Midnight Swing

CONTACT

Deb Havener, writer/producer, [email protected] , 614.264.6679 Nolan Gerard Funk, actor/producer, Independent Talent Group, UK, +44 20 7636 6565 Laurie Ashbourne Sacks, producer, [email protected]

Ask us for our electronic packag e

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. We Start with the Script ...... Page 3

2. Log Line and Setting ...... Page 4

3. Synopsis ...... Page 5

4. Our Vision ...... Page 6

5. Downbeat, 1939 ...... Page 7

6. Casting: Our Main Characters ...... Page 8

7. Locations ...... Page 16

8. Marketing ...... Page 18

9. Producer Bios ...... Page 21

10. Director ...... Page 25

11. Fashion: Head of Wardrobe ...... Page 26

12. Really Fun Pics ...... Page 27

13. Contact Us ...... Page 28

14. One-sheet ...... Page 29

We start with thethethe script …

Nicholl Fellowships [email protected] to me

Dear Deb,

Congratulations! You have advanced into the Semifinal Round of the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. In so doing, yours is one of only 114 entries (out of over 6,300 screenplays) to survive the Quarterfinal Round.

During the Semifinal round, four Academy members, drawn from a variety of branches, will read Midnight Swing. Over the past half dozen years about ten Semifinalists have progressed into the Finals; the number will be similar this year.

Remember: if you become a Finalist, no later than early October we will ask you to send a short, informal letter telling us about your immediate and future screenwriting plans. If a producer is badgering you to option or sell this or another screenplay, hold off receiving any money for another month or so.

For a list to be forwarded to agents, development executives, managers and producers who request it, we shall use the contact information you have given us. Check your contact information below to make certain that it is as you want it:

Contact e-mail: [email protected]

If this information is incorrect, please change it via your online account or let us know as soon as possible via e-mail to [email protected] or fax to 310-247-3794 . Over 200 copies of the lists were distributed last year. Lists will be distributed after finalists are announced. If earnings have recently made you ineligible, congratulations – and please contact us immediately.

Good luck in the Semifinals.

Sincerely,

Greg Beal Director Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting www.oscars.org/nicholl

Midnight Swing

LOG LINE : Two young trumpet players revel in jazz, booze and women – until one of them confesses a dark secret that threatens the fate of their band and the friendship of a lifetime.

SETTING : This is 1939, a shimmering time when jazz dazzles, swing is King and dance halls across the nation are hopping. Lording over all of this are the boys in the band.

Synopsis

Summer, 1939.

It’s another hot, swinging night at the Starlight – a little joint in a small Ohio town, and all the kids are there to see their favorite local swing band – TEDDY ARNOLD AND HIS BLUE BOYS.

The self-proclaimed stars of this band are two young trumpet players, best friends CHARLIE HATFIELD, the sensitive first-chair player who fights hard to keep his sexuality a secret, and JACK DUPREE, a streetwise tough kid who craves attention from the ladies. They know how to play off each other to milk the crowd for applause and affection – much to the chagrin of their bandleader Teddy – who just craves a little professionalism.

Weaving his way through the crowd this fateful night is LARRY EVANS – a photographer from the hit magazine DownBeat. Sent to snap pictures of obscure swing bands of the Midwest, the usually cynical Larry is amused by the youthful, showy band. And when Charlie steps forward to perform a solo, Larry’s fascination is unmasked.

Larry soon finds himself alone with Charlie in the men’s room. Using his prestige as a DownBeat photographer, he talks Charlie into coming up to his hotel room to look at photographs of famous bands. Alone in the room, Larry convinces Charlie to dance with him. After a couple more shots of booze, Charlie yields to desire and has his first encounter with another man.

Larry ingratiates himself into the band when he books a gig for them at the famed Moonlight Garden.

Desperate to get his band into the pages of Downbeat, Teddy invites Larry to hit the road with the band. And Charlie, who has found himself gazing moon-eyed at Jack more than once, works hard to keep his heart off his sleeve – and his encounter with Larry a secret.

On the road, Charlie and Jack share a night of drunken merriment – until Charlie confesses his real feelings. His secret tears apart their friendship. Jack, confused by his own feelings for his closest friend, has sex with as many girls who are able and willing. Their anger and fear carries over into their performances ... and while their music is at once fiery and brilliant, the band is ultimately torn apart.

Welcome to the swingy-hot summer of '39, when romance, passion and lust run rampant through the Teddy Arnold and his Blue Boys Dance Band – not only in their sexual awakening, but in the very music they strive to play.

