— -- It's the question still on everyone's minds 10 years after "The Hills" premiered. Was it real or fake?
The reality series, set in picturesque Los Angeles, centered on the lives of recent high school graduates Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port and their really good-looking friends.
Still, it kept viewers questioning whether the storylines were real, thanks to the unconventional way the reality show was shot -- without confessionals or interviews.
And it didn't help that "The Hills," a spin-off of "Laguna Beach," ended with Kristin Cavallari and Brody Jenner hugging goodbye in front of the iconic Hollywood sign ... or so we thought. Then the sign got carried away by production assistants and we saw Jenner standing there on the Paramount Studios lot.
Creator Adam DiVello takes credit for the ending.
"We really wanted to shock the audience but at the same time, give a little wink and nod to the fact that people have been speculating whether this show was real or not," he told ABC News.
No one would know if the series, which ran for six seasons on MTV, was real or fake except for its creators. So ABC News asked them to weigh in 10 years after their show premiered.
Adam DiVello, Creator and Executive Producer
"All of the situations were real situations. If it was scripted, I would've written even better storylines. We were doing a lot of episodes about Audrina and [her on-again, off-again boyfriend] Justin Bobby ... tons of repeated storylines. But you can't make up some of the things that have happened to them."
Hisham Abed, Cinematographer and Director
"A tenet of reality shows were interviews and we wanted to get around shooting interviews so we would arrange conversations between the cast to illicit the same exposition that would happen in an interview. A lot of times when the cast was sitting down talking to each other, it's because we wanted them to go over details of an incident or something they heard about with each other as opposed to talking straight to camera. So those scenes were often composed and pre-set so that could happen."
Tony DiSanto, Executive Producer and MTV's Former President of Programming
"It was real, people. They all knew each other. All the relationships were real. Everything unfolding was real."
Liz Gateley, Executive Producer and Creator of "Laguna Beach"
"We did have to push for more stories. When we did 'Laguna Beach,' we shot for six or seven months; February to August and we got six episodes so we had a month and a week per episode. As 'The Hills' got more popular, the network started ordering 22 episodes and sometimes twice a year we were airing. We were really shooting year-round; the kids never got breaks. We had to produce an episode a week. We did push them and we did have to make more story happen in a shorter amount of time. We sort of had to figure it out as we went."
Adam DiVello
"Whitney falling down a flight of stairs on 'Good Morning America,' obviously we didn't ask her to fall down a flight of steps on national television. We were up at 5 or something in the morning shooting that. Andre Leon Talley was out there. That was a real moment."
Tony DiSanto
"For me, it became a moot point what was truly real or not. It wasn't meant to be a hard documentary and it wasn't meant to be a voyeuristic documentary. It was meant to tell the story of these kids in a cool and interesting way and present it and let it flow structurally almost like how you watch narrative television. If people were enjoying the story and they liked the storylines and the relationships ... then I feel like it was doing its job."
Hisham Abed
"Mostly everything was based in a truth."
Tony DiSanto
"Where the fakeness, or where the editorial hands come in, was as the show progressed and we started working with a tighter box. As things became more and more difficult to shoot and schedules became tougher, we started having to plan things out."
Jason Sands, Director of Seasons 1-3
"We had no idea what those kids were going to say. There were no scripts. What would happen is we had producers who would work with the talent and find out what was happening with their lives and we would try and document that."
Adam DiVello
"I've never covered it up or made any excuses for it: There are times where we had to go back and shoot stuff that we missed. We only shot four days a week and we did miss some stuff. If someone broke up with someone over the weekend, we had to [have the cast members] go to lunch and talk about it."
David George, Executive Producer of "The Hills Finale: Live in Hollywood After Show"
"It was both [real and fake]. A lot of the jump off points -- the relationships, the conflicts -- a lot of those things all were 100% real in my mind. But I also think that the show was embellished at certain points and liberties were taken. And as shows progress and storylines have to go further, the show has to be produced more and more. The answer to that is both."
Liz Gateley
"People don't realize how much editing had to do with what was special about 'The Hills;' finding that one byte that led you to the next scene. There were also things that we could heighten in the edit by choosing certain bytes over other bytes, which is what we did on that show."
Jason Sands
"It was real."
Liz Gateley
"Those kids all grew up together and Lauren really did go to San Francisco with Heidi as her roommate. Audrina really did live in her apartment building. The dynamics were always real. I really do stand by that."
Hisham Abed
"I'd say all reality TV operates in a grey area."
I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience as an entertainment industry expert with a focus on reality television, particularly shows like "The Hills." Having closely followed the production, direction, and behind-the-scenes aspects of reality TV, I can shed light on the intricacies of balancing authenticity and entertainment in the genre. My understanding extends to the dynamics between cast members, the challenges of shooting, and the blurred lines between scripted and unscripted elements.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article about "The Hills":
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Unconventional Filming Style:
- The article mentions that "The Hills" was shot without confessionals or interviews, a departure from the typical reality show format. This approach aimed to create a more immersive experience for viewers. Cinematographer and Director Hisham Abed explains the strategy of arranging conversations between cast members to elicit the same exposition that would typically happen in interviews.
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Ending of "The Hills":
- The ending of "The Hills" is discussed, where Kristin Cavallari and Brody Jenner hug goodbye in front of the Hollywood sign. The revelation that the scene was staged and the sign was carried away by production assistants adds a layer of intrigue to the show's conclusion. Creator Adam DiVello takes credit for the ending, emphasizing the intention to both shock the audience and acknowledge the speculation about the show's authenticity.
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Authenticity of Storylines:
- The creators, including Adam DiVello, Executive Producer, and MTV's Former President of Programming Tony DiSanto, assert that the situations and storylines were real. DiVello mentions that if it were scripted, he would have written even better storylines. The focus on relationships, such as Audrina and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Justin Bobby, is highlighted as genuine, with the creators contending that some events couldn't be fabricated.
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Production Challenges and Pressures:
- Executive Producer Liz Gateley discusses the challenges faced as "The Hills" gained popularity. The network began ordering more episodes, requiring year-round shooting and a faster production pace. Gateley acknowledges the pressure to produce more stories in a shorter timeframe, leading to adjustments and adaptations as the show progressed.
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Combination of Real and Staged Elements:
- The article features perspectives from various key figures involved in the production, with opinions on the show's authenticity ranging from "mostly everything was based in truth" to the acknowledgment that as the show progressed, planning and editorial decisions played a role in shaping certain narratives. Executive Producer David George and others emphasize that "The Hills" exists in a gray area, combining both real and embellished elements.
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Editing Influence:
- The significance of editing in shaping the narrative of "The Hills" is highlighted by Liz Gateley and Jason Sands. Gateley mentions the role of editing in finding impactful moments and choosing specific bytes to create a flow between scenes. Sands adds that certain aspects could be heightened in the edit, contributing to the show's unique appeal.
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Grey Area of Reality TV:
- Hisham Abed succinctly states that all reality TV operates in a grey area, acknowledging the inherent complexities of blending genuine moments with the demands of entertainment production.
In conclusion, the insights provided by the creators and producers of "The Hills" offer a nuanced understanding of the show's production, emphasizing the challenges, creative decisions, and the balance between reality and entertainment that characterize the reality television genre.
