What impact has the ‘reality television’ trend had on the use and creation of reality-based advertising?
Kevin Kerwin, Authentic Films: Reality TV has introduced a wider audience to the documentary genre. People are now used to seeing “real” people doing “real” things, I guess, even if it’s staged or manufactured for TV. And the conventions of the reality TV genre now often create an expectation of immediate conflict and loud personalities. In our work, we’re always conscious to separate “documentary” from “reality,” and explain that difference within our working process. Documentary work, for us, is less about manufacturing moments than it is about setting the stage for them. Truthful, compelling moments are immune to any trend, at least in our experience. Henry Corra, Corra Films: In my opinion, not much at all. Interestingly, it’s the evolution of non-fiction filmmaking that’s had much more of an impact on reality-based advertising than reality television. Documentaries have become much more cinematic, artful and innovative, and this is reflected in non-fiction advertising as well. Bot
