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Many of my readers are eager to be on TV, either in a ghost hunting TV series, or a more general paranormal TV show.
Here’s my advice from June 2012. Much of it still applies.
Here’s the LEAST you need to know.
Additional info
It can help to get general media exposure, first.
One of the main resources is Help a Reporter Out, aka “HARO.”
Remember, those listings are not screened or verified. You could be talking to some creepy guy with no media connections at all.
Never give out personal contact information unless you have confirmed the person’s professional references. Call the network, production company, or publisher to verify the contact information for that person.
Got a job offer? Get everything in writing.
Make sure it’s very specific about what you’re expected to do, for how much money, and exactly when you’ll be paid.
Know the risks.
Another producer offered me a part on a new TV show. She said it was going to be a serious, academic show.
The production company bought my plane ticket, said they’d reserved an upscale hotel room for me, and promised I’d have a full-time chauffeur during the filming.
Everything seemed ideal.
Then, right before I got on the plane, someone on the production crew blundered. She told me the show’s real name. It was far from academic.
I cancelled.
So, make sure your contract says exactly which show you’re being filmed for. Don’t give the production company (or the network) free rein to use your interview or appearance in any show they like.
Listen to the producers’ questions.
- Are they too eager to believe your story? Suspect false sincerity.
- Are they fishing for drama where they wasn’t any? It’s one thing to build a good story that engages viewers. It’s another to turn your experience into something far more extreme (and ridiculous) than it was.
- Are they digging for something to discredit you, or portray you as someone unstable? Of course, producers want to avoid guests that could be a liability.
Jason Gowin (from Extreme Paranormal) said this after his confidentiality agreement had expired:
Realize that nothing you do on television will be safe from manipulation… Rest assured, you are there to make money for them, not be a beacon of integrity. [Link]
Pay attention to your gut feeling.
If something doesn’t seem right, maybe it isn’t.
Don’t expect fame for yourself or your paranormal investigating team.
Most TV shows avoid guests who might profit from a TV appearance. Producers may edit out anything that might help your career. Expect that.
A paycheck is not guaranteed.
The producers’ (and the networks’) explanation is: A paid appearance could be misunderstood as a performance.
Many TV shows will get around this by offering to pay for your travel expenses and give you a “per diem” to cover additional out-of-pocket costs.
The per diem could barely cover meals from McD’s dollar menu. Or, the per diem might pay for a nice big TV, to watch yourself later, when you’re on the show.
Generally, producers won’t tell you how much the per diem will be, unless you insist on it in the contract. Expect a tiny per diem, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
If you’re going to be a cast member on a series, make sure you earn enough to cover your monthly bills.
I have a firm policy of not asking friends how much they earn from their shows. I don’t want to know. I already feel sorry for how much privacy they’ve given up, and how much they’re away from their families.
- According to rumors, many stars earned a low four-figures, per episode, sometimes working seven days a week and 10- to 12-hour days.
- I’ve heard that supporting cast members (not the two or three stars) earned about $500/episode. I hope I’m wrong about that.
You can be on TV if you really want to be.
If you’ve read this far, you probably think fame is worth the risks.
The first thing to consider is your strategy. Sometimes it’s easy to get on ghost-related TV shows. Sometimes, it’s easier to get on another kind of TV show, and use that as a credential to get on the show you want. That’s why you’ll look at opportunities far beyond paranormal shows.
Start with the following resources.
Resources
I recommend HARO lists (linked above) and sites like RealityWanted.com (Sites like that appear and disappear rapidly. If you’re not dealing directly with the network, always be sure you’re talking with a reputable company.)
Also check network-specific webpages, such as casting calls for SyFy, MTV, ABC, VH1, TLC, HGTV, BBC (UK).
(You never know when a network will take an interest in paranormal programming. I recall an episode of a food-related TV show where people competed by preparing ghost-themed cakes… and a real paranormal investigator was among the judges.)
You may find even more casting calls at production companies’ websites, such as Pilgrim (Ghost Hunters, etc.).
References
Get advice from experts. Don’t leap into this field unprepared! You may have just one chance to be on (or pitch) the show of your dreams. Get it right the first time.
- The 2006 book, Get on TV, is still one of the most popular books on this subject. It’s not specifically about reality shows. It teaches you how to build a career by being on a wide range of TV shows. If being a TV star has been your life-long goal, this book is worth reading.
- If you’re interested in reality TV and you’d like to be a guest, a star, a producer or a writer, you’ll want to read Reality TV: An Insider Guide to TV’s Hottest Market. This 2011 book gives you a good overview plus specific advice, and earns rave reviews from people in the industry.
- This next book is by the winner of Big Brother 10 (U.S.), Dan Gheesling: How to Get On Reality TV. And, since it’s a Kindle book, you can download and read it immediately.
There are other books about this subject, but those look most useful.
