I Have written a script based loosely on the 1980 film Adaptation to Raise the Titanic I Have written this script not like the Latter film
The film Focuses on Raising the Sistership the HMHS Britannic which More information about it can be found at www.hospitalshipbritannic.org
RAISE THE BRITANNIC BY RAYMOND LEE LEGGS
Here's Page four
EXT WASHINGTON DC DAY:
We Lower the camera from a high angle we see a young blonde headed
girl talking to an older man as they walk in front of the white house gates
GIRL (anya)
" I dont like it if this stuff hits the papers the katien project is no more"
MAN (admiral johnson)
There wont be any publicty this is top secret
Girl (Anya)
Anyway I thought this was a Navy Operation"
Man (admiral Johnson)
"it was handed down to the National underwatwer and Marine Agency"
Girl (anya)
"so you sent a scientist"
Man (admiral Johnson)
" yeah"
Page five
INT WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE DAY
we see the bald headed president turn around in his chair we see the same girl from ouside sitting in front of the desk in a swivel chair
President(Turned towards window)
"Miss Anya routousky"
ANYA
"sir"
President
"how did the national underwater and marine agency get mixed up in this Bullshit"?
ANYA
"Indirectly as we werent the first choice for the operation it was originaly a mining contractor."
President:
"If this Katien Project is what they say it is I'd like to dee the guys who dreamed of such a defence system and tell them to send themselves to a cold unpopulated Island"
Give Me Any comments you like
you can even tell me how to improve My dialouge If syou find anything Auqhard about it
All work and No Play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and No Play makes Jack a dull boy
First your dialogue is odd in that you label people twice GIRL (anya) and you put some stuff in quotes. Perhaps these are transciption errors or things that make sense in the actual script but they draw attention to format instead of content.
Also you have a lot of exposition and little actual conflict or drama. You use the old style of talking about the camera. If you are going to film this yourself that's fine but if you want it read by others things are normally written at mastershot level with hints on what to concentrate on. You use extra words when you don't have to. Blonde headed girl rather than blonde girl for example. You also strip out the mystery and slow down the sentences everytime Katian project is brought up. Here is the way I'd do it, not knowing the story at all I've taken liberties that might not make sense to someone who knows the story, but it should be enough to give you the idea.
EXT WASHINGTON DC DAY:
A blonde girl (30s) and an older man talk in front of the White House gates
ANYA
If this stuff hits the papers...
ADMIRAL JOHNSTON
Not gonna happen.
ANYA
How can you be sure? This isn't a Navy Op.
(indicating White House)
You know he's gonna ask.
ADMIRAL JOHNSTON
National underwater and Marine Agency may
not be Navy but we understand Top Secret.
You can tell him that. He's got my word.
ANYA
He'll trust you, but can you trust the scientists
to be quiet? How can you stop them?
The question hangs in the air as Admiral Johnston stares
at the White House.
INT WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE DAY
The president sits and stares out the window. Anya sits in front of the President's desk.
PRESIDENT
Miss Routousky.
ANYA
Sir.
PRESIDENT
(turning around to face Anya)
How did the National Underwater and Marine Agency
get mixed up in this bullshit"?
ANYA
Accidentally. It was originally a mining contractor,
then the Navy started getting involved. The Press
were starting to notice. Navy is too big for this kind
of thing. Shifting it seemed the best way to take the
media off the scent.
PRESIDENT
(rubbing his bald scalp)
If this Project is what they say it is I'd like to find the guys
who dreamed it up and send them to Antarctica for awhile.
Anna avoids the President's stare.
RJSchwarz
Raise the Britannic!
We Hear the roll of Kettle Drums as the presentation credit rolls
up A Raymond Leggs Production
EXT U-boat underwater night
We See a U-boat dropping a Mine Into the Ocean
a Freeloating Mine
EXT AGEAN SEA DAY- HMHS BRITANNIC
We see the Britannic slide Across the screen at 18 knots when suddenly-
BOOM!
we HEAR the hard-edge BLAST of a
SHIP?S HORN, REPEATED, stuff breaking FLames Licking Meatal tearing WOOD Slintering Peole Screaming
EXT Boat deck we see People Running
SINGLE ON MAN 5
He is bearded, gray hair he Grabs a young sailor as he passes by and shoves Him
BEARDED GUY: "Take me to Cargo Hold Number one NOW Or I'll Permanantly Disable you"
INT BRITANNIC CARGO HOLD
The Bearded Man releases the Junior Third Mate, stumbles across the cargo area till he comes to his vault,
an eight-foot square cube of steel. As he stands by the vault door, stroking it like a Cat
EXTREME CLOSEUP ? BEARDED MAN?S MOUTH 11
BEARDED MAN
(softer now,
but with a hollow
ECHOING SOUND)
Thank . . . God . . . for . . .Whitby thank God for (seals self in Vault)
EXT Britannic Boat deck Day The young Esigh Races up the deck as a Nurse Is wedged in a corner behing a fallen vent He and onother ensiogn shove
the Vent over and Pulls Her uP and they Both JUM into the ocean The Ship Lets out a
Beath Moan Its going Finally The ship Rolls over on its side and sinks like a HUGE IRON
BEAST THE ENSIGN RIPS the Pennant off the stern Mast as the stern Goes down . .
UNDERWATER- Day
We see The Britannic LAnd with Maximum force the silt clears and we pan over the deck on the Britannic
the title comes up we thear the timpani thunder then a dark Note And a Darkly Romantic Music Begins to play
in the britannic
RAISE THE BRITANNIC
we fade from the Warm Depts of the agean to The Coldness Of NOVAYA ZEMLYA, russia as the same dark Peice Play's
in the background
EXT WASHINGTON DC DAY:
A blonde girl (Mid to Late Teens) and an older man talk in front of the White House gates
ANYA
If this stuff hits the papers...
ADMIRAL JOHNSON
Not gonna happen.
ANYA
How can you be sure? This isn't a Navy Op.
(indicating White House)
You know he's gonna ask.
ADMIRAL JOHNSON
National underwater and Marine Agency may
not be Navy but we understand Top Secret.
You can tell him that. He's got my word.
ANYA
He'll trust you, but can you trust the scientists
to be quiet? How can you stop them?
The question hangs in the air as Admiral Johnston stares
at the White House.
INT WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE DAY
The president sits and stares out the window. Anya sits in front of the President's desk.
PRESIDENT
Miss Routousky.
ANYA
Sir.
PRESIDENT
(turning around to face Anya)
How did the National Underwater and Marine Agency
get mixed up in this crap"?
ANYA
Accidentally. It was originally a mining contractor,
then the Navy started getting involved. The Press
were starting to notice. Navy is too big for this kind
of thing. Shifting it seemed the best way to take the
media off the scent.
PRESIDENT
(rubbing his bald scalp)
If this Project is what they say it is I'd like to find the guys
who dreamed it up and send them to Antarctica for awhile.
Anna avoids the President's stare.
EXT RUSSIAN ISLAND DAY
We se a Girl No older than 16 no younger than 14 Digging Through the Snow deeper until she slides in
INT MINE DAY
Whe see Her Crawl into The Mine shaft
She waks among the rusty Mining eqipment she comes agross an Old Frozen Dead guy
Laying with a 2 by 4 across his chest a Message is burned into it
Here Lies SGT Jake Rode Froze in storm september 1st 1910 suddenly she hears a thundering boom and races up the Front of the cave
All work and No Play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and No Play makes Jack a dull boy