What are the typical conventions of reality TV shows making particular reference to Big Brother?
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
What are the typical conventions of reality TV shows making particular reference to big brother?
Craig Coates: "I refuse to diminish my character to survive in this house"
Reality television offers “a set of rules which allow us to “shape” reality, thus making it appear less random and disordered”[1]. The main conventions of reality TV feature ordinary people instead of actors, moreover it consists of a group of contestants who are completely conflict with each other who are living together in the Big Brother house and are isolated from the outside world and are being watched, all to win a cash prize. Reality TV increased after the success of Big Brother where the audience “interplay between confirmed expectation and novelty”[2]. What is different about reality TV is that it claims to show “realism” and it exposes various representations of people. Reality TV has dramatically changed the viewing habits of people and is drawing them into a world of voyeurism where they “collectively believe it to be”[3], and takes them away from the typical entertainment television making “genres flexible”[4].
[1] Patrick Phillips (1996) [2] Douglas Pye (1975) [3] Andrew Tudor (1986) [4] Richard Maltby (1995)
Effort – 2 – I have put a lot of effort into my work this term, for example my blogwork and also in lessons e.g. bring correct equipment, organising folder…
Punctuality – 1 – I am not ever late to lessons only Ms Jones
Submission and quality of homework – 2 – I do hand my homework in on time but I do not think that the quality of it is up to standards as I rush it a lot, this might be one of my ebi’s.
Ability to work independently – 2 – This term I have work independently a lot due to my independent study.
Quality of writing – 3 – I often rush my work, therefore it might not be of good quality
Organisation of Media folder – 1 – my media folder is organised very well, and a different folder for each teacher
Oral contributions in class – 2 – As sometimes I do not understand and wait for others to speak first
Standard of Module 5 blog – 1 – Is up to date with what Ms Jones has told us to post up there
Standard of Module 6 blog - 1 – This blog is also up to date with extra research
WWW • Organisation of media folder • Attendance • Concentration in class
EBI
• Took more time of my own to understand work I don’t • Take more time to do my work so it is of a good quality • Try and give more contributions in class
In 1994, the production companies of two major television producers in the Netherlands, Joop van den Ende and John de Mol, merged to become Endemol. This merger triggered the international development of the Endemol Group and since then Endemol has rapidly expanded to become a leading format creation and production company.
Endemol Entertainment Holding N.V. was listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange in 1996. Telefónica made a public offer for all of the outstanding shares of Endemol in 2000, pursuant to which it acquired 99.7% of the outstanding shares. From mid 2000 till mid 2007 Endemol has been part of Telefónica S.A.
On 3 July 2007, Endemol's major shareholder Telefonica sold its 75% stake in Endemol to Edam Acquisition. Pursuant to this transaction, an offer was made for the remaining shares, resulting in Edam Acquisition owning 99.5% of all Endemol shares by mid August 2007 followed by a delisting of the company in September 2007
Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents unscripted dramatic and humorous situations. It features ordinary people instead of actors. Reality TV has increased after witnessing the success of Big Brother a popular offering where viewers watch people interact in a house. Big Brother is a famously well known world wide reality TV show, and it is also the best known program for this type of genre. It consists of a group of 16 contestants who are from different gender, social class, ethnicities, and gender groups, who are living together in the Big Brother house and are isolated from the outside world and are being watched, all to win a cash prize . What is different about reality TV is that it claims to show “realism” and it exposes various representations of people. Reality TV has dramatically changed the viewing habits of people and is drawing them into a world of voyeurism, and away from the typical entertainment television.
Essay plan What are the typical conventions of reality TV shows making particular reference to big brother?
Introduction
Introduce question talking about:
-Conventions of Reality TV:
1- Contestants are voted off one at a time to leave a winner.
2- There are private interviews with contestant’s everyday, allowing them to have time to express their private thoughts.
3- Contestants have to complete a range of tasks - often to earn food for that day
4- Although contestants are filmed 24 hours a day, the program is edited down just one hour of material - the identity of contestants is therefore constructed by editors.
5- Viewer participation is increasing - viewers can vote off contestants by phone, by text, or interactive TV. This audience participation is helping to grow the genre.
6- Contestants become C list celebrities simply by taking part in the program. Most of them gain little in the way of prizes or prize money so it is the fame that attracts them to the genre.
-Big Brother Reality TV show, a group of people live together in the Big Brother house and are isolated from the outside world and are being watched. Lasts for 3 months with 16 participants, who each try to win a cash prize without being evicted.
