Pamela Milton
Forum Replies Created
-
Pamela’s Query Letter – second draft
Dear Mr. Blankenship,
I am pleased to submit for your consideration The Great Bank Robbery of 1934, a comedy/action film script. It reflects the genre and budget range you have frequently produced work in“Hands up! This is a robbery!” A 1934 newsreel introduces the Chutney Gang robbing a bank in the small town of Yesterday. When the employees pull their own guns, it becomes an armed stand-off.
In a desperate attempt to escape her future with fiancé, FBI agent Zebulon Hardcore, aspiring dancer Tempest Headley “kidnaps” the Chutney Gang during the heist and becomes their ad hoc leader. Forty-six years later in 1980, Tempest and the gang are prominent citizens living comfortably under assumed names in Yesterday until IRS investigator McKenna Worth is sent undercover to investigate possible embezzlement by town officials. She is unaware her boss plans to take the funds himself, have McKenna take the fall, and arrange for her disposal.
All parties converge in a shootout between the IRS, hired thugs, and the Chutney Gang, each trying to claim the money.
Ice-cold lemonade, hot fried chicken, smoking tommy guns, and geriatric bank robbers bring together two strong-willed women in a hail of bullets, embezzlement, and ballet shoes.
If this concept interests you, I would be glad to send you the script.
BIO: As co-director with Section 22 Productions, I contributed several film scripts. I have also served as owner/president of Harbinger Corporation, a film production company, and Upstart Talent Agency. Previous to this, my first attempt at working as a freelance scriptwriter I was contracted to write an action/drama spec script for a producer.
Regards,
[Name]
[Contact Information] -
Pamela’ Quey letter 1st draft
Dear Ms. Blankinship,
I am pleased to submit for your consideration The Great Bank Robbery of 1934, a comedy/ action film script.
“Hands up! This a robbery!”
A 1934 newsreel introduces the Chutney Gang as they rob the bank in the small town of Yesterday. But when the employees pull their own guns, it quickly becomes an armed stand-off.
In a desperate attempt to escape a suffocating future with her fiancé, FBI agent, Zebulon Hardcore, aspiring dancer, Tempest Headley, “kidnaps” the Chutney Gang during a bank heist. The run-away bride quicky becomes their ad hoc leader. Their life of crime goes well until the ill-fated armed stand-off. Forty-six years later (1980), Tempest and the gang are prominent citizens living under assumed names in Yesterday.
In 1980, an IRS investigator, Mc Kenna Worth, is sent undercover by her boss to investigate the possible embezzlement of bank funds which were reported by the town officials as stolen. Great career booster: except her boss plans to take the money his self, have McKenna take the fall for its theft and arrange for her to be conveniently disposed of. Where’s HR when you need them?
All parties converge in a shootout between the IRS, hired thugs and the Chutney Gang trying to claim the money as their own.
Ice cold lemonade, hot fried chicken, smoking tommy guns and geriatric bank robbers bring together two strong willed women in a hail of bullets, embezzlement and ballet shoes.
If this concept interests you I would be glad to send you the script.
Regards,
Pamela Milton
miltonpamela5@gmail.com
803-782-4824
BIO: During my tenure as a co-director with Section 22 Productions I contributed several film scripts for the company’s future production. I have also served as owner/president of Harbinger Corporation, a film production company, and Upstart Talent Agency. -
Pamela’s Target Market
What I learned in this lesson is that the IMDb is an incredible tool for quickly locating potential producers to present your film concept.
Title: The Great Bank Robbery of 1934
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Logline: Two strong willed women collide in a hail of bullets, embezzlement and ballet shoes when an aspiring dancer takes leadership of the inept Chutney Gang in 1934 only to run afoul an ambitious IRS agent investigating bank fraud in 1980.
Budget: 2-5 million
Comparables: 1-Oh, Brother, 2-Where Art Thou, 3-Raising Arizona, 4-Hitch Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, 5- Magpie Murders, 6-Our Town
Producers: Jeremy Kipp Walker, Connor Flanigan, Kamail Nanjiani, Barry Mendel, Shivani Rawat, Glen Powell, Miquel Palos, Richard Linklater, Stuart Ford, Scott Brown, Mike Blizzard, Zach Garrett -
Pamela’s Phone Pitch
What I learned from this lesson is that less is more. Producers pitch and take pitches. They know what it to get things done. Use their format or guide and you have a better chance of pitching your script.
