Introduction:
Screen writing is a wonderful process where one can set loose their creativity and imagination to create a compelling narrative with awe inspiring characters and set pieces but the process of screen writing isn’t only about blindly transposing one’s imaginations and thoughts onto the screen and many screen writers, even the ones working in the screen writing industry, forget one of the most crucial component of screen writing and that is research. However amazing the idea for the plot or story is, the execution of said idea will most likely end in failure if the writer fails to do their homework while writing the script.
What is Research?
When one hears the term ‘Research’, they tend to associate it to reading a lot of books and articles and knowing certain terms, the ins and outs of the subject and history behind the subject. While this kind of research is good to explore as it adds a pinch of realism to the script and helps to keep the narrative and setting grounded in reality, research isn’t just about collecting facts, it’s the process of exposing yourself with content centred around the tone and atmosphere of the script, the types of characters you want to create and how you envision your characters to interact with one another. A good example of a well written character with good interaction with other characters is BT-7274, a robot from the game “Titanfall 2”. The writers working in this studio had spent 7 months just to research this character as their goal was to make this character as ‘human’ as possible and the resultant product is a terrifying battle robot that you’ll actually care about. Now, an example of a poorly written character is a character called Ellie, the protagonist of the game “The Last of Us 2”. When writing this script, the writers didn’t fully comprehend how human psychology worked thus they made their protagonist with an inconsistent set of motives and attitudes.
What is the importance of research?
In today’s world, digital media has become one of the most widespread forms of entertainment and story-telling. In such an era, it is imperative that screen writers must do their research properly while writing their scripts as the whole point of any script is to expose the audience to new ideas and perspectives therefore these narratives not only serve the purpose of entertaining the audience but also serve the purpose of educating them or at least pique their curiosity regarding a particular subject matter. Therefore, a script’s credibility is directly dependent on the research done by the writer as any blatant scientific or historical inaccuracy will severely distract the audience’s attention from the main plot of the script. An example of a film that has lost much of its credibility due to a multitude of blatant historical inaccuracies is a film called “Pathfinder”. Though the plot of the film is intended to be semi-fictional, many of the facts and details that ground the film in reality also have inaccuracies. Another film, “Saving Private Ryan”, also has a semi-fictional plot but the writers made sure that the narrative was firmly grounded in reality which on the whole increased its quality and credibility.
Research is also important when it comes to characterisation as it helps in developing realistic and detailed characters. A basic study of human psychology will greatly help in creating authentic reactions and responses from the characters. For many writers it is difficult to actualize what a person might actually do in a given situation. If a character is faced with a life-threatening situation, would they run? Would they hide? Would they cry? These are a few common behaviours that one would exhibit in such a situation but the writer must identify which action would suit the character’s personality that the writer has set up in order to avoid any inconsistencies.
How do You Research a Screenplay?
There are three main methods that one can use when they’re researching for their script. Books and articles, including ones that are accessed through the internet, are a great source of information when it comes to both surface level and in-depth research. Either referring to interviews that have been conducted by other people or tracking down people of interest and conducting your own personal interview can give great insight into how a character would react in a given situation. One must also read other screenplays and watch films that are in the same genre as the script you’re writing in order to saturate your brain with information that is relevant to your script.
One important thing to remember when researching is that the story always comes first and the facts can be added later to increase realism and make the narrative more grounded. When writing the script for the film “Avatar”, James Cameron had done extensive research in order to make the fauna and flora of the alien planet seem as realistic as possible even though the plot as a whole was fictional, thus writers tend to use their creative freedom when certain facts act as obstacles to their narrative. No script can ever have zero inaccuracies therefore writers tend to make their scripts feel as authentic as possible without compromising on the story as research must never overpower the narrative but must always promote the value of the story.
Conclusion:
Research is an important tool in screenplay writing and can greatly help in grounding the script in realism and increase the credibility of the play. Research also helps in developing realistic characters who give authentic responses to a given situation.
