Sheila Rinear
Forum Replies Created
-
ASSIGNMENT # 11
WHAT I LEARNED: I learned that my query letter needs to sound more exciting than a Wikipedia entry.
.
Sheila Rinear – Query Letter – Draft Two
Genre: Historic Drama
Title: Sons of Treason
Many thanks to Monica Arisman for her great notes.
Dear Producer,
This millennium has seen Gladiator and The Northman. Soon, Sons of Treason!
Newly-crowned King Edward III executes Roger Mortimer, the traitor who murdered his father and robbed the English treasury. At the traitor’s execution Edward’s mother, Queen Isabella, tells Edward, “Don’t think this will end well for you!” Seems she was in love with Mortimer!
Not only in love, but rumor has it the Queen has a bastard son somewhere in France and he’s coming for Edward’s crown!
Edward invades France and proves himself a gifted military strategist. But nightmares, Edward’s one great weakness, halt his victorious campaign when his warrior mother surrounds him and outnumbers his troops.
An unknown Dream Interpreter traveling through King Edward’s camp administering healings to traumatized, war-torn soldiers seeks to heal Edward. This Dream Interpreter full of wit, charisma and wisdom, is Robert, the King’s crown-seeking bastard brother.
When Edward discovers Robert’s true identity, what follows? Battles, betrayals, a siege, surprise loyalties, heroic deeds, romance, and political intrigues that foment a war which galloped on for One Hundred Years.
If you like the concept of Sons of Treason, I’d be happy to send you the script.
Best regards,
Sheila Rinear
Mobile/Text: 210-488-4828
Email: srinear53@gmail.com
Bio: As Screenwriter: twice a Finalist in ScreenCraft. As Playwright: award-winning and many-times produced.
-
WHAT I LEARNED: I learned to be relentless in cutting my synopsis.
Sheila Rinear – Query Letter – Draft One
Genre: Historic Drama
Title: Sons of Treason
Dear Producer,
The next Braveheart!
The newly-installed English King Edward condemns the traitor who not only murdered his father but also robbed England of its treasury. At the execution when the new King’s mother, Queen Isabella, tells him, “Don’t think this will end well for you!” he realizes that she was in love with the man he just executed.
The hits just keep coming as Edward’s advisers break it to him that his mother’s got a bastard son by the traitor. Robert, the bastard son, is hidden somewhere in France waiting to take Edward’s throne from him. Edward decides to invade France!
Edward proves himself to be the gifted military strategist history proclaims. But Edward succumbs to his one great weakness when his warrior mother surrounds him and outnumbers his troops: nightmares.
An unknown Dream Interpreter traveling through Edward’s camp administering healings to traumatized, war-torn soldiers is brought in for Edward’s cure. This Dream Interpreter full of wit, charisma and wisdom, is Robert, Edward’s crown-seeking bastard brother.
When Edward discovers Robert’s true identity, what follows? A series of battles, betrayals, surprise loyalties, heroic deeds, romance, and political intrigues that foment a war which spanned One Hundred Years.
If you like the concept of Sons of Treason, I’d be happy to send you the script.
Best regards,
Sheila Rinear
Mobile/Text: 210-488-4828
Email: srinear53@gmail.com
Bio: Screenwriter who’s twice been a Finalist in ScreenCraft. Playwright who’s been many-times produced and won awards.
-
ASSIGNMENT 10 Sheila Rinear – Target Market
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Title: Sons
of TreasonLogline: Against the political turmoil that builds to The Hundred Years War, a gifted Mystic interprets the dreams of the English King in search of his own true identity and of his place in this King’s world.
