On January 15, the Guild held its annual event for the DGA Award Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs. Presented by the DGA Reality TV Committee, the evening was a celebration of the work of Directors Matthew Bartley (The Biggest Loser, “Episode #1501”), Neil P. DeGroot (72 Hours, “The Lost Coast”), Paul Starkman (Top Chef, “Glacial Gourmand”), J. Rupert Thompson (The Hero, “Teamwork”), and Bertram van Munster (The Amazing Race, “Beards in the Wind”).
In his welcoming message, DGA Secretary-Treasurer Michael Apted, who served as the moderator, observed how much the Reality genre has grown, commended all the nominees on their work, and introduced a clip package featuring all five nominated productions. After the clips, nominees Bartley, DeGroot, Thompson, and van Munster each came forward and spoke briefly about their work and the challenges of directing Reality programs. Nominee Starkman was unable to attend.
The event was followed by a reception where DGA members and guests mingled with the nominees.
The DGA Reality TV Committee is co-chaired by Directors Craig Borders and Bryan O’Donnell. The members of the Reality TV Host Committee are Brad Bishop, John Bravakis, Kathleen Burns, Ed Horwitz, Dan Murphy, Jim Roush, Glenn Stickley, and Sam Zoda.