On July 6th, at the Arts at the Armory Cafe in Somerville, Shannon Vossler, reality TV veteran, shared her experiences working with such varied networks as Animal Planet and the History Channel. “The cable networks are the ones that are always scrambling [for new ideas],” she explained, “They are on 24/7 and need to fill slots.” So, just how does an aspiring filmmaker get his or her foot into the business? Here were some of her fantastic stories and recommendations:
Do Internships in the Field
“Get all of your internships done while you still have housing!” Shannon encouraged those who are still in school. “It [the industry] is a roller coaster of highs and lows, where the small victories keep you going.” Signing on to unpaid training and experiences, done while you are still at school, is a must in her view, so that you have an advantage after you graduate. In Shannon’s case, an internship at Scout Productions, led to immediate paid employment before she had even graduated from Boston University.
Be Willing to Start at the Bottom
After college, wanna-be scriptwriters and filmmakers should be willing to work their way up the ladder. Shannon began as a production assistant, “hanging lights and getting coffee,” but she was always willing to learn new things and take on new jobs. One day, after working as a writer in development, Shannon’s boss announced that she was being promoted to position of producer. After some hesitation, she accepted that role and quickly grew into it. “By sampling different production areas: office; on set; art department, etc– you can begin to gauge your skill set and what you want to pursue,” she observed.
Network Any Way You Can
From the earliest days of her career Shannon realized that it was important to get face-to-face with the decision-makers, the ones with the power to greenlight a short “sample” segment of a show, a pilot, or a whole series. Shannon described how volunteering to be the note-taker at meetings with network executives helped to give her visibility and a presence. As the secretary, organizing and distilling ideas, she was able to express herself and make significant contacts. By building relationships from the initial meeting on, she made “friends” with many of the development people. “After hours too,” she observed, “when people are exhausted and just want to get a drink,” you have an opportunity to gauge what sorts of programs they might be interested in and do informal pitches.
The Art of the Pitch
Once Shannon had established herself in the field and had an agent, she was able, in many cases, to pitch directly to the programming executives. However, for pitches that she wanted to make where she did not have contacts, she would prepare sizzle reels and submit these through her agent.
Shannon described how the dynamic of pitching has evolved in this genre. “At the beginning of my career, networks would accept written pitches, but production companies are more cautious now and frankly people don’t want to read.” The standard pitch is now packaged into a sizzle reel — two to three minutes that capture what the content will be; with a hook that gives the networks a reason to care. This can be done by filming the main subject and compiling clips from youtube videos with originally shot material. “If the company likes it, they will call and ask about budget.”
An Inspirational Story
One of Shannon’s dream projects was to tell the story of Wes Moore, a best-selling writer and veteran, who, after the suicide of one of his oldest friends and fellow officers, was determined to help other vets returning from war, trying to adjust to civilian life. Shannon’s team assembled a dynamic sizzle reel and pitched the story of “Wes Moore’s Army” but no networks were buying. “They didn’t want a story about PSTD that might cast soldiers in an unfavorable light.” Then two years after their initial pitch, a PBS executive became interested. The resulting 3-part series is one of Shannon’s proudest accomplishments. A trailer for Coming Back is available here.
The Reality of Reality TV
Reality TV, just like any narrative story, needs an interesting main character, a series of conflicts, and some resolution. Shannon described how story beats and arcs are often manufactured by the director and/or producer to build excitement when reality is proving to be a bore. In one of her favorite examples, the producer of a show signed on to play a waiter in his own program “just to cause lots of trouble for a couple dining out. He had been observing this guy [the main character] in the screening room and he knew just what buttons to push.” This sort of manipulation even has a nickname in the industry — “kicking the bouquet,” which refers to a possible legend in which some creative on the show kicked a bride’s floral arrangement into a closet and shut the door, anticipating the ensuing panic.
“You will find yourself in the writers’ corner, on location, trying to create new issues,” she cautioned.
The financial and promotional aspects of reality TV can also prove challenging for the enterprising reality TV production company. The creator’s ideas become the Network’s property if they agree to underwrite it. “So if one of the board members needs more Ford trucks in your show about bunnies, you put in those Ford trucks.”
Despite the drawbacks and enormous hurdles Shannon has encountered during the creation of her various series she continues to develop and promote new story concepts with her creative partner, Joseph Gagnepain at their company, FOA Entertainment. But the economic uncertainty can be hard to take. Both partners have taken on outside work to keep themselves afloat as the develop new ideas. “Don’t buy a camera on your first day as an independent!” Shannon warned.
A Radically Different Next Step
After working in the television industry since 2007, Shannon wrapped up the evening by revealing her new career path. Starting in a few weeks she will be producing videos for Saint Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Originally from Kentucky, Shannon is looking forward to reconnecting with her southern roots and trying out a different and less volatile aspect of the industry. “I couldn’t imagine why they would want a reality TV producer but they did. They flew me down there and the next thing I knew I had the job.”