Kriti Mehrotra
There’s no denying that Netflix has always kept us entertained by airing one intriguing production after the other, but it truly broke all bounds with ‘Byron Baes‘ — its first Australian docu-soap. After all, it revolves around a group of artists, content creators, and entrepreneurs as they navigate life in the beautiful coastal town of Byron Bay to give us an inside look into their daily experiences. However, if we’re being honest, with the sheer drama present at every step of the way, we can’t help but wonder how much of the show is real – if at all – so let’s uncover the details, shall we?
Is Byron Baes Real or Scripted?
Although ‘Byron Baes’ has only been billed as a reality series since the moment it was first announced, there have been several speculations concerning its authenticity as well as morality. That’s owing to everything from the fact that many locals have denounced the production because it follows glamorous influencers rather than actual natives to the fact that some cast members have notable acting credits under their belt. Despite that, the stars have vehemently backed their work by insisting that every person, occasion, and emotion documented here are as natural as possible.
Amongst them is digital content creator Jade Kevin Foster, actually from the Gold Coast, who went as far as to shut down claims of the Netflix original being fake in an interview with Studio 10. “Look, I mean if I’m going to be honest once again, the show is 100% more real than all of the filler and Botox I have in my face, so that’s saying something!” he said. “The cameras are on us all the time, and [the producers] just found the best bunch of spinners that they could find because it just worked.” To this, Goldie musician Sarah St. James only added that they “got used” to having a camera in their face “pretty quickly.”
With that said, though, we have to mention that considering the number of resources utilized to bring about such a series together, producers likely pushed a few topics of conversations at particular times to ensure constant engagement. It may be during the cast’s one-on-one interview sessions or in real-time at group gatherings, but it’s all done to tape everyone’s narratives as dramatically as possible while still staying authentic. It’s kind of like the tweaking (not manufacturing) done in the post-production editing process to carefully reiterate the compelling aspects of an event or an individual again and again.
In other words, no cast members are given any directions or pre-penned lines that would make them act any different than who they are in front of the cameras. A simple example of this is Stav and Elle Watson’s entirely unexpected engagement, which was real despite what the cynics believe, as evidenced above. From what we can tell, the only facets primarily planned are thus the get-togethers the cast members curate, likely in collaboration with the producers to help them pinpoint drama and film the entire thing. But again, that doesn’t make ‘Byron Baes’ fake or scripted in any way, shape, or form.
Read More: Where Is Byron Baes Filmed?
