The Family Is Growing (Maggie Meyer - Casting Director)

Maggie Meyer

Welcome Maggie Meyer to the team everyone.

Maggie has approached us to serve as casting director for "Good With Words".  After sitting down with her for a long while today, we agree that she shares our vision of the characters and has the experience needed to get the job done.

Maggie recently worked as the casting director for the Perth-Based horror film, "Infected Paradise.

Please direct any casting related questions to Maggie by contacting her at casting@AangryAardvark.com

Welcome aboard, Maggie.

Early in the Morning, Doubts and Comfort

It's 5:00am on Saturday morning.  My wife is asleep beside me in bed after we had both been up tending to a suck child.  It's these early hours that the three daemons of failure visit me, like Scrooge. Say good morning to my traveling companions:

• Fear
• Uncertainty 
• Doubt

This morning I suffer from concerns about the final scene in the dog park.  June is one of the rainiest months in Perth.  What if it rains in the day of the shoot?  I will have to reschedule crew, 50+ extras, and catering... and DOG CATERING!

Ugh.... And that gets the worry ball rolling....

The positive thing about my worry gene kicking into high gear is that I can think through and solve problems long before they become problems.  And I have always had fabulous luck with the weather... Touch wood.

My wife has, unbeknownst to me, been awake, looking over my shoulder and reading me write this on my mobile.  She startled me by saying in my ear "you're awesome.  I believe in you.  You'll do fine."

Yes... But because I worry, not in spite of it.

What Makes a Good CV

We've looked through a lot of CVs this week.  We are up to 262 individual HUMAN applicants (plus a few dogs - actual canines).  Some of these people either asked to be considered for multiple parts or they didn't specify at all, and we tagged them as interested in one or more roles based n their appearances and experience.  That makes 437 applications (when you count multiple roles).

That's a LOT of paperwork (and one REALLY big spreadsheet).

One thing we've become adapt at is what makes a good CV and what makes a bad CV.  Here's some of the things that we like:

• Pictures embedded in the CV, not sent as separate files.  This is because we end up having to save multiple files and it makes it difficult to match a face with a CV.
• URLs to ShowReels.
• Multiple pictures.  At least a face and a body shot.  
• Untouched photos.  Some people have gone hog wild with photoshop plugins.  How does that help us know what you look like?  We know that you know photoshop... but... that's not what we're looking for.
• When you tell us the roles in which you're interested.  It helps us narrow it down.
• Personal information - like that you speak Farsi or were a firefighter.  We like that.  It has put some people on a short list when they otherwise would not have been.  (Stage fighting did this on two occasions.)
• Directors that you worked with in the CV - that's cool.  We talk.  Knowing who to ask helps.
• PDF files, not word documents.  Word sucks.  I can't view them on my tablet or mobile phone either (where I do half my work).

For agents - 

• Consistent formatting is huge!  If you're going to send us ten CVs, it makes it easier on us if they are all in the same format.
• One applicant per e-mail.  When you send us three in one e-mail, it makes sorting more difficult.
• Help us narrow it down - if you have three people who are your best leading ladies, highlight them.

Do you know what your CV looks like?  Make sure that you know what your agent is sending.  We've seen some real horse fritters.  Bad formatting, spelling mistakes, horrid pictures, missing information (like a phone number)... ugh.

We REALLY REALLY like StarNow.  It gives us consistent formatting, it is somewhat searchable, and allows us to tag people in roles.  If you are intimidated by creating a CV, go with StarNow.

To Bring on a Casting Director

In my post about the casting tsunami, I winged a little about how much work it is to do all the leg work on casting.  Poor me (first world problems... at least I have clean drinking water... no clean cups in my cupboard, but the tap water is safe).

So, a nice young lady presented herself to me today as a Casting Director.  Hmm... I had never thought about it.  Up until now I had, at most, 50 people on a shoot (most of them extras) and I only did casting for maybe four to five stars.

We have 24+ speaking roles and spots for (literally) 150 extras.

