Reality TV and other Commercial Illusions

The general perception ‘sold’ to the viewing public, is that the relatively new and popular genre of reality television is unscripted and just spur-of-the moment real-life events and situations.

Sorry to disappoint you but so-called “Reality TV” is neither, unscripted nor real-life. And, while we are on this topic, I may as well point out it’s not really new either. The genre was actually created in the 1950’s with game shows, hidden camera and talent search programs.

How do I know “Reality TV” is neither, unscripted or real-life? Well, I am a free-lance screenwriter, and a member of various screenwriter’s associations. I also attend the various Screenwriters Expos and conferences where the ‘Industry’ congregates and ‘pitches’ programming concepts. Guess what! The only 'reality' involved, is that It’s all about the ratings and the money!

A few entertaining considerations about the perceptions and
the reality of Reality TV:

Perception:	Reality:
The programs are spur-of-the-moment and are unscripted.	In the Entertainment business time is money. These programs are scripted by professional writers. They are directed by a professional TV director. Common Sense Gage: Did you ever stick a video camera in the face of a friend or family member and say "action?" And what result did you get?
These are every-day ordinary people (not actors).	In nearly all cases these are professional (or at least trained) actors. These are people who went through extensive auditions to get their role. Directors and TV executives 'always' want to make sure they get marketable results in as few shooting 'takes' as possible. Common Sense Gage: Do you really know anybody who looks like this, talks like this, or has this much 'stage presence?'
These programs are shot in real locations like offices or homes.	They are generally shot in a studio. If you pay close attention, there are several things you will always notice about the production quality: Perfect lighting intensity, color tone, and no distracting shadows Perfect audio quality with no ambient background noise Artistically designed, color coordinated environment Common Sense Gage: Have you ever video taped a birthday party in your kitchen? What result did you get? Expert lighting? Flawless, crystal clear sound? What about accurate color under your incandescent lighting? And what about you set? Was it perfect and compositionally balanced?
These are real-life situations or humorous incidents that just happen to be caught on video tape.	Let's just call this one "highly influenced" or choreographed reality. There are generally 'off-screen' coaches (directors) who instruct the 'actors/players' on how to react or behave in a certain situation. Again, pay attention to the production values of lighting and audio quality. Also consider the multiple camera views. This requires multiple cameras and camera direction (just like at NFL Games) Editing after the video is shot (post-production) plays a huge role in the art of "highly influenced reality." Common Sense Gage: Ever notice that your local "News Channel" never seems to capture the incident in progress? And they even have news crews roaming the cities 24 hours a day.