Troy DeVolld is an Emmy nominated Supervising Producer of reality
television. Some of his
credits include
The
Osbournes,
The Surreal Life,
Dancing With the Stars,
Basketball Wives, among many more. Also
a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Nonfiction
Writers Caucus of the WGA West, DeVolld has shared his experience by lecturing
on the genre around different schools and seminars, and is also the author of
Reality TV: An Insider’s Guide to TV’s
Hottest Market.
If
you visit my blog consistently, you probably know by now that I enjoy
researching trends on this rapidly growing genre and writing about some of the
shows I watch. As someone who aspires to someday be a part of great shows, it
was my pleasure to read Troy’s book and learn from his experience. The book
does an outstanding job giving detailed information on the three stages of
production, the genres among the genre, history, and advices for getting out
there.
I
reached out to Troy and I feel honored to include a Q&A on this blogpost. I
hope you find it interesting and don’t forget to get your copy of the book by
clicking here. It is eye opening in a humorous way, and if you’re considering working
in this field, it gets you even more excited to do so. Beth Bohn, a talent and
literary agent from Bohn Management says it is “A ‘must read’ tool for anyone
considering a career in this genre.”
What motivated you to write the book and what was your biggest learning
experience while working on it?
I WAS TIRED OF
GOING INTO BOOKSTORES AND FINDING 50 BOOKS ON SCREENWRITING AND NOTHING ON
REALITY TV PRODUCTION. IT'S A HUGE MARKET, AND MUCH EASIER TO CRACK THAN
SCREENWRITING, SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A SORT OF HANDBOOK FOR THE
GIG.
THANKFULLY, MY PAL
RIC VIERS (AUTHOR OF “THE SOUND
EFFECTS BIBLE”) AGREED, AND INTRODUCED ME TO MY PUBLISHER, MICHAEL
WIESE, AND HIS RIGHT HAND GUY, THE AWESOME KEN LEE.
Which shows do you prefer watching and working on? Competition or
docu-series?
IT REALLY DEPENDS
ON THE SHOW. I'VE HAD LOADS OF FUN ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT DIVIDE, AS WELL
AS SOME PRETTY STRESSFUL FLOP EFFORTS. DOCU-SERIES, WHEN IT'S GOOD, IS THE
GREATEST.
What is the biggest mistake you see being made by people who are barely
starting in the industry? How can this be avoided?
EVERYBODY WANTS TO
COME IN AS A CREATOR. WHEN YOU'RE JUST STARTING OUT AND HAVE NO CREDITS,
IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO GET PEOPLE ENROLLED IN YOUR IDEAS. NOT THAT IT
DOESN'T HAPPEN, BUT IF YOU PUT IN THE TIME, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO GET MEETINGS
FIVE OR TEN YEARS INTO A CAREER WHEN YOUR RESUME IS PACKED OUT. LIKE
ANYTHING ELSE, "START AT THE BOTTOM" IS SOUND ADVICE. AGAIN,
ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE. I'LL NEVER SAY YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING.
What is your biggest accomplishment or highlight of your career?
I'M VERY PROUD OF
THE TV WRITERS SUMMIT LECTURES I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT OR TEACHING REALITY TV PRODUCTION, AND
WE'VE BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED SO FAR.
You've been working on reality television for a little over a decade.
How has the genre changed these past ten years with the addition of social
media and advances in technology?
IT'S FUNNY IN THAT
THERE'S SO MUCH EXTRA STUFF TO DELIVER. “BASKETBALL WIVES” HAS AT LEAST
TWO EXTRA SCENES OR ADDITIONAL CONTENT POSTED AT VH1.COM FOR EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. OUR
SHOW WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST REALITY TO BE RANKED THE MOST SOCIALLY ACTIVE IN
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. ONLY “FAMILY GUY” WAS AHEAD OF US OVERALL IN
TERMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUME (DERIVED FROM AGGREGATE NUMBER OF TWEETS, POSTS,
AND OTHER MEASURING METHODS). YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SHOWS AS A LARGER
EXPERIENCE. VH1'S MARKETING PEOPLE ARE TREMENDOUSLY GOOD AT PROMOTING
THEIR PRODUCT.
Where do you see reality television going in the next decade?
WE'RE ALREADY
STEERING AWAY FROM THE MEAN-SPIRITED SHOWS WE SAW SO MUCH OF IN THE PAST
DECADE, I THINK. I HOPE WE HAVE MORE SHOWS THAT REALLY PROMOTE CURIOSITY
ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE AND CULTURES. “ ANTHONY
BOURDAIN: NO RESERVATIONS” IS A TRAILBLAZER... GIVE ME MORE STUFF LIKE
THAT, PLEASE.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now? Are you curious about
exploring other areas of the industry such as documentaries or film?
I'VE ALWAYS LOVED
MOVIES, BUT I THINK IT'LL BE A LATER-IN-LIFE THING FOR ME AND THAT I'LL DO IT
AS A PRODUCER RATHER THAN A WRITER, AS I'D ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER. I'M IN THE PREPRODUCTION PROCESS WITH MY FIRST DOCUMENTARY FILM,
“REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT HERE,” EVEN
AS I WRITE THIS.
I've been writing a lot about singing competitions recently and how
they're losing their essence and audience. What do you think is a key
ingredient(s) to keep these shows fresh and give them more originality without
getting too distant from their roots?
STOP ENCOURAGING
BLAND POWERHOUSE PERFORMANCES WITH NO RESPECT FOR LYRICS OR EMOTION. GO
FIND SOME SOUL. GET ALLEE WILLIS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR THE BEST
UNDISCOVERED SOUL SINGERS, I SAY!