Survivor' Producer Admits Reenacting Scenes for TV Television
05-09-01, 11:33 AM
#1
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http://www.latimes.com/print/calenda...000038868.html
Survivor' Producer Admits Reenacting Scenes for TV Television * CBS says actions did not affect outcome of series that trumpeted its'reality' format.
By ELIZABETH JENSEN, Times Staff Writer
NEW YORK--"Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett has admitted toreenacting some portions of the CBS series, at one point using body doubles tore-create a scene. Burnett, who has always maintained that the show is completely real, made his --which he said he was telling for the first time--at a Museum of Television &Radio panel here Monday titled "What is Reality on Television?" Burnett and several filmmakers were discussing what the standards are when filming TV that purport to be nonfiction. After viewing an NBC News clip in which producers of another CBS show, "BigBrother," staged and rehearsed a supposedly spontaneous meeting between two, Burnett criticized such actions. "I would never do what we just saw on 'BigBrother,' " he said. "I would never reenact [scenes]." In fact, Burnett joked about how the "Big Brother" episode looked silly because the contestants "can't act." Burnett went on to say, however, that he had reenacted "Survivor" scenes, using"stand-ins" after the real encounters took place in order to get certain perspectiveswithout viewers seeing any "Survivor" cameras. The only example he cited was filmingoverhead shots of a swim race, which was reenacted using body doubles dressed in thesame bathing suits and swimming "exactly at the same speed" as the real contestants. "I'm not embarrassed about it," he said, noting that it "didn't change the outcome ofthe race." Burnett added, "I don't know what the line is" in determining what kind of manipulation is acceptable, stating earlier that unlike some of the other panelists whoproduce documentaries, "I'm just making entertainment." Through a spokesman, CBS issued a statement saying, "What Mark is talking aboutis nothing more than window dressing. It doesn't involve the contestants and doesn't inany way influence the outcome of any challenge, tribal council, or change the view of reality as it occurred. The series is exactly what it appears to be--16 people battling the elements and each other." Burnett's comments come amid continued legal wrangling over a lawsuit filed inFebruary by Stacey Stillman, a contestant on "Survivor's" first edition. The suit againstSurvivor Entertainment Group claims the outcome was rigged. SEG, an association ofBurnett's Survivor Productions and CBS, has denied the allegation and countersued forbreach of contract. On Monday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed afriend-of-the-court brief in support of efforts by writer Peter Lance, author of "TheStingray: Lethal Tactics of the Sole Survivor," to gain access to a sealed deposition inthe case by another "Survivor" contestant, Dirk Been. A ruling is expected next week.
Search the archives of the Los Angeles Times for similar stories about: Survivor
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Survivor' Producer Admits Reenacting Scenes for TV Television * CBS says actions did not affect outcome of series that trumpeted its'reality' format.
By ELIZABETH JENSEN, Times Staff Writer
NEW YORK--"Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett has admitted toreenacting some portions of the CBS series, at one point using body doubles tore-create a scene. Burnett, who has always maintained that the show is completely real, made his --which he said he was telling for the first time--at a Museum of Television &Radio panel here Monday titled "What is Reality on Television?" Burnett and several filmmakers were discussing what the standards are when filming TV that purport to be nonfiction. After viewing an NBC News clip in which producers of another CBS show, "BigBrother," staged and rehearsed a supposedly spontaneous meeting between two, Burnett criticized such actions. "I would never do what we just saw on 'BigBrother,' " he said. "I would never reenact [scenes]." In fact, Burnett joked about how the "Big Brother" episode looked silly because the contestants "can't act." Burnett went on to say, however, that he had reenacted "Survivor" scenes, using"stand-ins" after the real encounters took place in order to get certain perspectiveswithout viewers seeing any "Survivor" cameras. The only example he cited was filmingoverhead shots of a swim race, which was reenacted using body doubles dressed in thesame bathing suits and swimming "exactly at the same speed" as the real contestants. "I'm not embarrassed about it," he said, noting that it "didn't change the outcome ofthe race." Burnett added, "I don't know what the line is" in determining what kind of manipulation is acceptable, stating earlier that unlike some of the other panelists whoproduce documentaries, "I'm just making entertainment." Through a spokesman, CBS issued a statement saying, "What Mark is talking aboutis nothing more than window dressing. It doesn't involve the contestants and doesn't inany way influence the outcome of any challenge, tribal council, or change the view of reality as it occurred. The series is exactly what it appears to be--16 people battling the elements and each other." Burnett's comments come amid continued legal wrangling over a lawsuit filed inFebruary by Stacey Stillman, a contestant on "Survivor's" first edition. The suit againstSurvivor Entertainment Group claims the outcome was rigged. SEG, an association ofBurnett's Survivor Productions and CBS, has denied the allegation and countersued forbreach of contract. On Monday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed afriend-of-the-court brief in support of efforts by writer Peter Lance, author of "TheStingray: Lethal Tactics of the Sole Survivor," to gain access to a sealed deposition inthe case by another "Survivor" contestant, Dirk Been. A ruling is expected next week.
Search the archives of the Los Angeles Times for similar stories about: Survivor
(Television Program), Television Programs.
You will not be charged to look for stories, only to retrieve one.
05-09-01, 12:05 PM
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Originally posted by bodai
All the more reason as to why I am glad I didn't waste my time watching this crap.
All the more reason as to why I am glad I didn't waste my time watching this crap.