Our Vision

Set during a time when America was about to lose its innocence, Midnight Swing explores that one brief, beautiful moment we all have before we realize we’re on the other side of adulthood. We chose 1939 to mirror the innocence and naiveté of the country with our characters.

We plan to use the Arri Alexa camera package to shoot our picture. This camera offers superior image quality and has been used by many Oscar-nominated films.

In our first two acts we will utilize a color palette that is rich and vivid; jewel-tone blues , hot pinks and oranges , fiery reds , lush greens – to showcase the zest and energy of our young characters.

As our characters grow up and are faced with making tough personal decisions we begin to see a wear and tear on youth itself. To help illustrate this we plan to gradually bleed out the color.

By the end of the movie we are immersed in a world that is less shimmering and vivid. We are now in a world with watery colors , muted tones and a much more gritty feel. We are now on the other side of youth.

DownBeat, 1939

America is swooning over Clark Gable, Mickey and Judy are putting on a show in the barn, and kids everywhere are terrified of those flying monkeys from a land called Oz.

On the music front teens can’t get enough of the hot new jazz that’s exploding across the country. These young pepper-shakers dance so hard they have to replace the floor every year at the famed Savoy.

This has adults of a respectable reputation puzzled. Where does one go to hear these sounds?

If you want a real jamboree just hop a train to New Orleans to hear the Southern-fried wail of brass from Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five . Or head on over to Chicago where you can catch King Oliver for a grand night of sizzling jazz at the Royal Garden Cafe. Up in Harlem Duke’s blues-soaked rhythms add a touch of sophistication to the Cotton Club.

Twelve-hundred miles away Bennie Moten and Count Basie get the crowds jumping in Kansas City, while Goodman and his Orchestra swing out in every venue from East to West.

But if you want to catch a lively night of real stomping and swirling – of madness, mayhem and merriment – you need to visit those small towns where some of the most obscure little bands of the Midwest blow the roof off the joint. Dear reader, we suggest you put on your best and head to a little joint in Ohio called the Starlight to catch the antics of Teddy Arnold and his Blue Boys Dance Band . You never know what’s going to happen when those cats take the stage. – L. Evans, DownBeat Magazine

Our Main Characters

CHARLIE HATFIELD , 22, is a young man with a natural talent for music. One of the hottest trumpet players around, he’s fortunate to find himself soaking up the limelight on a local level with Teddy Arnold and his Blue Boys Dance Band. Charlie’s inner conflict is his ever- growing love for his longtime best friend, Jack DuPree – the second-chair trumpet player.

Considerations:

Freddie Highmore Daniel Radcliffe Logan Lerman

Josh Hutcherson Micky Shiloah Harry Styles

Our Main Characters

JACK DUPREE , 24, is not the brightest crayon in the box, but he’s showy and daring and a real piece of eye candy for all the ladies – not to mention Charlie. Jack is a little rough around the edges having had to take care of his lush of a promiscuous mother for most of his life. With no real father figure to bring him up, he leans toward his bandleader, Teddy, for approval and praise. His bond with Charlie is intense. They share the same painful desire of wanting to make it big. These two friends also share a craving of acceptance that they’re not getting on a personal level.

Nolan Gerard Funk Independent Talent Group, UK Attached

Our Main Characters

TEDDY ARNOLD , 50, is the desperate bandleader. Not the most handsome of fellows, and lacking certain skills when it comes to women, he relies on his young musicians to pull in the crowd. A sad sack most of the time, Teddy really only comes alive when he’s onstage with his boys. With no other skills to rely on he pours all his focus into making the band a top- notch celebrated entity. But he has a distraction; Jack’s single mother, Mary.

Considerations:

Paul Giamatti Jonathan Silverman Hugh Grant Steve Buscemi (LOI)

Steve Carell William H Macy David Arquette Jon Hamm

Our Main Characters

LARRY EVANS is a dashing, young photographer from the Big Apple who is working his way up the ranks. His photos have appeared in Metronome, Melody Maker and Downbeat, among many other venues. He loves bands – and is especially drawn to Teddy Arnold and his Blue Boys – a small outfit he comes across while on assignment for a story on little club swing bands of the Midwest. Though he has a wife in NY, Larry falls hard for Charlie.

