a reality show, it’s important to recognize different reality TV genres and types of shows. Consider Movies…

Is there such thing as a reality TV show?

A lot of the “reality TV advice” that litters the internet was written by people who’ve never sold or made a show, or don’t understand how the unscripted television business works. Much of the information about making documentaries looks it the subject in relation to theatrical releases, not making television series.