Page 204 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

stylized program and a less stylized program to an audience, and a mea-
sure of the popularity of the two programs to determine if a correlation
between production techniques and general popularity exists.
The difference between a home movie and a reality television show
is production, or more specifically postproduction. Simply adding a
flashy introduction, editing out boring scenes, and piecing together more
interesting sequences transforms raw footage into a story with context
that is visually interesting and entertaining. All media involves some
production. However, the high incidence of audio and video techniques
in these programs, which have gained widespread popularity under the
guise of “reality” programming, is astonishing. The one pattern that ex-
ists throughout this study is that production techniques do exist and are
used frequently to increase the watch-ability, and in turn the popularity,
of reality television. Production techniques may not be the sole reason
for the public’s attraction to reality TV, but this study suggests that,
without them, these shows would not be a part of the reality boom of
the new millennium.

Kara Gibson graduated from Webster University in 2004.

Production Values and the Reality TV Genre • by Beverly Hacker

Overview

Reality shows, more than most other genres, are a product of their
production elements. Without scripts or actors, production elements
must be used to carry the narrative. The production values in reality
shows are not subtle. Instead, they are often extreme, in an effort to
heighten the reality on the screen. Reality shows use a construction of
three repeating sections: voyeur, narration/video diary, and establish-
ing transitions, each of which has its own defined and distinguishing
production values. For purposes of this paper, three reality shows were
analyzed: The Apprentice (NBC), Colonial House (PBS), and Real
World (MTV). Five elements were examined: lighting, color, music,
framing, and editing. Each element will be examined in relation to the
three sections.
Reality shows share many constructions with documentaries. In both,
a large amount of footage is shot and it is up to the editor and director to
weave the sounds and images into a program that incorporates a narrative

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