Genre: Historical Drama
What I
learned with this assignment: How incredibly valuable a research tool IMDB is!Make
a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors
that you might want to play your lead characters.Movies similar to mine:
· Kingdom of Heaven
· Braveheart
· The King
· Outlaw King
· Lincoln
· Mary, Queen of Scots
· Harriet
· Henry V
· Robert the Bruce
Actors to play lead characters:
· Chris Hemsworth
· Maggie Gyllenhaal
· Regé-Jean Page
· Gal Gadot
Producers to approach for my movie:
1. Karim Abouobavd
2. Mark Albela
3. Bruce Devan
4. Lisa Ellzey
5. Jose Luis Escobar
6. Teresa Kelly
7. Branko Lustig
8. Henning Molfenter
9. Terry Needham
10. Denise O’Dell
11. Thierry Potok
12. Ridley Scott
13. Ty Warren
14. Joel Edgerton
15. Dede Gardner
16. Jeremy Kleiner
17. David Michod
18. David Minkowski
19. Christina Oh
20. Anita Overland
21. Brad Pitt
22. Sylvia Warmer
23. Liz Watts
24. Bill Bennenson
25. Rebecca Cammarata
26. Debra Martin Chase
27. Pen Densham
28. Gregory Allen Howard
29. Shea Kammer
30. Kristina Kendall
31. Charles D. King
32. Elizabeth Koch
33. Jeffrey Lampert
34. Josh McLaughlin
35. Michele Panelli-Venetis
36. Daniela Taplin Lundberg
37. John Watson
38. Tim Bevan
39. Liza Chasin
40. Eric Fellner
41. Amelia Granger
42. Debra Hayward
43. Alex Oakley
44. Kate Parkenham
45. Jane Robertson.
46. Ildiko Kemeny
47. Richard Brown
48. Brian Coffey
49. Steve Golin
50. Danny McGrath
-
ASSIGNMENT #9
Sheila Rinear Phone Pitch
What I learned from this lesson is that if I want to pitch my scripts, I’ve got to stop trying to make everything in these assignments absolutely perfect or else I’ll never get them done in the current millennium and I’ll never get to pitch them.
1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:
I’m going to open with High Concept.
2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.
Hi, I’m Sheila Rinear. I have written a feature screenplay that’s the new Braveheart. I’m wondering if I could run the concept by you?
The title is SONS OF TREASON. It’s a period action drama.
Against the political turmoil that builds to The Hundred Years War, a gifted Mystic interprets the dreams of the English King in search of his own true identity and of his place in this King’s world.
I’m a published and produced Playwright and a two-time Finalist in the ScreenCraft competition.
What’s the budget range? It’s high budget. $50 Million.
Who do you see in the main roles?
Robert, the Dream Interpreter: Regé-Jean Page
Queen Isabella: Maggie Gyllenhaal
King Edward: Chris Hemsworth
Queen Philippa: Gal Gadot
How many pages is the script? 120 pages
Who else has seen this? Just the competitions it’s done well in.
Why do you think this fits our company? You’ve produced successful epic scripts.
How does the movie end?
Set-up: After a ferocious battle against the French, Edward sends for the Mystic/Dream Interpreter. In revealing his nightmare to the Mystic (Robert), King Edward realizes Robert is his illegitimate brother that he’s been hunting down. Why is Edward hunting Robert down? Because he believes Robert is part of a rebel group run by his mother whose purpose is to murder Edward and take his crown. So, Edward takes his entire family and escapes the camp to get away from Robert.
Pay-off: Robert having had the same nightmare and realization as Edward (that their mother the queen is their enemy), rides from the camp to warn Edward that the queen and her army are waiting in ambush for Edward. Together the brothers face-off in a battle with their warrior mother. Robert throws himself in front of the sword meant to kill Edward and before he dies, implores his brother to be the kind of king and parent to his people that they both wish they had had. Edward is motivated…
-
ASSIGNMENT 8
Sheila Rinear’s Pitch Fest Pitch
What I learned is that I have real difficulty summarizing succinctly.
1. Tell us your credibility: Hi. I’m Sheila Rinear and I’m a published and produced playwright and I have an agent. As a screenwriter, I’ve been a Finalist in ScreenCraft twice.
2. I’m pitching an historical drama feature entitled Sons of Treason.
3. What is your one or two sentence hook?
A King’s outrage is unleashed when a mysterious Dream Interpreter unlocks the King’s memory of the Queen Mother’s murdering her husband, his Father.
