Reality TV. Troy DeVolld

The Home Improvement Show Exercise

       So Why Don’t I See Writers Credited on Reality Shows?

       What Does A Story Producer Do, Exactly?

       Timeline? What Timeline?

       Authenticity

       Continuity And Story Basics

       CHAPTER ONE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF REALITY TELEVISION

       Origins And Pioneers

       Contemporary Reality

       Criticisms Of The Genre

       Chapter One Exercises

       CHAPTER TWO: THE SEVEN (OR SEVENTY, OR SEVEN HUNDRED) KINDS OF REALITY SHOWS

       Documentary / Docu-Series

       Reality-Competition / Elimination

       Makeover / Renovation

       Dating

       Hidden Camera / Surveillance / Amateur Content

       Supernatural

       Travel / Aspirational

       Chapter Two Exercise

       CHAPTER THREE: THE REALITY EFFECT

       How Reality Has Changed Traditionally Scripted Shows

       The Reality Genre As Fodder For Traditionally Scripted Television

       Chapter Three Exercises

       CHAPTER FOUR: THE REALITY OF REALITY

       Overview: Production Hierarchy

       Chapter Four Exercises

       CHAPTER FIVE: PREPRODUCTION

       Reviewing Past Episodes And Casting Materials

       Downloading With Your Producers

       Sketching Out Your Profile Interviews

       The Preliminary Outline

       Chapter Five Exercises

       CHAPTER SIX: PRODUCTION

       Field Notes

       Hot Sheets

       Interviews

       Interviews vs. OTFs

       Forecast Bites

       Advanced Interview Technique

       Composing The Interview Shot

       Checking Your Audio

       Keeping Your Eyes Peeled

       The Reluctant Subject

       Stammerers / Ramblers

       The Victim / Self-Producer

       Attention, Blabbermouths!

       Some Thoughts On Scenework

       Stir It Up: Bringing Your Cast Back To Life

       Set Etiquette

       Don’t Feed The Animals: The Talent Is Not Your Friend

       Trouble In Paradise: What To Do When The Shoot Goes South

       A Final Word On Production: Physical Safety

       Chapter Six Exercises

       CHAPTER SEVEN: POSTPRODUCTION

       Rethink Your Outline

       The Big Picture

       Keep It Meaningful, Keep It Moving

       The Return Of The Forecast Bite

       So The Season’s Mapped Out, Now What?

       A Word On Stakes

       The Ticking Clock

       The Big Deal Out Of Nothing

       The Repurposed Scene

       Composing A Stringout

       Option One: The Paper Cut

       Option Two: The Avid / Final Cut Pro Stringout

       A Word On Act Breaks

       Teases

       The Rough Cut

       The Rough Cut Goes To Network: First Notes

       The Fine Cut

       The Locked Cut

       Chapter Seven Exercises

       CHAPTER EIGHT: GET TO WORK!

       Entry-Level Positions

       The Story Department

       The Politics Of Reality

       “That Stuff Has Writers?” – Building A Reputation On An Invisible Job

       Ethics

       Saying No: Building The Resume You Want

       Advancing Your Career

       Networking In The Reality Community

       Networking In The Broader Television Community

       Professional Organizations

       Maximizing IMDb And Other Resume And Credit Websites

       Some Final Thoughts On Networking

       Chapter Eight Exercises

       CHAPTER NINE: CREATING YOUR OWN SHOWS

       The Workable Concept

       The Pitch

       The One-Sheet

       Chapter Nine Exercises

       CHAPTER TEN: PARTING SHOTS

       Nick Emmerson