How To Write Reality TV

Every reality show employs two types of writing. The first is what I did. I was given a transcript of some segments and all the raw footage. The producer and/or director would give me some notes on what beats they wanted to hit. In most shows there’s a formula, so if you know the third act typically ends with a cliffhanger, you look for a way to do that with the dialogue/footage you have. You also write any voiceover if the show uses it.

Using these elements, you piece together an AV (Audio/Video) script. Formatted differently than a regular movie or TV script, it’s more like what news programs use. Each production company or network may have their own version of it, but basically an AV script has multiple columns. Two of those columns contain video and audio info for each shot. So, if I want to have a bit of interview audio play over a shot of a car driving away, I need to put exactly where the driving shot can be found in the video column (i.e., Tape 012, 00:34:17, car driving away) and the exact quote I want to play over it in the audio column (i.e., Tape 003, 00:45:52 JAKE: “I just had to clear my head, you know?”). Music cues also go in that column. A producer then tweaks the draft, it gets sent back for revisions and, once the script is approved, an editor uses it to piece together the episode.

The other way reality TV is written, which is a lot more deceptive, is on set. The director or a producer on set will tell the subjects what to say to get the story they want for the episode. And yes, for the less scrupulous shows, sometimes that literally means giving them a specific line or lines. Usually, however, it means the subjects are told what needs to happen in the scene (a fight, an apology, whatever) and the subjects do it in their own unique way. I guess, in that way, it’s sort-of real.

Reality TV is entertainment — not documentary, not news. It’s entertaining because the shows tell a story, but good stories don’t just unfold. They’re crafted and that always involves a writer.

Related posts:

God is the creator of knowledge, and human beings are the discoverer of knowledge. Regarding the method of knowledge, whether Plato or Kant, they have recommended a principle as all philosophers and…

ADAMANT uses imroved dPoS algorithm for achieving consensus in the blockchain — Fair dPoS. To learn more about dPoS and Fair dPoS, see DPoS Explained — Simply. You need to run an ADAMANT node. You…

For a month or two I saw snippets of advertisements for what appeared to be some kind of Karate Kid continuation story. I have to admit that I was never a big Karate Kid fan. I’m pretty sure that I…