Considerations:

Ewan McGregor Paul Rudd Orlando Bloom James Marsden Josh Duhamel

Ryan Reynolds Jude Law John Krasinski Bradley Cooper

Our Main Characters

MARY DUPREE , late 40s, is a single woman whose world is centered around herself. Strikingly beautiful, she relies on her looks to get her through life. Working is just too hard for her to handle. It’s easier to bat an eye at a drooling man to get her rent paid, her groceries bought and whatever else she desires. And that sad-sack drip of a bandleader, Teddy, is a great little meal ticket. Considerations:

Kristin Scott Thomas Patricia Heaton Parker Posey

Lauren Graham Elizabeth McGovern Sherilyn Fenn

Our Main Characters

DAISY POPP , 18, is Charlie’s best gal. Vivacious, bubbly and a fast-talking package of energy, she is the envy of all the other girls because Charlie picked her. Daisy’s big dream is to one day marry Charlie and to become a famous dancer for all those big MGM movies that she can’t get enough of. In the meantime, she has to find a dancing partner because her boyfriend is always up on the stage playing.

Considerations:

Alexia Fast Jennette McCurdy Ksenia Solo Sofia Vassilieva

Our Main Characters

DINAH is Daisy’s best friend in the whole world. These two are inseparable. Where Daisy is a flash of color and energy, Dinah is the more collected one. She’s beautiful, calm and smart – and her heart belongs to bad boy Jack DuPree.

Considerations:

Ariane Rinehart Olivia Thirlby Elizabeth Olsen

Our Main Characters

MARTHA HATFIELD (late 40s) is Charlie’s good-hearted mother. Because her husband works third shift at the steel mill she’s often left alone. Jack DuPree, though years younger, is able to convince her occasionally to step outside of her boredom, and this appeals to her girlish heart. Because of Jack sweet-talking her out of the house, she can occasionally be seen hitting the dance floor while Teddy’s band plays. And her husband need never know a thing. Considerations:

Jane Lynch Allison Janney Christie Brinkley Gillian Anderson

Lea Thompson Carla Gugino Virginia Madsen Gigi Rice (Interest)

Our Vision • Locations

We are in the process of comparing cost-effective locations in several states. One of our great finds is the Grand Valleydale Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio. An authentic 1930s ballroom, the Valleydale hosted some of the greatest big bands and names during its glamorous heyday; Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, Glen Gray, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra – the list goes on.

Today, the Finta family has taken great pains to preserve the authenticity of this jewel from the swing-era. Due to their hard work and dedicated passion, the Valleydale Ballroom will soon become home to the National Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame museum.

A plus side for the production of Midnight Swing is that several scenes can be shot in and around the Valleydale’s many rooms.

Original décor from the 1930’s beautifully restored. 16

Our Vision • Locations

The beautiful Columbus Athenaeum is a single building that houses several authentic 1930s ballrooms and stages all under one roof. This will save a significant amount of time and money as we can move our cast conveniently from one prepared room to another.

Built in the 1890s and refurbished in 1936, the current owners have taken great pains to keep the authenticity over the years while keeping the building up to code. This authenticity will provide a lush and affordable backdrop for many of our interior scenes and greatly enhance our production value.

Original custom-built lamps from the 1930s hang over a wood dance floor with plenty of space for cast and crew. This is one of the many ballrooms inside the Athenaeum.

At the foot of the large theater’s stage

More pics available at http://www.prettyegg.org/locations.html

MMarketingarketing

Take the sizzle of Chicago – splash it with the star-crossed romances of Moulin Rouge , Brokeback Mountain and The Artist . Throw in a little street-cred from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s Nicholl Fellowship and what do you get? You get a film that delivers at the box office, snags critical acclaim, and finds its way to the Oscars .

Comparable Movies:

We offer you Midnight Swing – replete with a gorgeous cast, dazzling dances, bittersweet romance, and a dramatic subtext about coming of age during a time when America (set during Hollywood’s most glamorous year) was about to lose its innocence.

Marketing

Who is this movie for?

• Anyone who has ever had a dream • Anyone who has ever been in love

But let’s break that down into numbers. We strive to appeal to the largest group of ticket- buyers in the age demographic of Generation Next.

• Males, 18–24: Most males in this age category spend a huge portion of their money on music downloads. They tend to want to be in a band, know someone in a band, or want to go out and see a band. Our movie is all about being in a band. And did we mention there are hot girls in it, too?

• Females, 18–24: For the sheer marketability of the young male cast. Let's face it, there are more women in our population than men, and this age bracket is all about latching onto eye-pleasing talent. The young female cast also offers fresh and identifiable characters for this group.

A study from the Pew Research Center shows that when Generation Nexters were asked about their life goals, being rich and being famous were the most important goals for the majority of this generation. Our fictional band and the leads have these same goals, so are extremely identifiable with this age group.

Other groups by age:

• 24–34: This group has one foot in the world of youth and the other foot on the other side. We offer characters who live and breathe the struggles of learning to grow up while hanging on to their fading childhood. We like to call this our bittersweet aspect.

