First and foremost are the men and women of Reality Television, from whom I have learned so much and made so many friends and so few enemies over dozens of projects. Thank you. It’s been a pleasure, even on the worst days.

Then there’s Michael Wiese and Ken Lee, who put so much care into the books they publish and in doing so, challenged me to create the best version of this book possible. I also extend my thanks to my dear friend and Sound Effects Bible author Ric Viers, who generously put my idea for this book forward to them.

Thanks are also due to:

My parents, Robert and Gail DeVolld, who never faltered in their support of a son whom they put not only through art school, but film school. There should be medals awarded for that kind of parenting.

Patric Verrone, for contributing such a thoughtful foreword to this book and for his many years of championing for and rallying the Reality TV community during his tenure as President of the WGAw and beyond.

My agent, Beth Bohn, who “gets” me — which means more than you might imagine when it comes to finding great representation.

The unbelievable Allee Willis, who time and time again inspires me by her creative example and her litmus test for all good work: “Does It Have Soul?”

Patricia Harrison, who kicks me in the can creatively on an almost daily basis. Everyone should have someone who challenges you to do your best work. Sometimes I almost regret teaching her so much about Reality Television.

In closing, I’d like to offer my appreciation to the professionals who offered advice and quotes over the course of this book as well as those who are simply quoted or have works cited within¹: Eric Anderson, Vin Di Bona, Michael Carroll, Christo Garcia, Mark Cegielski, Adam Daroff, Nick Emmerson, Brian Gibson, Dana Gould, Albert Fisher, Prof. Henry Jenkins, Joseph Lawrence, Thomas Lennon, Sybil Lindenbaum, Nancy C. Lutkehaus, Pam Malouf, Margaret Mead, Heather J. Miller, Les Moonves, Dan O’Shannon, Ken Paulson, Eduardo Penna, Hector Ramirez, Phil Rosenthal, George Schlatter, Kevin Thomas, David Timoner, and John Wells.

Note

1. The author acknowledges the copyright owners of printed or otherwise recorded materials referenced in this book for purposes of commentary, criticism and scholarship under the Fair Use Doctrine. No specific endorsement of this book by the individuals cited should be implied.

How To Use This Book

I’ve lectured, moderated, or participated on many Reality Television panels for learning institutions and professional organizations. The diversity of folks I’ve met at these events dictates that this book must appeal to an audience as broad as that of Reality TV itself — a no-nonsense, no-filler guide helpful to both the interested television viewer and to media students and scholars. Further, this book is a resource for the already-working story professional interested in exploring Reality TV. In short, the book must be all things to all people… which, hopefully, it is.

For fans of the Reality genre, Reality TV: An Insider’s Guide To TV’s Hottest Market provides a behind-the-scenes breakdown of their favorite shows, clarifying what is “real,” and to that point, what “real” even means. How is raw footage produced and processed into compelling, must-see television? If I’ve done my job, Reality TV should demystify the process for you.

For film and television students contemplating careers in Reality TV — a genre that accounts for more than half of all programs currently on-air in the United States¹ — Reality TV delineates the mechanics of Reality Television, from preproduction through postproduction, providing real-world advice on topics like landing your first job and moving up the ladder once you’re in the door.

Educators will find Reality TV vital to maintaining a current and relevant television and film curriculum. Additionally, the book provides lesson-plan-ready exercises to hammer home the points made in each chapter.

Finally, working writers and producers in scripted film and television can use Reality TV as a primer before exploring their options on the reality/nonfiction side of the entertainment industry. As Reality Television continues to expand, many previously employed drama and comedy writers are fighting their way into the bizarro world of Reality TV. This book is a life-saving guide to avoiding the political and professional pitfalls to which traditional scripted writers are particularly susceptible as they face the often counter-intuitive “reality” of Reality Television.

However you plan to use this book, I hope you’ll enjoy it and be able to put my knowledge and experience to work for you. And since no book can answer all questions, I look forward to hearing from you personally at [email protected] or through my blog, www.realitytvbook.com.

Note

1. As of the writing of this first edition.

Foreword

by Patric M. Verrone

Patric M. Verrone has been a television writer for 25 years and his credits include The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Simpsons, and Futurama. He was President of the Writers Guild of America West from 2005 to 2009.

Alfred Hitchcock said that “drama is life with the dull bits left out.” That adage has generally held true because audiences won’t sit still for long watching “life with the dull bits left in.” Yet there is a continuum between watching three minutes of YouTube footage of a ship sinking and watching three hours of the film Titanic; and along that continuum is ever-increasing input by that most human of endeavors — the creative process. Despite having “value” throughout, we typically call the more highly produced end of the continuum “entertainment,” and the other end we consider “news,” or “documentary,” or possibly even “sports.” It is no surprise, therefore, that Reality TV, despite its financial success, ratings records, and even self-made controversies, finds itself near the end of the continuum where creativity is both downplayed and devalued. As such, much

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