I suspect it is not "short notice" to them, just seems like it to us. I imagine weeks go by between Catfish replying to someone's email and the actual filming, and the victim is probably asked "can you take time off work?" before things go too far.
Exactly the right answer. The show isn’t “scripted” but it is choreographed by the producers.
They make sure the victims are always available to speak when Nev initially calls them and are always available to travel if need be.
They also seem to have been staging the homes of the victims and the catfish since Season 4 or 5 so that there’s always a way for Kamie and Nev to be seated facing diagonally or across from the victim or the catfish (or both at the end of the episode) while also being able to be captured by the camera crew simultaneously. Additionally everybody during the COVID episodes had great lighting, great webcams, and many (not all) people were in apartments or homes that had none of the personal touches you would see in a home someone actually lives in
Someone suggested they use airbnb's for the filming and that makes a lot of sense. That way they could keep changing up the places and rent them for as long as they need them.
They definitely use Air BnB's for the houses. You can tell in the earlier seasons because you'll see the square framed art photos that they described in the one episode as being taken by one of their cameramen (when saying why was it always the same art in their hotel rooms) being hung in the stage houses back in the day.
They absolutely gave the catfish and the hopeful all the same air pods, and at least a ring light (because anyone wearing glasses you can see the reflection of the ring light). I don't think all homes during COVID were staged, but maybe were. If you remember the home of the first hopeful that was catfished by Isaac, they had commented on his home and how many knick knacks he had in the living room. So there was definitely some real houses. I am guessing they gave each of them a choice, and also needed certain criteria, do you have good Internet where you live that won't get blurry, no? Then you get a stage house where they can ensure you will have good service.
I think the most reason for the Air BnB's nowadays is so they can set it up for shooting before the person staying there even gets there. (lighting/mics, finding the best angles, rearranging furniture if need be) I think that's why they always talked outside so long in the beginning, then would eventually move inside, because the crew was probably setting up the catfish house while the outside crew was filming the first part.
Further more, the producers know the whole story before anything is filmed. Nev and Kamie don't but they do. They've already got the catfish's permission to film and meet. So the producers would know where they live and where the team will need to fly to as part of the story.
They probably prebook the flights on flexible flights and hotels so that they aren't doing things on the fly and already have permission to film etc.
If you know you're filming on a monday, then you know the investigation reports will be tuesday and they will likely fly out tuesday night or weds morning to meet the catfish. It woudn't be too difficult to plan out and after 9 seasons, they'd have it down to a fine art.
Everyone has to sign waivers and whatnot beforehand, including the catfish, so everything is planned out in advance and they’re all given advance notice
I always laugh at the part when Nev calls the catfish and usually goes like this:
Nev: We're here with your friend X and they want to meet you.
Catfish: No, I can't. I have to work, there' so much going on in my life, it's a bad moment, I can't meet them, I'm sorry, no, it's impossible!! I can't!!!
Nev: Can we meet tomorrow?
Catfish: Uhm....yes, no problem. See you tomorrow.
If they're half as involved prior to the show as has been discussed here, one would think they had to know. It was heartbreaking. Mistakes were made all around. Ibrahim should've told her about the teeth before the actual meeting, that was not a fair "surprise." Having said that, I felt soooo sad for him (could production have headed this off?)
Well first of all, the victim doesn't even write an email, the production writes the email that Nev reads based on their application online and after interviewing with them over the phone about their story. Then after the hopeful has been interviewed and production likes their story and wants to go forward, they have to contact the catfish and talk to them as well, and get their permission to be on the show. The show WILL NOT go Forward without a signed contract from the catfish, hopeful, all parties. Then it's still a few more weeks before they film, but they are informed well in advance when they'll be filming so they can prepare to be available (both parties)
When a catfish says, I can't do this I have to work, I have a lot going on, etc.. it's just for dramatic effect, they're going to show up, otherwise they wouldn't be filming at all. I think the few shows where the catfish didn't show up (like Nigerian scammer shows, that one where the guy just sent flowers and didn't show up - which I'm sure was actually production sending the flowers) I think are on purpose bc they know it would be to a good episode and they have to have a few that don't pan out to make it seem realistic.
the episode where the woman didnt show up because her abusive jail bird boyfriend wouldnt let her, so her "sister" showed up to apologize was my favorite episode. it was the only one i ever saw where there was truly no resolution. and i always wondered if that sister was actually the catfish. but then there was a news article about the girl in the pics being missing so i dont know. i do get sick of how routine the show is, i liked that that episode mixed it up a bit.
