Elaine Frontain Bryant ’90, senior vice president for non-fiction programming on the A&E network, returned to campus in February to share insights into the television industry. With titles such as “Duck Dynasty,” “Storage Wars” and “Paranormal State” to her credit, Bryant is a leading executive in reality TV. More than 50 film-television-digital media (FTDM) majors at the department’s Leaders in Media Conference listened to her workshops on how a hit show is developed and the financial realities of non-fiction programming.

How did you get from TCU into the television industry? I had an internship in Dallas the summer I got out of school at TCU. The woman I worked with there was moving to L.A., so I went there. I started in the mail room at a studio. Then I got into Disney in their TV department and eventually their movies. That’s where I met my husband. He was transferred to New York, so I moved with him. I knocked on a ton of doors and found a mentor. That’s one of the messages I want these TCU students to get is how crucial it is to find a mentor who can teach you, shape you, guide you.

So start small, be willing to do anything and find a mentor — that’s the secret? Yes, that’s exactly right. You may think Gee, I’m out of college, and I’m just filling a person’s mail slot, but you never know how you are going to meet people. It’s all about your attitude and your openness.

Reality television is popular because … ? The truth can be stranger than fiction sometimes. There are characters that you almost wouldn’t believe what exists out there.

Why didn’t reality TV catch on sooner? Reality TV has been around a long time, but it was mostly daytime stuff. In 2000, when the actors were going to strike, producers went whole hog on this. It was cheaper, and they didn’t need the actors. It really started from there. The first Survivor came out in 2000. From there, they realized that they were spending a fraction of what they spent on scripted shows, and people were watching it just the same.

Why does reality TV seem to resonate with the public so much? It’s real-life games or something that inspires them, like Storage Wars or Barter Kings. And people think, I could do that. Shipping Wars is a show about people who have a license to haul stuff. That’s easy. You don’t need a bunch of training for that. They bid against each other to ship things for money. It opens new worlds, new opportunities for people. And there’s all kind of “in” points for people. “Project Runway,” “Biggest Loser” and “Duck Dynasty” are all that kind of show. You can get sucked into their world. The down economy helped a few years back with shows like “Cash in the Attic” and “Pawn Stars.” What might you be sitting on that could make you rich? It connects or it doesn’t. We have a lot of hits and a lot of failures.

Is now a good time for students to break into the TV industry? Yes, in good times and bad times, people want entertainment. It’s harder to break through now, to find the next hit that’s going to resonate. But there’s a ton of jobs out there. I produce 375 hours of original programming a year.

Is the lifespan of reality TV indefinite? I hope so. It will evolve again. It’s important to see and understand trends. If “Pawn Stars” and “Storage Wars” got hot because of the recession, what will be big now that the economy is starting to come back? If there’s scary stuff in the world, they’ll hug on to a “Duck Dynasty,” a family that loves each other, has values that are timeless and can live off the land. My job is understanding the zeitgeist. Even if it’s entertainment I have to find out what is  going to speak subliminally and make people want to watch.