I think what this dialogue has proven is that there is no set rules governing this segment of the industry. On some shows, the story responsibility falls under the story editor. On others, it’s a segment producer. And on others, it’s the editor.

In my experience, it is the story editor who is primarily responsible for creating and managing the show’s story arc. For an hour-long program, I usally screen up to 200 hours of footage before the editor is even hired. But screening the footage is only a portion of the job. The other part is planning the entire show with the shooting producer and then MANAGING that story line during the shoot. JP’s quote from Mark Burnett is interesting, but if “we waited to let drama unfold” in reality tv, we might not ever get the “drama” we’re looking for. We straight-up manipulate reality at times or create the opportunity for situations to occur that serve the overall story arc.

Also – the story editors on our show write voiceover dialogue, write the bump ins and outs (teases and recaps), and we write show promos (on the next).

On our show, by the editor’s first day on the job, all the footage is digitized and they receive a script for the entire show. (In some cases, the show is still shooting so they may only get half the script.) That script has already been through a vetting process with the show producers, who share the responsibility of creating the story with the story editor. On top of that, our editors work side-by-side with either the story editor or a segment producer in the edit bay, taking direction and notes throughout the whole process. I have worked for three seasons on a popular reality show and I’ve never seen an instance in which an editor is building story arcs without the active participation and guidance from the story department and the show producers.

What the editors bring to the table on our show is visual style and the technical skills to carry the story editor’s and the producers’ vision to reality. They contribute on a story level, for sure. And I’ve worked with amazing editors who totally get the story and how to create an arc. It’s just that in my experience, that doesn’t fall under their job description.

Which is all the more reason to create groundrules for the industry.

As a side note, the editors I’ve worked with get paid sometimes as much as double what the story editors and producers earn. On our show, they are also eligible for overtime, but the producers and story editors are on a flat weekly rate, regardless of late night or weekend work. Getting back John’s original point…sometimes it does sort of feel like “sweatshop” labor, when you look at your weekly check and divide it by the number of hours worked, so getting some kind of protection with union would be helpful, to say the least.

As a Board Member, I want to be clear that the leadership of the WGAw made a very intentional determination a few months ago that we weren’t interesting in simply organizing the “writers” of reality TV, but the storytellers of reality TV. That means writers AND editors.

I think if you (editors and writers) think in terms of storytelling, the nomenclature won’t get in the way of the goal, which is unity.

“The role of the editor is absolutely pivotal on a reality series,” notes Bertram Van Munster, creator/executive producer of CBS’ “The Amazing Race.”

“It is the editor’s job to take the hours of endless footage and present it in a way that tells a good story,” “With the camera rolling 24/7, we wait for the drama to unfold and package it accordingly. That is what good reality television is all about.” Mark Burnett…

“The role of the editor is pivotal because he or she is shaping the entire series,” notes Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of Fox’s “American Idol.”

(these quotes are in an HR article from a couple of weeks ago…

I think every job is very important… but the WGA crying foul over hard work for story editors seems a bit strange when many reality shows don’t even give a credit for story editor (or really have someone that fulfills that function.) All reality shows have editors.

I’ve said enough on this subject… either way, we’re all being hood-winked by the man.

Again, thanks for the great, detailed post.

I think your point about who’s actually doing the work is apt. Even in features and traditional television, the editor has tremendous influence in the shaping of the story — hopefully for the better. It’s no accident that the movies of mine which have turned out the best are the ones in which I’ve had a strong and respectful relationship with the editor; we’re trying to do the same thing, but with different tools at our disposal.

And thanks Jp#2 (the guy married to a story editor). I’ve known a few feature editors who seem to have never read the script either. Ahem.

Obviously, “reality TV” is a very broad category, including everything from traditional game shows, to Survivor, Fear Factor, American Idol, Trading Spaces, The Real World and Big Brother. No two shows are going to work the same way, and the interesting question is whether and how the people who are creating the storylines — doing writerly jobs — can or should be covered by the WGA’s protection.

