CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
TOMMY TROJAN CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
Fight On for ol’ SC Our men Fight On to victory.
Our Alma Mater dear, Looks up to you Fight On and win
For ol’ SC Fight On to victory
Fight On!
For 547 Consideration By: Brian J. Cawley
University of Southern California 900 West 34th Street, Room 404, Los Angeles, California 90089-1234 • Tel: 213 740-3317 c• Fax: 213 740 3395
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
FILM TITLE: TOMMY TROJAN
TONE: Observational - Exposé
LOGLINE: After almost 50 years as the head of the Trojan Marching Band, Dr. Bartner prepares to step down from the director’s podium to enjoy retirement. But before he departs, he wants his audience to know that the band program has a legacy to maintain as USC keeps marching forward. Having dedicated his entire professional life to music at USC, Bartner’s final wish is to ensure the band is set to succeed for another lifetime. Will Dr. Bartner be able to secure the Trojan Marching Band’s iconic imagine even though the band faces a transition that could undo five decades of a legacy? Enter the world of the largest spirit organization on USC’s campus, TOMMY TROJAN exposes the passionate, hard-working and dedicated personalities comprising The Spirit of Troy, what USA Today calls “The Best Band in College Football.”
INTRODUCTION: Tommy Trojan is arguably the most iconic figure in the collegiate sporting world. Seen on television screens around the country by millions of viewers, he's the symbol of success for the University of Southern California.1 Win or lose, Tommy Trojan is who fans, students, alumni and USC sports teams turn to. Follow the magical journey of the Trojan Marching Band as they attempt to bring the football team to win another major bowl game and maybe even a national championship!
We enter the Trojan Marching Band department. The walls are lined with cubes filled with shiny gold helmets and an assortment of red feathers. We show colorful band uniforms, perfectly pressed, hanging below the cubes. We show Chris Wodniak, the band’s Drum Major, known as Tommy Trojan, polishing a golden armor chest plate. As he polishes the armor, he begins rehearsing a motivational speech for The Rose Bowl game that’s just around the corner. We focus on the themes of IDENTITY and COMMUNITY inside The Spirit of Troy. Fans who attend USC’s football games assume the man behind all the golden armor, seen spinning and flipping the Sword of Troy and stabbing it into the center of the field, is Tommy Trojan. WRONG! This person, in fact, holds the title of “Drum Major,” not Tommy Trojan. Believe it or not, there’s only one Tommy Trojan on campus, and it’s not who you’d expect… Nope,
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
it’s not the man who rides on the white horse known as Traveler either. The only “official” Tommy Trojan on campus is the actual bronze statue located in USC’s quad.1 Yes, USC’s “Drum Major” suffers from identity theft!
THE STORY: Our story, TOMMY TROJAN, will show the discipline, training and community The Spirit of Troy embodies. With a robust history, we will crack open USC’s archival treasure chest and reveal the untold stories behind of The Spirit of Troy. In the process, we’ll show the evolution of the band from where it started, to where it is now, and the exciting road ahead. USC’s Drum Major, Tommy Trojan, will be our guide and narrator in telling our story. Our main hero will be Dr. Bartner and how he goes about solidifying his legacy for the band for a lifetime to come.
BACKGROUND: Shortly after the University of Southern California was founded in 1880, a group of musicians first came together to form what would become the Trojan Marching Band (TMB). Now the largest spirit organization on campus, the band has developed into one of the most exciting and innovative collegiate marching bands in the country. Featuring over 300 passionate students from nearly every major at USC, the TMB is a prominent and visible representative of the university with over 350 engagements per year. It has truly earned its nickname, “The Spirit of Troy,” for its commitment to USC and its tireless support of Trojan athletics. 2
The TMB's first recorded performance was in November 1918 when, at the end of World War I, members of the TMB led a victory parade of America's returning servicemen in New York City. "Fight On", the fight song of the University was composed in 1922 and became a part of the TMB tradition. In 1923, the school's alma mater, "All Hail", was composed by a member of the TMB, Al Wesson. The TMB gave its first national radio concert on CBS on April 19, 1929. The band participated in the 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, forming the Olympic Braid in the opening ceremonies in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (coincidentally USC's home stadium).2
After wearing various uniforms over the years, particularly those with a military-style, the band began using basic, unadorned Trojan-style helmets and uniforms in 1950. Three years
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
later, the TMB adopted "Conquest", a song composed by Alfred Newman for the film Captain from Castile as a victory march.2
CHARACTERS:
Dr. Arthur C. Bartner, 77, earned his B.A., M.A., and Ed.D. in music education from the University of Michigan, under the guidance of famed director William D. Revelli. His love for music started long before in Maplewood, New Jersey, where he learned to play the trumpet. In 1970, after seven years of building some of the most highly acclaimed high school band programs in Michigan, Dr. Bartner accepted an invitation from the University of Southern California to direct the Trojan Marching Band. Dr. Bartner introduced the band’s distinctive “drive-it” style of marching and revolutionized its sound by incorporating modern hits
into its repertoire. Now, after 46 years, the Trojan Marching Band is one of the most innovative and in-demand college bands in the country. Under his direction, the band became known as “The Spirit of Troy,” for its support of USC Athletics, attending over 85 USC sports events each year. With over 350 engagements annually, his band is the university’s goodwill ambassador to the community, nation and world. Dr. Bartner has taken the TMB to every major continent and 17 countries.2
Chris Wodniak, 21, is a Junior at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. He currently holds the title of Drum Major in the Trojan Marching Band. Chris has been the band’s Drum Major for the 2016/2017 season. He is known as Tommy Trojan to the people outside of the band community. Chris is currently in the process of interviewing potential candidates to fill his shoes for next season.
