Well, after a long spell of book marketing and the rest of life catching up to me, it’s time to do something about the 1913 Gettysburg Encampment.
One course is to have it made into a feature-length film. After several months of slaving (and shaving down) I have a first draft of a screenplay. Do I know anything about screenplays? Hah! I know so little that I don’t know if I even HAVE a screenplay. But it is 118 pages, is in 3 visible acts, and puts the major emphasis on Act 2 and the actual reunion at Gettysburg.
What I really need on this is someone who knows screenplays AND who has read the novel to read this and give me a (gentle I hope; my ego is in fragile condition these days) critique and suggestions on how to improve/strengthen it.
On the other hand, the 1913 Reunion at Gettysburg (GB13 for short) is a forgotten event in our day even though at the time it received worldwide coverage in the press. Sooo…why not a documentary about it? You know, a sort of Ken Burns-y style thing with lots of photos, film clips from the actual event (we have some of those), music, narration and some interviews? I was thinking about a one-hour deal, i.e., aimed at PBS/History Channel/Military Channel (so it would actually run about 54 min. with cuts for commercials).
Can it be done?
Well I think so. I have nearly 1000 photos on the old computer of Civil War vets, the earliest dating from about 1869. (The last ones are from Life Magazine in August of ….wait for it….1956(!), covering the funeral of Albert Woolson of Duluth, MN, the last documented veteran to die.)
I also have a script put together that uses about 400 of these and allows room for some of the film clips and for interviews.
So far, so good. More next time (and much sooner).
Parade rest.
