Creative Consultants Keep A Period Film Credible

Writers, directors, producers, and others work together to craft an independent movie that impresses audiences. These professionals must also collaborate with others to ensure the feature garners critical and audience acclaim. When making a period piece film or one that centers on a certain profession, hiring a creative consultant becomes a priority. Otherwise, audiences could feel turned off at a movie presenting one too many inaccuracies.

Making Everything Make Sense on Screen

Think about a racing-themed film set in the past. The racing industry and landscape were much different in decades ago, and recapturing the "old days" becomes necessary to present a credible film. Although the feature is a period piece, a great deal of the target audience is modern racing fans. An audience knowledgeable about car racing history might notice inaccuracies in a film. Disappointing an audience is hardly the goal of any filmmaker. Bringing a film consultant on board to make suggestions may help a feature maintain narrative credibility. Here are some ways they do so:

•     Professionals Act Professional: No matter what job a character holds, he or she must know the profession. When creating a cinematic detective, a doctor, or a mechanic, and so on, he or she must behave believably. Even the average viewer knows a police officer needs a warrant to search a home. Ignoring both big and small details could undermine a character and the narrative. Consultants can pick out apparent mistakes and make suggestions for changes.

•     Time Reflects the Culture: Life today is not like it was in, say, the wild west. Weaving many modern elements into a past cultural landscape can be jarring. Sometimes, doing so even creates unintentional hilarity. That's not the effect you want when crafting a drama.

•     People Only Know So Much: Modern solutions to common problems may have come into existence 20 years ago. Those solutions didn't exist 30 years ago. Often, characters have to figure things out to escape difficult situations, but they're limited to the film's "current" knowledge. A consultant can make sure characters stay in the "present," which can limit potential logic flaws.

Remember, anything that stands out as a historical error, logic flaw, and the like can prove distracting. Distractions take people out of the movie by harming the suspension of disbelief. Independent filmmakers don't want to court bad reviews or avoidable controversies, and, sometimes, a consultant helps them keep a story accurate and believable. To learn more information, reach out to a company such as Robert O'Twomney.