Script

Projector: Title Page “Fact in Fiction Film and the American Dream” Including generic pictures from three key films and a quote ‘… bring us closer to that remote era…’ (Item 12)

Presenter: Fact in fiction film is a very popular genre that is becoming more and more apparent in modern day cinema. The American dream continues to be a social topic within all genres of films. However, including this ‘idea’ within a film based on truth allows an audience to feel they have a true representation and therefore making the film a vehicle of promotion. Adapting real events for the big screen reveals many problems but also lots of opportunity; with no boundaries on how many alterations they can make, directors come across the problem of either creating a film true to the event or most effective on an audience.

Clip: ‘Facemash and the Algorithm’ Scene from The Social Network (Item 3) - 3’49”

Projector: List of points being covered in the presentation

·      Biographical Film

·      Social Issues in Film

·      The American Dream

·      Fact in Fiction

·      Impact Of and On the Audience

·      Conclusion

Projector: “Biopic Film”

Projector: “It’s been around for a long time” Posters of all the 2016 best picture nominees

Presenter:  Studying the origin of biographical film helps me to understand my topic fully. I am very aware that fact in fiction films is not a modern genre of film due to the first successful biopic being released in 1933 (item 10). However, through my initial research of my topic I know that biographical films are a very popular genre for film makers. An estimated 50 biographical films have been released in the UK this year alone (Item 10) One of these then went on to gain the Oscar for best picture being Spotlight, and out of all the nominees for best picture (8) 4 of them were biographical. This tells me that as a genre it is highly respected also very popular among film makers and the critics. By finding out this information in biopic films it helps me to analyse and develop my topic further as I can gain a fuller understanding into what and why a biographical film is than just a moving image.

Projector: “Social Issues In Film”

Presenter: Each of my chosen film has chosen to use the American Dream as an underlying theme throughout. For The Social Network and Apollo 13 in particular the idea of the American dream is very present whether through achievement such as the youngest billionaire in the world (Mark Zuckerberg) or an organisation (NASA). Titanic’s portrayal of the American dream is more subtle simply shown mainly through the character of Jack Dawson and the partly on the whole voyage of the Titanic.

Clip: “Re-entry” from Apollo 13 (Item 2) – 5’49”

Projector: “The American Dream”

Projector: “Fact In Fiction”

Projector: “Blurring and Merging”

Presenter: In each of the films I have chosen to study actors are portraying the real people from the events. As a result of this Apollo 13 and The Social Network are blurring the line between fact and fiction. By having no fictional characters in either of the films the directors have decided to keep the fact as true as possible simply through the real people. This brings up the idea that _________________________________

Projector: “Titanic’s Reel and Real” (Item 8)

Presenter: However, in Titanic James Cameron decided to merge fact and fiction through the characters in his film. Creating a fictional love story between two fictional characters but putting them in the mix with real people from the time James Cameron is allowing himself to more easily input his own artistic license.

Projector: “Effect of Blurring and Merging”

Projector: “Impact Of and On the Audience”

Clip: “I’ll never let go Jack” from Titanic (Item 1)

Presenter: I will explore what effect the audience have on the making of a biopic film and what effect a biopic film has on an audience and why. Having such scenes as the opening to Titanic it shows the forensic filmmaking undertaken by a director to keep the ‘magic’ of a film and however not the whole truth is always used in these biopic films (Item 11) and this therefore creates the question of why for over 100 years the consumers and critics enjoy watching fact in fiction films so much.

Projector: “Conclusion”