4. Please give your one or two sentence answer to each of these questions:
What is the
budget range?It’s a large-scale epic and would run in the $75 – $100 Million range.
What actors
do you like for the lead roles?King Edward with his height, good-looks, wit and gentle heart hiding beneath a warrior’s façade, could be well-played by Chris Hemsworth.
Queen Isabella (Edward’s mother) who was labeled in historic accounts as a “she-wolf” and a “warrior” more at home leading Special Forces than hosting in the castle would be wonderfully played by Maggie Gyllenhaal
Robert de Charney (Dream Interpreter) who is the heart of this story was written with Regé-Jean Page in mind.
Queen Philippa (Edward’s wife) who was in many historic accounts presented as beautiful, tall, dark, strong, wise…who could play that better than Gal Gadot?
Give the
acts of the story.Act I – Edward, the new king of England, fresh from executing his father’s murderer, is told the murderer stole the English treasury and hid it somewhere in France. Edward, believing his mother, Queen Isabella, an innocent pawn, takes her to Calais to locate the hidden treasure and discovers she’s got an 8-year-old, illegitimate son in Calais whom she refers to as her “treasure.” The English burn down the section of Calais where the “treasure” lives, thinking they’re killing the threat to Edward’s throne.
Act II – 12 Years later King Edward is informed his mother is raising troops in France with large sums of money to put her illegitimate son, who’s still alive, on the French throne. Edward invades France to capture his step brother; brilliantly wins strategic battles and loyalties; decides to stay in France and take Paris and the French Crown but has set-backs: lack of money, supplies, man-power and paralyzing nightmares. A Dream Interpreter in the camp is brought in to calm the King’s fears. The real-deal Dream Interpreter discerns from Edward’s dreams that his mother/Queen Isabella intends to pit Edward against his step-brother so they’ll kill each other and leave both the French and English Crowns to her. BTW, the Dream Interpreter is Queen Isabella’s “treasure” (Robert) and has been sent into Edward’s camp with orders to kill Edward. Instead, Robert believes Edward’s dreams and knows his mother must be stopped.
Act III – Queen Isabella lures Edward and his wife and children to Flanders for a family wedding and a promised signing of a truce with France. Robert discovers that the Queen doesn’t have a truce planned but an ambush and total slaughter of Edward, his queen, and children. Robert/Dream Interpreter breaks out of the English camp, rides to warn Edward, they’ve both had the same dream and now realize they are brothers and that they need to stop their mother from invading Calais and taking the treasure that Robert reveals to Edward lies under the city.
How does it
end? (setup / payoff).After both French and English armies race to Calais from Flanders where loyalties shockingly switch and realign, the English defend Calais against the attack of the French. Robert fights by Edward’s side and is killed protecting Edward; Edward puts his mother in chains as she accurately predicts: “This is not over, Son!” Indeed, it wasn’t over. It was just the kick-off of The Hundred Years War.
Credibility
questions: I’ve had several dozen productions of plays that I’ve written;
I’ve had plays published; I have a Literary Agent for my playwriting; I’ve
placed with several different projects in screenwriting competitions. -
Assignment 7
Sheila Rinear’s Query Letter for Sons of Treason
Huzzah! A wicked traitor who murdered the English King and robbed the English treasury is dead, executed by the new young king, Edward. But when Edward’s she-wolf Queen Mother tells him, “Don’t think this will end well for you!” he realizes that she was in love with the man he just executed. What?
Along with this really-bad-day news brought to us by historical accounts, Edward’s advisors put him wise to the fact that the Queen Mother’s got a younger bastard son, Robert, hidden in France waiting to take Edward’s throne from him.
Edward invades France to capture his bastard brother. Edward proves himself a gifted military strategist. But his one weakness does show up and threaten to paralyze his winning streak as he marches toward Paris: nightmares.
No worries! A dream interpreter in the English camp, relieving soldiers of their PTSD symptoms, is brought to Edward. Traveling incognito, the dream interpreter is none other than Robert, Edward’s crown-seeking bastard brother. Coincidence? Nah.
When Edward’s wife has more than her curiosity aroused by the charismatic dream interpreter Robert, she discovers his true identity. What could that lead to?
