Former BET/MTV Executive, Sean J. Johnson, walks us through how to make a profit when you're in the business of producing unscripted content. He shares how to get started in that world and how to stay in it by correctly, and successfully, leveraging your deal.

Sean J. Johnson is an entrepreneur and innovator at heart. He is an entertainment executive with extensive legal, production, and development experience in highly competitive markets. Sean currently works as the Head of Business and Legal Affairs at Fuse Media, and has an executive background at BET Networks, MTV Networks, and Viacom.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjoelljohnson/

TIMECODED DISCUSSION THEMES:

00:37 Production Landscape - How the game for production companies has changed

3:41 Dissecting the Production Budget - Profit margins in the budget & how to make money as a production company

5:53 Keep 'Em Coming - The necessity of having multiple projects in development

6:43 Networks & Production Companies - How the network and production company relationship works

8:21 Production Company Basics - How to pitch and prepare to be a production company in this business

11:07 Deal Leverage - The right creative and production assets that will give you deal leverage

12:29 The Nuts and Bolts of the Deal - The steps and fees from development to production

15:55 Paper Development to Series Production - The process & time frames

17:34 Relevance of Producing Partners - Big names give you momentum

19:14 Maximizing Your Assets - Deal leverage points

21:18 Where’s the Money? - The hunt & hurdles of profit participation

27:00 Understanding Backend and Profit - What’s the money & meaning behind the math

34:31 Digital Distribution & Download Revenue - Who shares in that monetization?

37:29 Separate Pot Accounting - What is it? Why is it relevant?

38:28 Content Production Hierarchy - Projects with the biggest margins