Lessons from a Sizzle Reel

Right now you can bet that someone just like you is sitting in a room pitching a reality show and is showing a sizzle reel.  If you don't have a sizzle you can just about forget about selling a show on the spot from a treatment.  What's most important to show in a sizzle?  I've done some great sizzles and nothing is going to ever be perfect for a network executive, but the elements in the sizzle should all be there to get them interested to garner a sale.

Your number one thing - you need a smoking hot sizzle to seal a deal!  You have to capture your message and your audience.  Here are some tips I have learned:

1. Make it no more than 3 to 5 minutes long.

2. Have a good Editor.

3. Have great characters.

4. Have good content.

5. Know your audience. 

6. Get to the Point.

Here's one of our character sizzles.  We took this out (mind you this wasn't the show sizzle) and we signed a deal from this...

If you have any tips to share from your POV, we would love to hear them!  Everyone always wants to know what you did for a sale - send your stories so we can share them with people who are out there pitching their shows and ideas!