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
TBD Freshman and TBD Senior Band Member Out of 300+ band members that form The Spirt of Troy, we will select one freshman and one senior band member to follow. We will show how they interact with the band and gain their insights on what it’s like to be a member of “Hollywood’s Band.”
Traveler’s Tommy Trojan (Hector) He’s seen riding Traveler during each USC football game. We will focus on what this man’s significance is and clarify how he fits into the overall USC culture. There could even be a slight rivalry between USC’s Drum Major and Traveler’s Tommy. Who ultimately gets the spotlight?
TBD Fall 2017 Drum Major. Our final character will be the chosen/elected TMB Drum Major for the 2017/2018 season.
LOCATIONS: USC Band Department USC Sprit of Troy Marching Band Practice Field USC Coliseum USC Secret Archives
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
SCENES: ACT I:
Scene 1: We show The Spirit of Troy marching through campus on the first home game of the season. We show fans, students and alumni. We introduce Dr. Bartner and the Drum Major for the first time. We show Chris Wodniak in Tommy Trojan armor.
Scene 2: We introduce Chris Wodniak, the Trojan Marching Band Drum Major, aka Tommy Trojan. We show Chris standing in front of the iconic Tommy Trojan statue standing high in the courtyard. He introduces the history of the band. (Insert Archive footage)
Scene 4: We enter the USC band department office with Chris not wearing his Trojan armor. We show Chris polishing his Tommy Trojan armor. Chris describes the responsibilities of being the Drum Major. He also describes the process he will be going through of selecting the new Drum Major for next year. He describes the importance of passing The Sword of Troy down to the next Drum Major.3
Scene 5: We show Chris training the potential candidates for next year’s Drum Major position. He mentions, for the first time, Dr. Bartner’s high expectations of the role and the levity it carries.
Act II:
Scene 6: Dr. Bartner interview. We enter the world of Dr. Bartner. He describes his passion for The Spirit of Troy and how it has come to be over the course of nearly 50 years. We hear where he thinks the program is going. Dr. Bartner reveals he will be retiring in three years, marking 50 years as the TMB instructor. He also reveals the band is underfunded and his goal before stepping down is to maintain the imagine of the band while leaving the band with solid financial resources well into the future.4
Scene 7: We show the current TMB building, surprisingly small and aged. We show water-stained ceilings and cramped space. We show one band member sewing a sleeve of a worn band uniform. A band member describes the current condition of the band department.
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
Scene 8: We enter a grass field packed with the USC Marching Band. We show the band practicing without uniforms. We hear a man shouting with his deep raspy voice over speakers. We finally show the source of the shouting. Boom! We show a wide of the field’s bleachers. We then get tighter on the bleachers showing two men standing with their hands waving in the air. We show Dr. Bartner, USC’s head marching band instructor. Dr. Bartner’s voice echoes throughout campus. His voice is iconic to any student attending USC as it’s heard nearly every day of the week.
ACT III:
Scene 9: We see the Sword of Troy being passed to the next Drum Major.
Scene 10: We go back to the first game day of the Fall 2017 football season. The band enters the massive sporting arena, known to the Trojan community as the Coliseum. We show The Spirt of Troy marching and performing for their audience.
Scene 11: Chris, the former Drum Major, tells us what it’s like to be a Trojan and mentions that one doesn’t need to be dressed in armor to be a part of it all. The Trojan family is much larger than just The Spirit of Troy.
Scene 12: Tommy Trojan is not the Drum Major, not the iconic statue, not Traveler’s Tommy… We discover, in fact, the real Tommy Trojan is USC’s Marching Band instructor, Dr. Bartner.
Scene 13: Dr. Bartner is working on music cue sheets in his office dressed in full Tommy Trojan armor. FIGHT ON! Dr. Bartner is Tommy Trojan! He possesses all the qualities it takes to be a Trojan at USC.
