Now that we’re all wrapped on our latest show, Can You Survive A Horror Movie, the team at my production company, Savannah Media, are now fully engaged on one of the most challenging parts of the TV business – finding talent!

Here’s how it works. Imagine a haystack. Then a needle. And then you’ve got a sense of the talent hunting process!

Of course on the surface finding good talent for a TV show seems so easy. If you’re casting for a big, well-established show like Survivor or Big Brother casting is one of the most fun jobs in the industry. I love casting for my reality shows, especially when there’s a prize of actual value at stake. The auditioning process – though exhausting – is one of my favorite parts of the TV making process.

But that’s not the kind of casting I’m talking about. Instead we’re on the hunt for the kind of docu-series talent you’d find on A&E, or Tru TV or Oxygen. And that’s a whole different type of casting!

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