June 10 2008 / by Alvis
Category: Social Media Year: General Rating: 6 Hot
Alvis Brigis is a former reality television producer and
story editor whose credits include Motormouth (VH1), The Simple
Life 2 (FOX), Making the Band 3 (MTV), and House of Boateng
(Sundance). This is Part 2 of a series envisioning the future of
the genre.
As I discussed in my last post on
future tv programming that incorporates virtual worlds, reality
TV is one of the many art forms due to experience incredible change
as we enter the acceleration era. The genre is particularly
well-suited to respond to new technology because it that was
recently enabled by dropping technology costs and responds quickly
to market forces. 
That being the case, I’d like to explore just how BIG reality programming can get considering the
proliferation of high-quality digital recording devices like the
iPhone (the new better 3G version will start at just $199), the
rise of social media media structures (YouTube, Digg, MemeBox), the
advent of online participatory editing, the near-term potential of
3G and
WiMax communication webs, new camera POV possibilities such as
aerial micro-drones, and the steady progress we are making in
digital storage and battery life/weight.
Ultimately, these are the same technologies that will enable
widespread life-logging, surveillance and an emerging participatory
panopticon. But along the way they will make for some kick-ass,
ground-breaking reality television.
Here’s my Top 10 list of future MASSIVE reality TV shows that I’d love to kill some
precious time watching:
1. THE PROTEST: The world’s
largest and most dramatic political protests are examined
inside-out as real-time footage captured on handhelds and by aerial
drones is crowd-sourced and quickly edited online. As viewers watch
the most popular cuts they can click on a frame to directly access
the live feeds of their favorite broadcasters.
2. MANHUNT: 10 professional
soldiers, law enforcement agents, and reformed criminals stage a
fictional prison break then attempt to elude a public manhunt on
10,000 acres in rural Montana. Watch from afar or come test your
tracking skills for a shot at $1,000,000.
3. THE REAL WAR: A reality show
that actually makes a difference in the lives of the persecuted
masses, The Real War brings transprency and accountability conflict
situations in unstable regions. Sponsored by the UN and private
donors, the program is edited by a panel of international
observers. (cont.)
4. CROSS-COUNTRY: 1,000
long-distance runners chooses their own routes as they follow in
Forest Gump’s fotsteps and race from the Brooklyn Bridge to Santa
Monica Pier. Who has the mental and physical temerity to achieve
victory?
5. CIVILIZATION: 100 uniquely
skilled individuals brave the wild to recreate civilization from
scratch. Look on as they pool their creativity to get back to where
they all started. Embedded and drone cams make sure that no
important moment is missed.
6. EVERQUEST: 1,000,000
MMORPGers role play their favorite fantasy characters and battle
evil week in and week out. We combine in-game machinima, live web
cam and interview footage to track the most heroic and villainous
storylines.
7. ROADIES: Mixing in footage
of the band interacting with fans on and off the stage, Roadies
follows the best self-shot story lines of fans that follow their
favorite bands on tour.
8. BOOT CAMP: Hundreds of
ordinary citizens participate in a 2 week boot camp to see who’s
got the right stuff. Members of the winning squad each receive a
hybrid camouflage Hummer.
9. HACK ATTACK: Hackers all
over the globe are invited to break into and take down a formidable
system setup by security experts. To participate, they must submit
an hourly weblog through which they explain their strategy, update
their progress and trash talk. The winners earn not only prizes,
but social prestige and job offers.
10. FOLLOW THE MEME: A unique
piece of information is followed around the world as it spreads
from brain to brain in this crowd-sourced thought experiment. Users
submit their reactions to new information and vote on the best
meme-flow “strings”.
What similar or dissimilar massive reality shows would you like
to see developed over the next decade?
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