Research Dossier

For grading criteria 2 (GC2), you need to prepare a research dossier that relates to both your proposed script and also industry practice.

To complete this task, follow the guidance below; when you need to seek examples, investigate a range from multiple sources and always state where you got your information from. Remember, that visual evidence is key and also makes better use of the blog's functionality than text does.

You have already collected some information for this post so now is the time to draw everything together and submit the work formally.

Task: Be able to research, collect and prepare background materials

Post title: Research Dossier

1. Submission of work

a. Find at least 2 UK-based screenwriting competitions that young writers can enter scripts into. Add details about the rules / guidelines and also the prizes.

b. Find a UK-based commissioning body that will accept unsolicited scripts and add details about the rules / entry guidelines.

2. Background material (for concept / ideas generation)

a. Add a link to your screenplay layout post with a brief description of what the link goes to.

b. Identify a variety of sources from which you could seek inspiration for a story if you were a writer preparing to produce a screenplay / script. You should explore at least 4 different sources / avenues for information and find a specific example for each, e.g., an actual news story / event (factual information) was referenced in order to produce a script for the film Titanic (Cameron, 1997) - but you need more detail than that! 

3. Research (for an idea, once conceived)

a. Primary sources - identify at least 3 primary sources that could be used to gather specific information for a script.

b. Primary sources for own screenplay idea - what primary sources did you / will you use when generating your own screenplay idea?

c. Secondary sources - identify at least 3 secondary sources that could be used to gather specific information for a script. 

d. Secondary sources for own screenplay idea - what secondary sources did you / will you use when generating your own screenplay idea?

4. Prepare material (for your own idea, once conceived)

a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary sources?

b. What material / information has been the most useful for you and your script idea?

c. Where you have disregarded information that you have found, relevant to your own idea, why did you decide not to use it?

d. How are you managing the information you have found? What methods of storage / organisation / documenting are you using?