Survivor. Blind Date. American Idol. I'm sure you are familiar with at least one of these reality TV shows. Consider this: How much reality TV is actually real? Today, we investigate this shocking concept.
Some people believe that reality TV is not an accurate display of "real life." There are accusations that the producers hand pick contestants, and that every scenario is written and controlled to elicit specific responses from the contestants. There are even extremists that suggest that the entirety of some shows are filmed and directed on constructed sets in a studio.
Mark Burnett, the creator of Survivor has agreed with some of these statements, saying, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."
The shows don't exactly have written scripts, but they can have the next best thing. Storyboards, scenes from days apart spliced together, and other tricks are all tools in the editor's arsenal.
One example is the ABC show The Dating Experiment. The producers of the show ran into a problem: one of the female contestants didn't like one of her hypothetical lovers. So the editors sat her down for an interview. They then asked her some seemingly innocent questions, among them: Who is your favorite actor? She replied she really loved Adam Sandler. Later on, they removed the sound that said "Adam Sandler" and replaced it with the name of one of the men on the show.
That process, called "Frankenbiting" in the industry, happens more often than people think. Frankenbites are usually the product of stressed directors trying to throw together a perfect episode in a short time period.
So as you crack open the TV Guide next week to schedule your classes around American Idol or Survivor, keep in mind that you could really be watching a series of Frankenbites on a scripted reality show. Gotta love Hollywood- not even reality is real.
Some people believe that reality TV is not an accurate display of "real life." There are accusations that the producers hand pick contestants, and that every scenario is written and controlled to elicit specific responses from the contestants. There are even extremists that suggest that the entirety of some shows are filmed and directed on constructed sets in a studio.
Mark Burnett, the creator of Survivor has agreed with some of these statements, saying, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."
The shows don't exactly have written scripts, but they can have the next best thing. Storyboards, scenes from days apart spliced together, and other tricks are all tools in the editor's arsenal.
One example is the ABC show The Dating Experiment. The producers of the show ran into a problem: one of the female contestants didn't like one of her hypothetical lovers. So the editors sat her down for an interview. They then asked her some seemingly innocent questions, among them: Who is your favorite actor? She replied she really loved Adam Sandler. Later on, they removed the sound that said "Adam Sandler" and replaced it with the name of one of the men on the show.That process, called "Frankenbiting" in the industry, happens more often than people think. Frankenbites are usually the product of stressed directors trying to throw together a perfect episode in a short time period.
So as you crack open the TV Guide next week to schedule your classes around American Idol or Survivor, keep in mind that you could really be watching a series of Frankenbites on a scripted reality show. Gotta love Hollywood- not even reality is real.
d_82
on...how many reality shows can be shoved down our throats?
doesn't anyone else miss scripted comedies and dramas and such? we
need another good half hour comedy, like friends or something. tv
is so boring nowadays.....i watch grey's anatomy and i'm done.
<3