I’d like to thank you for addressing this topic on the front page of your site. I have worked on various reality television shows for the past five years in various capacities. In that time, I have been called a producer, a segment producer, a story editor, a senior story editor, a supervising story producer… the list goes on. I have never on any of these shows been considered a “writer.� And that, I think, is at the heart of this issue.

I’d like to comment on JP’s statement “The writers on all of the major reality television shows (the cut, survivor, nanny 911, apprentice, etc.) are the editors. Period.� In my experience, this is simply not the case. I agree that editors are an integral and collaborative part of the production of these shows, but to assert that the “story� of a particular episode or series is “written by� the editor is untrue. One of the difficulties of this debate is that every reality show requires different “story needs.� On some shows, editors are involved in the construction of an episode from the moment they get a listing of the raw footage, on other shows; editors are resigned, unfortunately, to the role of button pusher.

On a show like Big Brother, story material is collected in real time in a control room by story “editorsâ€? and story “producersâ€?. This is where the decision on what is viable story and what is not is made. The story editors/producers take the raw footage, go back into an office and stare at their computers for hours on end, (sometimes overnight in 18 hour shifts) in order to isolate specific story beats and organize them into a segment script –in this case, a listing of shots and time codes that tell a specific story. The story editor/producer then interviews the houseguests to get interview bites needed to glue the story pieces together. The script is then given to an editor or a series of editors who basically cut the episode under the supervision of a producer. If this isn’t writing, I’m not sure what is.

Other shows have different processes. On shows like Making The Band, Joe Millionaire, or The Real World, the form of storytelling is more narrative as opposed to a segment-based show. On these shows, season long story arcs are laid out in detail by story editors and producers based on screenings of the raw footage, field notes, and story logs. Episode beat sheets are written by story editors and are approved by producers. In the case of Real World and Band, long form, prose scripts (sometimes 20 pages long) are written along with time code listings in order to convey the tone and pacing of a story to an editor. Most of these shows are made up of twelve to twenty episodes containing complicated character and season arcs and follow the same three-act structure that traditional scripted series abide by. All of this occurs before the editor sets foot in the bay. Again, if this process is not considered “writing� by the networks or the production companies then I’m missing something.

I, in no way, mean to undermine the contribution of editors on reality shows. They are the ones who physically bring the story to life. Often they find better story beats or create a different narrative tone through their editing, and yes, they sometimes have to cull through hours of footage on their own, digging for scenes to make a story flow better, but they are adding to the process rather than starting from the blank page.

JP adds “I do think the producers play an integral role in the creation of reality TV, but it is more in vein of pointing the editors toward fertile material and general organization/approval than in the writing or creation of the content.� This is again, not true. On more that one occasion I, as a story editor, have had to re-write outlines and scripts endlessly, trying to get the best balance of material. I’ve had to script out, from scratch, temp interview bites (sometimes, due to lack of time or budget limitations, these bites are actually read verbatim by the talent as dialogue). On some shows we’d revise the story structure and season arcs multiple times before any second of footage is digitize into the Avid. On one show I produced, the editor came from a documentary background and while he was only assigned one episode to cut, he began to pillage scenes and beats from material that was meant to be included in other episodes. If it were not for the story department – if it were not for the writers, the series would be a stylish montage of pointless scenes with no beginning, middle, or end.

All of this goes to show why we, as reality “peopleâ€? — writers and editors together need to be protected by the Guild. Aside from obvious factors like insurance, pension, and fair minimums, we are often hired to perform multiple jobs with no clear description and unfair working environments. On some shows I’ve worked on, the executive producers go into the edit bay and re-cut the shows themselves without and editor or a writer. Should they, hold claim to a “writerâ€? credit as well? When JP comments, “The editors are the ones holding the pen.â€? I’m forced to wonder what I’ve been doing with my time for the last five years.

Though he’s not incorrect, I think Jp is being a bit disingenuous toward reality writers (or “story editors” or “segment producers” or whatever other names they’re given to avoid the controversial “writer” title). Yes, this movement absolutely depends on the involvement of the editors, and the WGA made a very smart, strategic move in getting them on board. Certainly, there would be no TV shows, reality or otherwise, without the editors.

