Reality TV Assignment

Year 11 MPA 2014

YOUR ASSIGNMENTImagine you are a production team of 4 to 5 people who wants to make a Reality TV show for a particular target audience. You have a meeting with a TV station to pitch your idea for the show. When you present to the TV station they need a few things before they can accept your concept for a show.

1. They need all of your pre-production work- this will include a treatment of your idea, a script for a promotional trailer and any storyboards that you will need to film said trailer.

2. Mockumentary style footage that will help the TV executives have a visual representation of what the show will look like. This footage needs to contain all the genre specific elements of your Reality TV genre (talent, competitive, hidden camera, etc.) including a host and a voice detailing what the goal of the show is.

3. Finally you will need a PowerPoint, Key Note or Flash Presentation accompanied with a rationale of the show which will detail your target audience, time slot, Ideology/bias and construction of your show.

Write up a rationale that contains target audience, timeslot, bias and technical choices

Present rationale and trailer in Digital presentation

DUE: CLASS 12

Presentation

Film your trailer following your script and storyboards

Record scripted voice over narration

Edit the footage using Adobe PremiereDUE: CLASS 9

Trailer

Research your Reality TV Style

Create a Script for your trailer

Draw up storyboards with shot types and scene durationDUE: CLASS 3

Pre-Production

What is Reality TV?

“television programs in which ordinary people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative” (Google.com.au, 2014)

Big BrotherThe Bachelor

Survivor

Australian Idol The Voice

Genre of Reality TV

TalentAustralian Idol

The VoiceMaster Chef

Hell’s Kitchen

CompetitiveSurvivor

The Amazing RaceThe Block

Social ExperimentBig Brother

DatingThe Bachelor

The BacheloretteDating in the Dark

Reality TV

Conventions of Genre: Talent

• JUDGES: Decide who advances into the latter stages of the show

• HOST: Speaks to camera and introduces the contestants as well as the show

• STAGE: Where the contestants perform in front of an audience and the judges

• BEHIND THE SCENES: The Build up to performing, allows the viewers to develop a connection to the contestants

• VIEWER VOTING: Allow the viewers to interact with the decision making

Conventions of Genre: Social Experiment

• OMINOUS FIGURE: Usually an obvious controller or tormenter that creates the narrative being told.

• HOST: Speaks to camera and introduces the contestants as well as the show

• CONFINEMENT: Contestants are normally placed in an unusual environment where everyone is expected to interact with other contestants in interesting ways

• VIEWER VOTING: Allow the viewers to interact with the decision making

Conventions of Genre: Competitive

• CHALLENGES: Small challenges to reward contestants midway through episodes and large challenges near to end that affect who moves forward in the show.

• HOST: Speaks to camera and introduces the contestants as well as the show.

• SETTING: Where the contestants are challenged, in an environment that is not comfortable to them.

• LIVE FINALE: Winner of these shows are normally conducted in front of a studio audience and flashback reels are commonly used.

Conventions of Genre: Dating

• DATES: Personal “one on one” time between love interest and contestants to help love interest determine who they want to spend more time with.

• HOST: Speaks to camera and introduces the contestants as well as the show, maintains the structure of the show.

• SETTING: Usually a romantic location such as by the beach, rugged countryside, mansion, etc.

• ELIMINATION: The love interest decides who he/she wants to keep around further on into the show before making a final decision later in the show.

What needs to be done?

1.In your production groups, decide a genre, a concept and research the conventions of this genre.

2.Start making this show!