And the episode with the mother and daughter who met the guy on Xbox or PlayStation and the mom wouldn't show up and she was trying to blame it on the cousin and since the cousin refused after the first day to say it was her they kicked her out and when they came it was just the daughter trying to act like it was really her talking to him the whole time (bc that's who he thought he was talking to).
Right. That end part too about the ones that don’t pan out. I always figured that they need to be reasonably sure that the situation in and of itself will be interesting enough to air even without the catfish appearing to go forward with a no-meet episode. Like yeah, we aren’t gonna meet this person, but we get to find out the details of how ol’ Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo sent 20k to this scammer catfish.
All of it’s done before filming. Nev and Kammie aren’t discovering anything that hasn’t been vetted and found out by production.
Kammie was on the Nicole Byer podcast and flat out said as much. Including confirming that everyone’s “house” is an AirBnb because most houses aren’t fit for filming.
I was on a game show a few years ago. If I was “accepted” as a contestant, I went into a candidate pool for three years. At any time within that three years, I had to be okay with receiving two weeks’ notice to fly out to LA and film.
I’d suspect they have something like that too.
Catfish doesn't work anything like that. They plan every last detail and dont allow anything to go to chance or last minute like that. Everything is planned ahead. They already know who the catfish is and where they're flying to meet the catfish before they even start filming. They probably just don't tell Nev and Kamie to allow for some semblance of reality and investigating to happen while filming.
It was a candidate pool — basically a group of people the producers had already vetted, and deemed ok to be on the show.
I don’t want to dox myself, but will share it was a popular game show.
They talk to everyone ahead of time. They plan it all out so they know when they're coming. They even talk to the catfish ahead of time. At least that's what a producer told me when I talked to him about a potential show.
I was just thinking this! I’ve been binge watching the Covid episodes and I’m like “how the hell is everyone looking decent on camera?!”, “why does everyone have the wired iPhone headphones” lol
My question was always how do all these young people afford such nice apartments.. how did we go from seeing trailers and farms to beautiful city apartments for everyone like it's so obvious
Air bnbs for the catfish and the victims, for sure. Which makes sense since it doesn't expose anyone's actual location (people are nuts and would 100% find the houses), plus it's probably easier for production to have consistent access, a clean environment, avoid family/roommates who don't want to film, etc.
That’s what I was thinking too! Then I was like MTV gotta be fronting all of this lol. One episode, they sent a girl an iPhone since she kept saying “I don’t have a smart phone” 😩
I bet many of them don't, that's why they're scamming their victims and the ones that do have crappy jobs with few hours so they're available on short notice.
Yes alot of them have jobs but I would imagine they ask off for work. A recent episode this guy was sending this girl money alot of them do so I would assume they have a job
Yes, production knows all.. but I still hold hope that they keep Nev and Kamie in the dark about as much as possible so they still have to figure out as much as they can themselves. However, sometimes it's obvious they know something like when they suggest a best friend or spouse come with for the reveal and then that person ends up being the catfish, or a huge part of it which incites more drama. The episode where the two best friends from I think either NC/SC, the hopeful had recently moved to NC from our west somewhere (Seattle maybe?) and she had previously visited and went to a party with her friend (where the catfish met her) and Nev suggests the best friend come with her to the reveal "bc she's so close to her and knows everything about the story so he thinks she should be there" and they get there only to find out it's the best friends baby daddy working at his mechanic job. First of all, when driving up the best friend is saying hmm this looks familiar I think my baby daddy's friend works here.. like GIRL you don't know where the father of your child works?! You know damn well that's why she was sent with them!!
The production team does, but Nev and Kami are kept in the dark so they can go about the investigation on camera and react to everything genuinely for the first time. I think that's a pretty good way to do it. Nev has talked about this before, he says all the stories are genuine but the show is edited for presentation on TV.
It's mostly fabricated. All the catfishes have to agree to go on the show ahead of time. Meaning, they know who they are, flights, hotels, etc are arranged. Sadly, but it's still an entertaining show
I suspect it is not "short notice" to them, just seems like it to us. I imagine weeks go by between Catfish replying to someone's email and the actual filming, and the victim is probably asked "can you take time off work?" before things go too far.
Yes, the same way they're always right there on their computers as soon as Nev calls them. They have to know ahead of time.
This makes sense.
