How Great Characters Find Their Voice

About this episode

David Meltzer interviews writer and director Angelo Pizzo about storytelling and his film projects.

In today’s episode, I sit down with acclaimed writer, producer, and director Angelo Pizzo, the creative force behind Rudy, Hoosiers, and many other unforgettable films. We talk about Indiana University’s remarkable football season, why he believes its story is best told as a documentary, and the projects currently on his horizon. Angelo also shares how he approaches storytelling, from finding emotional truth in a character to allowing stories to evolve in unexpected ways during the writing process. Along the way, he reflects on turning a Notre Dame underdog story into a classic film, skipping the Oscars for Indiana basketball, and the creative instincts that continue to guide his work.

People in this episode

Host: David Meltzer

Guest: Angelo Pizzo

Topics covered

• storytelling
• film production
• character development
• documentary
• emotional truth

Keywords

• Angelo Pizzo
• storytelling
• Rudy
• Hoosiers
• Indiana University
• documentary
• character development

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Rudy, Hoosiers

Places: Indiana University, Notre Dame

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