Finding the “Story” in True Stories

ABOUT THE WEBINAR Some of the best and most successful movies of all time were based on or inspired by true events. Not only have these events captured an audience’s emotions but they have also become more than history—they’ve become a great story. What are the key elements a movie must have to capture an audience, and how does a writer apply their craft to such material, while respecting and sticking to “the truth”? Beginning his career as an assistant at Tom Hanks’ production company, Erik Bork got his big break when Mr. Hanks asked him to help with the creation of an HBO miniseries about the Apollo space program – in the wake of Mr. Hanks’ hit movie Apollo 13. Having to learn on the fly, in a genre very foreign to him, Erik found himself helping to outline, then write, and finally produce what became 1998’s Emmy-winning From the Earth to the Moon. Lessons learned on this project led to deals for Erik to write several other “true story” adaptations, some of which were never produced