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The cultural obsession with stories of real-life stories of mystery, justice and deception was spotlighted at Variety’s True Crime Summit presented by Investigation Discovery at SXSW on Friday.
The most influential voices in the true crime space lead the day’s programming, which included industry experts like Nancy Grace, who had a keynote conversation with Variety publisher, Dea Lawrence; Mary Robertson, who directed “Quiet on Set”; Natalie Morales, from CBS News’ “48 Hours”; and John Allen, the podcaster and YouTube star behind “MrBallen.” Over the course of the summit, panelists covered everything from where they begin their investigations to how producers decide on a story.
Here are the key takeaways from the event.
The Booming Business of True Crime Storytelling
Industry executives from Sony Music Entertainment, Audible, Inside Edition and more gathered to explore the popularity of the genre, how to connect with audiences and what sets projects apart, diving into the early stages of finding stories, how to secure sources and how to make your project standout — even if the story has already been told.
Texas Crew Productions Co-Founder and CEO David Karabinas discussed the differences between adapting a story for a podcast versus television; “It becomes not only is it a great story, but do we have the elements to really tell it,” he said. This includes things like archival tape and the right number of sources; people who can speak to both sides of the story.
Kate Navin, head of creative development for North America for Audible, explained how important it is to have a goal in mind when telling a true crime story. “Are you trying to solve the case? Are you trying to introduce the crime to the world? Are you trying to humanize the issue? That helps you answer, ‘Do I have the right ingredients to do this story well?’ And I think when we talk about true crime, we really narrow [in] on that reason why. If we’re gonna make people listen to this thing that is traumatic or rough, do we have a good reason to do so.”
Fireside Chat with John Allen (MrBallen) Host, Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories
John Allen, the host and creator of the phenomenon that is “MrBallen’s Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories,” sat down with Variety’s Kate Aurthur to discuss just how huge the YouTube channel (which has now expanded to Instagram, TikTok and even a series of graphic novels) has become.
Part of his success is due to Allen’s tried and true format, notably that he is the one telling the stories. “We have this sort of model that works, and we’ve seen it be very successful,” Allen said. “People really come to expect a type of story, even if they don’t know it. There is a method to how a MrBallen story sounds, looks and feels. And if you deviate too much from that known commodity, you begin to lose your core audience.”
It doesn’t mean you should never evolve, Allen added, but there is something to be said for “don’t fix what isn’t broken.”
How ID’s Docbusters are Redefining the True Crime Genre
The minds behind “Quiet on Set,” “House of Hammer,” “The Fall of Diddy,” “The Cult Behind the Killer,” the “Lost Women” franchise and more spoke about ID’s ‘Docbuster’ programming strategy and the importance of keeping those impacted central to the story.
In what can be a sensationalist content format, Momentum Content CEO and Founder Christina Douglas explained how important it is to let sources lead: “Keeping them in the center of your mind when you’re thinking about how you’re going to craft this story is the way you’re going to make sure that you honor them and their experience.”
The docuseries format was also a point of conversation, with Jason Sarlanis, president of TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID & HLN, Linear & Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, explaining how the rise of streaming is allowing docuseries to flourish. “It means there’s unlimited real estate,” he said. “It’s about letting the story dictate the length, not, a show clock [or] an ad break.”
“It has enabled us to tell stories simply put with more detail and more complexity and more nuance,” added Mary Robertson, founder and president of Maxine Productions, who directed “Quiet on Set.”
Closer Look at “The Red Weather”
“Boy Meets World” actor and filmmaker Rider Strong took to the stage to go deep on “The Red Weather,” his fictional true-crime narrative mystery that blends elements of his own upbringing. Strong, fascinated by true crime himself, created a his show so as to not fall into the exploitation he often heard on other podcasts.
“There was a series of podcasts that came out where it would be sort of like a guy — it was always a guy — who was like, ‘I’m gonna solve this crime that I had nothing to do with,’” said Strong. “Even if they were entertaining, I found that stance kind of repellent and problematic.”
From working on his own podcast, Strong discussed how he’s much more aware of just how structured — and manipulative — true crime content can be, for better or worse.
“I’m very aware of when true crime is intentionally withholding stuff just for the sake of more episodes,” said Strong. “And now I can see that structure perfectly. I think it’s helpful. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think that that’s actually a valuable skill. But I’m very aware of when I’m being manipulated.”
True Crime TV Fan Favorites
Various minds behind hit true crime TV shows sat down with Variety’s Emily Longeretta to discuss how producers decide on content topics, balancing searching for the truth and paying respect to the victims and their families.
