Is the amount of funding given for a reality show pilot negotiable?
If you're lucky enough to sell a reality show pilot or a TV series, everything is negotiable. The budget is negotiable, within limits. Small networks, little cable networks, have less money to spend, but occasionally they will stretch their own history and they will pay more for a pilot or series than they have ever paid before, but it's usually not that big a quantum leap; it's just a little bit more. If you are at a big network, one of the big four or five networks, you may get a lot more money. In fact, that's the way to get the most money for your reality show. But it is always negotiable; every show is looked at uniquely, every show has its own particular production issues or things that might make it more or less expensive. For example, some reality shows come with an A list star attached, and that A list star equals money. The network is going to have to pay for that person to come and do the television show and be on their show, so they know that's going to be more expensive. Some shows are expensive to produce because they have to be done in an airplane traveling the world. That's going to be a more expensive show to do than one shot in a house. What the reality show is helps to determine what the budget is and you can always negotiate. There is always some way, depending on how much leverage you have with the network.
