What’s it like to film a Netflix show?

I decided to play a trick on the crew on the first day of filming. To view this email as a web page, [click here]() {NAME}, I decided to play a trick on the crew on the first day of filming. We’d all settled in. My hair/makeup/wardrobe was done. The crew had spent days finishing lighting and building and designing and it was our first time shooting together. The producers had decided that we’d spend the first two days in an office so I could get comfortable with the cameras before I went out to meet the show’s guests. Finally, the cameras started rolling. The first question was a total softball so I could get warmed up. “What do you think of having your own Netflix show?” This is where I decided to mess with them. “Uhh...well...it’s like...I guess I’m pretty excit—wait, no, I’m more...” In my head, I was laughing as I thought of every person on the crew silently saying, “Oh my god” as they contemplated spending the next 4 months with someone who couldn’t string together a single sentence on camera. LOL. Then I cracked up and started actually answering the questions. I KNOW HOW TO TALK IN FRONT OF A CAMERA! I’VE BEEN DOING IT FOR FIFTEEN YEARS!! But no matter how much I’d done, I’d never shot at this level. There were multiple cameras. The sound guy, Jackson, told me he’d listened to multiple videos of mine to hear how I talked...then selected the right microphone to suit me. On the video side, they adjusted their cameras to make sure my skin tone looks right on camera (this is a big issue in the industry, especially for black people, who are often improperly lit). Our DP, director of photography, Valkos, was awesome and made the show look beautifully cinematic. [GIF] [Full trailer for How to Get Rich]() We built an office in downtown LA. They got the office a week before filming started, decorated it in one night, then I came to check it out and give feedback. First of all, who even knew there were firms that can design an entire raw space in one day? That blew my mind. But the first design iteration was...not my style. I told them it looked like a white person was renting out their AirBnB. You think a guy like me has pastel colored pillows and random geometric decorations on a white bookshelf? [Man in a room] Early check-in before we even started shooting No. I presented my own interior design style guide, which involves wood, stone, extremely rare bonsai trees, high ceilings, and an unlimited budget. They looked at it and laughed. We finally came up with a great answer to the office design, which you’ll see in the first episode. A few other memorable parts of filming: Each day, a PA would pick me up and drive me to set. That might be the office, or someone’s house, or a place we’d meet at. Sometimes the drive was 30 minutes...sometimes 3 hours each way. They’d stick with me all day, then drive me home. I spent hundreds of hours in the back of an SUV during filming. [A man reading in a car] I spent hundreds of hours in the back of an SUV, waiting to shoot Days were long. Usually I’d get picked up around 8 and dropped off at 7 or 8. Some of the day, I’d be waiting in a car or some location. But if I ever thought I worked long hours, the crew was already there, working, before I even arrived. Filming itself was usually 60-90 minutes at a time. After that, lighting changes and all kinds of other logistics issues come up. I have makeup on in some scenes. In the office, I’m wearing makeup because the lighting is extremely tuned for it. But in the field — like when I’m walking with someone outside — I’m not. I don’t mind makeup. The first time I ever got “real” makeup was on the Today Show. The makeup lady loved that it was my first time, and she asked what I thought. I looked in the mirror and said, I look amazing! She laughed and told me most men hate the first time they see themselves in makeup. [Ramit on NBC's Today show] Lol Honestly, when I look back at the time in the field, it was totally exhilarating. I worked harder than I’ve ever worked — but we all had a crystal clear vision of what we were creating and an awesome team who wanted to make it shine. It’s funny, when you truly love what you’re doing, insane hours become fine. My producers wanted me to wear an earpiece, but I refused. Their reasoning was if I was having a conversation with someone and they wanted me to move on, they needed a way to communicate with me. I was pretty flexible with lots of things, but they were surprised when I flat-out refused. I told them this: “My reputation is all I have. If someone sees something in my ear, someone somewhere will believe that I’ve had someone whispering in my ear all along. I just won’t do it.” I needed this show to be completely real — and it is! No earpieces, ever. The team and I developed hand signals in case time was running out. On a show, someone in my role is called “the talent.” It