Week12

How has the documentary genre influenced reality TV and how it presents the ‘real’?



Reality TV is genre of programs promote realism which are not base on script, self-camera, blunt dialogue (slang) and casting ordinary people instead of professional actors for making sense of realistic. (Hill, 2005) It is became trend worldwide, variety of genre such as contest programs follows, borrows and has been created the concept of reality TV.

Documentary genre has great impact in reality TV. As characteristic of documentary, it is more likely propensity of nonfiction that reality TV reproduces the actual incident or experience in faithfully.

Biressi and Nunn (2005) said, “Fiction film’s convention has become so established as to become naturalized and accepted by audiences as a ‘realistic’ mode of representation.” And they added “they are accepted, not only because of these embedded conventions, but also because the films broadly conform to audience’s assumptions about ‘what life is like’ (Ellis 1982:63); assumptions which are a socially informed radical documentary practice.”

In the documentary style of reality TV “Cathy Come Home”, story about a couple who had lost their child to social services which was written to convey information on event, the fact that, taken directly from the experience of reality of the past.

Recent reality show seems not a real. While producing programs, there must have a set and the script. The problem can be arise in Reality TV that the programs are pretending to tell the truth, as shown in the documentary broadcast and video media or advertise something else through the media or broadcast form a deterioration of Realism.

Reality TV like “Survivor”, this program is broadcast reality TV game show. Participants will live apart from society and will compete for prizes and other goods. As you progress through the game by the program being eliminated by participants during voting structure with the last person who will receive the title of "Sole Survivor". “Survivor” is successful and can be a role model in reality show. It has focus on worldwide, selecting participants from all over the world and showing audiences of realism how difficult to be a “Sole Survivor” for everyone in the universe although, anyone can be the one of them. However, this program is focusing on reality and entertainment, it may cover and conceal the fact that may edit to show only one sided between relationship of each people. That will be entertaining however it is deceiving audience as well as the participants. I think this is one of factor to improve in making good quality of a program which has obtained elements from documentary genre.





Reference

Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.

Biressi, A. & Nunn, N. (2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. In Reality TV: realism and revelation. (pp. 35-58) London: Wallflower.