VH1’s hit unscripted series, “My True Crime Story” is back, following ordinary people entangled in extraordinary schemes. Naimah Holmes, President of Hot Snakes Media, offers insights into how to find people with stories to tell, and bring them to the screen.
How do you source these stories?
The team and I were able to source these stories through outreach, community outreach, online groups, community leaders, as well as certain programs and by reaching out to religious institutions such as churches. We also conducted extensive research through local news stories, articles, books, and word of mouth. Many people who have seen the show or who have known someone on the show reach out, wanting to share their stories.
What are your biggest challenges bringing these stories to the screen?
I would say that one of the biggest challenges is whether or not people are ready to share their stories and reveal their past to the world. For some, we found that their lesser-known stories are unknown to their children, coworkers, current friends, and even extended family. The full story remains undisclosed in many cases.
What were the biggest surprise twists you found this season?
One of the biggest twists this season was the revelation that a woman, who has since gone on to work on “Snowfall” and other well-known TV series, as well as writing her own scripts, ran a car theft crew at the age of 13. She even led a crew of older boys in LA.