However, there are many shows where reality writers and editors divide the work 50/50, and they’re not just the “cheap makeover shows” (check out MTV on any given weekend; you’re guaranteed to see a marathon of shows tag-teamed by reality writers and editors). These writers watch 30-60 hours (at least) of footage, figure out what the best “story” is in that footage, pitch it to the staff, and write a treatment/outline/beat sheet/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, which then goes to the editors. Now, the editor may choose to use all or none of that treatment (though I have not yet heard the story of an editor who scrapped every single thing), but whether or not they choose to use it, the fact is, someone has helped them create a story, whittle down the footage to the appropriate beats, even down to giving the editors the timecode.

And again, I realize that reality writers are more easily replaced than editors (in reality AND the movie biz) But to demean the contribution of the reality writer is to do the same thing the studios do when they treat movie and TV writers like dirt — “the script is just a blueprint;” “the director is the REAL author of a movie” — it divides those of us striving for the cause.

And let’s not forget, whatever your opinion of the quality of ANY reality show, whether it’s “Survivor” or “Makeovers For Hillbillies,” I guarantee you, the creators/producers are making a killing, and the people who work for them deserve to benefit from that.

Here are the answers to your questions…. (ANSWERS IN CAPS)

1. Right now, are you covered by any union?

NO. MOST SHOWS ARE NOT COVERED BY A UNION. SOME HAVE SIGNED DEALS WITH IA (EDITOR’S GUILD) BUT IN GENERAL, MOST EDITORS IN REALITY TV ARE NOT COVERED BY A GUILD. CURRENTLY, THE WGA AND IA ARE AGGRESSIVELY SOLICITING MEMBERSHIP — AND IN THE END, EDITORS MAY JOIN BOTH (LIKE ACTORS WITH SAG/AFTRA)

1. Since you say your show has season arcs, how does this information get passed around? If you have big group meetings, what’s the net result of this?

EVERY SHOW IS DIFFERENT… BUT, SINCE IT’S REALITY, IT’S NOT REALLY MAKING UP AN ARC (ALTHOUGH THIS IS POSSIBLE AND DONE ON OCCASION) IT’S MORE DECIDING WHICH REAL ARCS TO EMPHASIZE… AT THE MACRO, SEASON ARC LEVEL, A GENERAL DIRECTION IS SUGGESTED BY THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER… (IE. ‘CONTESTANT X’ IS VERY SHY BECAUSE THEY JUST LEFT A MONASTERY… BUT THIS SHYNESS HELPS THEM LAND A SPOT AS A FINALIST…) AFTER WE HEAR THAT, WE EAR-MARC ANYTHING AT ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE SEASON WHICH MIGHT HELP ILLUSTRATE THAT POINT. DURING THE TENTH SHOW, WHEN OTHER CONTESTANTS REALIZE THAT THEY’VE TOLD TOO MUCH TO THE SHY PERSON WHO ALWAYS LISTENS… IT’S A NEAT LITTLE ARC… BUT THE ACTUAL MOMENTS — THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE REALIZATIONS — ARE CRAFTED BY THE EDITORS. (EVEN AT THE IDEA STAGE – IE. WHICH SCENES SHOULD EVEN BE CUT…)

1. When were you approached about signing a WGA card? What are the different opinions among the people you work with?

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS MEETINGS OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS ABOUT THE WGA REPRESENTING REALITY EDITORS. MOST EDITORS DO NOT HAVE FAITH IN THE WGA. THEY FEEL AS THOUGH THE ONLY REASON WE WERE APPROACHED, WAS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY LEVERAGE WITHOUT US. PERSONALLY, I DON’T KNOW IF WGA MEMBERS WILL EVER BE ABLE TO THINK OF EDITORS IN THE SAME BREATH AS WRITERS – IT’S A NEW WAY OF WORKING FOR AN EDITOR WHICH EVOLVED OUT OF REALITY TV’S POPULARITY AND ONLY BECAME POSSIBLE WITH THE RECENT WIDE-SPREAD USE OF NON-LINEAR EDITING. (TWENTY YEARS AGO, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE FOR 1 EDITOR TO SCREEN AND CUT SCENES BASED ON 100 HOURS OF FOOTAGE FROM 10 CAMERAS… TODAY IT IS RELATIVELY COMMONPLACE.)

