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TV Industry/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| CNBC can't show NBC footage | 2/6/2012 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am resident in the United Kingdom and get CNBC Europe which every evening shows the NBC Nightly ... A: That's an interesting question. It has to do with the rights to license or broadcast material in ... | ||
| agent | 1/27/2012 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am currently creating a talk show pilot and wanted to know how I get my project into the hands of ... A: Ayana If you review my previously answered questions, you'll see lots of references to how to find ... | ||
| question on pitching unique show | 1/19/2012 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I know I know, you've heard it before, but I really do promise you have not seen a show like ours. ... A: Anthony - Had a chance to take a look. I get what you're trying to do here, but I think you need ... | ||
| question on pitching unique show | 1/19/2012 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I know I know, you've heard it before, but I really do promise you have not seen a show like ours. ... A: Anthony - Two things... 1. Send me a link where I can see it. 2. Pack up and get to NATPE in ... | ||
| New Reality Show | 1/4/2012 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Happy New Year I have a synopsis registered with WGA for a new real TV Show I know you get this ... A: Again, I refer you to the previously answered questions - you can review how to use IMDBPro to find ... | ||
| Pilot Finished-Now What? | 12/22/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I shot my own reality travel show pilot. It’s an hour long. It was produced by a professional ... A: Devin - Congratulations on your success thus far. I would recommend a few things. 1) Refer to my ... | ||
| Cable TV licensing fee | 12/16/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I own a property that I pitched to a producer in LA that he would like to produce for a major cable ... A: If I understand correctly, you control the rights to an idea or format for a show that you pitched ... | ||
| TV game show | 12/16/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I've read through your posted response and gained some valuable perspective but I have a situation ... A: Brian - I haven't budgeted a sizzle reel lately, but that does seem a little excessive and like ... | ||
| TV Show Salary | 12/8/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I'm Katie, and I'm from Escondido, California. I'm 14 years-old. How much on average do TV Show ... A: Katie. I really don't have an answer for you here - writers work for hugely varying rates depending ... | ||
| Blurring out faces question | 11/17/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I'm 37, from South Yorkshire, England and have recently nominated my close friend's son, who's 23, ... A: Jo. I got a question about this yesterday, also from England, so I suspect this is the same person. ... | ||
| Pixelation question | 11/16/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: OK, so I'm not based in LA/New York, I'm from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom but I'll ... A: John. I'm honestly a bit stumped here. Not knowing the subject of the documentary series, your ... | ||
| Animated sit-com | 11/15/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am creating an animated sit-com. I have the pilot written and am working with an animator to ... A: Eric - Unless you have really close friends who are in a position to actually order an animated ... | ||
| Jobs in TV | 11/11/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am extremely interested in getting a job in television, such as production, casting, or script ... A: Theresa. Thanks for the question. Since internships aren't available, I would suggest looking into ... | ||
| TV Show | 10/21/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Marrissa, I have a TV Show that I've been trying to get on the air, once which has an older ... A: Gil. If you look through the previously answered questions, you'll see some info about tracking ... | ||
| Game Show | 10/12/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I have been developing game show formats for a couple of years mainly as a hobby. I believe that I ... A: Lee. I can tell you're really frustrated. I'm not in the UK, so I can't really speak to how things ... | ||
| Cable Documentary | 9/9/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I have been approaced to be interviewed for a major cable company television series. What is the ... A: Leslie. Yours is an incredible story and I'm grateful you have the strength to speak up. Though I ... | ||
| Tv licensing fees | 9/9/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Exactly what is a Network or Cable License Fee and how does that work? Say a network has a $2 Mil / ... A: Your question is a little tricky. Networks (including cable networks) don't technically "own" the ... | ||
| Cable Documentary | 9/8/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I have been approaced to be interviewed for a major cable company television series. What is the ... A: Leslie. Sorry to disappoint you, but documentaries don't usually pay. On the rare occasion that ... | ||
| tv word game show | 9/8/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Many years ago, I developed a word game board which I thought to be an exciting game. I played it ... A: Murray. Congratulations on your success thus far! And on your great good sense in copyrighting. ... | ||
| Figuring out where I fit in. | 8/30/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: Anderson I had a couple questions for you and I'm hoping you might be able to give me a little ... A: The most important thing you can do you are already doing: looking at the industry in terms of ... | ||
| reality show | 8/14/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I been talking to a production company for a reality show idea that I have, but they want me to ... A: If this is a credited production company in this space, and you are a credible expert in your field, ... | ||
