producer & director
my story
my book
press
rtv lectures

producer & director

Shannon Nering is a much-in-demand docu-reality producer and director, whose savant-like understanding of the genre, combined with her ability to create intimate bonds with her subjects, pays off in riveting television… and riveting reads: Reality Jane. Recent credits include Apres Ski for Bravo US and many of Canada's best reality shows: Love it or List it Vancouver, Bachelor, Real Housewives & Peak Season. Shannon cut her reality chops in LA producing on numerous shows from The Dr. Phil Show (Synd) to Bachelorettes in Alaska (Fox) to Race to the Altar (ABC). She began her broadcast career as an on-air host/reporter for CBC and continues to work on long-form documentary, such as Doczone's Mars & Venus Today.

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my story

Take a seat. I won’t spill all the gory details, but I will tell you where my passions lie, and I figure, why not do this by decade – I’ve earned each one of them!

first decade • wonder woman • gymnastics • cookies • kittens
The plan? I was to be a superhero spy, cart-wheeling my way to justice, whilst running my kitten farm & baking cookies with my beloved grandma. I spent a quarter of my time in a hand-stand or leaping from pony walls, fake-steering my parent’s MGB, and pumping the brakes wearing mom’s knee-high red boots; another quarter going to some sort of lesson (piano, voice, ballet); a quarter chasing, hugging, loving my Siamese cat Tip Dip as he dutifully sat in the stroller or on the carpet of my mock-schoolroom with a note-pad at his paws; and lastly, a quarter eating, prepping, cooking home-grown food with grandma and mom.

second decade • tumult • thirst for knowledge • freestyle • boys
Difficult and awkward sum up the first half of this decade (see next book). At age 10 my father was tragically killed in a car accident, this coloured the rest of my life. Unknowingly, I became a prime example of 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' The job of wonder woman taken, I decided I should be a lawyer, which morphed to politician, which morphed to entrepreneur (of what I was not sure), which settled on journalist. I spent my weekends skiing moguls & many school/hooky days too. Go Team Freestyle! But ultimately gave it up thanks to a serious back injury, my studies and a boyfriend (or two). Thankfully, I came to love university (BA Political Science, Mgmt Minor), and hungered for an adventurous career (fueled by Red Hots, Nachos and salad).

third decade • ambition • travel/adventure • health • television
With a few broken bones and a penchant for food (good & bad), I dug into my health and did my first ever liver cleanse at age 23 (they said: she crazy, but I may well have been ahead of my time). TV was to be my career and I pursued it large, creating, producing & hosting a talk show on Cable TV while studying broadcast journalism at SAIT, mulling dreams of reporting live from the front-lines of whatever global news hot-spot. I lived in Calgary, Denver, New York, Vancouver, & eventually settled in LA. In a matter of years, I went from in-front of the camera as a lifestyle/entertainment reporter & host to behind it, producing and directing on a fancy new genre of television: Reality TV.

fourth decade • career • babies & family • reinvention • yoga
My TV career blooming, great travel, fabulous friends, characters everywhere, savages too, tickets to fancy award shows, a job on a studio lot, it was all damn dreamy. Then husband material walked in and we decided to sow a family: first Tyde, then a big move to Vancouver, then Canyen. Babies. Love. Motherhood. The time came to redefine me, as mom/wife, as mom/author (it took seven years to write & publish Reality Jane), as mom/yogi (I became certified & created Shoga, a hybrid class of yoga and other physical disciplines), and as mom/try-to-do-it-all chick. This I’m still working on.

fifth decade • here • we • are!
I'm now in my 40s, where four decades of trials & tribulations, goodness too, come together. To form what? Perhaps a wonder woman of sorts. If I am, so many are. As you see, I am a TV producer and director, I am a nutritionist/health-nut (my entire life has been the study of food—aren’t we all foodies?), I am a writer, I am a yogini, I am a web-host (as I love a juicy conversation & the video medium) and most importantly, I am a mother. I love my family and here we are making the best life we can in Kauai, on a pineapple farm. Go team!