Yeah.... I think that I need the help.  We're meeting on Sunday for a cuppa.  If things work out, I may be able to concentrate more on the fund raising.

Tax Invoices!

Yay!  Tax Invoices!  Woo Hoo!

There's a business side to film making and it involves tracking the dollars.

Our standard contract includes the stipulation that you invoice us using a tax invoice.  I assume that your average hobbiest actor doesn't deal with this a lot.  So, based on the Australian Tax Office's guidelines, I produced a Sample Tax Invoice that you can download and use.

Ain't I a sweetie?

Here's how I would work with this:

1. Go to the sample tax invoice
2. If you have a Google Account, copy it to your own Google Drive by clicking on "File" and then "Move to Folder" and pick a place on your Google Drive to store it.
3. If you don't have a Google Account, download it as a PDF or Excel Spreadsheet by clicking "File" and then "Download As..." 

When submitting your invoices, please send them to "accounts_payable@aangryAardvark.com" (should that be "aacounts_payable"?)

It's not as sexy as yelling "ACTION" for the first time, but it's part of the process.

We Have a Recruited a Technical Expert

We had a good meeting today with a technical advisor for the project.  He has a similar story to the character Gabe, in that he suffered a spinal injury as as young man and went through many of the things that Gabe has.

We have a verbal agreement for him to assist as a technical advisor on the project and act as a coach for Gabe, teaching him how to use a chair properly.

He has also agreed to do a script read-through for us, to make certain that we have no BS in there.

Overall he gave the script a thumbs up with minor caveats.

Casting Tsunami

We are now at over 355 applicants for roles.  That's a lot of head shots.

We finally have everyone in a big spreadsheet to make it easier to track things.  Of those 355, 227 are on the "sorry" list and 128 are on the "possible" list.  We want to get the auditions down to no more than six for the lead roles (Gabe, Evan, Daria), no more than four for the supporting roles (Maria, Jessica, Richard Price), and no more than three for the featured roles (Robbie, Dr. Shomberg, Drunk Kid etc.)

Of the 128 still in the running, we want to willow that down to 60-70.

We are going to keep shuffling things around, so we're not ready to tell people that they're out or still in the running.

Even with only 60, with a fifteen minute audition, that's two solid days of auditioning.

Thanks, everyone, for all of your interest.  We really wish that we could provide everyone with a speaking role, but it would then be a nonsensical twelve hour marathon.  There is room for just about everyone in a background role, plus a few other featured extra roles that we didn't list.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Casting Call - Great Responses

We put out our casting call on StarNow this week, and we have had a great response.

By far and away, we have had the most applicants for Daria, the female lead and love interest of Gabe and Evan (and, Pascual, for a brief time).

Next, we have had the most interest in the role of Gabe, then Marie, and Evan.

If you want to apply for a role, you can do it by applying on StarNow -or- you can e-mail your CV, including a head and body shot and an optional link to a showreel (even a YouTube video of you reading a poem - but not singing - is great), to casting@AangryAardvark.com.

I have really struggled to balance my commitment to openness with wanting to do what's right for the people applying.  What I DON'T want to do it to discourage anyone from applying - the 71st Daria might be the PERFECT person!  I also don't want to discourage the 69 Daria's that won't get the role.  Or, maybe, in seeing that there is a huge number of applicants for this role, it will make it easier if you don't get the part.  I don't know - I'm not an actor and don't have a lot of experience on that side of the equation.  Leave your opinion in the comments.

Some other things of note: I spelled "Enthusiastic" in "Enthusiasic Female Student" incorrectly on the listing (fixed it here).  Did anybody notice that?  I hand't until I copied and pasted it into this blog entry and my spell checker quacked at it.  And, of course, you can't change the listings once someone has applied.  Le sigh....