1 – I choose to use High Concept approach.
2 – Hello my name is Pamela; may I have a moment to present a film concept to you? Yes? This is a dramedy titled the Great Bank Robbery of 1934.
Two strong willed women collide in a hail of bullets, embezzlement and ballet shoes when an aspiring dancer takes leadership of the inept Chutney Gang in 1934 only to run afoul an ambitious IRS agent investigating bank fraud in 1980.
3 – Producer’s Questions
Budget scale: 15 to 30 million depending on if the main character in both 1934 and 1980 play both versions of themselves or another actor is hired to play the younger/older version i.e. in Men in Black 3, present day, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is played by Josh Brolin in the 1969 timeline.Actors: (wish list)
Tempest – Michelle Phifer
McKenna – Ashley Judd
Zebulon – Robert de Niro Sam Elliot
Narrator – James Earl Jones
Relatives of the actors could be used to play the younger/older role i.e., June Lockhart and Ann Lockhart, Miquel Ferrier and Joze FerrierNumber of pages – 100
Who else has seen the script – I have just started calling producers today.
Why contact us – You produced several films in this genre and budget range.
How does it end – In the year that follows, Tempest and Zebulon reconcile, McKenna and Samuel separate, and Caruthers goes to prison. The “marriage” of Chaz and Melville bring McKenna and Samuel together once more with McKenna becoming Samuel’s deputy. The Chutney Gang retire o a private island to spend their remaining days robbing banks in prefab 1930’s towns. -
Pamela Milton’s Pitch Fest Pitch
What I learned from in this lesson is to follow a format which gives the producers what they want and need, keep it short and sweet, how to answer potential questions about budget and actors, be able to give a brief description of the stories acts.
Hello, I’m Pamela Milton, during my tenure as a co-director with Section 22 Productions I contributed film scripts for the company’s production. As a result of this, I have several script in various stages of development. Today, I’m going to pitch my dramedy entitled The Great Bank Robbery of 1934.
Two strong willed women collide in a hail of bullets, embezzlement and ballet shoes when an aspiring dancer takes leadership of the inept Chutney Gang in 1934 only to run afoul an ambitious IRS agent in 1980 investigating bank fraud.
ACT ONE
In a desperate attempt to escape a suffocating future with fiancé, FBI agent, Zebulon Hardcore, aspiring dancer, Tempest Headley, kidnaps the Chutney Gang during a bank robbery.
Tempest is the fourth figure involved in the robbery which ended in an armed stand-off. In 1980, she and the gang are prominent citizens living under assumed names in the town of Yesterday.
In 1980, IRS agent McKenna Worth, is sent undercover by regional IRS director, Bennett Caruthers, to investigate the possible involvement of Yesterday’s town officials in the embezzlement of supposedly stolen funds. Caruthers has designs on the money himself and is using her for his own gains.
Vince Manelli, McKenna’s partner, is reporting all her actions to an unknown third party.
ACT TWO
In Yesterday, McKenna meets former FBI agent, Zebulon Hardcore, who is hunting the Chutney Gang and Sheriff Samuel Armitage with whom she quickly forms a relationship.
McKenna pieces together the truth about the robbery and Tempest’s role in it and where the evidence is
She refuses to break into City Hall to find the evidence. Caruthers punishes her by revealing her identity to Sheriff Armitage and why she is in Yesterday. McKenna is disgraced.
Tempest and the other gang members are struggling with Sal’s dementia which worsens when he learns that Zebulon Hardcore is in town.
ACT THREE
Caruthers and five henchmen go to Yesterday to deal with the situation.
A gun battle ensues between McKenna, Samuel, Tempest, Bob and Exit and the five henchmen resulting in their arrest.Caruthers efforts to exhort money from the town officials is stopped by the arrival of her partner, Vince Manelli and the FBI.
In the year that follows, Tempest and Zebulon reconcile, McKenna and Samuel separate, and Caruthers goes to prison. The “marriage” of Chaz and Melville bring McKenna and Samuel together once more with McKenna becoming Samuel’s deputy. The Chutney Gang retire o a private island to spend their remaining days robbing banks in prefab 1930’s towns.
