Greetings to all animation lovers and fans of country music. It gives me great pride to announce my latest project, an animated musical family feature titled, "Phantom of the Opry".
In 1994, with the newly restored Ryman Auditorium scheduled to reopen after twenty long years, Rose, a beautiful but shy ghost who longs to sing at the Grand Ole Opry is befriended by Chris, a construction worker, who conceives a plan to help encourage her as well as prove his theory on the existence of ghosts. Chris' pregnant wife, Jo Beth, fearing that this could cost Chris yet another job, attempts to sabotage her husband's crazy crusade. Jo Beth's actions jeopardize the life of their unborn baby, and Rose realizes she must sacrifice herself in order to save her friend's child.
I need your advice and guidance.
The reactions to the screenplay have been positive and exciting. Before I can get representation and funding, however, I need character model sheets. Since drawing is not my strong point, can you point me in the right direction?
First, I would like to introduce to you my cast of characters.
Rose Alma Lekah, physical age 18, is a beautiful, kind-hearted, well-mannered teen-aged ghost who has been haunting the historic Ryman Auditorium since her untimely death and its closing in 1974. She longs to sing on the legendary stage at the Grand Ole Opry's former residence even though she is well-aware of the limitations caused by her being dead. She wishes she could sing to her parents one last time, but she is unaware that both of her parents died of broken heart syndrome shortly after her accident. Her story is kept alive by her Grandpa Scruggs, who has lovingly nicknamed her Rose Bud. Her hair color during her lifetime was similar to Electa's, which is reddish brown. She wears a Nudie Cohn rodeo cowgirl costume. Her colors are dull, and she is ghostly transparent. She is restricted to the Ryman. She can only float if she transforms into a mist. She learned the hard way that walking through walls can be quite painful. Therefore, her movements and actions are as if she were still mortal. She can only be seen and heard by those who believe in her. That is why she can neither see nor hear herself. She instantly falls for Chris.
Chris Mason, late 20s, is a dreamer, Opry aficionado, and self-taught expert on all things paranormal. He sincerely believes in helping others. Physically fit but not a stereotypical jock, he is the type who does not know he can have any lady he wants. He is stuck in a dead-end job working for his overbearing father-in-law. Chris' theories on the existence of ghosts have cost him many jobs. With a baby on its way, losing this job would be a catastrophe. Chris tends to think with his heart and not with his brain, causing him to not fully evaluate the consequences of his actions, regardless of how well-intentioned they may be. This is a character trait he shares with his wife, Jo Beth.
Jo Beth Mason, late 20s, is a take-charge person who, like Chris, tends to act before she thinks. Attractive, she is Chris' wife and childhood sweetheart, and she is looking forward to being a mommy any day now. A prenatal amniocentesis has revealed the baby is a girl. She is a strong believer in reincarnation and insists there are no ghosts, only memories. She can be intimidating at times and has a talent for manipulating others to get the desired results. Fearing that the "phantom nonsense" will cost her husband another job at such a vital time, she devises a scheme to get rid of Rose while making sure her arch enemy, Adah Easton, fails badly. Her confrontation with Rose backfires, putting hers and the baby's lives in jeopardy.
Scott Reitman, late 20s, is an aspiring songwriter and a loyal best friend to Chris. Scott could shed a few pounds, but he is not grossly overweight. He is rarely seen without his homemade guitar or fiddle and is constantly writing songs that he believes will be the next big hit. He is often intimidated by Jo Beth while still hanging on to being "one of the gang". He has a crush on Esther Easton who makes it clear she has absolutely no interest in him whatsoever. Fortunately, Cupid has instead aimed his arrow at Ruth, Esther's older sister. Scott's unflattering song depicting the gruesome phantom takes a complete turn when he finally sees Rose as she truly is, a loving soul and not an evil demon.
Henry "Scruggs" Bell, late 70s, early 80s, is an elderly gentleman and a guardian for Rose, his only granddaughter, whom he misses deeply. Holding on to his job as security guard for the Opry, Scruggs keeps the legend of the phantom alive for all who will lend him an ear. Even though he is advanced in age, he plans on remaining with the Opry until he is either forced out or called home to the Lord. He is more than happy to sneak Chris and the Easton Stars/Banshees onto the Ryman stage to rehearse.
Jack Demolay, late 60s, is Chris's boss and father-in-law. He is a taskmaster who takes pride in his work. Mistakes are not an option and restoration of the Ryman Auditorium is his biggest client to date. Jo Beth, his only child, is the apple of his eye. What she sees in that boy is beyond him. Underneath that gruff demeanor is a loving father who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his first grandchild. There is some chemistry between him and Martha Easton.
