11 Lecture 9: Stranger than Fiction Professor Daniel Cutrara

2 Previous Lesson Intro to TV The Bible Alias

3 This Lesson True Stories The Positively True… Assignments

44 True Stories Lesson 9: Part I

5 Popularity of True Stories Marketable Television Film Reality Television

6 Narrative Challenge Story vs Vignette Crafting a dramatic structure Story Type Examples –Biopic –Event Hurricane Katrina –Specific conflict Crime or invention

7 Character Human vs Fictional –Human complex motivations, may not appear sympathetic –Fictional Character Simple Sympathetic or Intriguing Clear motivation Character Arc

8 Dramatic Structure Dramatic License –3 or 7 Act structure –Adding story where needed –Eliminating unnecessary characters –Adapting story so that it has the requisite twists and turns –Inciting Incident, Reversals, Climax, Resolution. –Bringing closure when there isn’t.

9 How True is the Story? True Story –Highest level of accuracy Based on Inspired by Suggested by –Mainly fiction

10 The Rights Public Domain –Free to use-- court transcripts, copyright expired, celebrity doings –Not free to use-- Private diaries, journals, Seeking Rights –Contacting the correct people Where did you learn about story? Optioning –What can you offer? –Contingencies based on eventual sale.

11 Point of View Multiple Points of View –The Amy Fisher Story Objective POV –Casualties of Love Buttafuoco’s POV, fatally attracted teenager –Lethal Lolita– Amy Fisher: My Story Amy’s POV, victim of incest, dragged into affair and prostitution

12 Evaluating The Concept Where does it fit- Network, Cable, Feature? Casting- Who will it attract? Has it been done before? Is the story high profile? Is the story external or internal? What is the scope of the story?

13 The Positively True… Lesson 9: Part II

14 Competing Movies The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom (1993) –HBO Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992) –ABC 14

15 Positively True Director: Michael Ritchie –The Candidate, Fletch, Golden Child Writer: Jane Anderson –TV Writer, episodes for Raising Miranda, The Facts of Life

16 Award Winning Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or a Special- Jane Anderson Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special- Holly Hunter Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special- Beau Bridges

17 What’s the take? Pause the Lecture and watch the first clip from The Positively True…. –What’s the tone of the piece? –How is this accomplished?

18 Concept Placing a true story into a comedic world. “Documentary” as frame story Critiquing the “true story” genre

19 Tone and Genre Black Comedy –Flawed characters Satire –Social critique Self-Reflexive –Critiques its own genre

20 The Characters Mothers and Daughters –Wanda Holloway Driven –Shanna Typical teenager, gains popularity from trial –Verna Heath Driven –Amber Typical teenager Frankie Ingrassia

21 Twinning Pause the lecture and watch the second clip from The Positively True... –How are the mothers and daughters portrayed? –How does this effect the meaning of the narrative?

22 Twinning (Cont’d) Throughout the film the mothers and daughters are shown as twinning. Both mothers live through their daughters. They both have similar attitudes, about the other “couple”. This adds a layer of complexity to Wanda’s action. Holly Hunter

23 Characters (Cont’d) C.D. Holloway –The passive husband Tony Harper –The ex-husband Terry Harper –The “bad” brother-in-law Marla Harper –The crazy sister-in-law Beau Bridges

24 The Structure- Act One Act One –Opening Hook The Documentary- Frame Story –Dilemma- Wanda wants Shanna to be a Cheerleader –Terry and Marla’s Story Introduced Terry trying to turn his life around –Turning Point Shanna Disqualified

25 Act Two –Wanda’s Epiphany –Wanda asks Terry to take out Verna –POV shifts to Terry –Terry must decide whether or not to help –Terry sets up Wanda Interesting ethical question raised– would she have followed through without his support? –Wanda arrested

26 Act Three Overturning Expectations –Media Frenzy begins Expecting the trial –The Trial Expecting more –The Resolution Self-reflexive, open- ended

27 Self-Reflexive Pause the lecture and watch the third clip from The Positively True... –What deal is being made? –How does this comment on the narrative?

28 The Writer as Herself The Media Frenzy Competition for the rights. The writer playing herself The ending of the movie hasn’t been written yet.

29 The Brilliance of Positively Recognizing the absurdity of real life circumstances. In effect, truth stranger than fiction. –Adopting the tone –Critiquing itself

30 The Wrap Up Stranger than Fiction The appeal of True Stories The challenge of telling them The brilliance of Positively True

31 Assignments Lesson 9: Part III Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008) Tom Mcloughlin (dir.) Teena Booth (written by)

32 E-Board Post #1 Final Project Proposals. Post a short synopsis of the script you will doing coverage on- and why you think it should be made. Post a 200 word proposal for a feature treatment or TV Bible. Comment on two of your peers

33 End of Lecture 9 End of Lecture 9 Next Lecture: Cable: It’s not just TV Deadwood (2004) David Milch (Creator)