The Fact-Based Screenplay is all about writing and enjoying fictional films which are based on actual events. The focus is on the screenplay and the screenwriting process but the content is hopefully an interesting read for all film fans.
WHAT CAN YOU FIND ON THE SITE?
You can read a mix of articles, reviews and analysis. The content covers a mix of films and scripts from different decades, genres and styles to bring you a deep-dive into various aspects of the topic.
You can find a mix of long and short-form articles. We dig a bit deeper in our analysis articles, in which we discuss aspects of the adaptation and transformation process.
In addition, you can find a selection of ebooks. These are all freely available as PDFs to read or download, with no email address required.
If all that wasn’t enough, you can find a short series on research and a collection of introductory articles, Writing the Fact-Based Film 101.
We add to the site regularly, so keep checking back for fresh content. You can also browse our latest posts…
The recent Bob Dylan biopic provides a good example of how you can shape historical events into a compelling screen...
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The addition of a real-life historical figure can elevate a fictional narrative, whatever the genre. So, here, we take a...
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The early career of Bob Dylan is the subject of this impressive biopic, which departs from the traditional structure to...
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A sports broadcasting unit sent to Munich to cover the 1972 Olympic Games must pivot to live news when a...
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Saturday Night takes us back to October 1975 and the 90 frenetic minutes leading up to the first broadcast of...
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Here's a brief summary of our content to help you to get the most from your time here... Analysis: Each...
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Our series on key names, genres, and movements to know about in fact-based film and television moves on to look at...
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One of the challenges of writing the historical film is that the story is… well historical. This raises the risk...
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Jeff Nichols' visceral crime drama benefits from some strong performances but takes us on an emotionally unsatisfying ride into the...
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While its main narrative is fictional, Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 feature blends fiction with fact to entertaining and somewhat controversial effect....
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To tie-in with the recent controversies surrounding The Apprentice (2024), we take a look at some other fact-based films and...
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An ambitious TV news booker attempts to secure an interview for BBC's Newsnight show with Prince Andrew to talk about...
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When it comes to a fact-based film, placing the narrative into its historical context is as important as conflict, structure...
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To mark the release of the zany Unfrosted (2024) here's a quick run-down of a few films which draw on...
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The real-life rivalry between two leading cereal-makers in the 1960s leads to a poptastic breakfast creation in this daft 'made-up...
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Our series on key names, genres, and movements to know about in fact-based film and television moves on to Ryan...
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If you plan to tell a screen story inspired by real-life events, the facts of which are in dispute, here...
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The screenplay for the James Mangold-directed racing film Ford v Ferrari (aka Le Mans '66) is a great example of...
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In 1972, Brooklyn schoolteacher turned Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm becomes the first black woman to run for president in this frustrating...
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Our series on key names, genres, and movements to know about in fact-based film and television moves on offer a quick...
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