Reality TV - Real or Fake? [Theme in my Teaser]

Example - The Hills

The Hills is another Reality TV show of the modern age that is based heavily on their glamorous lifestyles whether it be their jobs in fashion, public relations or the music industry as well as the dramatic problems between friendships. The audience never got to know the families of the young adults very well and throughout it's life on MTV we only see them if they are being asked advice on relationships, friendship problems or just to spur on the next narrative of the show.

In the final scene of the final series the show confronted questions that had been posed during its history of whether it was real or fake. Flashbacks of all series' are shown until a shot of Brody standing infront of the Hollywood sign is zoomed out to reveal that the scene was filmed on a set. Director Adam DiVello commented on the final scene with:

 ''When we set out to make the show, it was a reality show without the conventions of a reality show... [Viewers wondered,] 'Were these things shot on soundstages or were they shot in their apartments?' But I think everyone knows it was a reality show, obviously.''

This is one of the main themes that has spurred on the storyline of my teaser trailer. Friedrich Jameson said the following about Postmodernism, 

• ''In a postmodern age we are living in an hallucination, a reality evaporating into mere spectacle- we are fixated on products, commodities and on image''

This particular quote can sum up modern day reality shows in a sentence, commenting directly on reality it describes exactly how unreal it can actually become in this era - ''an hallucination''. It also comments on the concern with image, something that seems to be the theme promoted in most reality shows nowadays. 

I want to focus on the fact that in these modern shows the reality is not actually the reality in most cases and instead the cast are manipulated into certain situations by directors. As someone who watches reality shows such as The Hills religiously I understand how it is to be sucked in by what you know is unlikely to be a reality because of its sheer entertainment. Because of this I want my teaser trailer to question peoples' choices in supporting something that creates 'instant celebrities' through their ability to be part of what is ultimately a façade.