Battles, betrayals, romance, surprise loyalties and heroic deeds that span a war that lasted one hundred years.
If you are interested in this script, I’d be happy to send it to you.
BIO: I am a produced and published playwright and have placed well in multiple screenwriting contests.
Phone: _______________ website: _________________ email: __________________
What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that it really helps to completely know the cause-and-effect flow of my story. I realized that if I had lined it up more carefully at the start, this part would not have been so difficult.
-
ASSIGNMENT #6
Sheila Rinear, High Concept and Elevator Pitch.
What I learned doing this assignment is that this big epic story is tough to pare down but this assignment has really given me helpful guidelines. And I think I’m getting it. It still feels like I’m overwriting. I do like the headline capture concept. Thanks, Hal.
1. To find your main hook, give us what is most unique about your lead character’s journey from a big picture perspective.
An unknown Dream Interpreter finesses his way into a King’s inner sanctum not to ease the King’s nightmares, but to assassinate the King for wearing the crown that should sit on the Dream Interpreter’s head.
2. How can you tell it in the most interesting way possible?
Dilemma: You are a Dream Interpreter so, would you still assassinate the
King once you learned from interpreting his nightmares that he’s your
brother? <div><b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Main Conflict: What if you realized that the man you’ve been
commissioned to assassinate is not the bad guy as advertised but the person
who commissioned the job is?<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>What’s at stake? Can one person’s vengeful obsession
for power entitle her to murder her sons and start a war?Goal/Unique Opposition: Will two brothers realize that
their mother has set them up to murder each other in enough time to stop
her from taking over the thrones of both England and France?3.Using the 10 Components of Marketability, what is your Elevator Pitch?
I’m doing an edit on a script that was a semi-finalist in the ScreenCraft Drama Feature; the LA International Screenplay Awards; and Final Draft. So…ever wonder how and why The Hundred Years War kicked off? This is that story told for the first time.
</div>
-
ASSIGNMENT #5
Subject line: Sheila Rinear Synopsis Hooks
What I learned doing this assignment is: that I find this really tough to do. I get plot points and reversals and twists easily mixed up. I tried really hard to make it not sound like a book report but I’m afraid that it does sound like a book report. I hope to get better at this.
Hooks (COM and MIT) that could give overview of my story.
1. The story is historically true and the fictionalization is based in research.
2. Great Roles
3. Franchise worthy story
4. Opening scene: the young English king realizes his mother, the queen, was in love with the man the young king just executed for murdering his father, the previous king.
5. The young king discovers his mother has a bastard son in France that she intends to install as king.
6. The young king invades France, proves himself a great military strategist but suffers haunting nightmares.
7. The bastard son imposes himself as a dream interpreter in the English camp and discovers truth when he “aides” the English king with his nightmares.
8. The queen’s plans and support base crumble as she’ll throw anyone who crosses her under the carriage. As she’s led away in chains screaming it’s not over, she’s right. It went on for a hundred more years.
· Using those hooks as an outline, write a first draft of your synopsis.
Huzzah! The wicked traitor who murdered the English King and robbed the treasury is dead. The new young King Edward just executed this traitor. But…
Royals Alert: at the execution, young King Edward’s vengeful she-wolf mother, Queen Isabella, publicly demonstrated that she was in love with the man Edward executed. What?
Along with this really-bad-day news brought to us by historical accounts, Edward’s advisors put him wise to the fact that Isabella’s got a younger bastard son, Robert, hidden in France waiting to take Edward’s throne.
Edward invades France to capture his bastard brother. Edward proves himself a gifted military strategist surprising all with his victories and charm. Edward’s one weakness does show up and threaten to paralyze his winning streak: nightmares.
A dream interpreter in the English camp, relieving soldiers of their PTSD symptoms, is brought to Edward. Traveling incognito, the dream interpreter is none other than Robert, Edward’s brother. Coincidence? Oh, not at all.
When Edward’s wife has more than her curiosity aroused by the charismatic dream interpreter, she discovers his true identity. What could that lead to?