Budget scale: 15 to 30 million depending on if the main character in both 1934 and 1980 play both versions of themselves or another actor is hired to play the younger/older version i.e. in Men in Black 3, present day, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is played by Josh Brolin in the 1969 timeline.Actors: (wish list)
Tempest – Michelle Phifer
McKenna – Ashley Judd
Zebulon – Robert de Niro Sam Elliot
Narrator – James Earl Jones
Relatives of the actors could be used to play the younger/older role i.e., June Lockhart and Ann Lockhart, Miquel Ferrier and Joze Ferrier -
Pamela Milton – High Concept/ Pitch
What I learned – Less is more. But it’s difficult to create an attention grabbing pitch when restricted to twenty-five words or less.
Elevator pitch – Two eras, one town. A 1934 heist and a1980 investigation collide, revealing connections that changes everything for the enigmatic town of Yesterday.
Dilemma – Tempest must save her friends, the Chutney gang, from her ex-fiancé and protect their identity at the same time McKenna is trying to expose them to save herself from her boss.
Main Conflict – Do what is right for those you care about even if there is cost to yourself.
Goal/ Unique opposition – Tempest must try to protect your friends and the town’s which has provided for them for decades from her ex-finance’ while McKenna is trying to save herself from her own boss and his armed heavies as he tries to steal the town’s money.
Not sure if I was suppose to use the AI prompts for each of the different sections (dilemma, conflict stake, goal) or just to generate the Elevate pitch. -
Pamela Milton’s Synopsis Hooks
What I learned – Using MIT and COM helps you stay focused when you are writing in two time eras.
MIT / COM 1934
– Chutney Gang land in armed stand off moments after entering the bank
– Tempest Headley loves Zebulon Hardcore but knows if they married they would-be unhappy. She decides to leave him
– Without thinking of the consequences, Tempest kidnaps the Chutney Gang. and becomes their ad hoc leader.
– While Tempest is away casing a bank the Gang is discovered and cornered by Zebulon’s FBI team. Donning a disguise, Tempest takes Zebulon hostage forcing him to let the Gang escape.
– After saving the Gang from Zebulon Tempest decides to quit the Gang and start a new life in the town of Yesterday.
– Decades later, prominent citizen, Tempest, comes to McKenna Worth aid against McKenna’s boss.
– Tempest and Zebulon reunite.
MIT / COM 1980
– A highly ambitious, McKenna Worth, is the only female IRS agent in the Recovery Department office. She about to go on her first assignment … undercover.
– McKenna uses a case of mistaken identity by the local sheriff to obtain insider information
– Zebulon, now a bounty hunter, arrives in Yesterday. He immediately makes things more difficult for McKenna.
– A relationship quickly develops between McKenna and the sheriff. However, it is a relationship bases on lies leaving McKenna at an emotionall loss.
– Vince Minelli, McKenna’s IRS partner, reports all their conversations to an unknown third party
– McKenna’s boss gives away her true identity to the sheriff and town people.
– A hidden room is discovered in City Hall which holds all the town’s financial secrets. McKenna keeps it info to herself
– Caruthers and is hired thugs arrive in Yesterday to blackmail the town’s official for embezzling bank money and eliminate the Chutney Gang and McKenna as potential informants.
– McKenna, Sheriff Armitage, Tempest and the Chutney Gang defeat Caruthers horde of baddies and are backed up by the arrival of Vince with CIA agent, Fred Fairfield. The CIA has been monitoring Caruthers illicit activities hoping to build a case against him. Vince “volunteered” McKenna’s help with the investigation.
– Caruthers goes to prison, Zebulon and Tempest reunite as do McKenna and Armitage and the Chutney Gang retire to a private island.
Synopsis: The Great Bank Robbery of 1934
In Depression era 1934, the Chutney Gang – Sal, Bob, Exit and a disguised fourth figure attempt to rob a bank in the small town of Yesterday. But when the employees pull their own guns it quickly becomes an armed stand-off.
In 1980, IRS Agent McKenna Worth is sent undercover to investigate if Yesterday’s town’s officials actually embezzled the bank’s funds they reported as stolen in 1934. Arriving in town McKenna befriends Sheriff Samuel Armitage. He mistakes her for a long absent town resident allowing McKenna to use the mistaken identity to further a relationship with him and gain information.
McKenna meets Zebulon Hardcore, a former FBI agent, turned bounty hunter. He is pursuing his life-long hunt for the Chutney Gang in the mistaken belief they were responsible for the death of his fiancée, Tempest Headley. Tempest, in fact, was desperate to escape a suffocating future with Zebulon. During a bank holdup she get the upper hand on the Gang forcing them at gun point to take her with them. She joins the men and in a twist of fate becomes their ad hoc leader.
