Top 3 surprises of filming a Netflix show

Was I surprised filming a Netflix show? HELL YES! Literally every single day To view this email as a web page, [click here]() {NAME}, Was I surprised filming a Netflix show? HELL YES! Literally every single day, I learned something new about the industry, or how producers work, or even how the crew transported all our equipment around the country. Here are a few of my biggest surprises creating a Netflix show. Surprise #1: The logistics of creating a show are amazing. Imagine ramping up a multi-million-dollar business in a few weeks...then shutting it down a few months later. The logistics of creating a show are unlike anything I’ve seen before. Consider this: A network identifies an idea, a team of incredibly talented creatives develops the show and pitches it, and the network buys a show. A production company builds a team of 50+ people in management, talent, pre-production, the field, and post. Most of these people have never worked together. The showrunner brings them all together, sets the vision, then manages everyone — every single day, for months and months — interacting with network execs, random people’s emotions, schedules, COVID, technology issues, and everything else. The last day of shooting, we all celebrated with a cake and I asked people what they were doing. One of my producers, Lauren, said she was on a plane that night to the midwest to begin another show. This was after months of 14+ hour days in cities all over the country. [Congratulations cake with image printed on it] One day, we were all flying from one city to another (I don’t remember which any more). I was waiting for luggage and I saw one pelican case...then another....then another. I snapped this photo. That’s 41 pieces of luggage just carrying equipment for [How To Get Rich](). Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment, all painstakingly lugged to every city we went to. [Equipment] In Chicago, one night we all went out to dinner. This was almost 90% of the way through the shoot. At the other end of the table, I saw a guy eating with us who I didn’t recognize. I was like, “Who’s that?” And they explained that this guy was responsible for taking all our film from that day, copying it, and transporting it because you don’t want the cam-ops guys shooting and also copying film. (I learned how in shooting a show, every single thing is owned by a single person hierarchical.) He’d take that day’s shoot, process it, then send it to HQ, where it would take weeks to get ingested. His day started when ours ended — and I’d never seen him before that night. This entire moment was just one of 1,000 things that made my jaws drop. Surprise #2: People are peopleIf I were selected to be on a TV show, I would do my homework. I would research every person who I could find. I would study past seasons. I would ask friends for advice. I would come prepared with a CIA-level dossier ready to scrape every bit of meat off the bone. Hell, when I met my producer for the first time, I pulled out a list of questions to ask her. She saw my list and started laughing. “Do you have a list of questions?” she joked. I was like, WTF? Who comes to a meeting without an agenda? Let’s just say that I learned this is not how most people operate. Everyone wants to be Rich. But are they ready to change? That’s what makes this show so fun. People are people. In Hollywood, they say that “you forget about the cameras.” I found that to be completely true. When I’d meet one of the guests on the show, we’d often arrive with a large camera crew, sound, lighting, producers — a big footprint. Then, hours later, we’d quiet on set and I’d finally arrive. Despite all of this, within minutes, many of them were telling me incredibly intimate things about their lives. You’ll see in Episode 1 ([which you can add to your Netflix queue right now]()). People are people. Some succeed. Some don’t. Some take a life-changing opportunity seriously. Others don’t. Ultimately, this is the beautiful tapestry of human nature. Surprise #3: There’s something amazing about people letting you inside of their lives.Years ago, a producer friend asked me to shoot a short video where I visited people’s houses and helped them with money. I was hesitant. It felt invasive and it wasn’t really my thing. But she convinced me. They drove me about an hour into Jersey and we pulled up at an apartment complex to meet a young woman. The minute I walked into her apartment, I said to myself, I should have done this years ago. She had a new Jeep outside. Her apartment had dozens of very expensive candles. And when I spoke to her, she admitted her power had been turned off multiple times for non-payment — just like her mom used to experience. Walking into someone’s house tells you so much about them. The decorations, the size of the TV, the food, the smell...everything. In America, inviting someone to visit your home is one of the most intimate gestures you can make. [Ramit] I already think the couples who come on [my podcast]() are incredible courageous to open up their lives — and finances — to millions of people. Now imagine being able to visit someone’s home. To walk in, see the place they live, meet their family, look at their credit card bills, and to have them admit they’re stuck... ...while being filmed by an entire camera crew... ...and later finding out that over 200 million people (!!!) will be able to see their story. [Ramit] Now that’s courage. This isn’t like a dating show, where everyone just comes on to get famous. People feel so scared about money, so overwhelmed, that they just want help. That’s why they’ll actually reveal the most intimate part of their lives to me on this show. What I really love is being able to see people in their house, with their loved ones, on their turf. The fact that they trust me enough to open up is something I take seriously. [Ramit and family] My father-in law, wife, and parents visiting me on set. We had director’s chairs made for them! This was a day we’ll always remember I have so many more memories to share. Thanks for following along before the show launches next week. Also, here are a few questions I got from you. Questions from you Q: My question is how involved were you with the editing process? Did you get a preview of cuts and have a say in how you and the participants were portrayed? TV people like to add drama or portray people/messages in a certain light that maybe the people involved didn't intend.A: I was very involved. I’m an executive producer so I had a lot of input into cuts, and we wanted to represent our guests in a way that lives up to who they are (this isn’t a reality show where we portrayed people as villains, etc). I saw multiple cuts for each episode and sent my feedback. I found it pretty hard to watch myself, so I had to figure out how to focus on the story. Btw, the first time I sent back feedback, it was about 4 pages. Our showrunner laughed and said, “That will be about 2 lines by EP04.” She was right. There’s simply a massive amount of cuts coming at you and very little time. Q: Can you share the exact email you have used to reach out to the lawyers? ThanksA: No. But I do have an [entire program sharing some of my best word-for-word email scripts](). Q: Were you able to maintain your food/fitness regimen with the busy schedule and being on the road? How was food handled generally during shooting?A: I have an entire fitness regimen I did before the show. During the show, I would train as much as possible (begging for 10am pickups, not 8am, so I could work out in the morning), hit my protein goals, and basically order chicken and rice wherever we ate lunch. Aside from that...you’re mostly trying to survive. Maybe one day I can do [what The Rock does when he shoots](). [Ramit] How you can help: - [Add the show to your Netflix list](). - Send me your questions about the show! Just hit reply. - If you want help with your own money questions, join my [Money Coaching program]() More to come soon! [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