**This is the script I wrote for an approximatly 10 minute long documentary on Civil War Re-enactors. It is still fairly rough and basic, because you really can't script interviews ahead of time, but it gives you the basic idea. This particular Script got me a 3.7!**

A totally black screen. Civil War style music (perhaps the battle hymn of the Republic) fades up slowly. Scene fades into a quiet battlefield. A single shot rings out, followed by many others. We are now in the middle of a full fledged battle. Music fades out. The camera pans across the field, as men scurry about and cannons roar. Several close-ups of soldiers loading and firing their weapons are shown. Some soldiers drop to the ground.

VO: This is a scene from the American Civil War, one of the darkest times in American history. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives in this war, which was the only war besides the Revolution that was fought on American soil. We can catch a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers during this turbulent time in American history thanks to the tireless efforts of a small group of people who spend weekends re-creating the battles and daily life of the 1860’s, the time of the Civil War. These people are called Civil War Re-enactors.

The screen fades to a shot of a Civil War camp site, we see tents, soldiers milling about, and small, smoky fires. The camera pans to a woman cooking by one of these smoky fires, then to men eating a course bread-like food.

VO: The soldiers lived in rugged campgrounds, which had to be kept simple because the troops moved around constantly. The men had precious little time to rest between fighting, traveling, and keeping up camp. Food was also sub-standard. Meat, when available, wasn’t very good. Most meals consisted of nothing more than hard-tack (a very dense, crunchy bread like substance) and black coffee. These living conditions, along with the fatigue from the long war, led to widespread breakout of disease. Almost as many men died of disease during the war from disease and infection as from battle wounds.

We see a medium-long shot of a soldier in full dress. He displays the different parts of his wardrobe, equipment, and weapons as the voice over identifies and explains each piece. Inside a studio, we see a soldier in full Confederate dress. He sits on a stool and acts in character, he speaks as if he is really a Confederate private in the early 1860’s.

Soldier: My name is Private Paul Lambert of the 4th Alabama volunteer infantry. I joined the army 6 months into the war, leaving behind my wife and children to defend my way of life. I’ve seen action in Gettesburg, Alabama, and darn near all of the south.

Soldier: (out of character) My name is Paul Lambert and I live in Leominster, Ma. I joined the 4th Alabama and 15th Massachusetts re-enactors group about three years ago. I do it because I’ve always liked history, and have always been especially interested in the American Civil war. It is amazing to see what the soldiers of the time went though on a day to day basis, just to survive. Part of the reason I re-enact, I guess, is to help preserve the respect that the men who fought and died in the war deserve.

In the same studio setting, we see a man dressed in the uniform of a Union soldier. He too, starts out in character.

Soldier: My name is Corporal Lee McCoubry of the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer infantry. I’ve been serving in Mr. Lincoln’s army since the war first broke out. I left behind my parents and my little brother and sister back in Boston, Massachusetts. I’ve seen more fighting in the last six months than one man should see in a lifetime.

Soldier: (out of character) My name is Lee McCoubry, and I am a nurse living in Attleboro, Ma. I have been re-enacting for about 5 years now. I kind of stumbled into re-enacting when I drove by one about 5 years ago and stopped to check it out. I’ve always been interested in history and weapons, so I was hooked right away. I think re-enacting is a great way to show people what life was like during the war. If people are allowed to forget their mistakes, then they are condemned to repeat them, as the saying goes.

In the same studio setting, a young soldier dressed in a Confederate uniform sits and speaks in character.

Soldier: My name is Private Kaleb Smith and I am a member of the 4th Alabama Volunteer Infantry. I joined the Union army as soon as I thought I looked old enough to pass for eighteen. I was barely 17 at the time. I joined because it was the only way to get off the farm and see the world. Each time I see a man die, I regret the haste with which I joined. I’ve seen so much out on the field that I feel like the oldest eighteen year old in this here army.

As the soldier prepares to speak out of character, he pulls off his hat and a mass of long, curly hair pours out. "He" is actually a girl.

Soldier: (out of character) My name is Kathy Darowski and I am 17 years old and I live in Rehoboth, Ma. I have been re-enacting since I was 13 years old. I have been playing the role of a male soldier for about a year now. Before that I played the roles of both an affluent lady and a field nurse. I decided to become a soldier because it allows me to do more exciting things and get closer to understanding what the war was really like. Also, I wanted to point out that a small amount of women actually did dress as men and enlist in the army, sometimes not being discovered until they had been wounded or killed in battle. These pioneering women seldom get any recognition for their sacrifice. I re-enact because I learn far more about the past in one re-enactment than I have ever learned from school and because I find it to be an enjoyable hobby and social event.

The scene fades back to the smoky battlefield, where soldiers are fighting and falling. One group charges, then is driven back. The scene fades to black.

VO: It is thanks to these people, and thousands like them across the country, that we can get a glimpse into the lives of our forefathers. It is the passion of the re-enactor to inform, it is their self-assigned duty to never let us repeat the errors of our past.