Evidence board

{{short description|Background feature in thriller and detective fiction movies and TV}}

[[file:pins holding papers to a cork board.jpg|thumb|A cork board with pins]]

An '''evidence board''' (also known as a "'''conspiracy board'''," "'''crazy wall'''," or "'''murder map'''") is a common background feature in [[thriller (genre)|thriller]] and [[detective fiction]] movies and TV.<ref>{{cite book | date = 2020 | doi = 10.1007/978-3-030-35272-1 | first = Anne | isbn = 978-3-030-35271-4 | language = en | last = Ganzert | location = Cham | publisher = Springer International Publishing | s2cid = 213491641 | title = Serial Pinboarding in Contemporary Television | url = https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-35272-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1 = Gilmore | first1 = Shawn | title = Narrative String Theory (NST) | url = https://vaultofculture.com/nst | website = The Vault of Culture | access-date = 8 August 2021 }}</ref> It features a collage of media from different sources, pinned to a [[pinboard]] or stuck to a wall, and frequently interconnected with (usually red) string to mark connections.<ref name="detective-crazy-wall">{{cite web | access-date = 2020-08-06 | date = 2015-01-23 | first = Richard | language = en-GB | last = Benson | title = Decoding The Detective's 'Crazy Wall' | url = https://esquire.com/uk/culture/film/news/a7703/detective-show-crazy-walls | website = Esquire }}</ref> A more technical related name for these sorts of visualizations and charts within [[law enforcement]] are Anacapa charts which are used for [[social network analysis]].<ref>{{cite journal | access-date = 8 August 2021 | date = 1991-09-01 | doi = 10.1016/0378-8733(91)90008-H | first1 = Malcolm K. | issue = 3 | journal = Social Networks | last1 = Sparrow | page = 254 | publisher = Elsevier | title = The application of network analysis to criminal intelligence: An assessment of the prospects | url = https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/037887339190008H | url-access = subscription | volume = 13 }}</ref>

Evidence boards are associated in fiction with both detective activities and obsessional interests, including those of delusional individuals pursuing [[conspiracy theories]],<ref>{{cite book | date = 2018-09-17 | first = Douglas | first2 = Ian | first3 = Meredith A. | first4 = John | first5 = Kathryn | first6 = Beth | first7 = Jonathan | isbn = 978-1-58839-659-4 | language = en | last = Eklund | last2 = Alteveer | last3 = Brown | last4 = Miller | last5 = Olmsted | last6 = Saunders | last7 = Lethem | publisher = Metropolitan Museum of Art | title = Everything Is Connected: Art and Conspiracy | url = }}{{Google books|Sh9tDwAAQBAJ}} </ref> hence the alternative names.

Evidence boards can be seen in numerous TV series, including ''[[The Bridge (2011 TV series)|The Bridge]]'', ''[[BoJack Horseman]]'', ''[[Fargo (TV series)|Fargo]]'', ''[[Homeland (TV series)|Homeland]]'', ''[[Sherlock (UK TV series)|Sherlock]]'', and ''[[True Detective]]''.<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 2020-08-06 | date = 2020-04-26 | first = Jennifer | issn = 0362-4331 | language = en-US | last = Vineyard | title = 'Homeland' Showrunner Declassifies the Series Finale | url = https://nytimes.com/2020/04/26/arts/television/homeland-series-finale.html | work = The New York Times }}</ref><ref name=detective-crazy-wall/> An evidence board is the central motif in the title sequence of ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV series)|A Series of Unfortunate Events.]]<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GeCPanRHU0 |title=A Series of Unfortunate Events {{!}} Theme Song [HD] {{!}} Netflix |date=2017-01-12 |last=Netflix |access-date=2026-04-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref>''

Evidence boards have also been used as a teaching tool.<ref>{{cite web | access-date = 2020-08-06 | date = 2018-02-13 | first = Russel | language = en-GB | last = Tarr | title = Producing "Crime Boards" to highlight connections / contrasts | url = https://classtools.net/blog/producing-crime-boards-to-highlight-connections-contrasts | website = Tarr's Toolbox }}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==

* [https://crazywalls.tumblr.com Crazy Walls], a presentation in [[Tumblr]]

== See also ==

* [[Concept map]] * [[Link analysis]] * [[Mind map]] * [[Network science]] * [[Red thread of fate]]

[[category:conspiracy]]