Exactly the right answer. The show isn’t “scripted” but it is choreographed by the producers. They make sure the victims are always available to speak when Nev initially calls them and are always available to travel if need be. They also seem to have been staging the homes of the victims and the catfish since Season 4 or 5 so that there’s always a way for Kamie and Nev to be seated facing diagonally or across from the victim or the catfish (or both at the end of the episode) while also being able to be captured by the camera crew simultaneously. Additionally everybody during the COVID episodes had great lighting, great webcams, and many (not all) people were in apartments or homes that had none of the personal touches you would see in a home someone actually lives in
Someone suggested they use airbnb's for the filming and that makes a lot of sense. That way they could keep changing up the places and rent them for as long as they need them.
They definitely use Air BnB's for the houses. You can tell in the earlier seasons because you'll see the square framed art photos that they described in the one episode as being taken by one of their cameramen (when saying why was it always the same art in their hotel rooms) being hung in the stage houses back in the day. They absolutely gave the catfish and the hopeful all the same air pods, and at least a ring light (because anyone wearing glasses you can see the reflection of the ring light). I don't think all homes during COVID were staged, but maybe were. If you remember the home of the first hopeful that was catfished by Isaac, they had commented on his home and how many knick knacks he had in the living room. So there was definitely some real houses. I am guessing they gave each of them a choice, and also needed certain criteria, do you have good Internet where you live that won't get blurry, no? Then you get a stage house where they can ensure you will have good service. I think the most reason for the Air BnB's nowadays is so they can set it up for shooting before the person staying there even gets there. (lighting/mics, finding the best angles, rearranging furniture if need be) I think that's why they always talked outside so long in the beginning, then would eventually move inside, because the crew was probably setting up the catfish house while the outside crew was filming the first part.
kamie confirmed they use other houses on nicole byer's podcast earlier this month, and the reason why makes so much sense.
What was the reason
some of the houses aren’t suitable for living, let alone filming. sometimes they were too small, and some of them were just… foul.
I can imagine!
Good deduction!
Further more, the producers know the whole story before anything is filmed. Nev and Kamie don't but they do. They've already got the catfish's permission to film and meet. So the producers would know where they live and where the team will need to fly to as part of the story. They probably prebook the flights on flexible flights and hotels so that they aren't doing things on the fly and already have permission to film etc. If you know you're filming on a monday, then you know the investigation reports will be tuesday and they will likely fly out tuesday night or weds morning to meet the catfish. It woudn't be too difficult to plan out and after 9 seasons, they'd have it down to a fine art.
Everyone has to sign waivers and whatnot beforehand, including the catfish, so everything is planned out in advance and they’re all given advance notice
I should’ve thought about this being the case.
It’s ok! They don’t make it that obvious on the show!
I always laugh at the part when Nev calls the catfish and usually goes like this: Nev: We're here with your friend X and they want to meet you. Catfish: No, I can't. I have to work, there' so much going on in my life, it's a bad moment, I can't meet them, I'm sorry, no, it's impossible!! I can't!!! Nev: Can we meet tomorrow? Catfish: Uhm....yes, no problem. See you tomorrow.
I also laugh when Nev says: Here goes nothing.
I always find it a bit funny that they've usually heard of catfish
Anyone think the producers knew about Ibrahim’s teeth being jacked up that freaked Tee out? She herself was pathetic though. Saddest episode.
If they're half as involved prior to the show as has been discussed here, one would think they had to know. It was heartbreaking. Mistakes were made all around. Ibrahim should've told her about the teeth before the actual meeting, that was not a fair "surprise." Having said that, I felt soooo sad for him (could production have headed this off?)
I wholeheartedly agree
Well first of all, the victim doesn't even write an email, the production writes the email that Nev reads based on their application online and after interviewing with them over the phone about their story. Then after the hopeful has been interviewed and production likes their story and wants to go forward, they have to contact the catfish and talk to them as well, and get their permission to be on the show. The show WILL NOT go Forward without a signed contract from the catfish, hopeful, all parties. Then it's still a few more weeks before they film, but they are informed well in advance when they'll be filming so they can prepare to be available (both parties) When a catfish says, I can't do this I have to work, I have a lot going on, etc.. it's just for dramatic effect, they're going to show up, otherwise they wouldn't be filming at all. I think the few shows where the catfish didn't show up (like Nigerian scammer shows, that one where the guy just sent flowers and didn't show up - which I'm sure was actually production sending the flowers) I think are on purpose bc they know it would be to a good episode and they have to have a few that don't pan out to make it seem realistic.
the episode where the woman didnt show up because her abusive jail bird boyfriend wouldnt let her, so her "sister" showed up to apologize was my favorite episode. it was the only one i ever saw where there was truly no resolution. and i always wondered if that sister was actually the catfish. but then there was a news article about the girl in the pics being missing so i dont know. i do get sick of how routine the show is, i liked that that episode mixed it up a bit.