05-09-01, 12:21 PM
#5
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How about that close-up overhead shot when "Rodger" jumped off the high perch into the water in an early challenge?
That one always seemed fake to me because I never saw any other camera when they cut away to a wide shot showing Rodger making the jump into the water.
That one always seemed fake to me because I never saw any other camera when they cut away to a wide shot showing Rodger making the jump into the water.
05-09-01, 12:22 PM
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It's a game show to begin with. Hasn't anyone seen something at the end of game shows that says portions re-edited for broadcast. Granted, this is a bit different than that, but who cares.
Survivor is fun to watch for what it is...a game show. That is the mentality you have to go in with. Now I enjoy watching The Real World (a so-called reality show), but in no way do I believe that it is a real world life experience.
If Survivor is fixed, which I don't believe it is, it would violate FCC regulations (bascially in the aftermath of the '21' scandal in the 50's) because it is in the game show category. Considering how many people would have to be involved in a fix, I find that would be very difficult to perpetrate such a fraud w/o anyone ever finding out.
Survivor is fun to watch for what it is...a game show. That is the mentality you have to go in with. Now I enjoy watching The Real World (a so-called reality show), but in no way do I believe that it is a real world life experience.
If Survivor is fixed, which I don't believe it is, it would violate FCC regulations (bascially in the aftermath of the '21' scandal in the 50's) because it is in the game show category. Considering how many people would have to be involved in a fix, I find that would be very difficult to perpetrate such a fraud w/o anyone ever finding out.
05-09-01, 12:30 PM
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Originally posted by Red Dog
It's a game show to begin with. Hasn't anyone seen something at the end of game shows that says portions re-edited for broadcast. Granted, this is a bit different than that, but who cares.
It's a game show to begin with. Hasn't anyone seen something at the end of game shows that says portions re-edited for broadcast. Granted, this is a bit different than that, but who cares.
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
05-09-01, 12:42 PM
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Originally posted by scott27
I've seen that on game shows, but never on shows whose entire premise is about surviving for a month on a deserted island or in the Outback.
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
Originally posted by Red Dog
It's a game show to begin with. Hasn't anyone seen something at the end of game shows that says portions re-edited for broadcast. Granted, this is a bit different than that, but who cares.
It's a game show to begin with. Hasn't anyone seen something at the end of game shows that says portions re-edited for broadcast. Granted, this is a bit different than that, but who cares.
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
So what you are saying is that "reality" of them starving and having to survive in the extreme temperatures is not "reality". I have to disagree. I understand that Mark Burnett, had to doubles for several shots, but that does not make this a non-reality show. He used those doubles for shots he did not get to film properly.
YOu have to understand that a 15 min shot like that took over 4 hours to do because Rodger could not swim. He actually, did finally jump, yes but it took several takes for the camera crews to get the right angles and correct shots for all the other contestants.
This has been known, those who have seen the original Survivor show know this.
IF you want to nit pick that is fine. It is only entertainment. The contestants do have to suffer, if you don't call that harsh reality, well...I don't want to see your version.
05-09-01, 12:52 PM
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Originally posted by scott27
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
A cash prize is awarded at the end. It is a game show under FCC rules. Same with Big Brother and The Mole. Plus, all the contestants who compete talk about winning the "game" under the rules. I'm not saying that there are no real world elements in it, but that adds to part of the game.
Plus if it was strictly a reality show, you wouldn't see Jeff Probst offer them food (since they had run out) after they hadn't eaten in over 24 hours.
05-09-01, 04:46 PM
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Originally posted by Red Dog
A cash prize is awarded at the end. It is a game show under FCC rules. Same with Big Brother and The Mole. Plus, all the contestants who compete talk about winning the "game" under the rules. I'm not saying that there are no real world elements in it, but that adds to part of the game.
Plus if it was strictly a reality show, you wouldn't see Jeff Probst offer them food (since they had run out) after they hadn't eaten in over 24 hours.
Originally posted by scott27
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
BTW, I would say the show is classified as a "reality" show - NOT a game show.
A cash prize is awarded at the end. It is a game show under FCC rules. Same with Big Brother and The Mole. Plus, all the contestants who compete talk about winning the "game" under the rules. I'm not saying that there are no real world elements in it, but that adds to part of the game.
Plus if it was strictly a reality show, you wouldn't see Jeff Probst offer them food (since they had run out) after they hadn't eaten in over 24 hours.
One more reason why I don't waste my time on a show like this.
05-09-01, 06:05 PM
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Originally posted by badger1997
Why do I get the feeling that to the producers of this show it's a "game show" when it suits their needs (such as when they reveal they staged certain scenes with body doubles) but then other times when it suits their needs it's a "reality-based" show. That was supposedly the big draw of this show in that it was reality based. That is all I ever heard from the producers as the beginning of the second season neared. How "real" it was and how everything was authentic and they were breaking new ground in "reality television." Now, when it suits their excuses for staging scenes, no matter how inconsequntial, they call it a game show instead.
One more reason why I don't waste my time on a show like this.
Why do I get the feeling that to the producers of this show it's a "game show" when it suits their needs (such as when they reveal they staged certain scenes with body doubles) but then other times when it suits their needs it's a "reality-based" show. That was supposedly the big draw of this show in that it was reality based. That is all I ever heard from the producers as the beginning of the second season neared. How "real" it was and how everything was authentic and they were breaking new ground in "reality television." Now, when it suits their excuses for staging scenes, no matter how inconsequntial, they call it a game show instead.
One more reason why I don't waste my time on a show like this.
