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Director and Screenwriter Kevin M. Kraft describes Proving Ground: From the Adventures of Captain Redlocks as "Diehard for kids in outer space." A rousing, spacefaring adventure, Proving Ground is the story of two siblings, a teenage girl and her little brother, who go to extraordinary lengths to make their military father keep his promise to spend the weekend with them. Things go awry, however, when the cargo ship they stow away on is attacked by space pirates. Holly finds herself the sole occupant of a modified battleship, taking on the pirates with a little help from her sarcastic, resentful CPS computer, while little Noah, having escaped to a hostile planet below, struggles to reach a communication beacon, before a savage predator spells his own doom.
Proving Ground is a screenplay written specifically for actress, HOLLISTON COLEMAN, Kraft has even rewritten the role of Noah for Holli's brother, actor BOBBY COLEMAN, who, at the time of this writing, had just booked the lead role in the upcoming feature film, The Martian Child. Bobby has seen his star rising with appearances in JAG and Medium. As Holli and her family are becoming fast friends, writer-director Kraft hopes to work with Miss Coleman in developing this eye-popping, thrilling adventure for the silver screen in the next two years.
BELOW: A SAMPLE OF THE SCRIPT TO: PROVING GROUND: FROM THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN REDLOCKS!
INT. BRADBURY - BRIDGE - SAME Holly has secured the captain's chair by wrapping cables around it and its base, and by jamming things into the socket that make it fit snugly. She tests it and is satisfied with her work. She gingerly touches the cut on her forehead again. Her expression becomes one of concern when she looks at the main viewer, where the Parvenu once again flies into view. HOLLY (sits) Oh, man! EXT. SPACE We see two weapons ports open up on the bow of the Parvenu. Two ridiculously large cannons emerge from two forward ports. INT. BRADBURY HOLLY BIG BOUNCING BUTTS! A pair of disruptor beams SPLASH against the Bradbury with great force. Holly is knocked out of her chair and onto the deck once more. The ship is SHAKEN. MORE DAMAGE. All is quiet for a moment. HOLLY Ow! ARIA'S VOICE (filtered) My disruptors were at one-quarter power this time. Wanna see one-half? Holly sits up, surprised. She rises to her feet. ARIA'S VOICE Come on, I know someone's aboard. You may as well talk to me. A little ship-to-ship visual? It's only polite. Holly returns to the helm, examines the controls. She brings up a representation of the Parvenu, takes a closer look. INTERCUTTING Between Holly on the Bradbury and Aria on the Parvenu. Aria and the bridge crew watch the image of the Bradbury on the screen. Aria paces in front. ARIA Gotta admit you almost fooled us with the Tantrum. Aria listens. She glances at Arlick for anything. Arlick shakes his head, shrugs. ARIA Whoever's over there, pick up! Now! HOLLY What do you want? Aria and crew are surprised at the young voice on the other end. ARIA What? I want your ship. Who the heck are you? HOLLY Who the heck are you? ARIA You are addressing Captain Aria Krait, commanding the-- Holly laughs mockingly. ARIA (continues) --COMMANDING the salvage ship Parvenu. HOLLY A pirate. A lousy, truncated-- ARIA I prefer the term “salvageur.” HOLLY Whatever. Why are you trying to seize this ship, pirate? ARIA Because I want it and what's inside it. It's going to make us rich as the war ends. You'd be sur- prised how much someone would pay for her. HOLLY Well, this is my father's ship, and you can't have it. So... go jump into a black hole. ARIA Oh yeah? Who are you? Holly sits in her captain's chair again, thinking, bites her thumbnail. HOLLY Call me…call me Captain Redlocks. ARIA Huh. And you call me a pirate. You're just a kid. Why are you on board a warship? HOLLY Who you calling a kid? How old are you? Ten? Or are you a