TFBS Research, Screenplay research, Screenwriting focus

Researching the Fact-based Film – Part Four: Historical Research (Pt 1)

So far in the series, we’ve outlined the basics of research and finding sources. Now, we delve into the research process in more depth, with a look at identifying sources for historical research.

What is historical research?

For the purposes of this series, we’ve divided research into two broad headings: historical and journalistic. We define historical research as a passive activity that essentially involves identifying and using relevant static resources. We’ll cover utilising the resources in more detail in the next part of this series.

Am I researching a historical screenplay?

The phrase ‘historical film’ may conjure up images of dusty period pieces. However, in reality, the term applies to any story set in the past. In this context, films like The Big Short (2015) and Moneyball (2011) can be considered historical as they depict episodes from the past – the 2007/08 financial crisis and the 2001 professional US baseball league, respectively.

Anything that takes place in the past is a historical occurrence and, likewise, your screenplay is a historical one if it is depicting events that previously happened, be it one year or one thousand years ago.

Why conduct historical research?

The overall aim of all research in the context of writing a fact-based film is to develop a thorough understanding of your protagonist and their world.

When it comes to historical research, the main goal is to build up a picture of the time period in which your story is set, including relevant cultural events, the socio-economic landscape, and the day-to-day realities. Of course, it also involves learning about details specific to your story and characters.

Developing a strong understanding of the real story will also help you greatly when it comes to fictionalising your story. This will usually require things like:

  • changing the order in which events occurred
  • eliminating, inventing or amalgamating characters
  • compressing or extending the timeline
  • inventing scenes and/or dialogue when no factual record exists
  • simplifying complex events and relationships

When developing a workable fictional narrative, you will be in a far stronger position to make these necessary changes if you have a solid understanding of the ‘facts’.

Remember that Syd Field quote from the previous article… research helps you make creative decisions from a place of “choice, confidence, and responsibility”.

What are the main resources for historical research?

Basically, any written and audio-visual material can be considered a resource for the purposes of historical research, so we can include:

> Books: We’re primarily talking about non-fiction. Of course, for the purposes of writing your story, any fiction books, screenplays and other fictional material set in your time period and covering similar themes may be extremely useful from a creative point-of-view. However, always be wary of relying on fiction as a source of factual background – after all, what has that author changed in order to develop their narrative?

> Magazine and newspaper articles: These can be extremely useful as, in addition to factual detail, they can contain a personal slant that can help with character development and authenticity. They are also relatively easy to access and less intimidating than a weighty tome.

> Journals: Separate from magazines, these are academic journals that contain useful background information on a wide range of topics. These articles can be a little heavy going and are less accessible than some other sources but are still valuable, especially if your research takes you into some specialist areas.

> Databases: These can be useful when it comes to nailing down specific details and also finding groups of resources on certain topics. For example, you can find databases devoted to material on the US Civil War, archival newspapers that you can search by location and date range, and subjects like genealogy.

> Other web-based resources: These cover everything from a documentary to an association’s official website. They also include things like taped oral histories, photography, newsreel footage, podcasts, and music.

Find out more in our guides to working with different source material.

Where do I find these resources?

There are lots of places to find the resources you need. A few of the main ones are:

1. Libraries

If you’re planning to conduct detailed research, access to a library, either online or in-person, will be vital. Not only will you have access to multiple resources, you will also be able to ask the knowledgeable staff for help. If you’ve attended university, you may qualify for alumni access to your institution’s academic library, which can unlock access to academic journals and texts that are otherwise hard to track down. Libraries can also offer a quiet, distraction-free space in which to work.

Tip: Some universities offer visitor access to their libraries. So, even if you didn’t study there, you can still access the material on a reference or lending basis. It’s worth contacting your local academic libraries and asking about their access options for non-students/alumni.

On a basic level, typing what you’re looking for into a search engine, such as Google or Bing, can get you started on your research. This type of research works best when you are targeting a very specific area. So, instead of typing ‘World War II’, which will return millions of scattered results, typing, ‘what weapons did British soldiers use during World War II’ will return narrower results that will be easier to digest. For even more control, use Google Advanced Search. There are also free AI tools – but be sure to double check important details.

3. YouTube:

While it’s true that much of YouTube is taken up with funny animal videos, there is plenty of great stuff on there, too. Finding it is also pretty straightforward. Simply key a relevant search term into the box and you’ll get a list of videos. If you’re looking for audio-visual content to add detail or colour to your screenplay, you might want to check out things like:

> Relevant documentaries: You might be surprised just how many quality documentaries are available on a wide range of subjects – other streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) are good for these, too, but they’re not free.

> News reports and footage: Material like this can put you as close as you can realistically get to the events as they happened – these resources can put you in the thick of the action and help you add atmosphere to your story.

> Interviews: There are plenty of interviews available on YouTube that allow you to hear from people directly or indirectly involved in the historical event you’re fictionalising, as well as relevant experts – type ‘military interviews’ into the search box, for example, and you’ll get everything from Vietnam veterans talking about their experiences to historians discussing Winston Churchill.

> Music relevant to your time period: Think about how Martin Scorsese uses music, cramming his soundtracks with genre-spanning tracks from the era in which his films are set, or consider the importance of music to films set in the Vietnam War era (not least the obligatory CCR track) – listening to the type of music your protagonist would have heard on the radio can help you add crucial detail and colour (as well as help you get creatively in the mood to write).

How do I know which resources will be helpful?

As you begin to identify sources, you might find you quickly become overwhelmed. Simplify things by asking yourself:

  • what is my story about?
  • what would my protagonist (and other main characters) know?
  • does the information help me add authenticity / colour / important factual detail to my screenplay?

For example:

Stan & Ollie (2018) covers a brief period in 1957 towards the end of the careers of celebrated comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy, in which they undertook a comeback tour of British theatres.

The film is based on a non-fiction book (Laurel & Hardy – The British Tours by A.J. Marriot), which obviously provides the main background. However, if we were researching the story from scratch, the focus would be on the tour, rather than the lengthy 20+ year Hollywood career the pair enjoyed.

So, while we would need a brief overview of Hollywood from 1937-1957, the childhoods of Stan and Ollie, and how they got together for background information, the majority of our research time should be spent digging up important factual detail on the UK tour and on the state of the duo’s partnership at that time – the dramatic thrusts including Hardy’s failing health, pent-up resentment over a film he made without Laurel, and Laurel’s uncertainty over a future film project.

This isn’t a film about the lives and careers of Laurel and Hardy, this is a snapshot of a period in their lives, so the research should be angled accordingly.

So, once you’ve identified a whole list of useful resources, what then? In the second part on historical research, we offer some advice on making the most of those resources.

Go further:

Here’s a short list of useful resources to get you started on your research journey.