Here's an idea I pitched. Feedback welcome!
BLACK BELT
Genre: Action/Drama
LOGLINE: When a young Tae Kwon Do black belt with Down Syndrome learns his single mother has been diagnosed with rapid onset dementia, he must - with the help of his instructor - use all his martial arts training to learn to live and survive on his own in a dangerous world.
SUMMARY: Skip Williams, our young action hero with Down Syndrome has always lived at home with his impoverished mother. She has always been over protective, doing almost everything for him to protect him from the world. Skip has no survival skills other than his martial arts training. When his mother is diagnosed with dementia, and will soon no longer be able to care for him, Skip's martial arts instructor takes Skip under his wing, knowing time is of the essence to teach Skip essential survival skills - such as telling time, managing money, interviewing for a job, using public transportation, and living independently. It's tough going for Skip, learning so much so quickly, but his martial arts training in the importance of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit come into play in five real-world survival experiences, especially when drug addicts living next door try to bully, intimidate and even rob him.
If anyone else wants to pitch an idea or submit a script for this young black belt to Mad Wife, they can be reached at: contact@madwifeproductions.com. I'm not associated with Mad Wife, just a screenwriter reposting information for other Stage 32 writers who may in interested in taking a crack at it. My guess is an action script is probably what they are looking for.
You have the story. Just put it in a screenplay format. Look at the beats you want to hit. What order do they need to be hit. Put them in scenes and those scenes in sequences.
You have written the screenplay. If you want someone to come up with dialogue that is a job - sure. What would the writer bring to the table. I take it you are going to direct it? So you know your budget? How many locations you can get access to for shooting?
This is something I would take a hack at if I were you.
Thanks Craig - I'm pitching it as the screenwriter. Mad Wolf would handle the production. I'll see if they nibble on the idea. I have a lot going on to squeeze into 10 pages. And I have no idea of the Down Syndrome hero's acting abilities. The five tenants of Tae Kwon Do I listed could delineate sections or beats of the story? Each be a vignette of sorts, an illustration of the tenant as experienced by the hero.
As we do when trying to sleep, the scenes started running through my head. I like your idea of nailing the beats to help me build structure. I like the Beat Board in Final Draft once the beats start falling into place in my head.
Are you looking for someone to write this for you or are you looking for funding? It sounds like you already have the 10-page script, but you say you're looking for one.
I received an email from MJ Poole, who was putting out a request for scripts for an actor with Downs, and it sounds like funding to produce by Mad Wife Productions in Reno is possibly already in place. I posted the contact info to let fellow Stage 32 writers know and get in on the action if interested. I don't have a script ready, hard to believe anyone does the subject is so narrow, so I pitched an idea for a script. No response from Mad Wife yet.
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More clarification... here's MJ Palo's request for scripts verbatim:
Happy Sunday Reno-Tahoe Screenwriting Community!
We wanted to share a script search from Mad Wife Productions:
They are looking for a short script for a specific actor – Easton Reyes – he can play 16-21-year-old, he has black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Mixed Martial Arts and he has Down Syndrome.
They are looking for scripts that are about 10 pages that would have a lead role for Easton (any genre and something with action/martial arts would be of interest). If you have a script that might be a good fit or could easily be adapted, please reach out to Mad Wife Productions directly.
Include logline and short summary in your pitch (do not send any scripts unless they request them): contact@madwifeproductions.com
They are looking to purchase the script and produce it this year.
Best, MJ