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Day 9 Assignments
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POWER PLAYERS LESSON NINE
FRAN’S PHONE PITCH
WHAT I LEARNED: This is a huge story. I kept it as short as possible. And I went for the feels. I think I got it! At. Least, I hope I did. And as always, I went for the feels. Worked great!
1. Credibility:
Hi. My name is Frances Emerson. I’ve been studying screenwriting with ScreewritingU.com (alumna) and with UCLA Ext. online. I’m a certified NY State public school history teacher, retired. My bachelor’s degree is in history and I was trained in historical research. I’ve had several articles published in newspapers and magazines over the years.
2. Great Title:
I’m currently finishing a three-part script based on the greatest race ever to be recorded in the annals of American History—as told by one of the greatest Midwest newspaper reporters America has ever produced, Charles Welbourne Knapp: The Great Race Between the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee
3. Script synopsis:
Young Charles, untrained, untested, is sent by his father to New Orleans to report on the race for their newspaper, The Missouri Republican, between the newly built, state-of-the-art Natchez VI and the ready to be retired Robert E. Lee.
John Cannon, Captain of the Lee, vows to win at all costs against his bitter rival of many years, Captain Thomas Leathers and seize the title: King of the Mississippi River for himself.
For three and a half days, thousands upon thousands of spectators, 1200 miles up the Mississippi River, the men drive their steamers, top speed, all the way into St. Louis.
Perils strike the Lee early on, causing Cannon to almost gives up the race. While Leathers, the master of dirty tricks, vows it’s just business as usual for him. He soon learns his Natchez VI is not the match for Cannon’s Lee he thought it was—or Cannon’s own cunning.
Everyone knows how the story ends. The Lee enters St. Louis triumphant, a full six hours ahead of the Natchez. But little do they know about the near disaster Cannon faced only 100 miles into the race, the natural hazards lurking beneath the waters of the Mississippi for both steamers at almost every turn, and of a fog settling in so thick it was impossible for one steamer to continue the race until the next morning.
We know, too, very little of the man who made our Associated Press Services the powerhouse news service it is today. Only by my hard work to find him and the assurance by a family member who told me he was on one of the steamers did I learn the remarkable story of Charles Welbourne Knapp, the man who was part of the team given charge to report it.
You will hear some of Charles’ own words in the narration of his story direct from the pages of the Missouri Republican.
Oh, yes. And there’s a love story for Charles, as he heads back to St. Louis, with the woman he will one day marry on board the Lee with him.
4. Answers for Questions:
a. Budget–This is a huge story, a blockbuster. High end: 90 million plus
b. Main roles—My wish list. You really need to see the pictures of the captains and Charles to agree with my choices:
Liam Neeson for John Cannon
Meb Gibson for Thomas Leathers
Tom Holland for Charles Welbourne Knapp
c. Pages—for the three scripts they each run about 110 pages.
d. Who’s seen it—An Indie producer at Cowboy’s Sweetheart Productions, Audra Kelly, who loves it.
Noah PItifer, an upcoming Filmmaker and producer who’s been encouraging me to finish the script since he read part one. Noah just finished work on a film with Jesse Eisenberg called Manodrome.
My friend and reader, Elaine.
And I’ve submitted part one in a Script Fly contest.
e. Fit for company—for Leo DiCaprio: I love what your company has done on the presidents’ series for History Channel. For Ron Howard: your films and documentaries on American History stories are superb. I would be honored if you took this story on. Apollo 13 and In the Heart of the Sea, the story of how the novel Moby Dick came to be written, are among of my favorite films.
f. Movie ending: My story ends, of course with the triumphant entry into St. Louis by the winner: The Robert E. Lee and Captain John Cannon. There’s a huge celebration, a cameo appearance of General Robert E. Lee’s daughter, AND a proposal of marriage for Charles. Not to mention the REAL photo finish of the race!
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Julie’s Phone Pitch
What I learned is to ask before you pitch on the phone and be extremely brief.
Led with concept.
Hi, my name is Juliana and I’m wondering if I could run a quick TV series concept by you for feedback.
Great, thanks! This series is about what happens when an old school Detroit police squad is forced to work with a progressive civilian team to handle domestic related calls in an effort to reduce excessive violence.
What’s the budget range? $1M per episode
Who do you see in the main roles? John David Washington & Max Martini
How many pages is the script? 58
Who else has seen this?
· So far, only professional readers for their feedback.
Why do you think this fits our company?
· It would be a good project to have in your slate to position you as the leader of the police show genre because it’s on the cutting edge of social change and police reform.
How does the movie end? N/A.
· At the end of season one, DART receives approval for funding, but the mayor is accused of embezzling and we’re not sure if the money is still available.
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David’s Phone Pitch
What I learned is to be brief and to the point, and make sure it’s a very sharp point.
1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:
Lead with a High Concept.
2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.
High, I’m David Harper, and I have a screenplay about a small town bank heist in the middle of a wildfire evacuation.
3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:
What’s the budget range?
Low budget. It can be shot for under five, depending of course on the actors involved.
Who do you see in the main roles?
I think Lucas Hedges would be ideal for the lead role. And Matthew McConaughey would be an ideal actor to play his dad.
How many pages is the script?
100
Who else has seen this?
So far only a few people who have provided feedback and coverage.
Why do you think this fits our company?
Your company has produced movies in this genre (action drama) and budget range, and I think this film matches the tone of several films you have produced.
How does the movie end?
It ends with a family betrayal, reversals, and ultimate redemption.
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