ALTERNATIVE KNOWLEDGE AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS

by Denise Blazek

Anyone involved in alternative knowledge needs to think well and clearly about being involved in television productions.

If anyone gets an invitation to be involved in a television production, they have the right to ask about the content of the documentary in detail, as their image and opinions are being put out into a public platform. Quite honestly, anytime you hear producers say: “We are going to give a balanced view on the topic”, it pretty much translates to: “We are going to bring in a sceptical angle.” When they use the words ‘an objective approach’, it means the same thing.

Psychics and mediums need to ask the question of WHO are the professionals being asked for their opinion on the show, both on the positive and the negative. If there are no professionals being asked for their comment, then it is a TV producer driven show and the producers can say anything they like in their telling of the story and the editing process.

A ‘one off’ documentary is more risky than a television series. With a series, the producers have to be more careful about how they treat talent on the show, as word will get around the traps so to speak, to not be involved in the show if good people are burned on air or behind the scenes.

One ‘trick’ used by current affairs shows is to open up the question at the beginning of the segment as a legitimate question. They follow this with a storyline supporting the positive – but then at the end what you see is some member of a sceptics group saying everything you have seen has no basis. This leaves the viewer thinking that the whole question has no base. This is followed, by a final shot of the host, smirking.

Psychics and mediums around the world are in a highly competitive industry, and much of the time jump at a TV offer with good promises. But, they also need to be taking responsibility for how they and their brand are portrayed in the media, and the way to do this is to ask a LOT of questions before they show up for the shoot.

Without good and successful ‘name’ talent on a TV show, the producers simply do not have a show.

I have used the following metaphor to ‘talent’ being asked to be involved in a television production: You don’t walk out into the middle of a busy street without looking right or left with your eyes closed and hope you don’t get run over. But that’s what you are essentially doing if you don’t start asking questions about the production integrity of the television show as to how you are going to be portrayed. There’s no point in complaining after you have been run over, because you didn’t look right and left!

Psychics and mediums need to open their eyes and not jump at TV opportunities because they think they will be put into the best light if they say the right thing, according to their own plan, at the time of the shoot. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

TV is a very powerful medium, and the beast needs to be fed. The more ‘talent’ out there who get to know the nature of the beast and how best to tame it to their greatest advantage, the better the result on screen with TV series and documentaries for proof positive, in all fields of alternative knowledge.

Lastly, for psychics and mediums – if it doesn’t ‘feel right’ from square one, don’t do it! Use your intuition in this regard as much as you do in your normal business and personal life.

Additionally, for psychics and mediums – if you are told there will be a bit of a back story around you and your abilities and you will be put to a ‘test’ as part of the TV show, ask about the scientific protocols around this. Is this testing process scientifically viable, or is this just how the producers think they could test you to make it look good for TV? If they are not taking notes and detail around your specific process, base skills and show some knowledge of how you work, you could be walking into a trap. For example, if you can’t work off a photo and they give you one as part of their ‘testing process’ bad result. Or, if you work off birthdates and numerology as a base skill, there’s no point in you holding somebody’s violin case!

Also for psychics and mediums of every level – If a TV producer says a person with a big name, has expressed interest in being involved, check with this ‘name’ person yourself, even if you don’t know them.

Producers also play ‘names’ against each other, and scoop up the other ‘talent’ along the way, because they think they are being involved in a quality event, because people with profile have agreed to be in the show. The Producers may have just got an email from the ‘name talent’ asking for more detail. They then say that this ‘name talent’ has expressed interest in the show.

Hope this is of assistance.

Denise Blazek
TV Producer wearing the white hat!