How to Make a Biopic — Filmmakers weigh on the intricacies of writing, casting, and directing biopics, including the difficulties of balancing fact and fiction, finding the right actors, and more.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Biopics
00:59 - What Is A Biopic?
02:48 - Chapter 1: Writing a Biopic
07:41 - Chapter 2: Casting for a Biopic
14:15 - Chapter 3: Shooting a Biopic
20:28 - Takeaways

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HOW TO MAKE A BIOPIC

Hollywood loves spectacular stories, regardless of whether they’re born out of the imagination or taken from real life. In fact, the biopic (biographical picture) has been a staple of filmmaking from the beginning. In this video, we will let some of the best filmmakers share their philosophies and insights into what makes a great biopic, including their approaches to writing, casting, and directing.

HOW TO WRITE A BIOPIC

Perhaps the first step in writing a biopic is deciding the timeframe of your subject’s life. In some cases, their entire life might be summed up in a 2-hour film, and in other cases, it could be a single event. Then, the writer must decide how to frame the subject — perhaps to mythologize an unknown historical figure or humanize a larger-than-life musician.

BIOPIC CASTING

For most biopics, casting the right actor for the role is a balancing act between matching the physical appearance and capturing the essence of the subject. For example, Oliver Stone cast Anthony Hopkins in Nixon because of his ability to give the audience access to an otherwise inscrutable figure. For Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan took an interesting approach by casting A-list actors in roles with little screen time in order to give those minor characters dramatic weight in the story instantly.

HOW TO DIRECT A BIOPIC

Even though a real story about a real person is what we expect from a biopic, their stories don’t always have to be given a realistic presentation. Some filmmakers, like Spike Lee, for his biopic Malcolm X, wanted to use film language to give the film an epic quality. On the other hand, when Spielberg directed Schindler’s List, he wanted a more personal, grounded experience and avoided some of the most sensational techniques from his previous work.

Biopic movies are sometimes written off as formulaic or “awards bait,” but it’s all in how you approach the task. There is just as much opportunity to tell the same spectacular stories that audiences crave using material from the world around us. What makes a great biopic is a team of filmmakers who understand their subject and the cinematic language necessary to tell their story.


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♬ SONGS USED:

“I Don’t Care” - James Brown
“The Room (Main Theme) - Mladen Milicevic
“Moonshine” - Alexandre Desalt
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“Bullwinkle Pt II” - The Centurions
“A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood Main Theme” - Nate Heller & Tim Davies
“Mank Original Score” - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Tonya Suite” - Cliff Richards
“Liberation Begins” - A.R. Rahman
“Studio B” - Matthew Margeson
“Convulsion” - Mark Bradshaw
“Hand Covers Bruise” - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Fly Away Weave” - Elliot Wheeler
“Hong Kong Garden” - Siouxsie & The Banshees (cover)
“The Wind Rises Suite No. 2” - Joe Hisaishi
“So Sorry” - Pitfall
“Doing Alright” - Smile
“Growing Up In Whittier” - John Williams
“Fission” - Ludwig Göransson
“Intriguing Possibilities” - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Magnetic”
“Ignazu” - Gustavo Santaolalla
“Tempest”
“Dawn Of The Truth” - Lisa Gerrard Pieter Bourke
“Ballad of A Thin Man” - Stephen Malkmus, The Million Dollar Bashers
“Moonlight Serenade” - Glen Miller
“Barracuda” - Heart
“Back To The Cell” - Graham Reynolds
“Florida” - Alexandre Desplat
“Mr. Lugosi Hypno Theme” - Howard Shore
“Final Speech” - Jason Moran
“Opening Credits (Malcolm X)” - Terence Blanchard
“Score Suite” - Nate Heller & Tim Davies
“Main Theme I” - Shigeru Umebayashi Nathaniel
“Angora” - Howard Shore

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