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This week: Lessons learnt from reality TV! Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  
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| Why do people get so involved in reality TV? What can a writer learn from this, about gaining the audience's empathy? |
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Hi Readers!
Okay, okay, I'll confess -- I am addicted to 'The Amazing Race'! And, while I claim I'm not much of a TV fiend, I did watch the earlier seasons of 'The Apprentice' and 'American Idol' quite avidly.
So what was it that had me hooked?
And what, thereby, can a storyteller learn?
Here are my thoughts.
1. Compelling characters
Everyday heroes or annoying villains, each participant in a reality show is a character. You respond almost instantly to their backstories, you either love them, like them or feel like putting superglue in their hats -- but you can't ignore them. Whether it's Luke, in 'The Amazing Race', who overcomes challenges to reach the final-three, or Sanjaya, whose parting song in 'American Idol' is 'Let's give them something to talk about -- other than hair' (he was known for his crazy hairdos throughout the season), they strike a chord. And that's what a storyteller's characters need to do -- strike a chord.
2. Situations and twists
So in 'The Amazing Race' -- the tasks themselves are hard enough, and have you rooting for the team you like (or against the team you hate), but then you have further twists like 'u-turns' which enable teams to hinder other teams, and lead to alliances and crossed wires -- and suspense and higher viewership for the channel!
3. Masterful editing
There are 11 teams that start out, in 'The Amazing Race'. Similarly, there are thousands of aspirants in 'American Idol'. So, there are hundreds of feet of footage, which could fill days of television time. All this is condensed into one hour of nail-biting prime time presentation. How?
a. Keep the interesting characters and follow their stories
b. Juxtapose the overlapping action to move the story forward
c. Say it once or twice -- then leave it. In 'The Amazing Race', the first couple of teams that do a task are followed in detail -- how they accomplished each step. By the time the last team reaches the task, they might not be shown performing it at all, they might just be glimpsed reaching the pit-stop to be told they're last. That's because the story has reached a point where the viewer wants to know who got eliminated (or saved) and is no longer interested in exactly how the last team got through the last task.
4. The storyteller isn't seen
Each time I watch a reality show, I remind myself that there are probably dozens of cameramen and other crew members around -- but you don't get to see them. They're invisible, only the world and the 'reality' they help create is visible. Similarly, the storyteller's hand should not be seen, just the creation should remain with the audience.
Thanks for listening, and if you're addicted to a reality show -- wonder why!
- Sonali |
Enjoy!
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Short Stories: December 24, 2014 Issue [#6709]
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