THE END
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TELL THIS STORY NOW: 1.In winning the 2017 Rose Bowl game against Penn State in epic fashion, The Spirit of Troy and USC football is the talk of the town. How will they prepare this coming season in the high hopes of returning? Now’s the time.
2.A new Tommy Trojan (Drum Major) will take over. Will the new Tommy be as charismatic and influential as Chris Wodniak? Now’s the time.
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
3.Dr. Bartner won’t be the Spirit of Troy Marching Band institutor much longer. Recently confirmed, he plans to retire after being with the University for 50 years. Now’s the time.
4.The band department has voiced its interest in collaborating with USC Cinematic Arts on this film project. The department is excited for us to tell the full story. Now’s the time.
WHO’S OUR AUDIENCE?: There are more than 375,000 living alumni in the Trojan Family. USC alumni can be found in leadership positions around the world, with more than half of them living in California.5 I’m confident we can generate extra enthusiasm for TOMMY TROJAN through the support of our loyal USC alumni network. FIGHT ON!
FILM REFERENCES: The King of Kong Mr. Holland’s Opus Abstract: The Art of Design ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Brian Cawley is an American actor, writer and director born in Omaha, Nebraska. Cawley obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of San Francisco and is known for his work in television, film and commercials.
His acting career began in 2011 as an extra on the HBO television series Luck. Cawley has studied with actor / director James Franco. During his time with Franco, he discovered acting techniques that would be beneficial to share with actors as a director. While on set in various Hollywood-based TV shows and films, Cawley realized the importance of directors who understood actors. As a result, he entered the graduate program at University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in 2015 to further hone the craft of filmmaking. Most recently, Cawley was cast as Sheriff John in the USC / James Franco co-production entitled The Adventures of Thomasina Sawyer set to release in 2017.
When Cawley first set foot on campus at USC as a graduate student, he became well aware of the long tradition associated with the University. Cawley quickly realized that his mission was to proudly carry the Trojan legacy well into the future through the creation of entertaining, engaging and informative stories. As a result, he now carries the “Fight On” tradition
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
throughout the university and all of his cinematic collaborations.
FACULTY REFERENCES: 547/440: Richard Burton 508: Stephen Flick, Pablo Frasconi, Sky Borgman, Ed Parks 505: Robert Ramsey 532: Barnet Kellman Franco Project: John Watson
________________________________________ SOURCES: 1. USC Drum Major Chris Wodniak and USC Marching Band PR Department 2. 2016 USC Marching Band Rose Bowl Press Guide 3. Chris Wodniak on-camera interview with USC Film Director Brian
Cawley dated 12/28/16 4. Dr. Bartner on-camera interview with USC Film Director Brian Cawley
dated 3/21/17 5. USC Alumni Association website — http://about.usc.edu/facts/
CTPR-531 Documentary Treatment
BRIAN CAWLEY HARD-WORKING | CREATIVE COLLABORATOR
123 N McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90004
(949) 395-3629 [email protected]
EDUCATION: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA | 2015 - Present M.F.A. in Film & Television Production School of Cinematic Arts
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA | Class of 2010 B.A. in Business Administration & Entrepreneurship Minor in Theatre Arts
EXPERIENCE: Little Cottage Productions, Laguna Beach, CA | 2014 - Present Director / Writer / Creative Collaborator with Southern California’s newest experimental filmmaking company
FILM PROJECTS: James Franco’s The Adventures of Thomasina Sawyer (Feature) Actor: Sheriff John — 2017 Violent Night (Short) AD, Sound Editor — 2017 The Other Side of Midnight (Short) Director, Writer — 2017 Alien Homicide (TV Pilot) Director, Writer — 2017 Residents (Short) Director, Writer, Sound Editor — 2016 Rear Projection (Short) Producer, Editor — 2016 The Walking Wounded (Short) Cinematographer — 2016 Happiness for Hire (Short) Production Assistant — 2016 Mannequin Man (Short) Director, Writer, Producer, Editor — 2015 Silver Beach (Short) Director, Writer, Producer — 2015 Murray (Short) Sound Recordist — 2015 The Magical Comb (Short) Director, Producer, Editor — 2015 90210 (CW) Actor: Jeremy — 2014 How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Actor: Waiter — 2014 The Middle (ABC) Actor: Eric — 2014 Criminal Minds (CBS) Actor: Basketball Player — 2013 Burger King (Commercial) Actor: Rancher — 2012 Courtyard by Marriott (Commercial) Actor: Hotel Guest — 2012 Nokia (Commercial) Actor: Young Father — 2011 Crush (Feature) Actor: Soccer Player #2 — 2011 Luck (HBO) Actor: Horse Trainer — 2011
SKILLS: SAG-AFTRA Member, Avid, Pro Tools, Final Draft, Movie Magic, Photoshop, Power Point, Excel, Word, Keynote, Website Development, Painting, Sketching, Storyboarding
