real VS. fictitious places

[crafty818]

evening all....here's my question....writing a sports related script that takes place at Univ. of Fla. with the character then moving on to the NBA. Should I use fictitious school and NBA team names? The script does not portray the NBA favorably....thanx in advance

[jimjimgrande]

be consistent i.e. real college AND real NBA team
or use fictitious school and fictitious franchise.

In the second case, we should be able to figure out by your characters and your setting which team you are basing you story on (as in ANY GIVEN SUNDAY - Sharks = Dolphins, and the Jimmy Johnson-Dan Marino parallel between Pacino and Quaid)

There are arguments to made as to which way to go, but at the end of the day, it's a production decision based on whether the production company can afford the licensing fees that are required to use the league and franchise names.

If this is unfavorable as you say, just make up your own names for the teams. College too because NCAA controls licensing for its teams.

[crafty818]

thanks for the advice...one follow up thought...is there any advantage to using the real names and if there is a licensing problem it can be changed later....or should I bypass this possible bump in the road and make them fictitous from page one?

[adamryancane]

Wouldn't it be good to use the real names and places just to support a connection with the reader and establishing a relationship?

[jimjimgrande]

crafty - my personal opinion is that unless you are doing some kind of unauthorized bio, there's more to lose than there is to gain by using a real name. It also reeks of MOW (Movie of the Week) and that's probably not what you're aiming for.

adam - as a reader, using real names isn't going to establish any greater connection with me. Jason Williams or Mike Miller (Gators both), or whoever the UF basketball player is that Crafty's story involves, should be just as compelling under a fictitious name as under their real names.

Besides, chances are most folks won't have heard of them anyway.

Also, "relationship"? - jeez, I'm just reading your script, it's not like we're dating.