Something kinda funny i did for school...
had to do a movie project proposal for school. if u got 2 minutes take a read...{note to self: stop thinking about poker 24/7} there are also pics (including one of Scharf! lol but i dont know how to make them show up)
Proposal Document
“Aces Upâ€
A documentary on the poker phenomenon
By: BRENT MOREAU
Objective: The following is a proposal for a documentary that aims to discover why poker, and particularly “No Limit Texas Hold’em†has become so popular around the world. The objective is to portray poker as a more than just a game of chance like many other casino games and expose how it has become a viable means of income for tens of thousands of people across the globe.
Setting: The footage will be derived from a variety of places, including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and the Greater Toronto Area.
Time Duration: 50 minutes.
Description: This will be a “made-for-TV†documentary that will take a look inside the world of both professional and amateur poker. It will uncover the history of the game dating back to its “American†roots on the steamboats on the Mississippi, right up to its modern day resurgence as one of the most popular shows on television. The historical part of the documentary will be told through a narrator, with still pictures and illustrations being used to help further the story. After the history of the game, it will jump to the 1970’s when Benny Binion invited the best poker players in the world to Las Vegas for the inaugural “World Series of Pokerâ€. This part of the documentary will be told through interviews with some of the legends of the game, and get their opinion as to why they believe poker has enjoyed such mainstream success after all these years in the dingy smoke-filled backrooms. Lastly, the documentary will be very heavy on modern day footage. There will be a number of interviews with both amateur and professional poker players, as well as people involved in the industry such as casino owners/card room managers, website operators, and retail outlets. This will be cut in along with clips from actual tournaments, website still shots, and exteriors of some of the more well known establishments in Las Vegas and abroad. The editing will not be too fast, but at the same time will move along at a decent speed to keep the viewers attention. The further along the timeline the story goes, the faster the cuts will get. The film’s ultimate goal is to portray poker as a legitimate sport/profession and not merely a game of chance/luck.
Proposed Sequence Sample of Events:
1) Introductory shot will be of a large-scale card room, possibly with a poker tournament in progress. The camera will pan across, establishing that poker is big business and a very popular pastime amongst people of all ages, races, and genders. In the background, you will be able to hear an announcer proclaiming, “The name of the game is No-Limit Texas Hold’Emâ€. Followed by a brief pause. Then the announcer will say, “Shuffle up and dealâ€.
2) There will be a slow transition into a picture of a large steamboat dating back to the early 1800s. The narrator will start by talking about the historical beginnings of the game and where it is believed that the Americans came up with the original idea for the modern game.
3) It will then cut between various still shots of “old†America and the environments in which poker was originally played. The narrator will talk about how the game was originally a haven for cheaters and often resulted in violent episodes between some shady characters. The narrator will also discuss how from the very beginning there were people who made their living playing poker and “hustling†other would-be gamblers on the steamships.
4) Next, it will continue with still shots, as its shows pictures from the American Civil War. The narrator will discuss how many of the soldiers learned this new game called “poker†and took it back home with them to their communities. The narrator says, “And so poker was born, out of soldiers, cheats, and drifters…the everyman’s gameâ€. Fade to black.
5) Cut to a shot of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas and the busy downtown strip. The narrator will talk briefly about the beginning of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and how Benny Binion came up with the idea.
6) Following the brief introduction about how Binion helped “organize†poker, there will be interviews with some of the games original stars, including the likes of Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Bobby Baldwin, “Amarillo Slim†Preston, and Chip Reese. They will talk about how they got involved in poker, and their beginnings in the game. Some of the subjects will talk about their playing experiences in the backrooms of Texas and having to travel from game to game to keep the action live.
7) This will be mixed in with archival footage from some of the earlier WSOP, which is the only poker footage available from the 1970s and 1980s.
8) Following the coverage from the early years of poker, the documentary will cut to its main focus: Poker in the new millennium. It will start with a quick clip of Greg “Fossilman†Raymer winning the WSOP Main Event which was the largest ever single payout in sports history at five million dollars.
9) After this, it will cut back to some shots of modern day Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and even some of the casinos here in Ontario. There will be exterior shots, as well as interiors (particularly the card rooms) with the narrator debating over what really caused the resurgence in poker. The three big suggestions are the movie Rounders starring Edward Norton and Matt Damon, Chris Moneymaker (an amateur player) winning the WSOP Main Event in 2003 ($2.5 million), and the introduction of the World Poker Tour and its ingenious idea to put cameras in the table so that viewers could actually see the players’ cards as the hands were unfolding.
10) There will then be various people from the poker community (authors, players, broadcasters) debating what they believe really sparked the resurgence and mainstream acceptance of poker.
