First of all, define the subject area of your program. Is it for example an entertainment, coaching or current affairs programme. By knowing which category your series belongs to, you’re already off to a good start.
Reality shows and vlogs are at the moment the most popular form of entertainment. ‘My day’ type videos are currently getting a good deal of visibility in different forms of media, and also appeal to the general public. According to research, people spend up to 147 minutes a day on different social media channels following the activities of influencers [1]. A topic for one of your episodes could be what exactly you do during a normal day, naturally with a little added zest and interesting plot twists.
When creating a training or coaching program, the content must be unique; content that cannot necessarily be found elsewhere. Have you possibly learned or realized something in your subject area that you can share with your subscribers? By making your message unique and personal, you make yourself a brand for your content. Could a traditional gym workout be done in the forest or a cooking program on a student budget?
Would you happen to be present somewhere when something unique happens, or do you have background knowledge and the ability to produce a news or a current affairs program about the burning issues of the present day. You can produce interesting content by dealing with marginal topics in sports, politics or, for example, economics.
Content for your life, content for your program
Coming up with unique content for your own show can be challenging. There are certainly enough chores in your everyday life, but what type of activities would arouse people’s interest enough to start watching a program about your life?
Interesting life stories fascinate everyone. You can ponder about what is different in your life compared to others, and what experiences you have that the audience would like to listen to and watch. For example, is there anything special or interesting about the way you make your living, hobbies, family life or other areas of your life.
By watching different reality shows, you’ll notice that people are interested in very seemingly mundane subjects. Topics such as, fashion, style and weight loss are of great interest to many viewers. One topic for an episode could for example be your clothing collection and you introducing it to your viewers. Perhaps you also have an old and somewhat embarrassing piece of clothing in your closet, which you can present to your audience by making fun of it. You could also visit a clothing store to film your shopping, and bring the audience along with you on your trip.
If you have succeeded in losing weight with new lifestyle choises, you should make an episode with it as a topic. If your weight loss journey is just beginning, you could film a video diary as you go along.
Always cover one topic in each episode. Set goals for yourself and monitor their fulfilment in your program.
Make things happen
When making your own reality series, keep in mind that there should be some action in every episode. Situations that differ from mundane events, make the viewer experience new things that they haven’t experienced before. For example, if you have lunch in a restaurant during the episode, try to find a place that has something different and interesting for the audience, such as a different setup or an exotic menu. Show emotions and react to events happening around you, the viewer won’t know how you feel or what you’re thinking unless you say it out loud.
Surprising situations make the viewer more interested in the show. Come up with surprising situations where you get to experience and react to surprising plot twists. Unpredictable situations also make the viewer look forward to new, equally surprising situations.
Personality makes the show personal
The viewer should be able to identify with the main character of the show. The person in front of the camera has to have an attractive personality to keep the viewers watching. The right amount of humour makes any scene more watchable. Try to be colourful in the way you present yourself, and avoid portraying your personality as too grey and tasteless. Bring up your own opinions and experiences, and don’t be afraid to show the less flattering sides of yourself. Appear confidently in front of the camera, and also show that you can laugh at yourself. Above all, be yourself.
Excessive self-repetition is painful to watch for the viewers. Make each episode a unique and different experience for the audience in order to keep their interest for the following episodes as well. Cover a different subject area in each episode, don’t repeat the same topics in other episodes.
Plan carefully
Planning is everything. Build a framework for your show and for each episode, so you know where the plot of your show is heading. Before filming, think about what you are going to do, and how you will distribute the different events into the show during the series. You can read more tips about building the series and planning the episodes in our next blog post.