Adah Easton, late 20s, same age as Chris, Jo Beth, and Scott, is an aspiring and frustrated singer who longs to perform solo, but she holds on to being the lead singer of the Easton Stars and later, the Banshees, just to spite her sister, Esther. She is the eldest of the Easton sisters and was the class mean girl. She is attracted to Chris even though he is married and the feeling is not mutual, although it may have been for a very brief while in the past. She has disliked Jo Beth since the infamous sandbox incident in kindergarten. That feeling is mutual. In a bout of sheer frustration, she lashes out at her family, but she has a change of heart when Electa, her baby sister, is injured. Her hair is dyed black with blue streaks. Her costume is varying shades of blue. Her performing costume and her chopper bear the symbol of a sword and veil.
Ruth Easton, age 25, is the second of the Easton sisters. She is a good-natured, girl-next-door beauty, the type any man would want to introduce to his mother. Hair dye, tattoos, and unusual piercings will never be found on her. She loves and protects her younger sister, Electa, and has a crush on Scott. She acts as a buffer between Adah and Esther. She is loyal to her family and obedient to her mother. She is a natural blonde. Her costume will always be some shade of yellow, even when she wears her work uniform at a 50s-style diner. Her performing costume bears the symbol of a sheaf of wheat. She is old fashion in her ways and would be more than happy being Mrs. Scott Reitman.
Esther Easton, age 23, is a prima donna who wants to be the lead singer of the Easton Stars even though her mother has already assigned that role to Adah. As the third of the Easton sisters, she is constantly at odds with Adah. She attempts to hide the fact that she suffers from dyslexia and makes it clear she has absolutely no interest in Scott or his talents. She is constantly belittling her younger sister, Electa. Her hair is dyed white, although she shows signs of having originally been a brunette. No matter what she wears, her costumes will always be white or off-white. Her performing costume bears the symbol of a crown and scepter.
Martha Easton, late 40s, is the mother and manager of the Easton Stars. She is a God-fearing woman who still holds on to her dreams of being a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Life's unplanned obstacles, however, have gotten in the way, and as a single parent, she has spent most of her adult life caring for those obstacles. She insists her girls finish school before pursuing their careers, which with one exception, Ruth, involves singing. This means Electa, who is still a child, must remain in the background, no argument permitted. A handsome woman, her natural brunette hair is showing slight signs of gray, which actually compliment her. Her costumes will always be some shade of green regardless of the occasion. Her performing costume bears the symbol of a broken column. Jack's gruff demeanor melts in her presence.
Electa Easton, age 15, is the youngest of the Easton sisters and probably the most promising talent-wise of the group. She wants to be a part of the Easton Stars and the Banshees despite her mother's objection and Adah's and Esther's taunting. She feels like an outsider struggling to get in. She immediately accepts Rose as a friend, not realizing that Rose is a ghost. Rose sees a bit of herself in Electa and encourages the timid child to sing. Later, sensing that Rose is upset, Electa returns to the Ryman after hours and against the curfew set by her mother in order to return the favor and comfort her new friend. She even tries unsuccessfully to rescue Rose from Jo Beth, putting herself in danger. Her hair is reddish brown, and her costumes will always be some shade of red regardless of where she is. Her performing costume bears the symbol of a chalice. Like Ruth, whom she looks up to, hair dyes, tattoos, and unusual piercings are unheard of.
Dale Yvonne Mouse is a ghost mouse. She is married to Roy and is, in a way, a parental figure to Rose. Dale gives pep talks to Rose and comforts her when she is feeling down. Dale takes the initiative and buys Rose a Ouija board to communicate with Jo Beth. Unlike Rose, Dale and Roy are not limited to the Ryman and can go anywhere they please by turning into their own mists. Like Rose, she wears a Nudie Cohn rodeo cowgirl costume.
Roy Roger Mouse is a ghost mouse. He is married to Dale and is also a parental figure to Rose. He is a gentleman who helps out in any way he can, manipulating the planchette on Jo Beth's Ouija board, operating the lights at the Ryman, alerting Chris of the danger Rose is in, and hand-delivering the demo tape to his contact at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a place where he is among friends despite the fact that he is a ghost as well as a mouse. He, too, wears a Nudie Cohn rodeo cowboy costume, except for the one time he is seen in his pajamas.
My plan is to show this to the Opry's parent company, Ryman Entertainment which recently sold major shares to NBC-Universal.
