Luminous Inquiry

Our story development research follows a 3-phase process we have called Luminous Inquiry.

Phase 1: Connecting

The Connecting phase involves immersing ourselves into the worlds outlined in the film or fictional story.

To this point, these “worlds” have included the inner lives of children with imaginary friends, the ambitions and experiences of indie rock bands, the struggles and conditions of post-apocalyptic survivors, and the content and reasons of children’s nightmares. The focus of this part of the process is to learn as much as we can about the target worlds – what it’s like there – and about the thoughts, feelings, and activities of the persons who populate those worlds.

Phase 2: Considering

The Considering phase involves taking findings from the Connecting activities and material from the existing story and sorting through possible themes or insights of greatest potential.

This sorting process includes considering insights that can pull together more of the content of the existing story, for example, the struggles of the multiple story characters. Further, this sorting process for identifying themes of greatest potential includes considering ideas and insights that would be most important for, or most impactful on, intended audiences. This stage involves audience testing possible story themes.

Phase 3: Creating

The Creating phase involves returning to the original story and suggesting refinements and additions based on information, ideas, and insights gained and considered in the previous two phases of the process.

This stage includes in-depth discussion with the filmmakers to explore story suggestions that seem most compatible and consistent with the direction they would want the story to go. Integral to this part of the process would be further audience testing of possible revised story directions to isolate the ones that seem to produce intended reactions.