I can totally see where you're coming from. We've heard similar things from a number of treasure hunters we've talked to in the past, about being burned by previous production companies. This is especially frustrating when they ask you to put in loads of time or effort to their project, and then nothing ever comes of it. While it is a reality that sometimes shows get derailed for one reason or another, we are firm believers in not requiring that amount of effort from prospective people to be featured on our show. All we are ultimately looking to do, at this stage, is to have a brief phonecall or two and then a short, 10-15 minute Skype interview if things seem amenable, and that's it. That way, if things don't work out, you've only lost twenty minutes of your time and not hours, days, or weeks.
I also definitely know where you're coming from regarding fake drama and fake things in general. Our aim with this project is to be very real, to emphasize the research angle, and to only show stuff that actually happens. The focus will not be on "the drama of treasure hunting," and will be more about treasure hunting.
I can absolutely see where you're coming from re: the generic gmail account, which is why I addressed it before. After we've had the chance to talk for just a few minutes, even by email, I'd be more than happy to give out that information. We've just found that publicly posting company contact information has not worked out well for us in the past (largely due to bots and scripts that search through public webforums looking for emails to spam, especially that mention "productions," "films," "studios," etc.
Regarding your other concerns, I can say this: there will be no script to rehearse beyond whatever preparation you would like to do yourself for coming in, and before you come in you will be made aware of all pertinent details: what we're doing, what your role would be, what we'll be filming you doing, who you'll be talking to, and we'll have legal contracts in place to protect you and your research. If any of this doesn't pass your sniff test on any level, you don't have to sign anything and you don't have to come in. And before we even got to the point where we were talking finer details like this, all we'll have wanted from you is that previously mentioned brief Skype interview and a few minutes of your time to answer questions you might have.
