How has the documentary genre influenced reality TV and how
it presents the ‘real’?
Reality television has drawn from many aspects of the three
types of documentary discussed in the classes, direct cinema, cinema verite,
and free cinema. In many shows we see on tv today there is interviewing of
subjects, for example in Jersey Shore, American Idol, The Amazing Race,
subjects are usually seated and describe aspects of what is going on in the
show or in the case of American Idol and X Factor the contestants are asked
questions by the presenter. Music is also used to enhance the theatricality of
reality shows. The reason why they are so popular is because of the ‘real’
drama they portray, and music aids in this portrayal, whether sad, dramatic or
triumphant. Cinematography is also a major aspect of documentary used in
reality tv. Usually we see either a handheld camera effect of a fly on the wall
effect. Both aim to enhance the reality of the situations. The handheld
technique means that the audience can see the subject as though they are
actually present. The fly on the wall technique gives the effect of being able
to watch subject in secret while still being in the setting. Jersey Shore makes
use of both aspects of cinematography where the housemates are followed outside
of the house by handheld cameras, while when they are in the house cameras view
them in the fly on the wall technique.
While these techniques used from the documentary genre to
make reality shows appear ‘real’ the issue I have is with the content. There
are a number of shows where the drama is scripted or in the case of game shows
or performance shows, results can be changed at the discretion of producers
etc. Can shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians or Jersey Shore be labelled
as reality television when they are only given the impression of being
seemingly real to the audience? Yes there are shows that don’t do this but the
issue is that the most popular of reality shows aren’t actually real, or in my
opinion they aren’t :P.
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