1. Nothing is ever "scripted", but some shows are certainly more heavily produced than others.
2. "Unscripted" is a lot more of an accurate description than "reality".
3. And if two people are arguing, the producers will engineer scenes where they have to face off.
4. Producers also tend to ask provocative questions during to-camera interviews to get good quotes.
5. And sometimes producers will suggest dialogue for the characters in scenes, but it's usually pretty easy to tell when this happens.
6. If a character doesn't really want to say a line given to them, the producers can usually manipulate them into saying something that can be later edited to have a different meaning.
7. But it's not edited to fuck with the audience, it's just to make it a more enjoyable show.
8. A lot of scenes have to be shot more than once.
9. Camera operators have to be really fit, as they're running after people, carrying big-ass cameras.
10. The crew and cast of a show never really mingle.
11. Camera operators have been known to save certain "adult" video files ~for personal enjoyment~.
12. You get to go to some really cool places you'd never otherwise get to see, but half the time it's pretty boring work.
13. Product placement sucks, but it's how money is made in a world where everyone skips through the ads.
14. If it's a competition show with a prize, the winner has to be legit.
15. It can be so boring for editors to go through HOURS and HOURS of footage to find something juicy.
16. Because on shows like The Bachelor where everyone's in the same house all the time, about 75% of the footage isn't even used.
17. Knowing the right people is much more likely to get you a job than going to film school.
18. Reality shows are a LOT cheaper to produce than scripted shows, so don't expect them to be disappearing any time soon.
19. And most cast members have to undergo psych evaluations before shooting begins.
This post was created with information found in various Reddit AMA threads.