Читать книгу Reality TV - Troy DeVolld - Страница 7

How To Use This Book

I’ve lectured, moderated, or participated on many Reality Television panels for learning institutions and professional organizations. The diversity of folks I’ve met at these events dictates that this book must appeal to an audience as broad as that of Reality TV itself — a no-nonsense, no-filler guide helpful to both the interested television viewer and to media students and scholars. Further, this book is a resource for the already-working story professional interested in exploring Reality TV. In short, the book must be all things to all people… which, hopefully, it is.

For fans of the Reality genre, Reality TV: An Insider’s Guide To TV’s Hottest Market provides a behind-the-scenes breakdown of their favorite shows, clarifying what is “real,” and to that point, what “real” even means. How is raw footage produced and processed into compelling, must-see television? If I’ve done my job, Reality TV should demystify the process for you.

For film and television students contemplating careers in Reality TV — a genre that accounts for more than half of all programs currently on-air in the United States¹ — Reality TV delineates the mechanics of Reality Television, from preproduction through postproduction, providing real-world advice on topics like landing your first job and moving up the ladder once you’re in the door.

Educators will find Reality TV vital to maintaining a current and relevant television and film curriculum. Additionally, the book provides lesson-plan-ready exercises to hammer home the points made in each chapter.

Finally, working writers and producers in scripted film and television can use Reality TV as a primer before exploring their options on the reality/nonfiction side of the entertainment industry. As Reality Television continues to expand, many previously employed drama and comedy writers are fighting their way into the bizarro world of Reality TV. This book is a life-saving guide to avoiding the political and professional pitfalls to which traditional scripted writers are particularly susceptible as they face the often counter-intuitive “reality” of Reality Television.

However you plan to use this book, I hope you’ll enjoy it and be able to put my knowledge and experience to work for you. And since no book can answer all questions, I look forward to hearing from you personally at realitytvtroy@gmail.com or through my blog, www.realitytvbook.com.

Note

1. As of the writing of this first edition.