Robert Williams Wood, Max Planck And Albert Einstein July 28th, 1931
Historical #screenwriting can be a very daunting affair. The need to replicate the past in every detail often overcomes the writer, especially those #writers that are working, not to put their work into print, but those that are writing for the large or small screen. Authenticity looms over your production ready to strip you of your production if you do not pay it due homage. I have seen many writers overcome by this process. Your attention seems to focus more on authenticity than characterization, replication of a bygone era become tantamount to perspective. Those writers that get caught in this loop often find themselves scratching entire sections of their script and starting over.
Unfortunately, when you write for the big or small screens, you are most certainly not the only critic to your work. So, any producer, director, actor, fellow writer, can get caught up in the same loop. Entire projects get delayed or scratched entirely in favor of new writing teams.
What I want to do here is to go over the three main steps in historical screenwriting. Let’s have at it.
1) Research - Research is imperative to your work on a historical screenwriting piece. When you think you have researched your characters and world enough . . . Research some more. Remember to always consider the source of information you are reading from. Some sources can be extremely biased.
2) Make your concept and plot lines be compelling for the year or time that you are currently in. Relevant to the now. People must feel the connection or else it becomes just another history lesson. We can learn from true history, especially history that seems to repeat itself in various incarnations over time.
3) Fresh Perspective - Historical based screenplays have been written since the beginning of film. As you know, many seem to rehash or reproduce plot lines of past films. We have to take that hill. We have to save Pvt. Ryan. There is conceit in the King’s Court. Cowboy vs. Indian. Where does your perspective come from? What side do you view your story from? Which characters’ vision do you stand within?
These steps alone account for much of the brain bending work it takes to complete a historical screenplay. If you choose to outline these steps and stick to it, then you might just come out the other end of this process unscathed.
Tally ho.
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