POPCAST: Life Behind Reality TV, With Marion “Maz” Farrelly

In the extension of POPSUGAR’s pilot season of POPCAST, host Tim Dormer interviews the masterminds that work behind the scenes on some of the biggest reality TV shows in Australia. 


In episode ten, Tim is joined by Marion “Maz” Farrelly. From Big Brother and Dancing With the Stars to The X-Factor and Farmer Wants a Wife, Maz has worked in just about every genre of reality TV. The only thing that’s consistent is Maz’s three golden rules to creating compelling and successful reality TV. 


In this episode we hear about:





















  • Maz's view on creating a story for reality TV vs. a documentary (01:04)
  • The golden rules Maz's team follow in order to produce in every reality TV show (02:08)
  • Maz's approach to casting characters (04:39)
  • The importance of set design and its role within reality TV (06:09)
  • The best advice Maz received while working in reality TV (09:23)
  • Maz's insight into making things happen on camera (11:41)
  • How transparent Maz is with her audience (14:45)
  • What happens during a contestant's psychology test before a show is filmed (17:01)
  • What resonates best with a reality TV audience (27:45)
  • The strategy Maz would play if she were a reality TV contestant (28:24)
  • How drama is created between contestants and/or TV judges (35:46)
  • The differences between producing a reality TV show in Australia v. the UK (39:12)
  • The evolution of reality TV and how its changed in the last 10 years (40:36)

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