• 35–54: For those audience members who have grown tired of (and disregard) the bombardment of slick SFX and crave a story with rich characters that they can identify with. One of our main characters is in this age bracket.

• Adults 54 and older: For those audience members who crave a little nostalgia we offer the heyday of the big band swing-era, complete with lush musical production and authentic swing dances.

Marketing

DANCE is hot in America and around the globe right now. Some of the highest-rated shows on TV are Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance . Midnight Swing explodes with show-stopping and innovative choreography.

MOVIE & TV MUSICALS are hot right now: Glee is a monster hit. Mamma Mia , Chicago, Moulin Rouge, High School Musical, The Artist – have all tapped into mainstream America. The ratings and ancillary profits generated around the globe are proof that the world craves more of this kind of picture.

But, aren't period pieces hard sells?

You may have heard that period pieces are hard sells. That said, we'd like to point out just a few period piece features and series that were successful both critically and at the box office:

American Hustle Gangs of New York The King’s Speech Brokeback Mountain Titanic L.A. Confidential Shakespeare in Love Grease Boardwalk Empire Moulin Rouge The Great Gatsby Gone with the Wind Stand By Me Saving Private Ryan There Will Be Blood Mad Men Hairspray Chicago The Artist (2011) The Help An Education

DEB HAVENER Writer/Producer

Deb is an award-winning writer and producer. She has joined with actor/producer Nolan Gerard Funk for the production of Midnight Swing .

Some of Deb’s honors include:

• The Oscar-qualifying CIFVF’s Bronze Chris Award (2012) for producing the hip-hop feature Groove Shack ;

• Oxford Int’l Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature for The Lodge (Netflix)

• Multiple Academy Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist. Other screenwriting awards and honors include Write Movies Int’l, Screen Craft, Fade In, America’s Best Screenplay semi-finals and Sundance official entry.

Deb executive produced the acclaimed, anti-bullying short, Strain , with Actress/Director Yin Chang (Disney’s Prom , CW’s Gossip Girl ). It was recently selected by the PACER organization to be used as part of an educational toolkit to spark discussion about bullying among high school students. After Senator Martins declared Strain “the most powerful film I’ve seen on this important topic” the short became part of a program on bullying in the NYC area school districts and is now being screened across the country for various social and charitable organizations.

Currently, Deb is in development with OnFire Films, LLC for an undisclosed drama. She runs Pretty Egg Productions, an independent production company in Columbus, Ohio that she co-founded with her husband Neal (a 2011 People’s Choice Award-winner). Their action feature Blood Land is currently under option with Anova Pictures .

Deb continues to work in the Reference Department for a five-star rated public library which was recently ranked 1st in the nation in their category for the sixth year in a row by the Library Journal.

NOLAN GERARD FUNK Actor/Producer

"Funk (is) effortlessly hilarious as drafted fifties rock-idol Birdie." -- Scott Brown, NY Magazine

"Funk, the youthful hunk, sings well and certainly seems to be enjoying his part." -- Ben Brantley, New York Times

"The tunes are catchy and the hard-bodied Funk can certainly bust a proverbial move.” -- Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly

"Conrad (the excellent Nolan Gerard Funk) turns out to be a lug with looks.” -- John Lahr

Nolan was first noticed when he was cast as the star of the Nickelodeon/Sony musical feature SPECTACULAR! From there Nolan landed the coveted role of 'Conrad Birdie' in the Broadway revival of BYE, BYE BIRDIE to which he specifically received stellar reviews from the New Yorker and The New York Times. Nolan starred opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the Relativity feature HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET (2012) and landed one of the lead roles in the Bold Films/Marc Platt feature, EVIDENCE, as well as the ABC Family Series Pilot INTERCEPT. Nolan’s recent features include RIDDICK with Vin Diesel (Universal Pictures), The Canyons (with Lindsay Lohan) and the upcoming thrillers WildLike and American Romance , the latter which he also served as an Executive Producer. Nolan’s TV series include Fox’s GLEE! playing bad boy Hunter Clarington, and MTV’s award-winning series Awkward playing the recurring guest-starring role and fan favorite “Collin”. Recently, Nolan was tapped as the new face for Versace’s 2014 Spring campaign. He is currently shooting back-to-back features in Vancouver and Arkansas.

LAURIE ASHBOURNE SACKS Producer

Laurie is an accomplished development producer, screenwriter and ghostwriter for feature length (live action and animation), short form and digital productions. She has extensive expertise in story development, script breakdown and supervision, research, marketing, production management and talent and crew procurement.