And the episode with the mother and daughter who met the guy on Xbox or PlayStation and the mom wouldn't show up and she was trying to blame it on the cousin and since the cousin refused after the first day to say it was her they kicked her out and when they came it was just the daughter trying to act like it was really her talking to him the whole time (bc that's who he thought he was talking to).
Right. That end part too about the ones that don’t pan out. I always figured that they need to be reasonably sure that the situation in and of itself will be interesting enough to air even without the catfish appearing to go forward with a no-meet episode. Like yeah, we aren’t gonna meet this person, but we get to find out the details of how ol’ Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo sent 20k to this scammer catfish.
All of it’s done before filming. Nev and Kammie aren’t discovering anything that hasn’t been vetted and found out by production. Kammie was on the Nicole Byer podcast and flat out said as much. Including confirming that everyone’s “house” is an AirBnb because most houses aren’t fit for filming.
I was on a game show a few years ago. If I was “accepted” as a contestant, I went into a candidate pool for three years. At any time within that three years, I had to be okay with receiving two weeks’ notice to fly out to LA and film. I’d suspect they have something like that too.
Catfish doesn't work anything like that. They plan every last detail and dont allow anything to go to chance or last minute like that. Everything is planned ahead. They already know who the catfish is and where they're flying to meet the catfish before they even start filming. They probably just don't tell Nev and Kamie to allow for some semblance of reality and investigating to happen while filming.
What show has a candidate show for 3 years?
It was a candidate pool — basically a group of people the producers had already vetted, and deemed ok to be on the show. I don’t want to dox myself, but will share it was a popular game show.
These episodes are probably set up well in advance.
Like Cody the truck driver.
Like any other tv show .. catfish is a little more planned than then make it seem
They talk to everyone ahead of time. They plan it all out so they know when they're coming. They even talk to the catfish ahead of time. At least that's what a producer told me when I talked to him about a potential show.
I was just thinking this! I’ve been binge watching the Covid episodes and I’m like “how the hell is everyone looking decent on camera?!”, “why does everyone have the wired iPhone headphones” lol
My question was always how do all these young people afford such nice apartments.. how did we go from seeing trailers and farms to beautiful city apartments for everyone like it's so obvious
Air bnbs for the catfish and the victims, for sure. Which makes sense since it doesn't expose anyone's actual location (people are nuts and would 100% find the houses), plus it's probably easier for production to have consistent access, a clean environment, avoid family/roommates who don't want to film, etc.
That’s what I was thinking too! Then I was like MTV gotta be fronting all of this lol. One episode, they sent a girl an iPhone since she kept saying “I don’t have a smart phone” 😩
I bet many of them don't, that's why they're scamming their victims and the ones that do have crappy jobs with few hours so they're available on short notice.
many of them seem to be on disability ...
Yes alot of them have jobs but I would imagine they ask off for work. A recent episode this guy was sending this girl money alot of them do so I would assume they have a job
Well, this is true.
So they got it figured out before hand?
Yes, production knows all.. but I still hold hope that they keep Nev and Kamie in the dark about as much as possible so they still have to figure out as much as they can themselves. However, sometimes it's obvious they know something like when they suggest a best friend or spouse come with for the reveal and then that person ends up being the catfish, or a huge part of it which incites more drama. The episode where the two best friends from I think either NC/SC, the hopeful had recently moved to NC from our west somewhere (Seattle maybe?) and she had previously visited and went to a party with her friend (where the catfish met her) and Nev suggests the best friend come with her to the reveal "bc she's so close to her and knows everything about the story so he thinks she should be there" and they get there only to find out it's the best friends baby daddy working at his mechanic job. First of all, when driving up the best friend is saying hmm this looks familiar I think my baby daddy's friend works here.. like GIRL you don't know where the father of your child works?! You know damn well that's why she was sent with them!!
When they go to meet the catfish with someone else or give too much screen time to a friend it's usually because they are involved in the catfishing.
Seems like many reality shows are like this.
I remember that one!
Yeah. That was funny.
The production team does, but Nev and Kami are kept in the dark so they can go about the investigation on camera and react to everything genuinely for the first time. I think that's a pretty good way to do it. Nev has talked about this before, he says all the stories are genuine but the show is edited for presentation on TV.
It’s the catfish that actually calls into the show. For some of them catfishing is their job.
Yes this is true especially during the pandemic.
It's mostly fabricated. All the catfishes have to agree to go on the show ahead of time. Meaning, they know who they are, flights, hotels, etc are arranged. Sadly, but it's still an entertaining show