Weeks 11 and 12: Reality TV
1)How have the documentary genres ‘Direct Cinema’ or ‘cinéma vérité influenced reality TV and the presentation of the ‘real’? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
3)What has the early docudrama (e.g. Cathy Come Home) contributed to the development of Reality TV? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
3)What has the early docudrama (e.g. Cathy Come Home) contributed to the development of Reality TV? Discuss in the context of a contemporary reality TV show.
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ReplyDeleteA partial answer. there's a lot to be said about the genre's evolution in 'false' or staged reality.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteReality TV of factual entertainment, is a genre of television that has been on the rise over the last ten years and has gotten more and more popular. Weather it is The Bachelor, MasterChef, Survivor or Geordie Shore, or the Block, there is something that appeals to everyone. One of the defining aspects of reality TV according to Hill (2005), is the use of unprofessional actors, no script, surveillance footage, and hand held cameras. An interesting point raised by Hill, A (2005), states that reality TV often ‘cannibalises itself’, referring to the fact that one successful television series can lead to another and another… For example, the infamous Keeping Up with the Kardashians led to several shorter series including Life of Kylie and Kourtney and Khloe take the Hamptons. The genre of reality television, has six categorises within; ‘documentaries, and contemporary factual; specialist, factual; current affairs, and investigations; arts and culture; life skills; and new media’ (Hills, A, 2005). Although Hills, uses these examples as a way of categorising reality television, Hills believes that reality TV has no real definition.
cont. Although reality TV is marketed as 'reality' this topic can be highly scrutinised. Many shows are heavily scripted or actors are made to act our certain scenes or bring up certain topics that will spark a conversation in the way that the producers want. Although this may not be 100% confirmed, there have been many instances where stars from reality shows have misplaced their scripts in public places. Key Word: Script. There was an instance when a Geordie Shore Actor left behind a script at a cafe, and sparked outrage with many distraught and slightly naive fans who believed the whole show was in fact, reality.
Hill, A. (2005) The reality
genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV:
Audiences and
Popular Factual Television.
(pp. 14 – 40). Oxon:
Routledge.
Hi Shannon,
DeleteI agree that many reality TV programmes are constructed based on what the "non-professional actors" and producers wants to portray to the audience. Some contestants may also behave in certain ways that contrast their authentic selves, in attempt to construct a false identity perceived as more appealing. Hill (2005) reinforces that a defining characteristic of reality TV is the capacity to let viewers “see for themselves” and judge the “reality” of it -audiences can choose to believe it or not.
I would like to add that reality television (TV) emerged from tabloid journalism, documentary television, and popular entertainment (Hill, 2005). Tabloid journalism relies on personal and sensational stories to create informative and entertaining new; documentary television draws on the aspects of observational realism and expositional realism, which provide viewers with a sense that what they are watching is a record of an on-going and a rhetoric of accuracy and truth; and popular entertainment involves diverse genres with a primary objective to entertain (Hill, 2005). Hill (2005) adds that many popular entertainment programmes provide opportunities for audience participation –usually as respondents or judges (Hill, 2005). For instance, game shows – such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire featuring ordinary people facing life-transforming decisions – provide opportunities for audiences in the studio to be involved in providing assistance to contestants.
DeleteHill (2005) enlightens that reality TV draws on existing genres to create successful hybrid programmes, and has endless ability to reinvent itself (Hill, 2005). While reality TV can provide social value, it is primarily designed for entertainment value (Kilborn, as cited by Hill, 2005). In contemporary times, reality TV can involve “anything and everything, from people to pets, from birth to death” (Hill, 2005, p. 41).
Nonetheless, its appellation “reality” TV encourages active debate on the extent of realism, or factuality. According to Corner (as cited by Hill, 2005), reality TV “sits in the spaces between fact and fiction” (p. 49). Roscoe and Hight (as cited by Hill, 2005) adds that it does not provide an “unmediated view of the world, or can it live up to its claim to be a mirror on society. Rather, like any fictional text, it is constructed with a view to producing certain versions of the social world” (p. 49).
References:
Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
2)How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.
ReplyDeleteHill and other theorists suggest many different definitions of Reality TV however, there has not become one definition, instead there are many definitions of what has come to be called the ‘reality genre’. Hills has defined the category of reality TV as a range of popular factual programming. For the purpose of this blog post I will discuss the definition that Hill and other theorists describe in the context of the popular contemporary reality TV show ‘Police Ten Seven.’
Hill suggest that Reality Tv generally uses non-professional actors, unscripted dialogue, surveillance footage, hand-held cameras, and also seeing event unfold as they are happening while filming is taking place. In terms of the TV show police ten seven, a camera crew follow around the New Zealand Police while they are on patrol and the participant involved in the show are the real life public who are being dealt with by the police, they are far from actors. The footage that is shot for shows like Police ten seven are generally filmed with hand-held cameras and often the officers and camera crew are unaware of what is going to be filmed until a call comes through because the cameras are constantly rolling.
Hill also suggests that another term for Reality Tv is factual entertainment which is probably the most traditional industry term. The term factual entertainment combines factual programming, with television that is entertainment-based. In terms of the TV show Police Ten Seven the programme’s events and information is all factual, however the programme is aired for entertainment purposes, but also to show a glimpse of what Policing is like in New Zealand however it is mainly for entertainment purposes.
Corner puts reality TV within the framework of a documentary, he also summarises different types of reality TV as documentary like, for example Police Ten Seven is like a documentary but without the traditional aspects of a documentary, it is more like a soap or a drama TV show with documentary aspects. Corner also refers to reality TV as the “border crossing between fact and fiction” this definition can be challenged in the context of Police Ten Seven, it can be argued that Police Ten Seven is based on facts however it is also fiction in the sense that we are not shown everything that happens because that would be hours of filming, instead we are shown what the media company thinks will entertain us, so it can be argued that it is also fiction because the media company makes up an image that they want the show to portray.
References
Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
Podvoiskis, G. M. (2012). REEL COPS: EXPLORING THE REPRESENTATION OF POLICING ON POLICE TEN 7. Retrieved from http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10063/2458/thesis.pdf?sequence=2
Wikipedia. (2017, October 16). Police Ten 7. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Ten_7