Battles, betrayals, surprise loyalties and heroic deeds that span a war that lasted one hundred years.
-
ASSIGNMENT #4:
Subject Line: (Sheila Rinear) 10 Most Interesting Things about Sons of Treason
What I learned doing this assignment is that I needed to take time to step away from the writing and look at the story as though I were an audience member. I needed to find things that would stay with me after seeing it as a film, and then try to figure out which of those things would be strongly interesting to a producer trying to make a film; or to a manager trying to build both her/his career and mine off my writing.
1. Go through your project and see which of these specific hooks you have:
A. What is most unique about your villain and hero?
The villain, Queen Isabella, has an almost admirably relentless ability to lie and manipulate so effectively that those listening to her get caught up in her charisma and never see hammer coming at their head.
The protagonist, Robert, not only is able to interpret dreams but he has an uncanny moral compass.
B. Major hook of your opening scene?
As the new young King Edward oversees the execution of the man who murdered his father, he realizes his mother the Queen is madly in love with the murderer and Edward is rocked to his soul when his mother says to him, “Do not think this will end well for you.”
C. Any turning points?
The humble priest who had served the royal family in their younger days shows up as a high-placed Cardinal of the Church and an instrument of Queen Isabella’s political machinations.
Robert, the bastard brother, raised in an abbey and maintaining the decorum of a spiritual dream interpreter, shows himself to be a powerhouse warrior when thrown into a fight or flight situation with King Edward.
D. Emotional dilemma?
Robert will either continue to obey his mother Queen Isabella in securing proximity to King Edward so that he might kill him; or, he abandons his mother’s plan for power and joins forces with his half-brother the king and overthrows Queen Isabella.
E. Major twists?
King Edward’s discovery that Robert is his half-brother and threat to Edward’s throne.
When Robert forges his way into the French camp and uncovers Queen Isabella’s entire plan to murder King Edward, his wife and children.
F. Reversals?
Queen Isabella falls from power and strikes out because Robert switches his allegiance to his brother, King Edward.
G. Character betrayals?
Queen Isabella betrays her son, King Edward.
Robert betrays his mother, Queen Isabella.
The Cardinal ultimately betrays Queen Isabella.
H. Or any big surprises?
In the finale as Edward awaits the arrival of his main man, Harcort, to lead the charge against the French, Queen Isabella snarls her joy as we switch and see that Harcort is leading the French against Edward’s troops.
2. Make a list of any other things in your script that could interest a producer.
The ability to read dreams/dream interpretation was quite a science at the time of this story. The protagonist’s ability in this area works to bond King Edward with Robert as Robert guides Edward through his historically notorious nightmares.
Robert has his “hasn’t anybody ever just sat down and talked with this man” moments as Edward reveals his dysfunctional past at the hands of Queen Isabella’s parenting.
-
ASSIGNMENT #3
Subject Line: (Sheila Rinear) Producer/Manager
Imagine you have two meetings set up — with a producer and then with a manager. What would you say and do differently based upon this model?
1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?
I would focus on approaching Producers who have credits for producing large epic pieces such as the one I’d be pitching. (Ridley Scott; Tom Hanks; Michael Hirst) I’d emphasize the script’s marketability in terms of the timelessness of the audience appeal, action, adventure, romance, inspired by true historic events with many roles for bankable actors. I’d mention the international appeal of this story. I’d pitch that it’s well-written and the result of several successful development efforts. That it’s placed well in competitions but that I am willing to do whatever adjustments/rewrites the Producer finds necessary to get the film produced, made and distributed. I would ask the Producer what s/he needs and I would really listen to what s/he says and show total willingness to make those requests a reality. As for me as a collaborator, I’d be sure to tone my pitch with my enthusiasm for the project as well as my professionalism as a natural team player.
2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?
