Contestants will alter their entire personalities for us
I once had a woman cast as a villain who turned out to be the nicest lady ever. As producer, I sat her down and said, “Listen, you were cast in this role. If you want to make good TV, if you want the series to come back and make more money next year, then you need to play along. If you don’t, you’re going to be cut out entirely.” It worked.
We love getting into contestants’ heads on camera
The on-camera interviews are especially produced. You can nudge a cast member to think a certain way or tell them something that will change their tune. These are some of the most addictive TV shows on Netflix.
The quickest way to judge the budget of a show? Location
If they’re shooting outside in parks and on the street, they pretty much have no budget. To save money, I’ve shot things at my own house before.
