I’ll admit, I don’t watch reality TV. I mean, I’ve occasionally watched a few episodes out of curiosity, but my real interest is in how it’s made and what makes it successful.
Since there has been little work for me in the world of scripted TV or feature films lately, I’ve taken the opportunity to work on a season of a reality (unscripted) TV series and I’ve been exploring it through the lens of a creative writer.
There are no new ideas, really; everything has been done. But, as the dynamics of culture and society shift, we find new ways of telling stories long familiar to us. Could you have imagined 20 years ago that we would be watching RuPaul’s Drag Race? You see what I mean, right? It’s a new take on the beauty competitions that have long been a part of North American culture.
Highly successful series are built on either a well-known public person (like the Kardashians) because they have a ‘built in’ audience interested in what they’re up to, or a producer finds a fresh take on an idea and then searches for unique personalities that will inspire, irritate, and otherwise engage viewers’ interest.
Obviously there is no script – kind of. There are storyboards and shooting scripts drafted by the showrunner and story producers (writers), which shape the direction of the show. These tools highlight the general flow of the events which the talent (cast) will participate in.
All the World is a Stage. Reality TV shows thrive on their carefully crafted environments that amp up the drama and tension. Producers work closely with set designers, decorators, and location scouts to create the perfect backdrop for the participants to live in.
Showrunners and story producers set up scenarios and challenges for the participants, guiding the action. They carefully craft the situations in advance of filming, because is in the dynamic between talent and their responses to everything that happens around them, which create the drama and entertainment audiences seek. It is all about capturing the unfiltered moments that happen within the world they’ve created.
Hidden Cameras Everywhere? No. While hidden cameras may be part of the dynamic created for some reality TV shows, it is not the case for most, but they do all have more numerous cameras than you would typically see on a scripted production! You don’t want to miss a moment or an angle that could be used to craft an engaging storyline, and this requires cameras dedicated to ‘beauty shots’, close-ups, wide angles, and POV (point of view) for each participant.
The Art of Editing. Lights off, cameras off! It’s time to head to the editing room! This is where the real magic happens. Hours of footage are meticulously reviewed and pieced together to create a captivating story. Editors are the unsung heroes, shaping the narrative by highlighting the most dramatic moments and building suspense. They use music, sound effects, and clever editing tricks to keep us on the edge of our seats. They have the power to edit scenes and even rearrange timelines. It’s all about creating that addictive storyline that keeps us hooked.
It’s all the same but different. Without a script there are no multiple takes of the same scene like you do on a scripted show, unless it is for host introductions or entrances/exits of participants and the like. Still, we have all the same tasks: set decoration, props, hair and makeup, wardrobe, lighting, safety, etc.
As the participants react they sometimes generate new story ideas and the story editors/writers reframe the events or scenarios they had planned, in order to create tension and intrigue for viewers.
Reality TV – as part of the crew and seen through the lens of a creative writer – feels like a blend of stage play, improvisation and documentary filmmaking.
