My 5 Biggest Takeaways From Shooting A Reality Dating Show
I had the random AF opportunity to shoot a digital reality TV series. I’m not going to disclose the name of it (just in case there are any issues), but follow me on insta and you can see for yourself as well as see once it’s been posted.
My thoughts on most of the dates :(
The premise of the show is basically to put astrological compatibility to the test. In my case, I’m an Aries, which is a “fire sign” aka a super passionate and opinionated sign (and, whether you believe in this stuff or not, just know that I also have a super passionate and opinionated personality!). The other fire signs in the zodiac are Leo and Sagittarius. So, naturally, the producers wanted to pair me with three other men all of whom are also fire signs to see if we were compatible OR to see if we got into any heated debates (...and they were probably hoping for the latter but more on that later).
Here’s an outline of how the day went:
Intro: I shot a solo intro where I discussed my dating history, what I’m looking for in a partner and my overall personality
Date #1 (lasted 15 mins)
Thoughts on Date #1: I shot a quick recap of how I thought the date went and if I’d go on a second
Date #2 (lasted 10 mins)
Thoughts on Date #2
Date #3 (lasted 10 mins)
Thoughts on Date #3
Concluding Thoughts: I shot a conclusion in which I discussed my final thoughts on all three dates
Couple Shots: I shot a SUPER AWKWARD promo video type-thing of me and the guy I “chose” (more on that later)
This was QUITE the hilarious experience and I’m happy to share all of the random ass things I learned from shooting a reality dating show – from how filming works to what dating based on your astro sign is like and more!
1. Reality TV is as fake as you make it
A lot of people like to say that reality TV is fake, which I 100% take offense to because, like, don’t f*cking come for my housewives. However, this experience did make me realize that all reality TV surely has the potential to be slightly – or frankly very – fake.
I was told to “lean in” to my “fiery personality.” since I’m a HAM/love the camera, I totally did lean into this and was probably more opinionated on this show than I EVER would be on a real-life date. Which made me realize that producers don’t have to be insanely manipulative to get the talent to act more elaborately than normal. It’s actually pretty easy (if the talent is impressionable like me, ha!).
2. 10-minutes might actually be long enough for a first date
My dates were only meant to be 10-minutes long each. And honestly, I think they’re onto something. I could pretty much tell right away if the person sitting in front of me was someone I’d be interested in getting to know further. I’m sure a lot of people would disagree with this and say it’s important to give people a chance, but at this point in my life right now, I’m not eager enough to force anything – I want sparks!! So, I think it could actually be a good idea for people to go on “pre-dates” that only last 15-20 minutes to see if a real date is something you’re interested in.
3. Astrology isn’t that legit
Okay, our editor-in-chief, Mandy Ansari, HIGHLY diasgrees with me on this one…but, she’s not writing this article. Like I said, they wanted to pair me with other “passionate and fiery” fire signs of the zodiac. Ummmmmm, let’s just say that isn’t exactly what happened.
The first guy I dated definitely didn’t come off as super passionate, but maybe once I got to know him he would be? The second guy I dated was literally a mute. Trying to get him to talk was like pulling teeth, which is an interesting situation for a reality TV show. And the last guy I dated was super eccentric – I could see him being a pain in the ass actually, so I see why he was paired with me.
All in all, based on my experience, being a fire sign could mean that you’re extremely out there OR it could mean you’re a mouse. Quite a departure from what astrology wants us to think!
4. People are really awkward in front of the camera
This probably isn’t the most shocking thing in the world, but I was surprised to see that every guy that walked into the production room literally turned bright red the second they sat down. It definitely was more intimidating for me than expected, too; but hopefully I played it off cool. Anyway, I feel like getting to know someone in front of the camera is probably a totally different experience than IRL as everyone was just so freaking awkward.
5. You might be dating for the cameras without even realizing it
I was so focused on “leaning in” to my personality as the producer had asked me to that I didn’t even realize that I was acting pretty differently than usual. And by acting differently, I mean that 1. I was acting more opinionated and 2. I was actually acting more open to guys that I frankly would’ve rejected IRL as I was so afraid of hurting their feelings on TV! The guy I “chose” would’ve never been on my radar normally, but he was nice and normal and I just felt too bad rejecting him in front of the cameras.
If I do this again, I’ll probably be more honest and less afraid of being harsh. But for now, I’m enjoying being a nice person. Enjoy it while it lasts! ;)
I shared this over on www.sydneymkaplan.com too!