-Related texts (1948 - Candid Camera, 1964 - Seven Up and Nummer 28)
Paragraph One:
How reality TV has changed?
Reality television has dramatically changed the viewing habits of people and is drawing them into a world of voyeurism, away from the typical entertainment television. Reality television is the stars on that appear in reality TV show will do anything for fame and fortune, the more outrageous, the better. Reality TV shows have increased after witnessing the success of Big Brother a popular offering where viewers watch people interact in a house. The genre of reality TV has now extended and is now covering every area of life from monstrous kids that need a "Supernanny" to geeks paraded before beautiful girls "Beauty and the Geek". This type of programming (reality TV) has become more preferred for many who find watching ordinary people, more entertaining than watching talented actors and comedians. Watching people embarrass themselves in front of the cameras has become a sport for television viewers. Contestants may want to be a celebrity and wanting to be a celebrity can make people do some strange and outrageous things as many of the current reality shows prove. And it's clear that many viewers enjoy watching others make a complete fool of themselves. Reality television has pushed genuine entertainment out of the way as more and more viewers watch reality TV show which some people might describe as mindless nonsense in preference to programs featuring great actors and excellent story lines. The rise in reality television is reflections of the changing tastes on viewers who are clearly don't fuse about quality of programming as they have been in the past. Maybe people will change their viewing habits when reality television is actually nothing of the kind. Some people say that reality TV should be name "contrived television" as it is a form of television relying on editing to make boring, everyday situations appealing to an audience that is easily pleased.
Paragraph Two:
The audience & TV Big Brother is not the highest rated programme. If I was to compare Big Brother with a soap it would be misleading, as soaps are aired in the evening where as Big Brother is aired much later giving it a smaller audience.
The audience builds thorough around eviction time. Jade Goody eviction - 19th January had high levels of views. The hardest audience type to get watching television is younger people. They have other things to do in life. BUT Big Brother is good at attracting a young audience. Audience group % of total 8-16 11.5 16-34 49.3 35-54 29.2 55+ 10.0 Male 42.4 Female 57.7 The people who watch reality TV shows, when asked to comment on reality TV assume that it should have "non actors and no script". BUT they don't know there watching something that has een made by producers to make television entertaining.
Jacques Derrida explored the relationship between the institution and the audience. He suggests - The audience deconstructs a text within the context of its logos. So there is not a single meaning to the texts, but different meanings and interpretations based on the way the audience chooses to receive the text. E.g. the audience may have previous knowledge of related texts. (So big brother's audience may have watched other reality TV shows and then seemed interested in Big Brother)
Reception Theory - The meaning is created in the interaction between the audience and text. So meaning is created as the viewer watches and processes the film. The reception theory places the viewer in context, taking into account all of the various factors that might influence how they read and create a meaning from the text Also need to include Active audience theory: any of various theories of audience behavior that see the audience as active participants in the process of decoding and making sense of media texts.
Paragraph Three:
Stereotypes - How real is Reality TV? (Big Brother)
These shows claim “realism”. It’s the way the programmes are shot and should be in a genre of observational documentaries. Ordinary contestants seem to be treated as celebrities even before they appear on the show as they get their expenses covered for them, so this is an even bigger desire for them to be on television. Jade Goody has seen her life transform and “Nasty” Nick Bateman had a successful career in the media. Psychotherapist for the 1st ever series said it would be wrong to “throw in people who would disagree” – like putting a racist black guy together, we know opposites like that would have a big fight and stop communicating and in the house they had to keep communicating for a long time. To achieve dramatic narrative producers would heartlessly edit footage. FOR EXAMPLE – in an Australian series 82,750 hours of material was edited to 70hours. Live shows where broadcasted. Also the audience is being misled as what they are being shown in ten minutes delayed to make sure of unsuitable material. BUT recently police are investigating charges of racism. Big Brother is constructed to attract and hold a audience. It uses “real” people in “real” situations, BUT chooses to manipulate them to produce narrative/dram and conflict.
