Here's producer Matthew Watts words (The First 48) on how a reality can be soft scripted:
'One of the more clever devices for hiding narration in reality shows is the video testimonial style in MTV’s godfather of reality television series, The Real World. In a soundproof room somewhere near set, characters speak to the camera as if it’s a close friend or therapist. What is elegantly kept from viewers is that these testimonials are actually serving as narration. We’re hearing answers to written questions (and sometimes written answers) that the post producers have created to tell these stories in a clear and compelling way. We are not, as it may seem, hearing spontaneous reactions from the character’s deepest pools of forethought.' Source: What does a reality producer do? on johnaugust dot com
'They don't have to act or memorize lines. It's all done on the fly, with producers feeding them things to say. It's not a stage show.' 'The shows are planned almost entirely by the producers. They aren't 'scripted' in the sense that there isn't literally a script. The process is more like: The contestants go out to do some sort of task. Something happens that suggests a 'storyline' for the episode. On the way back in the van, the producers discuss the storyline, saying things like "Oh, Tommy really set himself up as a villain for this episode. We should make sure to get a confessional of Kelly talking about what he just did. Then they sit Kelly down and ask her leading questions like "Don't you think Tommy is a total ******* for doing 'X'? When she says "Yes", they say "Okay, but we need you to use a complete sentence, so just tell us what you think of Tommy, at which point Kelly says "I think Tommy is an ******* for doing 'X'." Source: Tall_LA_Bull - Sorority Life Producer on reddit
[QUOTE=peppermint;373532]Here's producer Matthew Watts words (The First 48) on how a reality can be soft scripted:
'One of the more clever devices for hiding narration in reality shows is the video testimonial style in MTV’s godfather of reality television series, The Real World. In a soundproof room somewhere near set, characters speak to the camera as if it’s a close friend or therapist. What is elegantly kept from viewers is that these testimonials are actually serving as narration. We’re hearing answers to written questions (and sometimes written answers) that the post producers have created to tell these stories in a clear and compelling way. We are not, as it may seem, hearing spontaneous reactions from the character’s deepest pools of forethought.' Source: What does a reality producer do? on johnaugust dot com
'They don't have to act or memorize lines. It's all done on the fly, with producers feeding them things to say. It's not a stage show.' 'The shows are planned almost entirely by the producers. They aren't 'scripted' in the sense that there isn't literally a script. The process is more like: The contestants go out to do some sort of task. Something happens that suggests a 'storyline' for the episode. On the way back in the van, the producers discuss the storyline, saying things like "Oh, Tommy really set himself up as a villain for this episode. We should make sure to get a confessional of Kelly talking about what he just did. Then they sit Kelly down and ask her leading questions like "Don't you think Tommy is a total ******* for doing 'X'? When she says "Yes", they say "Okay, but we need you to use a complete sentence, so just tell us what you think of Tommy, at which point Kelly says "I think Tommy is an ******* for doing 'X'." Source: Tall_LA_Bull - Sorority Life Producer on reddit[/QUOTE]
Of course they do that, you can tell by the way people talk in their interviews... did people not realize this before?
I produce an online reality show online [url=http://www.inthecircleshow.com]Reality Show | IN THE CIRCLE | The Story of The Young and Driven[/url] and I can tell you it's not scripting, but it's more like following a story that is already happening. Of course each production has their own different ways of doing this.
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