ABSTRACT
Reality television is a programming, not a production concept. The talent contests and amateur hours that go back centuries are in fact very much like America's Got Talent. The program that could be considered the first true reality program was An American Family, which premiered on PBS in 1973. It is a significant production and an early example of reality programming because of the way it was shot. Different kinds of reality programs require different kinds of skills in the positions that are a part of every television production. Deciding what production criteria should be brought to evaluating the director's work on reality programs has been difficult for the Director's Guild of America, and for various producers as well. Low-cost cameras, action cameras, and even cell phones, along with some of the easy-to-use and widely available editing programs, make it possible to create true reality programs without a studio and without spending a great deal of money.