When meeting with a Manager, I would emphasize that I am excited to work with him/her as the new Expert/Coach in my Writing Career and his/her Managing Career and why I think s/he and I would work well together. (meaning I’d have done my research on who to pitch to) That I have several ready scripts that have done well in competitions and that I have several projects in various stages of development. I’d also mention that I am constantly writing out new scenarios for story ideas that want to be written by me. BUT I’d emphasize that I would totally rely on this Manager to guide us both to the success that I do not know how to get to as I do not know the business as this Manager does. I’d point to my success in theater with my playwriting as proof that I love and do well with collaboration and that I also do quite well with commissions and meeting deadlines.
3. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”
What I learned/realized today is that it’s a great relief to know there are producers and managers who are probably as passionate about their business as I am about my writing. Getting my focus on their needs and concerns will probably diminish my nervousness about the actual pitch because I’ll have to be busy listening and processing.
-
Sheila Rinear’s Marketable Components
Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and post it at the top of your work.
I learned how spot-on those 10 components are and how I actually hadn’t ever considered them when writing my scripts. So, this new awareness will hopefully make my approach to writing and pitching scripts a lot smarter.
Current Logline: Not realizing she’s kicking off The Hundred Years’ War, the treasonous Queen of England pits her two sons against each other wagering she’ll be the only royal left standing to wear the crowns of both England and France.
C. True. This story is inspired by true and historic accounts with
relevantly researched and fictionalization.I’d elevate this concept by making clear that in the Middle Ages The Salic Law, which forbade women from sitting on France’s throne/ruling, was what enraged and motivated the Queen of England to go after what was rightfully hers. It also earned her history’s label of “she-wolf.”
J. A great role for a bankable actor. Actually, there are three huge
roles for bankable actors.Queen Isabella of England had been next in line for the throne of France but was sent off to England in a marriage/treaty arrangement. Physically and willfully strong, she is a warrior more at home leading Special Forces than she is hosting at court. She manipulates anything and anyone she needs to with breath-taking charm.
Edward III of England, Isabella’s legitimate son whom she despises, is like his mother: brilliant and one of history’s greatest military strategists but is significantly damaged by self-doubt and nightmares inflicted by his mother’s manipulations. His deep well of courage ultimately guides/saves him.
Robert de Charney, Isabella’s illegitimate son whom she adores, is a truth-seeker and a peace-loving warrior. He secretly maneuvers his way into Edward’s camp as a dream-seer and re-directs history’s trajectory.
-
Assignment #1
Sheila Rinear Project and Market
1. Genre: Historical Drama
Title: Sons of Treason
Concept: What would happen if a woman vindictively but unsuccessfully maneuvered her two sons’ betrayal and murder of one another so that she alone might govern the thrones they each would have ruled? [The Hundred Years’ War maybe?]
2. Most attractive: After two brothers play into their mother’s manipulations trying to ruin each other, one brother discovers the truth and saves his brother’s life at the cost of his own.
3. I’d first like to target managers because they might better know which producers to approach with this story. But I’d also like to approach Producers and Actor’s Production Companies because I want to know how to do it all.
4. Today I learned a ton of great info but the biggie: the difference between the logline and the concept/hook.
-
Hi Everyone, my name is Sheila Rinear. Glad to be onboard with you all.
Until a few years ago, my writing genre was primarily playwriting. I’ve written over 30 play scripts most of which are full-length [some even award-winning], an opera, a children’s musical and I’ve had over 60 productions. I wrote these while teaching theatre and directing but a few years ago I turned to the challenge I finally dared to face: feature-length scripts (I’ve written 3) and TV pilots (I’ve written 3).
I’m obviously obsessed with writing but need to be better prepared to sell my screenplays and pilots which have all placed in contests. I kind of lose my nerve when it comes to knowing the best way to present my work. There are so many suggestions online and everywhere today that it gets intensely confusing. The way Hal laid it out how this class would go, I’m really hoping to be ready to present and sell my work. (no pressure, Hal)
I don’t feel very unique but my writing has kept me aware of who I am and how much I love to write stories about people overcoming life’s challenges and injustices and I can do that with comic as well as historic stories. I think history can be humorous. Maybe that’s a unique perspective?
Okay. Onto the pathway to success for all of us!
Best,
sheila rinear
-
I, Sheila Rinear, I agree to the terms of this release form.