In McKenna’s investigation she pieces together the truth about the robbery and how the town people and the Chutney Gang became friends through a truce negotiated by Tempest Headley. The bank is left un-robbed, but after the Gang leaves the bank and town officers tell investigating officials the money was stolen. The people involved in the embezzlement (and their descendants) become known as “the Trustees” invest the money to save Yesterday from bankruptcy. Using her undercover anonymity she attempts to pressure one the “Trustees” for information. Sheriff Armitage sets a trap for the unknown perpetrator. Only by a midnight chase through a church grave yard is Mc Kenna able to escape with her undercover identity intact. Her FBI partner, Vince Minelli, reports her actions to an unknown third party.
Caruthers, annoyed by her lack of results orders her to break into City Hall to find evidence of the theft. When McKenna refuses to break the law he reveals her true identity to Sheriff Armitage and the town people she has come to care for. Disgraced, she obeys Caruthers break s into the City Hall. There she finds the evidence needed but does not tell Caruthers nor Armitage. McKenna passes the information onto Vince.
Now prominent citizens living under assumed names, Tempest, Bob and Exit struggle with Sal worsening dementia. He has learned of Zebulon presence in town and is convinced Zebulon is the famous 1930’s FBI agent, Eliot Ness, who has come for the gang, With his trusty Tommy gun in hand he hunts for “Ness”. Zebulon has also learned of the gang and is tracking them down.
Tired of McKenna’ refusal to follow orders, Caruthers and five henchmen arrive in town. He attempts to exhort money from the town officials in exchange for not prosecuting them. A wild running gun battle ensues between McKenna, Sheriff Armitage, Tempest, Bob and Exit and the five henchmen. Sal and Zebulon try unsuccessfully to kill each another. After the henchmen are arrested and jailed McKenna, the Sheriff and the gang go to the bank where they confront Caruthers. The town’s attorney tells him the “borrowed” bank funds were repaid (with interest) years ago so there is no legal or financial laws are being broken. Knowing he has over played his hand Caruthers decides to leave town. His escape is aborted by Vince Minelli and FBI agent Fred Fairfield who has come to arrest Director Caruthers and his henchmen. It is Fairfield to whom Vince has secretly been reporting to.
In the year that follows, Tempest and Zebulon reconcile, Caruthers goes to prison, McKenna and Sheriff Armitage resolve their turbulent relationship with McKenna leaving the IRS to become Armitage’s deputy. The Chutney Gang purchase a private island to spend the rest of their days robbing banks in 1930’s prefab towns. -
Class 2 Lesson 4
Pamela Milton’s 10 Most Interesting Things
What I learned: Breaking out and defining the interesting things / components forces you to exam the flow and viability of the script.
1. and 3: Which specific hooks have you used and organize them with 10 Most Interesting Things.
A) Most intriguing thing about villain: There are two villains involved. One for each time era, 1934 and 1980. An Interesting thing about Zebulon Hardcore, the nemesis in 1934, is he is doing his job as an FBI agent tracking down the Chutney Gang whom he thinks has kidnapped and killed his fiancée, Tempest Headley.
In 1980, the IRS division head, Bennett Caruthers, is the villain. He has used his position over the years to achieve his own goals. He has the protagonist, McKenna Worth, go undercover to find the embezzled bank money then plans to eliminate her after she has recovered it.
B) Opening Hook: In 1934, the Chutney Gang ends up in an armed stand-off with than staff and customers moments after entering the bank.
In 1980, McKenna Worth is the only female agent the IRS Recovery division. On her first field assignment she is told she will be going undercover.
C) Turning Point: In 1934, Tempt Headley kidnaps the Chutney Gang. Shortly after, she becomes their leader.
In 1980, Zebulon arrives in Yesterday. He is now a bounty hunter but still obsessed with capturing the Chutney Gang.
D) Emotional Dilemma: In 1934, Tempest Headley loves Zebulon but knows she won’t be happy if she married him.
In 1980, While working undercover, McKenna becomes attracted to Sherriff Armitage but a relationship built on a lie and her career drive gives the relationship no future.
E) Major Events: In 1934, while in disguise, Tempest takes Zebulon hostage and forces him let the Chutney Gang go free.