The panel emphasized the importance of humanizing true crime content, with Jane Lipsitz, executive producer of “Homicide: NY,” explaining that the show chose to explore how 9/11 shaped detectives’ lives in addition to focusing on the victims. Similarly, the show “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy,” created by Patrick MacManus, focused on the serial killer’s victims’ lives and identities beyond the crimes.
Beth Karas, host and legal analyst behind the “Curious Case of…” series, added that her team tends to get hooked by the finer details in cases before investigating the whole story together. “We’re not looking for murder cases. We’re looking for stories that sometimes you just don’t know what the truth is,” said Karas.
The panel also discussed the ethical balance between storytelling and respecting real-life tragedy. “You know, pretty much from the beginning, who are more comfortable with telling a gruesome story, and you have to come to terms with being respectful of people who are more sensitive, obviously still grieving. It’s really about taking the lead from the detectives, the victims, the victim’s family and their friends and letting them lead the narratives,” said Lipsitz.
Breaking Through True Crime at SXSW
The directors behind various true crime projects premiering at SXSW spoke to Variety’s Kate Aurthur about the creative processes behind their individual projects, including the incorporation of technology and gaining their subjects’ trust.
Jennifer Holness and Sydney Freeland discussed their film “While Black,” which explores how technology, especially social media, can turn witnesses into accidental activists. Focusing on the emotional toll and public scrutiny their subjects, Darnella Frazier and Diamond Reynolds, faced for documenting the deaths of George Floyd and Philando Castile, respectively, the creators stressed the importance of communicating with their interviewees, and “avoiding exploitative tropes.”
Patricia Gillespie’s feature documentary “#SkyKing” also relies on technology, using previously unheard air-traffic recordings to tell the story of Richard Russell, a Seattle airport worker who stole a plane and died after a 70-minute flight. The film focuses on Russell’s family listening to them for the first time, with Gillespie saying, “I think I came into a family that felt very critically observed and felt they weren’t able to participate in the narrative around their loved one and this horrible thing that had happened to them. A lot of my job really was about listening and trying to hear. ‘What do you want to say? What didn’t you get to say?’”
Filmmaker Rachel Mason relied on the power of community when exploring the unsolved 1990 murder of gay adult film actor Billy London in her documentary, “My Brother’s Killer.” “It just felt so important to get deeper and deeper and deeper into the story,” said Mason. “We, over time as a community, started to piece together the story. And this film details how a community came together to solve the murder, and the murder did get solved.”
Bayan Joonam’s film, “Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero,” was also a long-term project, with Joonam forming a friendship with Jones while portraying his story as a real-life “superhero” whose crime-fighting persona clashed with his later arrest for drug dealing, raising questions about heroism and identity. “I wanted to make this a contribution in a way to the superhero genre by saying, you know, “Here’s a real person who went out there, actually tried to fight crime, did the whole nine yards, and then here are the consequences of what happens when you really try to do that, and the complications, and the devastation that happens on the other side,” said Joonam.
Chloe Rochereuil discussed her virtual reality short film/interactive podcast, “Crafting Crimes: The Mona Lisa Heist,” which reconstructed historical crimes by using miniature dioramas, offering viewers an immersive look into the story. “Virtuality is so visceral, you really are confronting violence in a very different way,” said Rochereuil. The miniature is very interesting, you get this overview of the crimes, and then your imagination fills the gaps because it’s almost a child-like sort of experience.”
Masters of Investigative Reporting
Journalists and filmmakers came together at the “Masters of Investigative Reporting” Panel to discuss transforming true crime events into compelling narratives with Variety’s Kate Aurthur, along with dissecting trends in the investigative work required for true crime projects.
“48 Hours” correspondent Natalie Morales and the Wall Street Journal’s Valerie Bauerlein emphasized that their teams rely on extensive research and court records, with Bauerlein saying the Journal tends to seek out stories with deeper societal themes, which is why they chose to cover the Murdaugh murder case. “The reason it worked for The Wall Street Journal [was] the underlying themes of race and class and power and the way that power works in certain parts of the rural south and small towns,” said Bauerlein.
Elizabeth Chambers, host and executive producer of “Toxic,” said that she drew from real-life stories about abusive relationships for her docuseries. Similarly, Tyson Wrench, a citizen detective, decided to share his personal experience as a victim of fraud publicly, hoping to raise awareness and prevent similar crimes from happening to others.
“I realized I had to be the one to release that shame and just come out and tell the story. And it turns out it’s a really crazy story,” said Wrench.
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