Paragraph Four:
Cost &economical factors
Reality shows were cheap, there was no need to pay writers/actors/no rehearsals etc. they used ordinary people, it was a cheap way to make television. Hour long drama - £875,000 per hour Reality TV - £114, 00 per hour! Shilpa Shetty was paid between £200,000 and £300,000 for appearing in the show Big Brother gave channel 4 its most popular rating – 10 million viewers. 2nd series of Big Brother had 4.5 million viewers – 70 % increase. 3rd Big Brother – 10 million text messages 10 million viewers for its finale Advert slot during Big Brother costs - £40,000
Paragraph Five:
Genre - As a whole do reality TV shows, show a true representation relating to its genre. Compare to other texts with similar genre.
In many reality television shows, the viewer and the camera are passive observers that follow people going about their daily personal and professional activities; this style of filming is often referred to as fly on the wall or factual television. Often plots are constructed on reality TV shows through editing or planning situations.
Paragraph Six:
Compare Big Brother with other texts.
Conclusion: Answer my question of, what are the conventions of reality TV shows and seeing if they match the convention or Reality TV shows.
Useful Keywords: -Audience participation: the practice of involving the audience in television and radio productions by inviting their votes or opinions or their direct participation in the activities that form the basis of the program.
-Realism: a film and television style that attempts to represent the real world.
-Reality television: a style of television which claims to represent real-life situations rather than scripted pre-recorded constructs, and which places members of the public in everyday or contrived situations and then films their behavior for “live” transmission.
-Reception theory “audience studies”: an active audience theory, associated with the work of John Fiske, Michel de Certeau and researcher David Morley, which sees the audience as being actively engaged in the interpretation of media texts rather than as passive consumer.
Useful Books.
1)Mckee, Alan, (2003): Textual Analysis a beginner’s guide. SAGE publications Ltd London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi.
2)Marshal, Jill and Werndly, Angela (2002): The Language of Television.
3)Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2003. British Film Institute.
4)Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2004. British Film Institute.
5)Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2004. British Film Institute.
6)Creeber, Glen: Fifty Key Television Programmes. Edward Arnold (publishers) limited 7)Dyla, Eddie: BFI Film & Television handbook 2004. British Film Institute.
8)Mckee, Alan, (2003): Textual Analysis a beginner’s guide. SAGE publications Ltd London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi.
9)Maltby, Richard (2003): Hollywood Cinema. UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
10)Neale, Steve (2002): Genre and Contemporary Hollywood. London: British Film Institute.
The Up Series was a series of documentary films, it followed the lifes of 14 British children who where ages 14years old since the 1964.The fourteen children that where selected, showed and represented the different socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that particular time. Also the assumption at that time was that each child's social class predicted their future. The children that where selected were chosen to represent the different social classes in Britain in the 1960s.
There were a mixture of children that where selected boys and girls.
3)John, Charles and Andrew - attended a pre-preparatory school in London - Kensington.
8)Tony - Tony was chosen from a primary school from the East End of London. He wanted to be a jockey at 7, and was at a stables training for it at 14.
9)Paul - Was at a charity-based boarding school when he was 7, due to his parents being divorced he was left with his father.
10)Simon - Was the only participant with an ethnic minority background also he was chosen from the same charity home as Paul. He was a illegitimate child, and never go to know his black father and was therefore had to leave the charity home to live with his mother.
11)Nick - Raised on a small farm in Arncliffe, which was a tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales. He was educated in a one-room school, and later at a boarding school.
13)Neil - Was the most unpredictable out of the entire group. At seven he was funny, full of life and hope. By the time of 21 Up he was homeless in London
12)Peter - Peter went to the same middle-class Liverpool suburban school as Neil and, at seven, they both wanted to be astronauts.
14)Bruce - Was concerned with poverty and racial discrimination and he wanted to become a missionary. He was at a prestigious boarding school. At the age of seven, he said that his greatest desire was to see his father, who was living in Rhodesia, and he seemed a little abandoned
7)Jackie, Lynn and Sue - three girls were chosen from the same primary school in a working class neighborhood of London.
4)Suzy -comes from a wealthy background, and was first filmed while she was at a boarding school.
The original hypothesis of 7 Up, was that the class structure is so strong in the UK that a person's life path would be set at birth. Also the idea of class immobility held up in most cases, but not in others as the series has progressed, as the children from the working classes remained working class people, but Tony was seens to have become more middle class.The series became popular enough that the participants often speak of being recognized in public.
- The reality show 7 Up, does relate to my text as it films people and follows there lives, but it is also diffrent as the 7 up show follows childrens lives where as big brother follows the lives of people ages 18 and over. But 7 up shows the the diffrent class systems in people where as Big Brother focuses less on people social class, and more about there personlities.
