Unscripted producers are agitated by a legal conflict between Discovery and an established production company.
The key underlying issue relates to production accounting practices.
Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton covers the story thoroughly here. It’s an excellent must-read.
Here is the opening and the link to the entire article.
by Cynthia Littleton
A legal battle over accounting practices that has enveloped indie company LMNO Prods. has stirred a hornet’s nest in the tight-knit community of producers of unscripted television.
A number of prominent producers are dismayed at Discovery Communications for what they see as ruthlessness in its handling of a lawsuit and federal investigation into allegations of pervasive fraud in LMNO’s business operations going back more than a decade.
Beyond the support they’ve expressed for LMNO leader Eric Schotz, producers are on edge that fallout from the investigation could leave them vulnerable due to financial practices regarding production expenditures that have long been accepted as the industry norm.
Read the full article here:
Reality TV’s Hidden War: Legal Battle with Discovery Highlights Rising Tensions
Meet the Budget Whisperer:
A Production Budget Template for a Documentary Special, 2016-17 Edition
How do you present a 100% credible production budget to a network or funder? For my clients’ projects, I work with the Budget Whisperer — the respected senior consultant, Elizabeth Ventura. Elizabeth has worked for 12+ years as a Production Manager on programs for dozens of US networks.
