Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV [Paperback]

Michael Essany (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

Do you have a concept for a reality TV show, but aren't sure about the next steps? Loaded with practical, step-by-step advice on the art and business of reality TV producing, and featuring insights from Mark Burnett, Dick Clark, and other top producers, Reality Check takes you from idea to...reality! At age 13, Michael Essany launched a lowly cable access TV talk show from his parents' basement in Valparaiso, Indiana. Fast forward to 2001, and Michael had turned his little talk show, The Michael Essany Show, into a multimillion-dollar project that quickly became one of the most talked about reality television shows. If Michael can do it, so can you. But be prepared for a lot of hard work and a few reality checks. This book includes compelling advice on how to:

* Better understand the nature, complexities, and potential of the reality genre
* Physically produce original reality programming
* Get past the gatekeepers and deliver quality pitches to major networks and production companies
* Legally protect yourself, your work, and your intellectual property
* Learn from glories and the gaffes of those who toiled before you
* Utilize the internet and other multimedia outlets to create and generate revenue from reality programming
* Avoid the professional pitfalls of the reality TV industry
* Parlay reality television projects into a successful and enduring career

* Shows you all the steps to pitching and producing a reality TV show
* Features contributions from industry heavyhitters including Mark Burnett, Dick Clark, and more!
* Offers information available nowhere else on the business, legal, and artistic aspects of reality TV

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Michael's the real deal and he's in it for keeps. If there is a sage at the top of the reality show mountain, it's got to be Michael Essany. In Reality Check, he shows his real love for the business with his shrewd insight and savvy. A must read for anyone trying to get real in the unreal world of reality tv." - Leeza Gibbons, TV personality and producer

About the Author

At age 13, Michael Essany ventured into the lowly world of local cable television by hosting a show from his parents' basement in Valparaiso, Indiana. With a keen sense of humor and a fundamental grasp of the TV industry, Essany turned his little talk show, The Michael Essany Show, into a multimillion dollar project that quckly became one of the most talked-about reality television shows in America. By the time he was 21, he had appeared on the The Tonight Show, Oprah, CNN, Inside Edition, CBS news, ET, and Access Hollywood, to name a few. In the spring of 2003, E! Entertainment Television launched The Michael Essany Show to one of the highest rated debuts of any new E! reality series. In 2004, the show was sold to the BBC in Great Britain, where it became a success. In 2005, the show debuted on Australia's Comedy Channel. Having created an inspirational brand that reached three continents by the time he was 23, Essany has secured a place in American pop culture as one of the most inspiring young entrepreneurs and television personalities in America today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240810309
• ISBN-13: 978-0240810300
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Essany is a former E! Entertainment Television host and producer widely recognizable for his appearances on Oprah, The Tonight Show, Access Hollywood, Today, ET, and Inside Edition.

Michael is also a bestselling author, columnist, and blogger whose work and accomplishments have been featured in the pages of Time, People, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Details, Maxim, and TV Guide.

Michael graduated Magna cum Laude from Valparaiso University in 2005 with a BA in Political Science. That same year, A&E Biography recognized Michael's work and inspirational achievements by naming him to their list of "America's Most Remarkable People."

Since 2008, Michael Essany has served as Vice President of Indiana Grain Company. Michael, his wife Christa, and their daughter Gianna reside just outside of Chicago, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book I Wish I Would Have Read Sooner, October 17, 2008

By 

Stephen Costanza (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV (Paperback)

Reality TV is one of those categories of television that few really understand, even those who work in the industry. I think this author did an exceptional job of summarizing what it takes to break into the field, establish yourself, and survive the ups and downs.

I've written and produced for television for better than ten years, and I would say this is about the most accurate portrayal of the business I've read. The advice is sound and could be a life saver for the new or aspiring producer, particularly the elaborate discussions on ascending past the creative competition, show pitching, and circumventing the ethical nightmares that come with the territory in reality TV production.

Michael Essany has a good sense of humor and is a fountain of anecdotes, which makes Reality Check a quick read that, unlike the content of reality TV, actually nourishes the mind and soul. A really informative, well written and researched book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I would recommend this book, October 17, 2008

By 

Brenda Carter (Burbank, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV (Paperback)

I didn't buy this book, I was given a copy. I stopped buying books about reality TV when I realized that none of the authors really had a clue. I can say that this book is much different from most similar titles I've seen, at least in that Essany gets it right. And I would probably buy this book for that reason alone. The breadth of utility in "reality check" is quite impressive. And I think this is the first title I've seen by someone who was as intimately entrenched in this genre as Essany was (i.e., as both talent and producer). It's powerful for this unique attribute and, although there is often more information than we really need to have, I would argue that the author has one-upped his contemporaries by actually writing a good book about this business.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An astute and essential read, October 18, 2008

By 

Sarah Cartigan (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reality Check: The Business and Art of Producing Reality TV (Paperback)

Where was this book when I was getting started? :)

I teach an independent radio/television production course and will probably assign Reality Check to my students. There are few practical books in this area, and I was overjoyed to find something so comprehensive and helpful.