How does Hill define reality TV?
In Hill (2005)’s book, the author has attained detailed analysis of the reality tv programming and further researched on various authors in relation to the development of reality TV. According to Hill (2005), reality television can be identified as a genre of television programming that follow and film ordinary people in an artificial situation. Reality shows present actual events, and the context could be at work, in the wilderness or in different types of competition. Then he goes on to classified reality TV into six categories, “documentaries and contemporary factual; specialist factual; current affairs and investigations; arts and culture; life skills; and new media,” Hills (2005, p.42). Hill (2005) further illustrates how the producers of reality TV present their work by using documentary style. Initially, non-professional actors, hand held cameras and surveillance are involved in the early reality programming. However, a recent trend has shown that the credibility of reality TV is authenticated by individual. Although the producers of reality TV aim to present ‘reality’, what the audience consequently perceived are selected, filmed, and edited representations. As Hill states, “in many ways, the classification of reality TV in relation to ‘reality’ is connected with audience understanding of the performance of non-professional actors in the programs, and the ways ‘real people’ play up to the cameras.” Hills (2005, p.45)
Cathy Come Home, which was originally screened as a docudrama on the year of 1966, within the common Wednesday drama on BBC. Cathy is structured as a narrative about a young woman who marries, following an accident to her husband Rag which results in his loss of job and the whole family caught in a poverty trap, suffers homelessness and lives in dilapidated buildings in crowded and unhygienic conditions. What impress me in this film is the technique, the social reality and the value that the director trying to convey. Loach was succeeding in portraying the London working class in the 1960s. Through various angles in the camera, side on shots, drawing the camera lens away and towards the characters, use of natural sound instead of music (eg: the babies crying in the hospital, traffic), Loach has present reality and expose the social welfare system in a completely new way at that time.
Reference
Hill, A. (2005). The reality genre In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
Well described, Doris.
ReplyDelete'Cathy come home,' use capitals for title please.
'Although the producers of reality TV aim to present ‘reality’...' Do they? Or are they more concerned with sensational actions and TV ratings?
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DeleteHello, Mike. Thanks for your comment. Turning to the reality of tv shows, I think it's pretty much acknowledged that they're telling, in general, a true story on a reality show, but there is a lot of creative leeway with the editing, with how you amp up the emotion of the story that you're telling. As Beth(2000) states, “ TV presents an entire universe that refers to everything in real world, but explains nothing about it.” As When we refer to the production of reality shows, the creators won’t just let people sit in front of a camera and decide what they want to say and do, because it would be actually like taping real life. Instead of it, what we perceived from reality TV is the ‘truth’ the audience want to hear.
DeleteRowan, Beth (July 21, 2000). "Reality TV Takes Hold". Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/realitytv1. Oct 18, 2012.
Good posting. I was difficult to summarize myself, but you explained and well listed about definition of Hill’s thoughts in Reality TV.
ReplyDeleteI think your posting is very well organised.
ReplyDeleteReality programmes have been changed. There was many reality programmes like documentaries befroe.But, recently most reality programmes focus on entertainment like game shows and talent shows. I think the programmes sometimes distort the truth for the reason. The programmes expressed 'real' as 'reality' before, but now we cannot know whether it is real or not through reality shows.
I agree with you. I really love reality TV shows but I think Nowadays many reality programmes have been changed and becoming scripted. Therefore we cannot know the show is really real or not. Maybe scripted reality programmes can go as more smoothly than unscripted programmes, However, the reason why we watch the reality TV is to know real situations.
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