Observational documentary, reality TV and the death of independence

What happens to the gentle, mysterious craft of observational documentary when it is absorbed into mainstream television and turned into reality TV?
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Image: Welcome 2 My Deaf World, produced by Sally Ingleton, directed by Helen Gaynor. 

Admit it – we all want to stare, to spy on people, to stickybeak. Reality TV shows easily pull more than a million viewers, fascinated by old ladies arrested for smuggling salami, shark attacks and celebrities eating cockroaches. 

What is more, we like to know how it is done. What does a crew do? How does it feel to be watched by a camera? How can anyone ignore a room full of people and ‘just act natural’?

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.