sounds ridiculous the first few times I heard it, but now, I get it. Any industry needs a shorthand to describe who does what. And in filming, every single person has a very clear, defined role. It’s surprisingly hierarchical. In the field, we had tons of creative freedom. My EP (Executive Producer), Bianca, and I had gotten to know each other beforehand. We instantly liked each other. And you have to, because you’re spending hundreds of hours together. We could tell when something was going well or when it was a dud. But because she’d run tons of other shows and knew how editing would happen in post, she saw things I didn’t understand until the very end of filming. I changed my view on helping someone with money. With my website and programs (like [Earnable, which helps people start a business]()), I’ve always wanted a total transformation as success. With this show — and with a lot of conversations with the producers — I realized that I had to think of success differently on a show like this. Some people do make a complete transformation. Others might take a few steps. And others might not do anything at all. People are people. Some follow through. Some don’t. I can’t help everyone...and that’s okay. I just want to get it all on camera. Now, your questions! Q: How did you/Netflix find the clients you worked with on the show?A: There are entire companies that do casting. I made a list of the type of people who I like, and the producers have their own lists, and casting goes out and finds people. If you follow pop/culture accounts, you’ll occasionally see them post casting announcements for shows. They also have lots of other interesting ways of finding people. I didn’t know any of the people before I met them in person! Q: Have you always aspired to do a Netflix (or any) show, or was this a more recent desire that popped up for you?A: I honestly never aspired to do a show. As I mentioned in yesterday’s email, I was shocked by the email I got from Netflix. I love my boutique business, my team, and you — my readers and students. That’s what made this even more fun. I was never expecting it, I already have a great life without it, so if I was going to do it, I wanted it to be fun and I wanted it to be my vision. Q: Do you think people change themselves / what they say when a camera is on them? Or do they tend to become used to the camera to the point they don't really see it (and/or act differently when it's on them)?A: Not really. Especially on a show like this. There’s a saying: “After a while, you’ll forget about the cameras.” It’s true. And after a while, it’s really hard to fake something for the cameras. Some people can do it (e.g., on dating shows), but you’ll see what happens on [How To Get Rich](). People are people, and they actually want help with their money problems. Q: I'm curious how much input you have as far as the editing process goes — how much control do you have over how you're portrayed and what the final product looks like?A: A lot. I’m an executive producer so I was involved in post-production. What I learned is by the time you get to post, there are a lot of people who have a say in the final product, including network execs, producers, other execs, and editors. It gets complicated! How you can help: - [Add the show to your Netflix list](). - Tell your friends to join this email list: “If you want to get a behind-the-scenes look at how Ramit got a Netflix show, get on his Netflix email list.” You can’t find these stories anywhere else. The URL is [iwt.com/netflix](). - Send me your questions about the show! Just hit reply. Talk to you tomorrow, [Signature]     Featured Products [Learn how to be your own boss, do what you love, and earn more.]() [What if you woke up EXCITED to go to work? I show you how to achieve it, step by step.]() [Ready-to-use mental frameworks for increased happiness, confidence, & success.]() [No guilt, no excuses, no BS. Just a 6-week program that works. Over 1,000,000 copies sold.]() The I Will Teach You To Be Rich Podcast Raw, unfiltered conversations with real couples: - One partner is $300,000 in debt, but shrugs it off. The other cries at night, anxious about the future. - A couple that’s so worried about money, they feel like they’ll never have enough. They go to a restaurant and order chicken instead of steak to save $10. Their household income: $600,000. - Two parents who feel overwhelmed by work, kids, and debt. When I ask them how they’d describe their lives, they instantly say the same word: “Stuck. ” Listen in to hear real money conversations from behind closed doors today. [Apple Podcasts] [Apple]() [Spotify]() [Google]() [IWT]() Follow Ramit: [insta]() [Twitter]() [twitter]() [youtube]() [Linkedin]() Was this forwarded to you? [Sign up here.]() This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe]( at any time. 548 Market St #89946 San Francisco, CA 94104-5401