tl;dr - fuck “reality” tv
In the reality TV production process, after the casting of villains and the baiting for villainous behaviour, comes the editing.
It’s in the post-production suite that a villain edit can truly come to life.
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The editor says there are a few techniques to achieve these characterisations. The simplest one is being selective in what gets included.
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The second technique editors use is amplification — finding a moment amongst what the editor calls the “boring crap” that can be boosted into a storyline.
In the show, it’s spun as a major conflict.
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And then, the drama is further enhanced with a technique called “frankenbiting”.
Like Frankenstein creating his monster, editors will mix together unrelated elements from the footage to make their own beast.
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When the show finally goes to air, the final phase of a villain edit begins: controlling the narrative.
Now, program makers try to ensure that no narratives that contradict the edit make it into the media.
“They would remind me in a very threatening way before every single media interview that I had signed a [non-disclosure agreement],” Olivia says.
This becomes a problem for Olivia, because when the show goes to air, the backlash is swift.
I tend to avoid most reality TV because I never know how much has been cut or instigated by the producers to make the show more dramatic. The one sub-genre I don’t mind is the contest one, specifically where it’s focused on the challenges rather than personal interactions between contestants. A few Korean ones I’ve watched recently which were quite good were Physical: 100, Siren: Survive The Island and The Devil’s Plan. Of course, the editing still makes these shows appear more dramatic or tense than they really were but at least they generally don’t misrepresent the personalities of the people involved.