Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens

by DJ Cash Bar

In “Back Focus; My Life Behind the Reality Lens,” D.J. Cash Bar, an experienced Camera Operator, Director of Photography, and Director, peels back the curtain to reveal the tumultuous world of reality television. With two decades of experience in the industry, he has contributed to multiple Emmy-winning and nominated shows. D.J. Cash Bar has lived multiple lives, from air-conditioned soundstages to the jungles of South America. In this memoir, he turns the camera lens inward to focus on the hook ups and hook downs, black-out drinking, drugs, the specter of death, and clashes mixed with reconciliations projecting in the industry’s background long after final cut.

The memoir combines the captivating allure of “Kitchen Confidential” with the glitzy and cutthroat world of show business. Its chapters embody the essence of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” but spread out over twenty years. If you wonder, “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” D.J. Cash Bar will let you know Hollywood serves everything on earth. Unflinchingly honest, “Back Focus” takes you on a wild ride through the underbelly of reality television, where dreams are either realized or shattered in the relentless pursuit of artistic excellence.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2023

Reviews

[AEB Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I am a bit of a reality television fiend. I used to be worse, but having sat through an entire series of Love Island in 2018 and realised my whole summer of nightly viewing could be condensed down to a eight minute "best of" reel, that was when I knew something had to change. Of course, nothing would really change until 2022, after my friend and I went on binge viewing of Netflix's The Ultimatum. At 4am I was pumped full of iced tea and questions, mostly about myself.

It is because of my historic relationship with it that I have always remained fascinated by the history of reality television. Using their set nickname, "DJ Cash Bar" pens this no holds barred memoir, Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens. The camera operator, turned author, began their career in the early-mid noughties, during the often dubbed "Wild West" period of reality TV. Think There's Something About Miriam and Kid Nation, but before I Wanna Marry "Harry". It was around the dawn of reality television, where producers were still grappling with the genre and constantly pushing the boundaries (and budgets) to see what sticked with a growing viewership. Rules and safety were scarce and participant welfare was, in cases, non-existent.

Reading this memoir is both a fascinating and disturbing read, showcasing some of the challenging conditions placed on those working behind the scenes to churn out instant hits. The thirty hour working days and the ingrained abuse of drug and alcohol is to only but scratch the surface of the culture. As a memoir, it is well written and gives a lot of detail to the various productions the author-camera operator worked on. No colleagues or production titles are named directly, however the book contains enough crumbs to easily establish the full facts (alongside the production's associated on-screen controversies).

While a lot of exposure has been given in recent years to the experience of participants and "cast" on reality television, it feels only fair that those behind the lens get their turn too. Within Back Focus: My Life Behind the Reality Lens, there is no glitz or glamour, replaced instead with cold, sober truths and, somewhat ironically, the harsh reality of television production during the noughties.


AEB Reviews