AMERICAN ANTHEM brings to life the story of the STAR SPANGLED BANNER.
It's a story we all know, but have never been able to truly experience. This film hopes to change that.In September of 1814 a small, diverse group of Americans held the line against overwhelming force. Their unity and courage saved a nation on the brink of collapse, and inspired the anthem we still sing today.This story stands as an important reminder of our shared history, our founding ideals, and the power of solidarity in the face of adversity.

The Characters

The Story

August, 1814. Washington DC has been taken by the British. With the White House engulfed in flames we can see just how grave the threat to the country is.10 days later, in Baltimore lawyers Francis Scott Key and John S. Skinner embark on a voyage to rescue their compatriot Doctor William Beanes. This voyage will bring them face-to-face with the British commanders sent to destroy them. As they discuss their mission they sail past Fort McHenry, where soldiers and civilians are preparing for war.Meanwhile at the fort, Private Frederick Hall takes part in the preparations for battle. Hall has chosen to enlist and defend the United States despite being a runaway slave. General Armistead addresses the troops, explaining how disunity is what led to the burning of Washington, and how self-sacrifice for the greater good is what's needed to save the nation.Key and Skinner make their way to the British fleet. They negotiate with the British command over dinner, extolling the ideals of human rights and liberty that drive them as Americans. The British counter with the hypocrisy of American slavery, something Key is forced to ponder. Eventually the British relent and release Beanes, but the three Americans are forced to remain with the fleet and witness the coming bombardment. Admiral Cochrane boasts that they will soon see the British flag flying over Baltimore, signifying the end of the American experiment.September 13th. Fort McHenry is in the midst of heavy bombardment. Frederick hall is caught in the middle as the Americans wage a valiant counterattack. The battle rages into the night and Hall, while defending his fellow soldiers, is hit and mortally wounded. As he is taken off the field General Armistead and the other soldiers treat him as their equal. Meanwhile Key, Skinner, and Dr. Beanes watch the continuing bombardment from a distance. Dr. Beanes reminisces about the founding of the nation, and hopes that he is not witnessing its end.September 14th. As dawn breaks the three weary Americans see that Fort McHenry has survived the British onslaught. Key channels his feelings into the verses that will become the National Anthem.The triumph in Baltimore and Key's poem inspire the nation to rally together and overcome the British invasion. 200 years later the United States is still standing, and the task of preserving it and fulfilling its promise of liberty and justice for all is now up to us.

The Style

The events of 1814 are mythic, grand in scope, and epic in scale. What better way to illustrate that spectacle than through LUMINISM: an American art style popular at the time. Luminism uses extreme highlights, shadows, and shrouds of mist to imbue emotion and significance to its subject matter. Often that subject is a stormy American landscape, which is exactly what Baltimore would have been in September of 1814, making it the perfect style to emulate. Here are some examples from the time:

It will also be important that we feel fully immersed in the experience, and the best approach for this will be to revive the panoramic format of 1950s “CINERAMA.” This field of view most closely matches the human eye, but without the artificiality of rectilinear distortion, or the jarring spherical distortion of a fish-eye lens.

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