11) As they talk about poker’s newfound popularity, the topic will slowly shift into that of professional poker players, with a gradual transition between the subjects. There will be some shots of some of the biggest names in professional poker, with the actual sound being used from the games.
12) There will then be more interviews with some of the pros discussing the ups and downs of being a professional player and how they came about making their living playing cards. This segment will end with one of the pros stating, “It’s a hard way to make an easy living.â€
13) Next, the documentary’s focus will shift to the business side of things. There will be some shots of poker supplies in various retailers, bookstores and also some shots from various poker websites.
14) This will be mixed in with various interviews from people in the industry, including, the web site owners, storeowners, and publishers. They will talk about how poker has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and how it continues to grow with popularity each year. Also, they will discuss such things as the recent surge in poker-related literature and the large number of online casinos and their legality.
15) The final segment of the documentary will be much closer to home, as it will focus on the popularity of the game here in Canada. It will open with shots of Canada’s most famous poker export Daniel Negreanu. He will talk briefly about his success in the United States and his humble beginnings in the card clubs of Toronto and his first few trips to Las Vegas, which resulted in him coming home penniless.
16) From there, there will be some interviews with some of Canada’s top poker personalities, including Evelyn Ng (top female player), Dave Scharf (Author of Winning at Poker: Essential Hints and Tips, Editor of Canadian Poker Player Magazine, and one of the top tournament players in the country), and some other domestic professionals including Bob Jarett, and Vince “Shampoo†DeLeo. They will talk about their experiences in Canada and abroad playing the game they love.
17) Next, it will cut back to the narrator talking about some of the card rooms in Canada and how they stretch from the Yukon in the North to Windsor in the South, and from British Columbia on the West Coast to Nova Scotia in the East. There will then be interviews with some casino employees talking about poker’s growing popularity and how many casinos that do not have card rooms are in the process of getting them (i.e./Windsor, Niagara).
18) Lastly, the documentary will close with a brief look at the recently formed Canadian Poker Tour (CPT) and how it has been selling out all of its events and garnered nothing but praise from players around the country. There will be interviews with Randy Hewines and Dave Scharf, two of the principle players in getting the CPT up and running during its inaugural campaign.
19) The documentary will conclude with a quick montage of shots beginning with the picture of a steamboat, up to footage from the 1970s and 1980s, and concluding with some shots from some of the biggest tournaments in the world today. This will be adequate in portraying how poker has grown from its humble roots to where it stands now…as one of the most recognized games around the globe.
(not entire document but all i could fit in 10000 characters here)
Proposal Document
“Aces Upâ€
A documentary on the poker phenomenon
By: BRENT MOREAU
Objective: The following is a proposal for a documentary that aims to discover why poker, and particularly “No Limit Texas Hold’em†has become so popular around the world. The objective is to portray poker as a more than just a game of chance like many other casino games and expose how it has become a viable means of income for tens of thousands of people across the globe.
Setting: The footage will be derived from a variety of places, including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and the Greater Toronto Area.
Time Duration: 50 minutes.
Description: This will be a “made-for-TV†documentary that will take a look inside the world of both professional and amateur poker. It will uncover the history of the game dating back to its “American†roots on the steamboats on the Mississippi, right up to its modern day resurgence as one of the most popular shows on television. The historical part of the documentary will be told through a narrator, with still pictures and illustrations being used to help further the story. After the history of the game, it will jump to the 1970’s when Benny Binion invited the best poker players in the world to Las Vegas for the inaugural “World Series of Pokerâ€. This part of the documentary will be told through interviews with some of the legends of the game, and get their opinion as to why they believe poker has enjoyed such mainstream success after all these years in the dingy smoke-filled backrooms. Lastly, the documentary will be very heavy on modern day footage. There will be a number of interviews with both amateur and professional poker players, as well as people involved in the industry such as casino owners/card room managers, website operators, and retail outlets. This will be cut in along with clips from actual tournaments, website still shots, and exteriors of some of the more well known establishments in Las Vegas and abroad. The editing will not be too fast, but at the same time will move along at a decent speed to keep the viewers attention. The further along the timeline the story goes, the faster the cuts will get. The film’s ultimate goal is to portray poker as a legitimate sport/profession and not merely a game of chance/luck.
Proposed Sequence Sample of Events:
1) Introductory shot will be of a large-scale card room, possibly with a poker tournament in progress. The camera will pan across, establishing that poker is big business and a very popular pastime amongst people of all ages, races, and genders. In the background, you will be able to hear an announcer proclaiming, “The name of the game is No-Limit Texas Hold’Emâ€. Followed by a brief pause. Then the announcer will say, “Shuffle up and dealâ€.
2) There will be a slow transition into a picture of a large steamboat dating back to the early 1800s. The narrator will start by talking about the historical beginnings of the game and where it is believed that the Americans came up with the original idea for the modern game.
