This template summarizes how closely a work of fiction (film, book, TV episode, game, etc.) is tied to a real, documented paranormal claim covered elsewhere in The Vault. Use {{VaultBrief}} for assessing the evidence of a phenomenon itself, and {{VaultProfileBrief}} for people. Use this template for the fictional work.
Place near the end of the article, before "See also" and "References" — same placement convention as {{VaultProfileBrief}}.
Formatting note: write the entire template body as one unbroken line, with no line breaks between fields — consistent with the rest of the Vault template set.
Usage
{{VaultMediaBrief
|work_type=Film
|real_basis=Brief description of the real case, location, or claim
|fidelity=Loose
|assessment=Neutral summary of how the fictional work relates to the real material, without endorsing or dismissing the underlying claim.
}}
Parameters
work_type
What kind of work this is: Film, Novel, Short story, TV episode, Documentary, Video game, etc.
real_basis
The specific real-world case, location, person, or investigation the work draws on.
fidelity
How closely the fiction tracks the real material. Suggested values:
Direct — plot follows the documented case closely Loose — inspired by, but substantially altered Disputed — the connection itself is contested or unconfirmed None claimed — no real-world basis is asserted by the creators
assessment
A short, neutral paragraph explaining the relationship. Should not make claims about whether the underlying phenomenon is real, and should flag if the "inspired by" claim itself comes from promotional material rather than the creator.