Historical expertise — combined with a deep, intuitive feel for developing character, backstory, conflict and storytelling

Meet the historian who helps actors, filmmakers, screenwriters & authors understand the past.

Our consultations are tailored to each creative project. They typically range from 1 month up to several months, as needed.

We start with a 2-Week Intensive. Our founder, historian Dr. Barbara, will work out an individual research strategy for you and send you the first bits of material on your protagonist or setting.

Then we can discuss a longer research collaboration and consultancy. Depending on the time period and topic, we can find and include the following historical sources.

An example of what’s possible: Add conflict that’s authentic

Send us your idea, synopsis, plot or treatment. (Everything will be kept strictly confidential.) Get suggestions on how to make the story more authentic and historically accurate. Let’s not write about modern problems against a historical background, but about problems or conflicts that really existed at the time. On a personal or general level, get ideas on how to add even more conflict. Let’s also eliminate possible inaccuracies. — This could be one of several aspects we work on. In our initial Intensive and preliminary calls, we can define the issues you want to focus on and improve.

Example #2: Let’s quickstart your next book, film script or preparation for a role

We work with 

• Actors 
• Authors 
• Screen Writers 
• Costume Designers  
• Producers and Directors 

Former clients said I saved them 3-6 months of full-time research. 💪💪💪 Meet: The Immersion.

Dr. Barbara | Historian

Let’s speed up the initial stages — the idea phase — of your next project.

Together we will focus on the question: What would help you understand the era (or protagonist) better, so that you can start creating much earlier? Then we’ll hand-tailor the historical research to your needs. Barbara will explain the most important aspects of an era, find and structure materials, and show you authentic examples or details on your topics. She can explain complex issues in a way that’s easy to understand. If necessary, she can plan your visits to the location. Or she can arrange interviews with eyewitnesses or experts. This service, called The Immersion, can last from one month to several months.

✔ Confidential  

✔ Regular check-ins 

✔ Choose your preferred media for delivery: as podcast, video or written. 

✔ A clear, structured process that helped research 130+ historical novels and scripts. 

This service starts at € 20K/mo, so it’s only for clients that are serious about us researching a topic thoroughly. On your end, this requires some time for initial conversations, so that we can serve you the best way possible. After our collaboration, you’ll feel confident when re-creating, portraying or embodying this long-forgotten past.

It’s for you if you want to induce a significant jump forward in understanding a historical setting, era or person. 

Never again worry if what you’ve researched is good enough to play this role.

Like — never, ever again.

Hear From Former Clients

Your early support and input was crucial in helping me to understand and internalise [this historical figure]. Now I’m looking forward to sharing this with the world.

— A.

I’m an American screenwriter and creative producer who wanted to write about the Nazi era. Barbara was able to explain even the most complex 1940s events, procedures and regulations to me in a very clear way.

— S.

Dr Barbara is not only a knowledgeable historian, but she also understands plot and character development. We didn’t feel that we were talking to an academic, but that she was speaking our language. It made the entire process easier.

— E.W.

Under immense time pressure, we had to come up with a plot and treatment to pitch for a crossmedia project. One small problem: Our team didn’t know much about Germany in the 1930s. In 3 sessions, Barbara brought us up to speed so that we could brainstorm together. She was invaluable not only in weeding out factual errors, but also in adding conflict to the plot. We were able to submit our treatment on time and pitch it.

— S. P.

During her preliminary research, Barbara discovered: No women were employed at Kew Gardens during the period in question! This meant that our main character — a woman — could not have worked there in the 1920s… A normal historian would probably have criticised this and advised us to rewrite the story completely. But Barbara pointed out the error; at the same time, she gave us a list of 2–3 possible workarounds. So we avoided the pitfall, didn’t lose any time and were able to continue working on the story as planned.

— K., London

Coming from Australia, I only had 10 days in Berlin. Barbara prepared the entire visit for me. The conversations with local eyewitnesses she found were invaluable. For a scene set in a WW2 building, she went the extra mile. Can you believe I actually was allowed into a bunker that is identical to the one in my scene? And this real bunker is not normally open to the public? I’m still in awe.

— E.

What’s The First Step? 

Returning clients: Contact us to get started. 

Are you a new client? Then please book a short research first. This would be the 2-Day Intensive. Or contact us here first, and tell us about your project. What time and setting do you want to explore in your film or script? What person?