If you thought filming a reality TV show was easy, think again.
There’s a lot more that goes on behind-the-scenes than you’d think. Things like long days, legal contracts that must be signed, and even non-negotiable manicures.
All of this plus more is what goes into filming Keeping Up With the Kardashians . Here are the 10+ filming rules the family has to keep up with!
1. Everyone has to sign an NDA:
It’s not just Kris Jenner that works her magic to keep things under wraps — it’s the non-disclosure agreements!
Kim confirmed this on Twitter, writing , “Btw NDA’S for all!!!! #KUWTK.”
2. Speaking of NDA’s, Kris Jenner keeps a stack of them by her front door:
Are we really surprised?
They’re on her foyer table next to a sign that reads, “What we say here, what we see here, let it stay here, when we leave here.”
3. Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney get paid the most out of everyone:
TMZ sources predict that 50 – 60 percent of the show’s $150 million deal goes to these three.
They’ve carried the show on their backs since the very beginning, after all.
This has all changed, though, now that Kourtney quit the show.
This means that the big money will be split between Kim and Khloé.
As for Kris, well, she’s doing just fine as she earned $15 million as her 10 percent managing fee.
4. If someone doesn’t sign a waiver, the show can’t show their face:
Proof of this popped up when Tristan Thompson, Khloé’s ex, had his face blurred on the show.
She even cleared up fan confusion on Twitter over this, writing , “We obviously didn’t do anything. He might not have signed a waiver to show those images. Why would I want to blur his face? I’m not hiding his identity LOL.”
5. Kris makes Kendall and Kylie get their nails done weekly:
Kendall told Elle :
“[Kris] would have a nail artist come to the house once a week and she would make us get our nails done. She was like, ‘You are never going to look like you’re not put together.’ So we were always getting them done.”
6. They have to film for 10 to 12 hours per day:
Don’t say that reality TV isn’t a job, because it is!
Sometimes, the family films for longer than 10-12 hours if the “plotline warrants it.”
To make filming easier, Jenner’s house is fitted with cameras all over.
7. Currently, they have to film the show via their iPhones due to the coronavirus:
Get this: each week, the Kardashian fam get new iPhones delivered to their homes so they can self-film while in quarantine.
In total, they record around 16 hours of footage per week.
8. They have to pay for their own vacations:
This fact was made known when Kourtney complained about having to foot the bill for a family trip to Costa Rica.
She said : “Why am I being sent this other huge bill? Why isn’t production chipping in if we’re using it for the show?”
9. They have to be willing to fake scenes:
When Khloé was arrested for her DUI, she had to recreate the scene for the cameras.
Then, when she found out she was pregnant, it was speculated that Khloé filmed this while knowing she was preggo already.
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10. Some scenes have to be shot twice:
A major example of this was when Kris Humpries proposed to Kim.
According to court docs , producer Russell Jay said that they had to refilm the proposal since Kim didn’t like her reaction the first time.
11. Not only that, but Kim reportedly wanted to reshoot the scene for better lighting.
A source told RadarOnline :
“First of all, Kris proposed in the middle of the day, and he had to do that because it would create better lighting to capture the moment.”
They continued:
“Kim looked so surprised but she knew it was happening. She was in full hair and makeup, as she always is on the show. Kris wanted it to be very intimate and romantic, but all his ideas were shot down by production officials and Kim.”
12. Everyone has to wear shoe coverings in Kris’s house:
If Kris won’t handle Kendall’s giant dog pooping all over her house, she certainly won’t handle crew bringing in dirt to her home!
According to a New York Times article, a production assistant wore surgical shoe coverings as they handed out microphones.
13. Kris may be momager, but Kim is definitely in charge:
She helps stir the pot, after all.
“I think if you ask the crew, I probably produce the most because I know what my sisters might not be sharing,” she told The Hollywood Reporter .
“So I’ll tell them, ‘Go over to Kourt’s house right now. Something is going on.’”
That being said, she said that she wished she didn’t film so much while pregnant.
“I looked like such a cow and I can’t stand to see those episodes. I would say, “Try to film me more from chest up, so it looks better,” but I look like a blob.”
14. When a new cast member comes on the show, an existing one is fired:
This is so the show can stick within its budget. They did, however, break this rule for French Montana.
A source told the NY Daily News : “Kris just offered French Montana a check to be in the show.
“He’s expensive, and some people at E! just don’t think he’s worth the money.”
They continued: “I’ve heard execs moaning about it, saying, ‘We’re just paying so much for him!’”
Well, it’s a good thing Khloé and French eventually broke up!
15. They’re miked all of the time:
This fam truly has no real privacy.
“I remember in season 1 being like, ‘I have to go the bathroom,’ and I’d cry in there as quietly as I could because I was still miked. I never want to cry in front of cameras,” Kourtney said in 2017.