| How does a Reality show creator find an agent? | 8/10/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I have spent the last year or so developing a set of reality show treatments that have promise. I ... A: You are not likely to get a reality agent just with show pitches because agents are paid based on a ... | ||
| Talent Agreement, Starting Pay, Term of Contract | 8/9/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: Hey DMA, you Q and A's are very helpful. I am hoping that you can help me. I have been offered a ... A: Please hear me on this. You are probably partnering with the wrong team. The right direction is an ... | ||
| contact Mark Burnett? | 8/7/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: how can I get in touch with Mark Burnett to develop a reality show? (for a very lucrative ... A: You should try his company's website first to see if there is a contact form or information there. ... | ||
| Talent Agreement, Starting Pay, Term of Contract | 8/5/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: Hey DMA, you Q and A's are very helpful. I am hoping that you can help me. I have been offered a ... A: You absolutely must have an attorney. It is not an option - and trust that this will not be a ... | ||
| TV credits | 7/31/2011 | Mike Dacre |
| Q: What are the little symbols at the end of the credits of old TV shows? Specifically the one that ... A: I believe what you are referring to is nothing more then the production company logo(s). Just like ... | ||
| reality show | 7/21/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I been talking to a production company for a reality show idea that I have, but they want me to ... A: Expect to sign a waiver for any established production company or network you approach with just an ... | ||
| Great Forum... | 7/19/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Like your replies to questions here...I purused the FAQ section, and didn't find an answer to ... A: Louie. Congratulations on your success thus far. Ethically, I probably shouldn't be recommending ... | ||
| Animated Television Series Pilot Budget | 7/14/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am having trouble finding an example of a 22 minute, animated television series pilot episode ... A: Peter. As I'm sure you've found, budgets are usually considered proprietary information. That ... | ||
| Collaboration agreement/ Treatment | 7/13/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I have two questions. If you have a collaboration agreement with someone who has a productions deal. ... A: Let me break this down into step-by-step pieces: Business model: the distributor owns everything ... | ||
| Licensing show | 7/7/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I have a question regarding best representation to approach a production company to request the ... A: Given the potential complexity of the situation you describe, I would highly recommend you use an ... | ||
| Character Line for TV show | 7/3/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: my name is Adrienne, and first of all I would like to say thank you so much for reading this ... A: Adrienne - Thanks for the question and the details. I think there are two ways to go about what ... | ||
| Flat rate | 7/3/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I'm with a new upstart in paper formats aiming to stay in paper formats for the majority of time and ... A: This is a really interesting idea. First of all, I'm guessing your rate is way too high - ... | ||
| Show idea | 6/30/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I am so happy that you are still answering questions. I asked you a question years ago and was very ... A: Anthony. Thanks for the nice words. Sounds like you are on a real roll here. The truth is that ... | ||
| reality tv | 6/21/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: In your experience, what is the estimated range of gross profit per episode for a new reality TV ... A: Morio. Sorry you were disappointed. To find directors and their contact info, all you need is a ... | ||
| TV Shows statistics and numbers | 6/20/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I'm currently working on a business plan and I need to find some statistics on the amount of shows ... A: Olga - As far as the programs airing, you should be able to get a lot of the information you're ... | ||
| Reality Show pitch | 6/20/2011 | DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson |
| Q: I've read great advice from you in the past. So my question is how can I sell my rights to my ... A: It's important to know that our business model is very different from the fiction side; we don't ... | ||
| reality tv | 6/20/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: In your experience, what is the estimated range of gross profit per episode for a new reality TV ... A: The information you're asking for would be considered proprietary, so I can't give you any ... | ||
| Agent for representing my production company | 6/10/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: Marrissa, I am very impressed with both your experience and answers you have given to others. I have ... A: Randall. Thank you so much for the nice words. I'm not in a position to take on any new projects ... | ||
| Documentary Representation | 6/9/2011 | Marrissa O`Leary |
| Q: I've got a completed documentary - that's part educational and part entertainment. The cable ... A: Congrats on your success so far. If you read through my previously answered questions, you'll see ... | ||
TV Industry
Marrissa O`Leary
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Happy to help with your questions about the business of television. I've been a TV Business Affairs, Talent and Comedy executive for over 10 years after starting out as a child actress. I've been a VP at two studios, and consulted for others. Because we get so many questions about reality shows, please take a look at the "Previously Answered Questions" first (you'll probably find what you need there!).
Experience
20+ years in entertainment, ranging from child actress to studio vice president.
Education/Credentials
MBA, Pepperdine University / BA, Theatre Arts, Occidental College / AA Mass-Telecommunications Technology, Unites States International University
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