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6
Narrative Challenge
• Story vs Vignette• Crafting a dramatic
structure• Story Type Examples
– Biopic– Event
• Hurricane Katrina
– Specific conflict• Crime or invention
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Character
• Human vs Fictional– Human
• complex motivations, may not appear sympathetic
– Fictional Character• Simple• Sympathetic or Intriguing• Clear motivation• Character Arc
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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?
14
Competing MoviesCompeting Movies
• The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom (1993)– HBO
• Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992)– ABC
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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
• 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
3131
AssignmentsAssignments
Lesson 9: Part III
Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal (2008)Tom Mcloughlin (dir.)
Teena Booth (written by)
32
E-Board Post #1E-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
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