3) It will then cut between various still shots of “old†America and the environments in which poker was originally played. The narrator will talk about how the game was originally a haven for cheaters and often resulted in violent episodes between some shady characters. The narrator will also discuss how from the very beginning there were people who made their living playing poker and “hustling†other would-be gamblers on the steamships.
4) Next, it will continue with still shots, as its shows pictures from the American Civil War. The narrator will discuss how many of the soldiers learned this new game called “poker†and took it back home with them to their communities. The narrator says, “And so poker was born, out of soldiers, cheats, and drifters…the everyman’s gameâ€. Fade to black.
5) Cut to a shot of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas and the busy downtown strip. The narrator will talk briefly about the beginning of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and how Benny Binion came up with the idea.
6) Following the brief introduction about how Binion helped “organize†poker, there will be interviews with some of the games original stars, including the likes of Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Bobby Baldwin, “Amarillo Slim†Preston, and Chip Reese. They will talk about how they got involved in poker, and their beginnings in the game. Some of the subjects will talk about their playing experiences in the backrooms of Texas and having to travel from game to game to keep the action live.
7) This will be mixed in with archival footage from some of the earlier WSOP, which is the only poker footage available from the 1970s and 1980s.
8) Following the coverage from the early years of poker, the documentary will cut to its main focus: Poker in the new millennium. It will start with a quick clip of Greg “Fossilman†Raymer winning the WSOP Main Event which was the largest ever single payout in sports history at five million dollars.
9) After this, it will cut back to some shots of modern day Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and even some of the casinos here in Ontario. There will be exterior shots, as well as interiors (particularly the card rooms) with the narrator debating over what really caused the resurgence in poker. The three big suggestions are the movie Rounders starring Edward Norton and Matt Damon, Chris Moneymaker (an amateur player) winning the WSOP Main Event in 2003 ($2.5 million), and the introduction of the World Poker Tour and its ingenious idea to put cameras in the table so that viewers could actually see the players’ cards as the hands were unfolding.
10) There will then be various people from the poker community (authors, players, broadcasters) debating what they believe really sparked the resurgence and mainstream acceptance of poker.
11) As they talk about poker’s newfound popularity, the topic will slowly shift into that of professional poker players, with a gradual transition between the subjects. There will be some shots of some of the biggest names in professional poker, with the actual sound being used from the games.
12) There will then be more interviews with some of the pros discussing the ups and downs of being a professional player and how they came about making their living playing cards. This segment will end with one of the pros stating, “It’s a hard way to make an easy living.â€
13) Next, the documentary’s focus will shift to the business side of things. There will be some shots of poker supplies in various retailers, bookstores and also some shots from various poker websites.
14) This will be mixed in with various interviews from people in the industry, including, the web site owners, storeowners, and publishers. They will talk about how poker has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and how it continues to grow with popularity each year. Also, they will discuss such things as the recent surge in poker-related literature and the large number of online casinos and their legality.
15) The final segment of the documentary will be much closer to home, as it will focus on the popularity of the game here in Canada. It will open with shots of Canada’s most famous poker export Daniel Negreanu. He will talk briefly about his success in the United States and his humble beginnings in the card clubs of Toronto and his first few trips to Las Vegas, which resulted in him coming home penniless.
16) From there, there will be some interviews with some of Canada’s top poker personalities, including Evelyn Ng (top female player), Dave Scharf (Author of Winning at Poker: Essential Hints and Tips, Editor of Canadian Poker Player Magazine, and one of the top tournament players in the country), and some other domestic professionals including Bob Jarett, and Vince “Shampoo†DeLeo. They will talk about their experiences in Canada and abroad playing the game they love.
17) Next, it will cut back to the narrator talking about some of the card rooms in Canada and how they stretch from the Yukon in the North to Windsor in the South, and from British Columbia on the West Coast to Nova Scotia in the East. There will then be interviews with some casino employees talking about poker’s growing popularity and how many casinos that do not have card rooms are in the process of getting them (i.e./Windsor, Niagara).
18) Lastly, the documentary will close with a brief look at the recently formed Canadian Poker Tour (CPT) and how it has been selling out all of its events and garnered nothing but praise from players around the country. There will be interviews with Randy Hewines and Dave Scharf, two of the principle players in getting the CPT up and running during its inaugural campaign.
19) The documentary will conclude with a quick montage of shots beginning with the picture of a steamboat, up to footage from the 1970s and 1980s, and concluding with some shots from some of the biggest tournaments in the world today. This will be adequate in portraying how poker has grown from its humble roots to where it stands now…as one of the most recognized games around the globe.
(not entire document but all i could fit in 10000 characters here)
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