I guess I am many things, curiosity courses through my veins. With the disciplines I have dedicated my life to, I teach. Everything else, including and especially my chosen discipline, I am student... always.

my book

REALITY JANE

Set behind the scenes of America's most popular guilty pleasure--reality TV--Reality Jane delivers a high-spirited, delicious tale of finding love and a career in Hollywood while juggling lipo envy, single-hood angst, and the resounding results of success.

Reality Jane follows Jane Kaufman, a Canadian journalist who, because of a lucky connection, finds herself in LA as a producer on a hot new reality show. Mingling with rock stars, attending Grammy parties, and visiting the Sex Kitten Mansion, Jane sees her new career as a one-way ticket to the big-time! But for a small-town girl thrust into the cutthroat Hollywood scene, 90- hour work-weeks, heartless bosses, and superficial womanizers are a rude awakening.

Just when her love life seems at its bleakest, along come not one but two guys vying for her heart: hunky Alex, a hot up-and-coming reality show host, and Grant, a sweet, sincere cameraman who's unfazed by Hollywood fame. With a sizzling sex life on the horizon, and maybe even true love, Jane's fondest hopes seem prime for realization when she lands the cherry gig of all time: a producer post on TV's hottest new self-help talk show.

But the deeper Jane ventures into reality TV, the more completely un-real her life – personal and professional – becomes. And the realities of life behind-the-scenes - like goading people to confess their deepest darkest secrets on cue – are chipping away at her very soul.

Lead character (and narrator) Jane embodies the perfect blend of smart-ass sarcasm, weary cynicism, and hopeful romanticism to appeal to today's readers. She also possesses a biting, acerbic wit that casts devilish, laugh-out-loud observations on the Hollywood scene, which are sure to please celeb watchers and reality show junkies alike.

A hugely entertaining glimpse at the world of reality TV from one of its own, who's lived and breathed the business practically since its inception, Reality Jane is the chick-lit novel that reality TV junkies and chick-lit enthusiasts have long been waiting for.

press

The Current, CBC – Reality TV expert Shannon Nering defends her genre in this fascinating debate about the impact of off-the-wall shows like Honey Boo Boo.

The Rush, Shaw – As resident reality TV guest-expert, Shannon discusses the changing landscape of reality TV with Mike and Fiona.

North Shore News, Vancouver – Interview with Shannon on the release of her debut chick-lit novel Reality Jane.

CTV Morning Live – Shannon as Parenting Columnist.

The Province – Shannon’s launch party for her chick-lit novel, Reality Jane, with reporter Cat Barr.

Urban Rush – Shannon discusses working in Hollywood, behind-the-scenes reality TV and her brand-new book, Reality Jane.

NS Outlook – Reality Jane gives a behind the scenes look at reality TV.

U of C Gauntlet – Bending reality TV with Shannon Nering.

Drinks at Six - Reality Jane gives a fictional account of Reality TV, with some very real insights.

Doctor’s Wives Living – Shannon Nering is the ultimate reality show expert.

Prime Time Television Conference – Keeping it Real: Shannon appears as Reality TV Panel Expert for Prime Time Ottawa.

Vancouver Public Library – Shannon reads from Reality Jane and answers questions in the Alice McKay Room.

Grind & Gallery Coffee Bar – How to Keep Reality TV Real.

Breakfast Networking Meeting – Women in Film and TV Vancouver.

The Peak 102.7 FM – Reality Jane, National Reading Week, Cory Ashworth interviews Shannon on behind-the-scenes Hollywood.

St. John's International Film Festival – Shannon is Key Note Speaker: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Reality TV, Masonic Hall.

Macleans Magazine - So you want to be a Reality TV Director $150,000 per year.

rtv lectures

Having dedicated two decades of her life to making television, and telling stories for broadcast audiences across USA and Canada, it’s only fitting that Shannon share her craft. For years, she taught a “how-to reality TV” crash course to the bi-monthly graduating class at Vancouver Film School (VFS). The best part? Their questions. And having them answer: “Is it real or not?” They walked away with the beginnings of a path to a fascinating career; Shannon walked away inspired by another generation of story-tellers.

Shannon continues to share her unique insights to the world of RTV by contributing to various editorials, articles and panels. She is available for interviews & speaking engagements

 e. snering@shaw.ca