In this series, we break down the research process to help screenwriters bring their fact-based stories to life. We start with an overview of the research process.
Why is research important?
There are lots of ways in which a writer can discover a potential story. For example, they may stumble across a magazine article that sparks their creativity, or they may decide to fictionalise the interesting life story of a family member. Alternatively, they might set out to tell the story of a lesser-known episode from history or put a fresh spin on a familiar event.
However you come across your story, the chances are that unless you’re a bone fide expert in the time period and events concerned, you will need to flesh out the initial idea to build the world in which your protagonist lived. This information will inform your later choices as you develop your narrative structure, build your scenes and make difficult decisions about what to leave out/amalgamate.
After all, historical episodes, however compelling, rarely fit comfortably into a neat screenplay structure, so manipulation and adaptation of the source material will be required.
What do we mean by ‘research’?
This may be an obvious question, but it’s worth just setting out the fundamentals as they relate to researching a screenplay based on a fact-based story.
For the purposes of this series of articles, research is divided into:
- Historical research: Including thing like books / journals / oral histories / databases
- Journalistic research: Including on-the-ground research / first-hand interviews / real-life experiences
> Another way to group this is primary research (things you personally uncover, such as in an interview you conduct) and secondary research (things someone else has researched which you use, such as reading an biography).
Historical research is largely a passive exercise: searching for resources, reading and making notes, etc. Journalistic research is more proactive: going to a specific location, taking photos, and conducting interviews, etc. Looking at the process from both these perspectives can ensure you cover all the bases.
> For more on this, check out our articles looking at the screenwriter’s role as historian and journalist.
Of course, not every research method will apply to every project. Some will be more historical in nature, requiring mostly ‘book-based’ research, while other projects may rely more on going to a specific place and talking to people.
However, the overriding questions should always be:
- What do I need to do to bring the ‘world’ of my story to life?
- How can I build maximum authenticity into that world?
These questions are particularly important when it comes to the fact-based film because you’re dealing with actual events and people. While telling your story will likely require departing from certain facts in order to build an effective narrative, the overall aim should be to adhere to the spirit of the truth. This means getting your research in order before you type ‘FADE IN’.
What should you research?
In coming articles, we’ll look at the various research methods in more depth. However, broadly speaking, you can think of research as a two-pronged process:
1. Macro:
This covers the wider world in which your protagonist lives, including:
- the social structure
- significant cultural events
- the political landscape
- economic realities
2. Micro:
This is about aspects specific to your character (where they fit into this wider world), including:
- where they live
- what they do for a living
- the people in their orbit
- their journey from the beginning of the story to the end
For example:
In First Man (2018), the macro world is the US space race and efforts to be the first nation to put a man on the moon. This provides the backdrop to the micro world, as we follow Neil Armstrong as he grapples with the challenges of his mission, interacts with colleagues, and faces conflict at home.
The journey of the story is Armstrong’s progression from NASA test pilot to commander of the Apollo 11 mission. While this is Armstrong’s story, screenwriter Josh Singer also incorporates wider reaction to the spaceflight programme, which took place against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and general economic and social upheaval.
In summary:
Hopefully, this article has offered a useful overview of why we conduct research and the methods we use to gather the information. In the rest of the series, we delve deeper into aspects of the research process to give you ideas for getting the most from your source material and producing the best possible screen story.