True Life: The Recession Blows

Maybe it’s because “True Life: I’m on a Diet” really spoke to us. Or maybe it’s because MTV defined our formative years, showing us how to shake it thanks to Sir Mix-a-Lot. Or maybe it’s because they launched reality tv. Regardless, we’ve agreed to post their open call for their latest True Life. So, if you or someone you love is being affected by the recession give our homegirl a call at the number below. 

MTV True Life:   My Family is Broke

Are you and your family being severely affected by the recent economic downturn? Have you lost your home or your job?  Are you afraid you could lose everything? Then MTV would like to hear from you. 

MTV’s award winning documentary series “True Life” is producing a new episode about young people whose families are being hit hard by what’s being called “The Great Recession.”  With nearly 20 million people expected to lose their jobs at the end of this year, families all across the country are struggling.  This hour long documentary will follow each person and the obstacles they and their families face in the current economy such as unemployment and losing their home. 

Who We Are Looking For: 

True Life is looking for young people who appear between 14 and 25 years old and are in any of the following economic situations: someone who is part of a family facing foreclosure, someone who is part of a family who has been hurt by the downturn in the auto industry or manufacturing, and someone who once made their living in the financial industry on Wall Street.   

About True Life: 

True Life is a documentary series that’s been running on MTV for 10 years.  Each episode of “True Life” is about a different topic.  Most of the topics have some social or personal importance, like this one.  Some of them are more frivolous aspects of youth culture, like episodes about gamers or cheerleaders.  All episodes aim to tell deeply personal stories. There is no host, reporter or narrator.  The young people featured will tell their own stories in their own voices. 

Our goal, as with all episodes of True Life, is to put young people across the country in our subjects’ shoes.  We hope that, by portraying the most intimate moments of our subjects’ lives, we will help young people understand complex personal and social issues.   

How We Make “True Life” & How We’ll Shoot This Episode 

Once we’ve determined whom we’re going to follow, we begin filming them at moments and events that are important to their story.  We don’t film them all the time and everywhere – we try to select dates that are important to their economic situation and film those.  We try to be as unobtrusive as possible by filming with only a two-person crew and a small digital video camera.  Our goal is for people to forget we’re even there.  We try not to influence our subject in any way – we simply try to capture their real lives as they’re living them.   We typically film between 25 and 35 hours of each person we’re following.  We’ll get those hours two or three days at a time over the course of three to four months.  We always allow our subjects to stop filming if they become uncomfortable or if there’s a problem.  We edit the stories ourselves, with input from three executives at MTV.  We have total creative control over the process, and the executives never ask us to include anything that isn’t thoroughly fact- checked and true. 

Punched in the Head Productions 

We are a small independent production company that’s been contracted by MTV to produce certain episodes of “True Life.”  We’re usually asked to produce the more “weighty” episodes, like “I’m Home from Iraq,” “I Have Autism,” “I Have Schizophrenia,” and “I Have PTSD.” Many of our previous episodes are online at truelife.mtv.com in the “Videos” section of the site.  

Contact Information: 

If you or someone you know may be interested in speaking with us about participating please contact us at: 

tlbrokefamily@gmail.com  or  718.422.0706 

Please include your name, contact information, and a description of your story.