What's the difference, does it matter, and how has the explosion of reality television programming affected documentary filmmaking? What does the fact that documentary films continue to have difficulty at the box office while reality television consumption is at an all-time high say about our profession, our culture? New technology seems more than ever to give documentaries some of the gloss we associate with television. How does the money and competitive structure of TV affect character performance (doc subjects rarely get kickbacks). Where do the lines blur between authenticity and staging? And what about the line between being aware of the camera and playing for the camera? What’s the difference between reenactment and constructing scenarios? The idea of “real” may lure people in, but just how real is what they see?

Panelists include: Bob DeBitetto, A&E Network and Bio Channel; Bill Hayes, Figure 8 Films;  Lynne Kirby, Independent Television Programmer;  Ivy Meeropol, filmmaker Heir to An Execution,  The Hill; among others.