How reality TV shows cast the right people

How do you find the perfect person for a reality show? We spoke to the casting director for Queer Eye (and a ton of other shows) to find out.

Danielle Gervais is the Emmy-winning casting director for Netflix’s Queer Eye (and she and her team are nominated this year as well). In addition to the hit series, she’s cast everything from Pawn Stars to Wife Swap.

Vox’s Phil Edwards spoke to her about what it takes to find the right people at the center of each episode: the “heroes” that the show’s core cast give a makeover (or, in Danielle’s words, a “make better”).

It’s not just her and her team sitting in an audition room. After hashing out story themes and location for the new season, they’ll hit the ground in their new setting (in normal circumstances) and try to find the perfect people to feature on the show. Extensive interviews and background checks help finish the project — and the result of all that hard work is an hour of seamless entertainment, with a perfect star at the center.

Check out Danielle's IMDb page here:

[rojona]

This piece does a good job of showing how reality shows are not particularly "real". They're preconceived and cast as much as scripted shows with a much lower bill for talent. Why pay actors when you don't have to?

[samanthamari]

i love how everyone in the comments are noticing the immaculate editing

[lackofwords]

Editor went ham on this... the single tear at the end pushed it over, made me chuckle

[hjewkes]

Whoever did the graphics / editting on this one really nailed that “Searching” style. Its really well done and fits the content great!
Stealing from Joseph M.'s comment, but props to Story editor: Bridgett Henwood, Art director: Estelle Caswel

[missbeafromnyc]

Yes, that is indeed me in the thumbnail. How’d you get that?

[leecalmdown]

This really shows that “unscripted television/programming” is a more accurate term than “reality television”.

[Frame]

Editing the medieval paintings in a 2000s computer graphic way was SOOO creative!!

[josephm.]

I love the editing style. I have never seen anything like it before.
Story editor: Bridgett Henwood
Art director: Estelle Caswel

[laserspewpew]

Who edited this?? They did such a good job, the video is so much more entertaining in this style

[nakenmil]

alternate title: "How to manufacture conflict."

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Let’s face it, Total Drama Island is the best reality show out there. *I have spoken*

[fingermand]

So they're really not gonna talk about deliberately casting toxic people...

[zaennik]

I just hope the editor gets a raise, he certainly deserves it

[flipmaya]

That frenchtuck.gif on the corner was gold

[florian_prokop]

How to make a visually interesting piece during corona times

[jessetorres]

"There is no good way to tell your spouse you want to go on Wife Swap."
-Homer Simpson

[whistlingbanshee]

I was on one of these reality shows. They really do ask a lot of questions. And theyre so aggressively friendly, you can't help but open up to them.

[CatchMeUp]

"Rootable" means something very different in Australia.

[vincelamb]

Vox has a nomination for Outstanding New Approaches: Arts, Lifestyle and Culture at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards for "We Measured Pop Music's Falsetto Obsession." Based on the comments to this video, I wouldn't be surprised if this video earns a nomination in that category next year.

[sujindura]

How movies pick up songs for their soundtrack ?