F) Reversals: In 1934, Having saved the Gang from Zebulon Tempest decides to leave the Gang and return to Yesterday
In 1980, Vince Minelli, McKenna’s partner, is reporting all of McKenna’s actions and conversations to a mysterious third party.
G) Betrayal: After McKenna refuses to uses illegal and unethical techniques to gain information, Caruthers “throws her under the bus” forcing her to publicly admit to Armitage and the towns people she has been using them to get information.
H) Surprises: McKenna discover a secret room in City Hall which contains information revealing who did what, where and when with the embezzled money over the decades….. she does not tell her boss, Caruthers nor Sheriff Armitage.
2 – Other things which would interest a producer: The Narrator plays various small roles in the story like the Stage Manager in the play “Our Town” by Thorton Wilder. This would help attract a bankable actor. The script has a number of quirky characters in both time periods which would attract actors. There is a strong female lead in each era. -
Pamela Milton’s Producer/ Manager
What I learned: Scriptwriting maybe a creative endeavor for the writer but first and foremost it is a business. Treat yourself and others involved like professionals.
Producers: They don’t need or want divas. I would make my approach to them as “less is more” or “time is money”. Cliche, yes, but accurate. I would give them the genre, the logline, let them know I am willing to work with them on revisions which may help the budget or attract a marketable actor or any other marketable component they may have. Then I’d be quiet so I could listen and learn.
Managers: They are in a working relationship for the long haul so I would let them know I had several projects (and genres) in various stages of development. I would approach it as a collaboration of their developing me into desirable writing commodity and me doing what it takes to achieve that goal. -
Lesson 2
Pamela Milton’s Marketable Components:
What I learned in this lesson – As stated in the lesson plan both a solid sales pitch ad a viable project must be present.
Logline: In 1980, an ambitious, female, IRS agent is sent undercover by her boss to discover what became of the money stolen in 1934 during a bank heist by the Chutney Gang. Her investigation uncovers embezzlement hidden for decades and her corrupt boss’s own design on the money, It all ends in a wild “Chaplinesque” shoot-out to claim the money between the IRS, hired henchmen and geriatric bank robbers.
Unique: Set in two distinct and pivotal times. Shows the repercussions of actions of the main characters forty decades later.
Title: Peak the audience’s interest as what made it great particularly in a time in which bank robbers were celebrities.
Similar movies: Oh ,Brother, Where Art Thou, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Great Role: An actor can show their skill playing young and old versions of their character. Or, they may choose to have their own family members portray the same role. Making it truley a family film. -
Lesson One Assignment:
Genre – Dramedy
Title – The Great Bank Robbery of 1933
Concept – in 1933, the small town of Yesterday uses a bank hostage stan-off and embezzlement to save itself from bankruptcy. But in 1980 there’s hell to pay as an IRS investigator comes to Yesterday. As the agent works to discover the source of the town’s wealth she discovers she must stop her corrupt boss from stealing it. Ice cold lemonade, hot fried chicken, smoking tommy guns and geriatric bank robbers lead the agent to a secret the town has protected for generations.
What attracts you to the story – One, It’s set in two distinct and pivotal time periods. Two, it allows the actors to play both the younger and older version of their character. This would be a challenge for performers and allow them to stretch their talents Or, the actors can have the opportunity to perform with a real life relation to perform the younger or older version of the character. For example, Ann Lockhart would play the 1933 role while June Lockhart would play the same character in 1980.
Who would I target first? – I would approach actors with their own production companies or closely associated with certain production companies, Netflix and other streaming formats would be a good option to approach. -
I, Pamela Milton, agree to the terms of this release form.
-
My name is Pamela. I studied to be a professional actress from about first grade till my sophomore year in undergrad school. At that time my Muscular Dystrophy came out of remission I was not able to carry out all the skills I had learned over the years. Decided to go a another direction, earned a Masters in Business and create a film production with a classmate from an online UCLA film production certificate. Our company was based out of London, England. We were in pre-production of our first film when my father passed away, my mother was diagnosed with dementia, my business partner learned she had cancer and we were told by our bookkeeper the third director of the company was doing things of a highly illegal nature. We decided to close the company. Despite this set back I continued to take classes and write and created my current company, Wordrider 42.
2- I have written 5 scripts with two others being sketched out.
3- I hope to acquire a solid understanding of AI in writing and the effective use of hooks.
4- I met and spoke with the late Charlton Heston when he was in SC filming “Chiefs”.