So, since I watch both of these shows (Survivor mostly because I’m in a pool, Amazing Race because I like it), I’ve always wondered which costs more to produce.
For Survivor, you have one large payment for the use of the land (permits, etc), travel/food/lodging for lots of production crew, the creation of various challenges etc.
Amazing Race, first off you have got to have a huge planning budget for someone to suss out all the actual routes. Then I imagine there must be lots of money both legal (permits) and illegal (bribes) that gets spent to secure the locations. Plus there must be a local security element (otherwise how would the route markers/boxes not get tampered with). Then food/lodging/travel for crew (not to mention they pay for airfare for contestants)
(SIDENOTE: How do they manage to ensure they can get a camera crew on the planes and trains that may be sold out? Do they basically reserve an extra seat on any potential flight that contestants might take)
Anyway, first question is which do you think costs more?
Second question is, how does CBS make money, especially on Amazing Race, which doesn’t do well in ratings at all? (Survivor is in top 15, Amazing Race in the 50’s).
I’m fairly sure that each team actually has two additional people with them; both a camera and sound person. The teams can only get on planes, etc if there is enough room for them and the crew with them.
Yeah, but every time a team goes to airport or train station, they only ask for two tickets. There seem to be able to video people during flight, so I’m wondering how CBS manages it? I mean, they probably only need one cameraman/soundperson on any given flight, but some of these are totally booked (maybe they don’t shoot on those, it’s hard to keep track).
Also, if the flights are full, how does CBS manage to get a crew to follow each team once they’ve landed??
They make them buy four tickets, regardless of what is shown on the screen.
As far as whether CBS makes money on Amazing Race: It costs nothing in TV terms. No director, no writer, no crew, no sets (all unionized). Just a bunch of cameramen and sound guys, a few editors, and a good crew to organize on the ground.