Here's the numbers (as of about 16:00 18 Jan 2014):

• 70 Daria
• 30 Gabe
• 25 Marie
• 17 Lady in Coffee Shop
• 16 Evan
• 16 Rosario
• 14 Enthusiastic Female Student
• 14 Jessica
• 13 Jerk #1
• 12 Richard Price
• 11 Pet Store Employee
• 11 Parker
• 10 Pascual
• 09 Girlfriend of Drunk Kid
• 08 Drunk Kid
• 08 Emergency Room Doctor
• 07 Brunette in Bar
• 07 Robbie
• 06 Master of Ceremonies
• 05 Garland
• 05 Dr. Schomberg
• 04 Ashley - Girl at Nightclub
• 03 Sanjeep
• 02 Old Dude

We've had some great people apply for all of the roles.  Many of them have indicated that if they didn't get a lead, that they'd be willing to do just about any other role.

Thank you, all of you who have applied for a role.  We wish that we had a whole cast of Darias and Gabes and... a leading role for all of you.  But, alas, it cannot be.  You're all stars in my eyes.

Location, Location, Location....

It's true in real-estate and it's true in filmmaking: Locations can make or break you.

We are currently on the hunt for the following locations for Good With Words:

• A two bedroom apartment - clean.  Occupied by two men, one in a wheelchair
• Bedroom 1
• Bedroom 2
• Kitchen 
• Livingroom
• Hallway
• Stairwell
• A dormitory room or an apartment.  Occupied by two women.
• Bedroom
• A restaurant dining room.  If they have a large aquarium, that is a bonus.
• University
• A small university lecture hall
• A university classroom
• A university professor's office (literature professor)
• A university professor's office (psychology professor) - with a "Freudian psychoanalytic couch" would be perfect
• Basketball court (interior)
• Food Court / Dining Hall
• Campus Green
• A bowling alley
• A swimming pool used to practice competitive swimming
• Gymnasium
• A gymnasium (university would be great)
• Locker room for gym
• Hallway by locker room
• Movie theatre (exterior)
• Coffee shop
• Doctor's Examination Office
• Hospital
• Hallway
• Waiting room
• Patient Room
• Nurses Desk
• General sidewalks
• Dog friendly park (large crowd scene)
• "Inspiration Point" (a place with a good view to park your car and make out)
• Basketball court (exterior)
• Dicso
• University Bar

I'm missing a few in here - but I'll add them once I've gone through the shot list again.

If you have a suggestion for a film-friendly and budget-friendly location for one of the above, please contact us at "locations@AangryAardvark.com" and one of our production staff will get back to you as soon as possible.

Location Scouting - Hospitals

Shooting at a hospital is proving a little worrisome.

The largest hospital in our region is the Joondalup Health Campus.  They have informed us that we won't be able to film there because they do not have the space.  All of their wards are fully operational and they cannot have a film crew in disrupting the patients.

They have directed us to a state agency that oversees hospitals.  They have a list of hospitals with closed wards.  I am assuming that they are temporarily closed due to inactivity and not decrepit messes with leaky ceilings and paint dripping off of the walls

Is this where we can film?

We have a contact number to call in the morning.  As always, the intrepid E.D. is on the case, running down the leads while I, the Chief Bottle Washer and Fire Marshall, is off raising funds.

Some hospitals have published guidelines about bringing in film crews.  St. George's University in London, has a price chart and hours available all on-line.  (Our shoot would cost us about AU$730).

Kinigston Hospital (also in the U.K.) charges about AU$1,800 for a four hour window.

The fine folks at Joondalup, didn't really seem to have a plan in place.  Perhaps I am the first person to ask.

Today I have broken new ground in medical-entertainment relations in the name of my art.   Now it is time to sleep.

Character Summaries

The character summaries have been moved to Google Drive.  Please see them there.

And They're Off....

We have a verbal agreement in place with the author of "Good With Words", a modern retelling of the classic play, "Cyrano de Bergerac".

Now that we have a title for our production, we can create a blog using that name... and here you are, you lucky reader!

Please follow us along and learn from our mistakes, copy our successes and cheer us on as we race towards the finish line.