Become a Reality TV Writer

Done right, it's a virtually invisible profession -- and unlike screenwriting or traditional television writing, you can't write a spec to gain entry. Here, you'll learn how to become a Reality TV Writer (Story Producer).

Steps

  1. Start at the bottom. In reality, there are two typical routes of entry: starting out as a production assistant or getting yourself hired as a “logger.”
    • The most important thing is to get inside the door at a production company in a position that's not so well defined that the leap to writing/producing seems improbable, like, say, accounting or assisting the production designer.
    • Logging is an often overlooked point of entry because most aspiring reality pros aren’t beating the doors down to get jobs transcribing or (less painfully) summarizing hundreds or thousands of hours of source material so that the story department can more easily locate juicy moments.
    • In this position, you’ll be a star if you can turn out a good number of tapes every day, show up on time, and use the simplest language possible when describing the action in your logs. If your spelling’s not up to snuff, don’t even think of going out for a logging position. You'll make more enemies than friends.
  2. Once you start logging, get friendly with the story department. If you notice trends in action (as in, Participant X is annoying everyone by commanding the remote control in the house or Participant Y has mentioned three times already that he’d like to see Participant Z go home), point those trends out to your head logger or mention it in the break room to one of the story folks. Don't be a nuisance, just show them you've got your “story brain” turned on.
  3. Once you've paid your dues as a logger and someone’s noticed your aptitude for story, you’ll likely move into an Assistant Story Editor or Assistant Story Producer position. Here, you’ll get some light scene work thrown your way while you help Story Editors or Story Producers review logs for action and possible story lines.
  4. After proving yourself as an Assistant Story Editor / Assistant Story Producer, developing your knack for story along the way, you should eventually get your break as a Story Editor or Story Producer. You’ll be placed in charge of either certain acts within an episode or full individual episodes, alternating those honors with other story editors/story producers on the project.

Related Articles

References

  • www.realitytvbook.com
  • Reality TV: An Insider's Guide to Reality Television by Troy DeVolld; MWP; 2011; ISBN 1932907998
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