Congratulations, you have decided to become a Hollywood screenwriter who specializes in historical fiction. You don’t know where to begin, but thankfully your HIST 1301 instructor has provided you with some lectures, a documentary, primary sources, and a textbook. You will use primary and secondary sources to inform the characters and plot of your Hollywood film (loosely based on a true story). Hollywood agents have contacted the Screen Writers Guild looking for fresh and engaging plot ideas focused on the Colonial Period of American History. (Remember, in this case, your producer is also your history instructor. You must illustrate in your pitch that you understand the period you are discussing. Be sure to look at all of the primary sources in the bundle that you choose and watch the lectures so that you don’t accidentally misstep).
Pick one of the following document bundles to base your movie on: Monsters and Marvels, The British Colonies, or Early Slavery in North America
In your 500-700 word proposal include the following in the order that best conveys your film idea:
• Cover Page – Create an original movie title. You can also include an illustration if you like, but the cover page needs to grab the producer’s (a.k.a. Dr. Martindale’s) attention. Finally, a Logline – this is one sentence that will grab my attention (see below for example) and describes the project. Remember, hundreds of writers are sure to respond and you want your movie to be chosen.
• Create a central character – He, she, or it should be an actual person from the past (look to your primary sources)
• Create at least one or two periphery characters – should be historically based (convey the feelings, ideas, of the time provided in other primary sources in the bundle), but can be fictional
• Describe the setting – year(s) the film will be set during, historical location(s), and most importantly
• Historical Context or Conflict – Your character needs to be involved in some conflict that actually took place during the time in which they were alive – this will be the center of your plot. If you are undertaking science fiction, you still must provide a realistic historical context.
• Provide citation using Chicago Manual of Style. Your producer needs proof that you have done your historical research (using course materials).
• Finally, somewhere in your pitch, you need to provide a paragraph or two that summarizes your story – beginning, middle, and end.
Logline example: “When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of a cloned dinosaur-populated theme park’s power facilities and security precautions, a small group of visitors struggles to survive and escape the perilous island.”1
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