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Research and the Screenwriter

© John Lovett

The next series of articles deal with the writer and his search for accuracy and how to get that accuracy portrayed on "the big screen."

Three major components make a movie work. These three components are, in no order of importance, the screenwriter, the producer, and the director. The writer writes the story. The producer gets the assets and money together that make the movie and makes those assets work together. The director coordinates the disparate activities of many individuals in front of the camera so that the story can be told visually.

Fundamentally, without the story the movie will never be made. No matter what the producer and director does, the writer must write a story that is accurate, truthful, and faithful to the characters. As for the truthfulness and faithfulness towards the characters, far be it from me to tell any writer how to write. I will deal in these articles on accuracy.

If you, as the writer, have personal knowledge of an event or period, more power to you. You can write easily. The dialog and scenes should work well. Most of us though do not have personal knowledge of, say, the sinking of the Bismark. So, we must go to the library and do a little research.

Just keep in mind something Christopher Anderson, Editor of COLUMBIAD Magazine, said regarding memory and history: "In the midst of our daily routine how many of us find ourselves forgetting some of the details of our day? Sometimes after a busy day at the office, I have been known to forget what I had for lunch. Fortunately, the relative comfort and convenience of twentieth-century life allows us to record, save, and later recall almost any moment of our lives. The men and women of the Civil War era had no such luxury. In the nineteenth century, very often the only details that could be saved where those that could be remembered perhaps hours, days, or even weeks after an event, when there was an opportunity to stop and put pen to paper." What was true for the Civil War is certainly true for any other age.

Must of what I do is act as a research librarian for screenwriters. Here are a few tips to do your own successful research without having to go to local university and getting a Masters in Library Science.

1. Check your local library. You would be amazed how much those little white haired ladies could do for you if you ask nice.

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