Auditions will be held this weekend for actors who wish to work various short film projects in the DC / Maryland area – This is a paying gig.
This SATURDAY (4/24) and SUNDAY (4/25): VCUcinema School of the Arts is holding the FIRST of two casting sessions for eight short-films. In collaboration with L.A Based cinematographer Andrew Giannetta (Everybody Hates Chris, Blood Makes Noise), these films will be shot in and around Richmond, VA during June and July. Actors will receive compensation – $50.00 per filming day – in addition to meals and a copy of the film on DVD. Lodging accommodations will be considered on an as-needed basis.
WHAT PAYS THE RENT (Dir. Ian Edwards)
Shooting Dates: June 1-5
Paul (Male, Young Adult): Fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree. Has a facial demeanor more expressive than Keaton, but somewhat more stoic than Chaplin. Generally well intentioned, despite how his intentions affect his actions.
Homeless Man (Male, Middle-Age or Older): Living on the streets, but not your typical homeless person. Avuncular qualities.
Job Interviewer (Male, 50’s): Mobster Type. Optimistic about the American Dream, even though for him it’s more of a nightmare.
Receptionist (African American Male, 30’s): Large, like a football player, though he has effeminate qualities.
Mr. Lewis (Male, Middle Aged): Compensates his role of authority for his lack of distinguishing looks. Hypocritical. Sleazy.
Meter Maid Rita (Female, Early 20s): Plump and homely, although she is the pinnacle of beauty in Paul’s eyes.
SMALL STEPS (Dir. Jasce Burrow)
Shooting Dates: June 7-12
Buzz Aldrin [Glenn] (Male, 40s-50s): Convincible astronaut. Strung out, yet innocent. Loveable, yet ambiguous. A marijuana fiend, but in many ways he is a man with a desire to be a good father, or a power figure. Think the song “Rocket Man,” but about weed. More so than it already is?
Neil Armstrong [Whipple] (Male, 30s-40s): Straight up trashy. The trashiest, yet still convincible astronaut around. Slightly emaciated and unkempt, this guy is all about the weed, and less about life. Television is more important than space to him. Chain-smokes and has only the basis of a relationship with Buzz. He’s running out the rest of his life.
Jude Ridge (Female, 35): Gorgeous; an ex-beauty queen. Wants the best for her son, though she fears greatly that she might not be able to provide it. Greatly misses her husband, and is full of anger and confusion. She views her son Houghston as a reminder of his father, and wants to embrace him yet push him away at the same
time.
Houghston Ridge (Teenage Boy, 16-18): A Freudian madhouse. He has his father locked in an air stream trailer, high, and disillusioned. Hoghston is not a bad person per se … just in love with his mother. He feels like the world has turned itself on him, and he has to obtain that which he thinks he deserves. Has a sick sexual insecurity, and wears his mothers clothing to express this. Cannot stand meat. Meat is murder to him. He is young, but still a monster. It would be easy to believe that the only thing keeping Houghston alive is his desire for his mother, and all else is trivial.
Dennis (Teenage Boy, 16-18): Down and out – thrown under the bus kid. His family is in bad times and he doesn’t really know how to act in anyway other than pseudo tough. He masks his insecurities. He is probably close to Houghston because of this. The two need each other far more than they know. Kind of a voice of reason but in a threatening way. Too young to know that there is more, but just old enough to believe he’ll never reach it.
A TOAST (Dir. Michael Bolosan)
Shooting Dates: June 12-16
Edmund Gregory (Caucasian Male, 31): At least somewhat handsome. Self-absorbed. Condescending. Pseudo intellect and sophistication. Vocally articulate without really saying anything.
Christina (Caucasian Female, Early 20s): Attractive. Not so educated and therefore innocently witless. The type of girl you take back to the yacht.
Dot.Com Man (Male, 40s-50s): Lack of looks is compensated with money. The nerdy, geeky type.
Alan (Caucasian Male, Early to Mid-20s): Nicely groomed. Still a young face. Listless. Socially awkward… at
least in this social environment. Relatively passive. Reserved. Inarticulately discontent. Antithesis of Edmund.
Mother (Caucasian Female, 40s-50s, Hiding under a facade of plastic surgery): Maternally controlling. Socially vivacious. Personality hasn’t caught up with her biological age.
Jack (Male, Approaching Middle Age): Our Playboy. The Alpha male. A potential key to Alan’s future. Always wears a
smile, whether sincere or otherwise.
Catherine (Caucasian Female, Early to Mid-20s): Mysterious, yet sincere. Modestly beautiful… the type of girl you
take home to mom. Caring. Wise beyond her years.
Lynnie: (Young Girl, 8-12 years-old): Vocally opinionated. Has a strong sense of entitlement. Assertive. Smarter than her age.
…BUT DADDY LOVES MOMMA (Dir. Katie Baumgart) – Shot on 35 mm
Shooting Dates: June 17-23 (Off on the June 20th)
Raymond Weaver [Ray] (Male, 30s-Mid 40s): Ray’s conflict is that he acts on his love/obsession, on which he is directly focused. Perhaps he should appear boyish and charming, with somewhat gruff and mysterious tendencies. But his essential quality is his attitude and presence. He must “simply” be captivating. Unignorable.
Brown Haired Woman [Ray’s Wife] (Female, 30s): Her conflict is that through enabling Ray, she is both benefited and harmed. And by living with Ray, she is the victim of the greatest emotional turbulence. She is attractive; a brunette with striking long legs.
Connie Price (Female, Mid 20s-30s): Connie’s conflict is the same as Ray’s wife, except hers is tamer, as she does not live with Ray. Connie Price, other than her brunette hair, is physically contrasting to Ray’s wife. Connie is awkward, underweight and sickly. Plain and ordinary. She is the extreme opposite of Raymond’s wife.
Oldest Daughter: (Young Girl, 8-12-years old): A brunette, like her mother. Her primary conflict is that having been born into Ray’s presence, she had no choice in the matter, so she suffers the least justifiable oppression, and therefore is the most judgmental and least forgiving.
Raymond & Brown Haired Woman’s Seven Children: (Male and Female; Various Ages): They are the children of lovers. Orphans. Washed Out and trying to survive.
Send resume and head shots to VCUCasting@gmail.com to schedule an audition time. Serious inquiries only.
Be on the look out for the next round of auditions for the final four films, to be cast June 5-6.