For over a decade, Laurie worked as an Artistic/Technical Supervisor, Producer and Department Head for Walt Disney Studios , Feature Animation - Orlando/FL, Burbank/CA; Branch of Walt Disney Studios that produces animated features for domestic and worldwide theatrical release.

In her supervisory position Laurie ensured that each element of every piece of art met technical and artistic standards for proprietary image processing system, while maintaining the artistic integrity of the story and the Disney brand.

Her produced credits for Disney include Beauty and the Beast , Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid , and Mulan among dozens of other award-winning titles.

On the Commercial/Corporate side, Laurie has produced content for Downy, Fanta, McDonald's , Burger King, Nestle , Walt Disney World Parks and Recreation.

Laurie recently produced the acclaimed 61 BULLETS - a feature length documentary investigating the killing of Senator Huey P. Long and Dr. Carl Weiss in the Louisiana State Capitol in 1935. The story is told largely by the descendants of both the slain Senator and his alleged assassin. From director David Modigliani, of the award winning documentary CRAWFORD. [email protected] [email protected]

SCOTT LEVENSON Producer

Scott Levenson began his career working in administrative positions for top entertainment companies including Creative Artists Agency and HBO . In the past two years he has Co-Produced and Executive produced four feature films which have featured some of the industry's top talent including Ben Stiller, Jesse Eisenberg, Christine Lahti, Brittany Snow and Thora Birch. Scott is a member of the Producer's Guild of America, BAFTA, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and serves on the GLAAD Leadership Council. [email protected] , 917.502.0624

KELI KITTINGER Producer

Keli Kittinger, born and raised near Los Angeles, is an award winning writer, director and producer for her short film Berlin Wall: A Love Story - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1815967/

After completing her BA in Marketing at CSUN, and finishing up a Director’s certificate at UCLA, she went on to work at ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment . She has worked production on many titles including STRAIN, an award-winning short by Yin Chang. She is currently in pre-production on another short film and a panelist on the popular movie review podcast Movie Menu Reviews .

Keli is part of the Disney Digital Marketing team. [email protected], 805.341.9417

DIRECTOR

Interest

DARREN STEIN

Darren’s latest feature, G.B.F., screened to such glowing reviews we just had to know more. Here is a man who is passionate about a cracking good story and of immersing himself in that world.

But who IS Darren Stein?

As a youth, Darren would grab his parents’ camera and the neighborhood gang and direct them through a plethora of provocative and thoughtful movies. This caught the attention of Ira Glass. Shortly thereafter, Darren was featured on This American Life sharing his own personal story.

You can read (or listen) to it here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/225/home-movies?act=2

A few years have passed since those days and Darren has honed his skills and focus on creating movies that are both engaging and reflective. His earlier works include Sparkler and the underground cult hit Jawbreaker (w Rose McGowan) – the latter of which is currently being developed as a new Broadway musical.

Darren has expressed his interest in directing Midnight Swing.

Would you like to know more about Darren and his work? We thought so:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825434/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Fashion

HEAD OF WARDROBE – VANESSA NIRODE

Vanessa’s exceptional work in wardrobe and costume design runs the gamut from family programming to the colorful and macabre world of Quentin Tarantino. Her lavish costuming can be seen in such films as Sin City (Dimension Films ), Cop Out (Warner Brothers ), Planet Terror (The Weinstein Company ), Grindhouse (Dimension Films ) and the popular Spy Kids franchise.

Vanessa is the Key Tailor and Head of HBO’s costume-building shop for the award-winning Boardwalk Empire .

See Vanessa’s wardrobe presentation for Midnight Swing:

http://www.prettyegg.org/fashionlaunch .html

We want you to have as much fun as we’re having. Under our serious demeanor we are giddy with joy. Contact us:

Nolan Gerard Funk Deb Havener Independent Talent Group, UK [email protected] +44 20 7636 6565 614.264.6679 Resolution (Alexander/Hussey) Los Angeles, 424-274-4200

Ask us for our business plan. It’s much less fun, full of legalese, and sure to please the number-crunching crowd.

Public: www.prettyegg.org/midnightswing

Business/Private: www.prettyegg.org/midnightnotes

Doug Lowell, Financial Consultant: [email protected]

MidN ight Swing

“Sexy and Dangerous!”

An ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP SEMI -FINALIST SCREENPLAY

CONTACT

Deb Havener, writer/producer, [email protected], 614.264.6679 Nolan Gerard Funk, actor/producer, Independent Talent Group, UK, +44 20 7636 6565 Scott Levenson, producer, [email protected], 917.502.0624

Ask us for our electronic package 29