munchkin sucking on helium filled balloons? ARIA Ohhh! HOLLY Ha! ARIA Well, I'm thirteen. And this is MY father's ship! He built Parvenu and taught me everything I need to know about commanding her and her crew. HOLLY Let me talk to HIM, then. Aria's bridge crew all snap a look at their young, unlikely captain, who pretends not to notice them. Aria stares at the Bradbury on the viewscreen. ARIA All you need to know, Redlocks is that I am in charge. And my ship outguns yours in its present state…which means you aren't in much of a position to refuse. You should think of your crew. ARLICK Captain! Aria snaps a look at Arlick, who shakes his head. Holly makes a frustrated face. Then she gets up at goes to the helm. ARIA Wait! You don't have a crew, do you, Redlocks? You're all alone. Think we wouldn't scan for personnel? It’s a pretty safe bet you aren’t Reticulan, or I’d be impressed. I’m the youngest salvage ship captain on the books. Would be nice to meet another girl with my moxie HOLLY Well, you talk a good game. You don’t have much of a Reticulan accent, though. ARIA I was educated in the finest schools in Reticula. Graduated four years early. HOLLY Yeah? Well, I'm homeschooled, which means I'm already smarter than you. Holly enters some commands, notices the weapons inventory is still up. She touches two pair of torpedoes; the icons light up. ARIA I'm getting a little tired of you, Ms. Redlocks— HOLLY Captain Redlocks to you, Captain-- Holly pauses, remembering. HOLLY (continues) Did you say your name was Krait? That sound's familiar. ARIA Well, it should. Surrender your vessel and prepared to be boarded, and we may even help rescue the landing party on Oblivia Two, which by the way, you've put in danger by starting a firestorm in their immediate area. Good job. HOLLY Very kind. Yes, you're a very kind young lady. But I don't think so. Holly enters some commands into her station. ARIA (filtered) Look, Bradbury is worthless hulk. I'll pay you what--HALF of what I was going to pay Quozzo. Why are you being so stubborn? HOLLY Because it's not your ship, CAPTAIN. You're pretty sure of yourself, huh? You remind me of this Roman emperor I once studied. A lot like him, really. INT. PARVENU – BRIDGE – SAME Aria continues to pace, watching the Bradbury on the viewer. ARIA I know something of Roman history. Whom did you have in mind? Julius Caesar? Tiberius? Augustus? HOLLY Mmmmm, more like...Gluteus Maximus, you overconfident gasball! Aria reacts. INT. BRADBURY - BRIDGE - SAME Holly slams the fire control. EXT. SPACE Two pair of TORPEDOES BURST from the Bradbury and SLAM into the Parvenu's bow setting its hull aflame. INT. PARVENU – BRIDGE – SAME The entire command center is ROCKED by the assault. The crew, knocked off their feet, is in chaos. Yocab rushes to Aria just in time to catch her before she falls. She lands on top of him, as they collapse to the rocking deck. ARIA (shouts) Redlocks got the drop on us. Raise our deflector shields! Back us off! Back us off! INT. BRADBURY – BRIDGE – SAME Holly bursts with laughter. HOLLY (like a pirate) Aye! Whacked your bum, lassie! Eh? Holly brings up the navigational screen. The weapons inventory disappears accordingly. She frowns at this but enters commands into the helm console. HOLLY (like a pirate) Hoist sails, me buckos! Arrrrgh! EXT. SPACE – SAME As the Parvenu begins to drift, the Bradbury turns tail to flee, it's powerful engines blaze. INT. PARVENU – BRIDGE Aria regains her footing, mad as a hatter. ARIA Pursuit course! Fire at will! YOCAB We aren't a battleship, Aria! ARIA I want that ship. I want that Tan- trum! AND I WANT THAT LITTLE GANTCH! |
whose screen credits include Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman. Her breakout role came in the movie Bless The Child, her incredible portrayal of the autistic Cody earning her critical praise. She has additionally appeared on a number of television shows including Judging Amy and Law & Order: SVU.