Gregg Moscot, former SVP at Embassy Row, is launching Global Production Services with a focus on helping producers take their unscripted content international. With the rise of streaming and shifting budget demands, more and more unscripted/documentary series are being produced abroad to reduce costs and expand reach.
In this Deadline article, Moscot explains how his new company plans to support producers through physical production services, location scouting, and overseas infrastructure.
Check it out here:
https://deadline.com/2025/06/gregg-moscot-global-production-services-123...
Producers, have you ever considered taking your unscripted series international? What challenges (or advantages) do you think come with producing unscripted content abroad? Let’s open up the conversation!
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Thanks for sharing the article, Ashley Renee Smith. As a writer, I could set my unscripted series ideas in other countries. Thanks for the idea.
One advantage I think comes with producing unscripted content abroad is there are a lot of cultures and stories to build shows around.
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When I read about the Rob Lowe hosted gameshow THE FLOOR going to Ireland to shoot with American contestants being flown over because it made more economic sense than shooting in LA it was a huge sign that this trend was only growing. Big shows like Survivor have always filmed abroad for obvious reasons but kinda wild to see in-studio shows following suit.
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You’re absolutely right, Sam Sokolow, that shift is a major signal of how much the economics of production have changed. When even in-studio game shows are heading overseas to cut costs, it speaks volumes about how competitive and globalized the industry has become. It’s no longer just about exotic backdrops or tax incentives; it’s about sustainability, infrastructure, and stretching every dollar.
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I don't think it means anything new. I spent many years in unscripted, from the first season of Survivor and early Real World, to Red Neck Vacation, American Ninja Warrior, etc. and many more.. Unscripted has always predominantly shot remotely, with production office in one location and production units everywhere else. In house, we just did our first shoot on Uncharted Freedom today. Our production office is in Los Angeles, the cast is in the Caribbean and will be crossing the Atlantic and Mediterranean while shooting, one story producer is in San Francisco, the Production Coordinator is in Kansas, the media/press coordinator is in Toronto... There's no need to have local editors as broadband allows uploads to the cloud now. We have to be masters of logistics and preparation and we know we cannot necessarily rely on outside services, So traditionally, unscripted has shot anywhere but home, though they have always hired local for support services (which often only means production assistants, assistant camera, and local fixer or coordinator). The real question to me is, given that fact, whether there is any kind of real mojo for Mascot Global. Inasmuch as shooting everywhere except where you live is what unscripted does well - does Mascot have anything to offer, which means quite literally CAN THEY SAVE PRODUCTION MONEY? Unscripted is not about spending money, it's about shooting on the lowest budget possible (with some notable exceptions) and even then, you do it in-house.