Good to know article as i am working on my own paranormal tv show.
I have so many experiences, I could give you enough for 20 shows.
Chester, ns canada
Laura, see my article at http://fionabroome.com/paranormal-trends-your-thoughts (That article is online until 20 Apr 2018. Then, it’ll be deleted.) I would love to quote you and link to you, if you have anything that might interest TV producers.
Yep you’d have to pay me good bucks to go on a hunt to be doing an EVP like I saw on Ghost Adventures and running out of the room screaming like (sorry girls) a girl who just saw a mouse. To be humiliated like that is not cool, although I would be the one who would be screaming, but not where hundreds of viewers would be watching. Yeah does get a good laugh tripping and screaming in a high pitched voice guys.
I have been a paranormal investigator for twenty seven years now .i would love nothing more than to have my own show .i have a lot of great friends that have there own show already .like Zak Bagans nick and Arron .and also grant Wilson . If you have a dream and it’s in your heart and sole ,never give up .M.W
I believe the house I stay in is having activity, which I am scared at all times, I know that two men have killed themselves on the property one hung himself on our avocado tree the other shot himself in the bedroom! We tore the house down and built a brand new home! While doing this my father put a basement in it and my brother a contractor was digging the basement, we discovered a old well, it was so so spooky he filled it up and poured concerte and proceeded with finishing the house! At night things are alive I’m scared to death could please can somebody help me?? Sincerely, Roberta
Roberta, the most likely problem is the underground water beneath your home. It’s probably creating infrasound, and that can cause all kinds of problems. (The two men who committed suicide may have been affected by infrasound, with tragic results.) If you look into infrasound, or consult a building engineer or someone who specializes in environmental problems in the home, that’s your very best starting point.
Contact me at pignataroj@yahoo.com Roberta. We are looking for people to help and be featured on our new show!
Mr. Pignataro, if you’re deluged with emails from other aspiring TV stars, let me know and I’ll remove the email address.
hello, my name is Jerry Lochman and i live in Maryville, Tn. this is gonna sound weird but i have these orbs in my house and they congregate on my pool table. i believe they’re animal spirits because… my cat is always sleeping on the sides of the table and i feed her on the covered table so the dogs dont get her food. ive captured tons of these orbs in picts and i made 2 videos and put them on YT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3siXV75k2V4
im not crazy , mental and/or on any drugs and i have tons of pictures to prove it. and im not alone with this orb phenomena. I met a man named stephen criddle from the U.K. that has a video on YT and he sent me his orb picts from stonehenge and the orbs he captured there are so well defined with faces in them when you zoom in the picts. look at his awesome video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uttDyIyeGms this guy walks outside his UK home and snaps 5-10 picts and sends them to me everyday or 2 and they are filled with orbs. oh he uses 5 different cameras to prove it’s not a camera issue.
we are 2 people on 2 different continents that have these orbs around us.
I watch all kinds of paranormal shows. To find out if the paranormal is really out there, I would like to experience it for myself. So an invitation to appear on Paranormal Lockdown or the Ghost Adventures show would be a dream. Its something I can check off my bucket list.
I absolutely have a paranormal story to tell with eye witnesses and everything. Many many episodes over the years. I would love to tell my story if someone cares to hear it. Not trying to get any attention, just think I have a really good story to tell.
I have some of the best evidence out there and I continue to collect it. So I met a producer who wanted to make a paranormal show with my work. Unfortunately he had no experience and the wrong temperament for the business. How do we find someone who has the experience because I know my story and my experiences are worth sharing.
Holly, I haven’t a clue how you can find an intelligent, honest producer who can be trusted with this kind of topic. There is always the pressure of having a compelling show that keeps viewers watching, even past the commercial breaks. From “Ghost Hunters” to “Haunted Collector,” I’ve seen good friends edited so they looked gullible, foolish, or worse.
Consider going indie, and creating your own YouTube channel with your evidence. Make it your own show/series. (And, if you do, let me know. I’ll link to it.)
I don’t know if anyone is still checking this thread but hopefully there is. I’m going to Philly tomorrow to be on a paranormal TV show. I wrote a story on Reddit which was noticed by a producer of a show on the Travel Channel. They are going to make an episode out of it during which I’ll be interviewed while others act it out. Does anyone know if people really get paid for that and if so, how much?
Ben, yes, shows like that usually do pay people… if you ask for payment. In the past, I could recommend a particular agent, because he arranged these kinds of gigs… but he’s not in this field now.
If you can reach the Klinge brothers (they have a Facebook page) or John Zaffis (ditto), they may be able to help you with a referral, but – on this sort notice – and since you’ve already agreed to be on the show, I’m not sure you can re-negotiate anything at this point.
I have ha been a paranormal investigator for over 31 years now.i am also a Incorporation in the filed.I have been reviewed in news medias and interviews. I have traveled many parts of the world in search of the most haunted locations.