First episode link: http://gossiponthis.com/2016/02/03/video-watch-people-v-oj-simpson-american-crime-story-episode-1/
The pilot episode starts off with TV reports and footage of people rioting. This whole sequence is very important to show us the problems with police in the United States, and problems with violence between the police and African Americans. Watching the whole series I realise why this first sequence is so important.It shows us that the police system in the US was so corrupt and they would often get the outcome of a case wrong. This is a huge part of what inspired me for my film. Police misconduct is a problem throughout the world and something I wanted to touch on in my film. In the process of screenwriting for this opening scene they would have made the purposeful choice to use this in the opening scene to give the whole series more emphasis. It's something your rely on through every scene in the film. It makes you think "Is what they are saying to or are they trying to manufacture this for their own benefit?"
I find the next part of the show interesting as the conversation is so natural between OJ and the taxi driver. Its natural dialogue between two people, nothing special. However I find this scene sticks in my mind as the undertone of the music, its a very soft spooky track that gives the suggestion that something is wrong. Whilst screenwriting they must have made sure that the dialogue was free flowing and normal and whilst in editing they would have made sure the music fits just right so it gives that sense of mystery.
Whilst the police search the house they are still unsure who's house it is, they stumble across a statue of OJ but to some viewers (Like myself) it didn't mean much as he wasn't a big name in the UK so we would not have known who the statue was of. The first sense we get that he is famous is then the police ask a guy who lived in a small sub-house if OJ is home. He is referred to as "MR" meaning we now know he is of importance. It's a subtle line from the screenplay but is important to some viewers who may not know who he is.
"He didn't ask how she died" Is the first punch line from one of the detectives. This links back to the opening sequence, are they trying to frame him straight away? Or is it simple thoughts through any case? I find this line so important because for some viewers it could possibly make them loose faith in the detectives. This influenced my work in a way that I knew the dialogue has to be gripping, a big punch line here and there can really help the story move along. In my story I have added the subtle plot twist that Ricky's dad is a police officer that is helping frame Adrian, but I have only mentioned that could be related through a few lines in the text.
"What where you doing at Simpsons" Marcia Clark (Who will end up being the Lead Prosecutor) asks one of the detectives. I think it's a great line once again as it reverts back to the opening sequence. It seems to add a little part of confusion to us that the police are trying to push something that may or may not be true. Marcia know what the police have done in the past and I think its a great subtle way of making the viewer think twice about each thing they see and hear.
A part later on in the first episode where they show a note about (50:20) they are doing the famous "show not tell" even though you are still reading it we are immersed in what has been written. OJ Simpson's suicide not is very very important as it shows how insane he is going. I think this a great example of "show not tell" that Steve kept telling us about and that inspired me to make sure I only use dialogue when I absolutely need to.
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