We Research

CREATIVE VS VISUAL

At Ghost, we split the term visual research into two branches: creative and visual. The difference is simple but significant: creative research usually consists of more solid creative assistance for projects that are not well formed yet, or that need a higher creative input.

This style of research is most useful to directors who need resources to inspire their scripts or ideas, or who want to start a project from scratch, like a music video, short, or feature film.

This type of research usually implies a more flexible timeline and a more collaborative approach.

Visual research is the traditional route for commercial treatment visuals.
This type of research usually entails shorter deadlines, tighter briefings, and a more solidified creative vision.

In order to deliver the best compilation of visuals for a given project, we use a range of sources, ranging from a private archive spanning a decade of research, to AI-driven tools, and industry-standard research websites; and most importantly, we ensure we are always up to date with trends and consumer behaviour.

WHY RESEARCH WITH US

Whether you are working on a feature film, documentary, music video, or commercial, we bring a journalistic eye to historical research and guide every stage of the process.

Some treatments demand historical research. The images above are a sample from the thousands of images, videos, and gifs we sourced for a John Lewis campaign illustrating 100 years of shopping behaviour and window display.

This meant covering not only fashion transitions in and outside of window shops, but also the historical events that shaped British consumer life. The suffragette movement, Carnaby Street in the 60s, the Punk era, Margaret Thatcher's economics; all of it filtered through a John Lewis point of view.

WHAT WE DELIVER

• Creative research packages with curated references
• Visual direction and mood development
• Cross-medium reference sourcing
• Research narratives that support the treatment story