1. Does your show have any scripted portions, such as what the host says? If so, who writes that?

SOME HOST WRAPS ARE AD-LIBBED, SOME ARE WRITTEN OR LINE-FED BY PRODUCERS AND SOME ARE WRITTEN BY UNDERPAID WRITERS. SO, IN A SENSE, THIS IS AN EXCEPTION TO MY ARGUMENT. THESE PEOPLE/WRITERS DESERVE WGA REPRESENTATION FOR THEIR WORK. HOWEVER, UNLIKE SCRIPTED SHOWS WHERE THE EDITOR GETS THE SCRIPTS AND CUTS TO IT… WE ARE NEVER GIVEN A SCRIPT FOR HOST WRAPS… WE ARE GIVEN RAW FOOTAGE AND WE GO TO WORK AND MAKE IT MAKE SENSE AND MAKE IT CONCISE AND MORE DRAMATIC OR HUMOROUS AS MAY BE APPROPRIATE. (I HAVE CUT DOZENS OF HOST WRAPS FOR MANY SHOWS AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN A SCRIPT – AT BEST, I AM GIVEN A TARGET TIME (IE THIS SHOULD BE UNDER ONE MINUTE…) AND I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE AND FIT IT IN THE WINDOW.

1. Does your show have any blurbs like, “Previously, on (this show), Tonya was trying to dot-dot-dot…�

YES, I HAVE WORKED ON SHOWS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY ONS AND COMING UPS… THEY ARE SOMETIMES LOOSELY SCRIPTED (BUT ALWAYS BY A VERY JUNIOR PRODUCER – USUALLY CALLED AN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER). AGAIN THE SCRIPT MAY HAVE A FEW LINES OF COPY AND AS SUCH, THEY DO DISSERVE WGA REP., HOWEVER, AGAIN, THE EDITORS USUALLY HAVE TO PICK OUT AND FINESSE THE REALITY MOMENTS THAT GO IN BETWEEN THE LINES OF COPY (AND SOMETIMES WE ARE THEN FORCED TO RE-WRITE THE COPY SO IT WORKS WITH THE BEST REALITY MOMENT…)

1. Regardless of the WGA thing, has there been any discussion of what really would happen if all the editors walked off?

IF ALL OF THE EDITORS WALKED OFF OF A REALITY SHOW, IT WOULD BE VERY MUCH LIKE ALL OF THE WRITERS WALKING OFF OF A SIT-COM — A MAJOR SETBACK TO SAY THE LEAST. OTHER PEOPLE COULD BE BROUGHT IN, BUT THE SHOW WOULD GREATLY SUFFER AND IT WOULD TAKE LONGER TO FINISH.

As a final thought, I want to stress the fact that in no way am I trying to downplay all of the work put in by the various producers. My main point is that the editor plays a greater role in this new paradigm than most people realize (or would like to acknowledge.)

For a more in depth look at Editors in Reality TV, check out this link:

http://www.editorsguild.com/newsletter/marapr05/marapr05_confessions.htm

Thanks for your great and detailed post. In no way did I mean to understate the massive job an editor has with a reality show — and you’re right, I have no first-hand experience working on one of these programs.

If you have a chance, I’m sure we’d all like to know…

1. Right now, are you covered by any union?
2. Since you say your show has season arcs, how does this information get passed around? If you have big group meetings, what’s the net result of this?
3. When were you approached about signing a WGA card? What are the different opinions among the people you work with?
4. Does your show have any scripted portions, such as what the host says? If so, who writes that?
5. Does your show have any blurbs like, “Previously, on (this show), Tonya was trying to dot-dot-dot…”
6. Regardless of the WGA thing, has there been any discussion of what really would happen if all the editors walked off?

Really curious to know. Thanks again for writing in.