The Script Proposal

Script proposals are used so that the company that you are pitching your script to can get a feel for what the story is without having to read a long script. Script proposals can be used for movies, one-off TV episodes or the basis of a complete series. There is more information about the product in a script proposal such as the characters, when the story is set and who the target audience is.

I intend to present finished my script proposal with both a written report and an oral presentation to my class and teacher. Once I have presented my script proposal my classmates will tell me if they think it is suitable and what the like or don't like about it.

The title of my proposed script is The Killing Moon. The genre of the script is a spy drama as the story centers around a secret agent on an assignment to save a kidnapped Professor. Before the Professor was kidnapped he was researching nuclear warheads. His research was on a USB drive which the kidnappers now have. The agent has to save the Professor and find the USB drive before the terrorists access the research. The unique selling point of my proposed script is the tension that build up as the agent has little time to stop the terrorist from using the research on nuclear warheads. I think the show will draw a lot of interest to it due to the recent Bond movie, Skyfall (Mendes, 2012). Skyfall is now the highest grossing film in UK box office history which shows that a large range of demographics are interested in spy stories. The suggested primary audience is middle-aged males of a lower middle-class social status. This is because a male audience can relate more to the agent and spy dramas usually appeal to middle-aged males. The psychographic profile for the primary audience is aspirers as they want to live the luxury life style of the agent. The secondary audience is teenagers as they will enjoy the action scenes of the episode and a lot of teenagers are fans of the James Bond films.

The story begins with the Professor being tortured into giving the terrorists. The agent is given the assignment to find the Professor. He finds the Professor dead and has to hunt for the research and stop the terrorists.

The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the production and starts the events that slowly unfold during the two episodes. I think it is important to starts it with an action scene as it will catch the audiences attention. If it started with a drama scene they may get bored and switch over to another channel.

The product will be proposed as a two-feature-length-part for a running length of around three hours. The reason for this is to give the agent a more realistic timescale in which to complete his mission. If it was a one-off episode it might feel like too much of an action production rather than a drama which the brief asks for. The intention of my product is to entertain the general public and I am hoping to make spy dramas more popular as it is a genre I am passionate about.  I think my proposed script is high concept as it is easy to pitch. With spy-dramas you normally know what it's going to be about and include. The whole idea of the proposed script can almost entirely be explained in one sentence.  The language used in the script is a mixture of Queens English (spoken by the staff at the Secret Service especially the Head of Office), and slang/lower-class English spoken by the terrorists. The reason for this links to the target audience as they will understand the language and any 'slang' they are speaking. There isn't an intended message within the script.

The main character of the proposed script is Jack Mason. Jack is an agent working for the Secret Service. He is in his mid-thirties with dark black hair. He dresses in smart suits and over-coats. Jack is given the assignment to find the missing Professor. In the end of the script he stops the terrorists and saves the kidnapped service agents. When writing the character I was inspired by Cary Grant and Sean Connery.
   George Haydon is the main villain of story. He is in his early-fifties and has brown hair. He dresses in a tan colored suit with no tie. He is in charge of the team of terrorists that kidnap the Professor. In the script he is responsible for the threat of nuclear war and he is the driving force of the story. The audience finds out towards the end of the script that the reason he wants the kill the secret service agents is because they were responsible the death of his wife. The character is inspired by Gary Oldman's character in Leon (Besson, 1994)
   Head of Office is Jack Mason's boss. He is in his late-sixties with grey hair. He dresses in the finest and most expensive suits. He gives Jack his mission and he helps him from his office. In the final act of the script he is one of the service agents that is kidnapped and taken to the terrorists.
   The Man in Black is a mysterious man who is following Jack. We find out later in the script that he works for the CIA. He helps Jack to stop the terrorists but gets killed by George Haydon in the final act of the script. He is in his mid-thirties with black hair. He dresses in an all black suit.