FSU'S NEXT TOP BLOGGER

This is the true story of 22 strangers picked to be in a class… write together and blog their opinions…to find out what happens… when people stop to think… and start getting REAL… Project RTV.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Not exactly "Reality" TV

What is it that makes a reality show appealing? competitive action? The anticipation of wanting to know who wins the grand prize? absurd moments? lots and lots of drama? sure, these elements combined, make for captivating television, but do you really think it all happens by chance? Behind the drunken arguments, and catfights, a team of producers and directors are secretly pulling the strings.
The reality is, every episode of "Jersey Shore" or "Keeping up With the Kardashians" is a marvel of television editing. While shooting an episode, producers shoot hundreds of hours of footage, that eventually have to be condensed to a meager 42 minutes. this means that, while what occurs on a reality show may be authentics, it is often manipulated and sequenced to the liking of producers. Portions of one scene may be edited with segments of another, to manufacture a completely false dramatic situation. After all, what producers are most concerned with is the number viewers, and consequently more drama means more spectators.
But then again, if it's entertaining and fun to watch, does it matter if it's real or not?

2 comments:

Nicholas Orris said...

This is a really good call Pedro, we sometimes forget to consider how much footage is actually used, compared to the amount of stuff that actually happens. Not to mention 85% is dialog.

rosalyn said...

You both make really great point here Pedro and Nick. Pedro- It's true about the immense amount of editing that goes into the show and the piecing together of scenes. This is an interesting fact to bring up.
And Nick- you also bring up an interesting point when you mention how much dialogue is included in these shows. Looking back, I realized that over half of many RTV episodes are voiced over and include interviews with cast members interspersed throughout.