Ask Joker about the TV industry

private joker · #1 03-27-2006, 05:18 PM

I started as a story analyst for Showtime, then became a casting director for a year and a half doing various reality shows, and just this month started working as a development writer -- helping create, pitch, and craft treatments for reality shows, game shows, and potentially scripted programming as well.

I've optioned a television pilot of my own (a one-hour drama), have a Master's in film production, and seven feature screenplays completed as well. I suppose you can ask me about journalism too, since I've been a professional movie and music critic and reporter in the past, during college, grad school, and early years in Los Angeles.

-joker

nuggetz87 · #2 03-27-2006, 05:19 PM

How "real" are reality shows?

AvivaSimplex · #3 03-27-2006, 05:24 PM

As a casting director, did you get an incredible amount of ass?

Are show business executives as psycho and assholish as they are often depicted?

forshure · #4 03-27-2006, 05:26 PM

Best show on TV atm?

private joker · #5 03-27-2006, 05:34 PM

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How "real" are reality shows?

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It varies. In general, they are fairly real, and less staged than your average cynical viewer would suspect. For example, the screaming Christian lady on "Trading Spouses" that got a lot of press this year for her rant (a moment that was accused by some as acting); that was totally unexpected and handled well by a camera crew trying to keep up. The cast members are rarely actors -- the only time you'll find an 'actor' cast in a reality part is when they've done community theater or a C-grade indie horror film and are trying to get noticed, so they'll do reality just to get exposure and jumpstart their career. Doesn't mean they're acting during the show.

However, there are some shows that are more staged than they let on. One hugely successful dating/wedding show on a major network dresses up their story producers as waiters, who deliver index cards on their champagne-glass trays telling various people what to say/ask to others during conversations.

Other shows, like Laguna Beach, are more obviously set up, such as moments when you'll see takes repeated from various angles, or conversations steered to a specific location or repeated for audio sake (or story's). A rule of thumb is that often the actual content & drama will be real, but the capturing of the moment/situation will be planned.

The DaveR · #6 03-27-2006, 05:39 PM

Status of screenplays?

private joker · #7 03-27-2006, 05:43 PM

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As a casting director, did you get an incredible amount of ass?

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Unfortunately not. Casting for reality is FAR different than casting for scripted shows. With scripted, obviously the actresses are trying to get the part for their career, so then you have the cliche of the casting couch and tramps that sleep with guys to get roles. With reality, you're usually casting average joes. Most of the shows I did involved families, engaged couples, or dudes. Of course it helps to be attractive to get on TV, so I did interview and cast plenty of hot women, but they were either married or engaged.

And, lamely, even if the situation had presented itself, I would probably not have done it. It's not worth risking my job to sleep with a potential cast member. Even when I was not in a relationship, I found plenty of other, more ethical ways to get tail.

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Are show business executives as psycho and assholish as they are often depicted?

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There are a good number of them that are, definitely. But most of the ones I've worked with are surprisingly smart. They didn't get to where they are by being thick-headed pricks. Even if the programming they ultimately produce is bad or tasteless, the guys behind it are usually clever, funny, and very friendly.

private joker · #8 03-27-2006, 05:45 PM

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Best show on TV atm?

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The Shield. It's not close.

(And no, I've never worked with anyone related to the show; I'm totally unbiased).

El Ishmael · #9 03-27-2006, 05:47 PM

I thought you told me once that James Gandolfini [censored] your wife.

private joker · #10 03-27-2006, 05:52 PM

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Status of screenplays?

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The TV pilot I wrote had a year on the option, which has since ran out and clearly it is not on television yet. The small, upstart company that optioned it couldn't get their sh|t together and have since gone under. I am going to try to get it out to other places, because people say it's pretty good.

As for the feature scripts, I kind of don't want to say a lot about that for various reasons. I can say that I have nothing that's in development, unfortunately.