I work in television ask me anything

[tracymartel]

Shoot!

Are "reality TV" programmes such as The Apprentice, Big Brother, Faking it, I'm a celebrity etc. fixed and scripted? With my cynical head on, sometimes it looks as if the producers have decided who will win before filming even starts. I've heard that in Jeremy Kyle, the producers lie to the guests about the starting time: they suddenly appear two hours early to drag them to the studio, so that they don't have time to make themselves look nice, and they look dishevelled as befitting the Mail stereotypes.

With some modern TV programmes, such as the newer Crystal Maze, is it a thing for the presenter to actually acknowledge it's not as real as it looks, e.g. for Richard to say "she'll look different as she goes through the door, it's called editing" (and then she appears in full safety gear).

What kind of TV do you make?

Was it always the career you wanted? Did you study a tv/film based degree or worked your way up?

What do you do?

How did you get into TV?
Are media courses / degrees worth doing?
Did you have a leg-up into the industry e.g. parent/godparent/auntie/cousin who's already established? Is nepotism very widespread?

Why do people keep starting these threads and then not responding to any of the questions. That's kinda the point !!

Finally! Are all the “friends” who turn up to share the meal at the end of a cooking show ever really the friends of the cook?

My DS has a BTEC extended diploma in TV & Film production. Where is the best place for him to look for a job in this field?

Well this was short lived!

Reality TV shows are not so much fixed and scripted, but are very cleverly edited. If they find out an individual is causing a lot of fuss on social media for being a mischief maker/angel etc for example, they can edit the film shown to exaggerate this. If someone is truly hated on fb/twitter etc they will very often only show the person when they are behaving badly, as this will encourage viewers to switch on to see the baddie at work. Anything that pulls in viewers is executed. For instance on a series a few years ago that showed the lives people living on benefits. The researchers paid for the kids to have Macdonalds, and the adults cigarettes and cider. It looked better on screen and whipped up a lot of benefit bashing and caused the viewing figures to rise.

What's the difference between a producer and a director?

The director will have more creative control, i.e choosing the camera shots, or in film making , how people are acting, moving, speaking.

The producer will have control of pulling everyone together behind the scenes from the conception of the show/film. Hiring researchers/accountants/colourists/props buyers (etc, there are MANY more roles) working with casting directors, continuity editors
etc etc

Is Piers Morgan really as much of a cunt as he seems?