I, Daniel Blake.

but, but, ... the daily mail says it so must be true!
*vomits at referencing that sh*trag*

 

I worked with one in his early 60’s at Bath Scaffolding. All he ever knew, apparently.

 

Sorry. We never claimed for a new flat screen, or tattoos,and got our fags paid for us to smoke in our council house that felt like a tropical rain forest, becuase the heating was on full blast 24/7...

 

Sorry all, that should have been 'normal, hard working people' not 'hate working.

My new phone seems to be stuck on the 'Allo-Allo!' predictive text setting..

 

Those programmes about council estates can’t pay the people they film as it’s a ‘documentary’ but the small print says they can cover expenses. This translates, for those programmes as giving them lots of fags and booze etc. The recipients don’t get a choice. And funnily enough also serves the agenda of the production company and makes great footage for mouth-frothing viewers.

Behind the scenes isn’t all it would seem

 

Try reading it before you press ‘send’!

 

They don't get a choice on participation, or how they are reimbursed for their time if the choose to?

Strikes me as there is a choice.

 

of course they can choose to participate or not. I meant they don't get a choice of where to eat etc, sorry. Where 'expenses' are part of the contract there is very little choice - individuals won't get per diem given to them for food etc - but the production team will have the funds available to buy and offer a limited choice (larger or beer, macdonalds or greggs etc). Beer cans and fast food wrappers also make good footage and feed the narrative.

In the end it's all manipulation for the final edit - either to fulfil a pitch or to sell to highest bidder - but many people don't understand that once they've signed, they will have no say in how they are ultimately portrayed.

i certainly can't say 'all' production companies do this, but i know that it has been done and while there is market for it, will likely continue.

 

I assumed they don't pay them as it might affect their benefits/income tax or some nonsense about union rights and professional artists.

This is mostly channel 4 and 5 crap TV is it not?

 

if they paid and directed them it would be entertainment/drama and not 'documentary'- and more costly to the production company- but there are loopholes to be exploited in most contracts, generally not in favour of the participants.

Sometimes a channel will ask for full submissions or pitches for social docs etc, some of the larger production companies will make the programme and then tout it round to get the highest bidder; sensation and shock in social documentaries sells for a higher price, if that's what the public demand at that time.
some channels also have their own production departments too.

programming and scheduling are also very carefully managed. it really is all about manipulation, bit depressing really

@Jack Tatty mentioned an amazon series,' Unreal' which is about a fictional, highly manipulative reality tv production company. the levels of coercion and manipulation gave me palpitations! i'd like to think that things aren't that bad but it's still a business.

 

I honestly think that the public actually demands longer format TV such as Game of Thrones and Stranger Things I.e. we are well capable of following a storyline over weeks/months with numerous interesting characters.

The issue with trash TV is similar to printed media....no one is clear on revenue stream in a digital age so hunts 'click bait', as wages and jobs disappear the 'talent' in production tends to be far less experienced and time served and under the kosh to produce quantity not quality.

The death of true investigative journalism plays right in to the hands of those that do evil deeds in the shadows.

TV is still at the top of a huge disruption....can't come soon enough I think.

 

i agree. i rarely watch 'live' tv and will only turn it on if there's something i want to watch at that time. i did have it on over xmas but even being unwell found myself tutting and ranting at the utter tosh on.
I think it was breakfast tv that started the whole 'magazine' short-burst, sensational, point and laugh at others lives format and we don't seem to have climbed out of it from then. Give me a good drama above the phone line voting cash generating dross any day.

I've heard starnger things been mentioned before but never sen it... maybe some winter viewing

 

Having been though the benefits system a few years back when I first got ill. (I went from being in the higher tax bracket to nothing overnight) the system is a joke.

Even though I had a letter from the DRs and specialist etc I had to go for a medical assessment, I failed and ended up on appeal in proper scary court in front of a judge and 2 Drs who overruled the assessment in less than 5 minutes, yet at the assessment place I saw people cycle in and pass the assessment no problem.

Even at the job centre I had to go in you could see the people who knew have to play it the system better than the staff in there.

As soon as I was well enough to get part time work I took it rather than keep fighting the system even though it was less money than the benefits.

 

Last night tonight apparently.

It's an eye opener.

 

Careful now