So you STILL want to produce your own reality television series?

Most of you will already have an idea for a show, as it makes very little sense to get into television production for the excitement or the money. In my case I didn’t have the slightest idea what sort of program I would produce. Assuming you are like me and don’t have an idea consider this advice: It will be easier if you pick a subject that a) you have some expertise with, b) you care about passionately, c) serves a higher purpose and d) is defensible. Of course, as you will begin to realize, I am much better at giving advice than following advice (mine or anyone else’s).

My own story began in 2005 when a friend made an offhand comment about the cost of producing a television pilot. Each year around eight or ten of my friends get together in Las Vegas for a retreat where we discuss our businesses, our dreams, our families and random topics like politics and craps. On this trip, Robert Bennett and I were sitting at the Hard Rock Hotel pool sipping on gin and tonics discussing a small investment we both had made in a friend’s company. We were lamenting how it was likely a bad investment when Robert suggested that for the same amount he had invested, $25,000, he could have produced a television pilot in high definition. Robert runs a boutique television production company called HD Republic.

During our sun soaked conversation Robert described the state of the HD television market. He described a wide open market, with very little content, thus creating very little reason for anyone to buy television sets. The first HD television sets went on sale in the United States in 1998, but standard definition was the rule until Congress passed legislation that requires almost all U.S. stations to switch to HDTV by February 17th 2009. In 2005 HD content was rare and as a result almost anything filmed in HD could be sold. Robert’s analogy was that the HD market was like MTV in the 80s, if you had a music video you could get it on television. He made a convincing case that if we produced a program in HD, as long as we could keep the camera in focus (not as easy as you might assume) we could find a network that would pay real money to air it.

The wheels began running in my head and by the end of our retreat I had mentally decided to produce a reality television program. I just needed an idea. That evening I saw a news report on illegal street racing and it occurred to me that it might make a perfect concept for a reality series. At first glance it seemed to be the perfect idea: a) having a highly coveted demographic 18-25 year old males, b) universally appealing subject (cars), c) danger (hell, it was illegal), d) it was unique (I hadn’t heard of another reality series focused on the subject) and e) everyone I talked to loved the idea (fyi – your mom is not a great focus group).

Robert stopped by office to go over the idea and after an hour or so of brainstorming it became clear that my idea might not have been as good as I had initially assumed. Of course, as I learned through this process, everyone will have an opinion about your idea. Your job is to figure out who to listen to and who to ignore (you should ignore 90% of all advice). Almost immediately Robert pointed out that illegal street racing was illegal. He had a point. I hadn’t considered the potential liability associated with a reality program about illegal activity and how it might make a trial lawyer’s mouth water. Never one to take no for an answer, I suggested that we might ‘stage’ the illegal street races. I suggested that we could simulate the illegal and street part of the equation by filming on a racetrack. It wouldn’t be illegal and while it wouldn’t be on the street, it would be dark so we could easily make it appear to be a street. I even had the perfect location, a country club called MotorSport Ranch where instead of tennis courts or a golf course they have a race track complete with race track front homes, garages and a clubhouse.

Several days later Robert and I got back together. Robert explained that very few members of our target demographic (18-25 year old males) owned high definition televisions. At the time HDTV owners were males over the age of 35. I also discovered there were about ten other shows about illegal street racing in the works (none of them every aired to my knowledge). My idea seemed less and less appealing. My mom sealed the deal when she told me, in no uncertain terms, I wasn’t allowed to produce a television show about illegal activity (if you are over 25, your mom is almost always one of those 10% I suggest you listen to).

Then it hit me, why don’t we make a reality program about MotorSport Ranch? The idea of illegal street racing was quickly set aside, but form the burning embers a new idea emerged. Ironically, the idea of turning the venue into the show offered us a built in cast of more than 400 members not to mention the staff. It also gave us something that was defensible, the location. The idea was quickly coming together, but I didn’t have a clue how to get started.