Backstage Digital Edition: November 5, 2020

11.05.20

Special Issue:

Creating Through Crisis 8 artists on working during the coronavirus

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Showrunner

Hilary Weisman Graham

draws us closer with “Social Distance”

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Learn how from the “Connecting...” cast

How

Tyler Perry

led the way for pandemic-proof production

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Contents

vol. 61, no. 25 | 11.05.20

Cover Story

Making the Most of It The world fell apart on March 13. Four days later, Hilary Weisman Graham pitched what would become her Netflix series “Social Distance” page 12

The Green Room 4 Small-venue theaters sue Cuomo and de Blasio over COVID-19 closures

6 This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom

7 Justin Baldoni on radical empathy and directing “Clouds”

Advice 9 NOTE FROM THE CD

Filming “Love” during the pandemic

10 #IGOTCAST

Azumi Tsutsui

10 SECRET AGENT MAN Stars of social media

Features 3 BACKSTAGE 5 WITH...

Mignon Von

8 MEET THE MAKER

Paul Rudnick, “Coastal Elites” screenwriter

9 THE ESSENTIALISTS

Jamie Dolan and Adam Faze, podcasters and producers

11 IN THE ROOM WITH Sara Isaacson

17 STAYING CONNECTED—FOR LAUGHS

The team behind NBC’s “Connecting...” on the triumphs and tribulations of filming in isolation

24 ASK AN EXPERT

Craig Wallace on staying creative during the pandemic

Casting 18 New York Tristate 18 California 21 National/Regional Hilary Weisman Graham photographed by Ian Spanier on Oct. 9 in Los Angeles. Cover designed

by Ian Robinson.

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Backstage 5 With...

Mignon Von

By Allie Volpe

Without representation from an agent, actor (and award-winning director, writer, and producer) Mignon Von landed the leading role of Danni on Tyler Perry’s hit BET dramedy “Sistas” through selfsubmission. The show broke barriers this summer when it became the first production to film an entire season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, going into Season 2, Von discusses how she got cast and more.

ILLUSTRATION: NATHAN ARIZONA/PHOTO: MIKE D SHOT ME LLC

Do you have an audition horror story you could share?

Here in Atlanta, they opened up this wonderful theater a year or two ago [with] a great endowment. In the first year, they were doing “42nd Street,” “Hairspray,” [and] “South Pacific.” I was like, I am going to go and audition! Meanwhile, my voice hasn’t been trained in years, I haven’t taken dance classes in years. I go in there, and I’m going to sing “One Night Only” from “Dreamgirls,” [thinking,] No one is going to sing that song. The pianist, he went way faster than I anticipated, so they let me do it a second time. I was terrible. The looks on their faces could be memes, the way they looked at me with these wide eyes; their mouths were agape. A girl came in after me and belted “One Night Only”—the very next girl—and she was incredible.

get my face in front of this person before the person with an agent or manager does, if I’m possibly right for it, I might get picked for an audition. Just play the odds. Don’t submit yourself every other day; don’t submit yourself once a week.

Submit yourself multiple times a day.

How did you first get your SAG-AFTRA card? Danni on “Sistas”! I was not even SAG-eligible before this, but [Tyler Perry] is a really great guy; he doesn’t care about any of that.

What’s the wildest thing you ever did to get a role?

The craziest thing I did was I did the two callbacks for “Sistas,” and I went back to L.A. and I packed up my stuff. And I moved [to Atlanta, where the show is filmed,] knowing they haven’t called and given me the part yet. And they eventually did. I did that three-day drive across the country and waited for the news out of sheer faith. This is mine; I know this is my part.

What performance should every actor see and why?

There are several that I’d recommend, but Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech,” because that movie is about him having to give a speech, but we don’t really focus on the fact that the speech he’s giving is, “Hey, we’re about to go to war.” The way the story is set up and the way his performance is executed, his stutter is more urgent than the fact that a full country is about to go to war. That shows you how important storytelling is. When you understand stakes and nuance and urgency and a want and an objective, you understand insecurity and humanity. A stutter can be more urgent than a war.

Thinking back on that time, what advice would you give your younger self? It’s a numbers game. Because I didn’t have representation, I would check all the platforms, [like] Backstage, multiple times a day. Because I cast my own short film, I know what the casting process is like. The quicker I can

“There’s a saying: On the other side of a breakdown is a breakthrough.”

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11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

HAVE YOU BEEN CAST IN A PROJECT THROUGH A BACKSTAGE CASTING NOTICE? Share your story with us and you might be featured in an upcoming issue! Just tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast and we’ll be in touch to hear your success story! @BACKSTAGE

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Industry

NYC Theaters Sue de Blasio, Cuomo Over COVID-19 Closures 8 small-venue Off-Broadway theaters and comedy clubs filed the lawsuit

By Diep Tran

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

The lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed in the Federal District Court in Manhattan on Oct. 23, are Catherine Russell, the general manager of the Theater Center in Times Square, and Michael Sgouros of the Players Theatre in Greenwich Village.

Other venues joining the suit are the Actors Temple Theatre, the Gene Frankel Theatre, the SoHo Playhouse, the Triad, Broadway Comedy Club, and New York Comedy Club.

The lawsuit argues that small venues can open safely at limited capacity and demands that

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Cuomo’s executive order closing small venues be overturned. The lawsuit was filed by attorney James G. Mermigis, who wrote: “Casinos, malls, movie theaters, restaurants, gyms, catering halls for weddings, christenings, and bar mitzvahs, bowling alleys, ‘Saturday Night Live,’ schools, and colleges have been allowed to reopen, but the smallvenue theater industry remains shuttered despite its median capacity of only 144 seats.”

The small-venue theater industry, as cited in the suit, generates around $1.3 billion in

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A COALITION OF EIGHT OFFBroadway theaters and comedy clubs have filed a lawsuit against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, pressing both branches to permit resumed performances. The city’s live venues have been officially closed since March and have not been allowed to reopen. Meanwhile, as argued in the suit, “Saturday Night Live” has been taping in front of a live (socially distanced) studio audience since returning for its 46th season last month.

total economic output annually.

Additionally, it employs an estimated 8,400 workers fulltime and provides roughly $512 million in wages. The suit further insists that if these venues aren’t permitted to reopen soon, they “may be forced to permanently shut their doors.”

In a statement to the New York Times, Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, said: “We get sued virtually every day for virtually every action taken during this pandemic, and, frankly, I’ve lost track of all the frivolous suits filed against us.” He then added, “We are moving heaven and earth to contain this virus, and we know some people are unhappy, but New York continues to have one of the lowest infection rates in the nation, and better to be unhappy than sick or worse.”

A spokeswoman for the city’s law department, Kimberly Joyce, said her faction would be slower to make any comment: “We will review the lawsuit when served and respond accordingly.”

Meanwhile, the Broadway League has announced that Broadway theaters, where the seating capacity is much larger (at least 500 seats and frequently more than 1,000), will remain closed at least through May 2021. Movie theaters in New York City also remain closed, though Cuomo has allowed cinemas outside of the city to reopen at limited capacity as of Oct. 23. In addition, there have been a number of outdoor performances in front of small audiences throughout the city.

Mermigis’ law firm has filed similar suits on behalf of New York gym and restaurant owners. Both entities have been allowed to reopen at limited capacity.

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“Wash Me in the River” Colson “Machine Gun Kelly” Baker is out as the lead in the new Randall Emmett project, “Wash Me in the River,” with Taylor Kitsch moving into the role. The film will follow a recovering opioid addict who is on a mission to kill the dealers responsible for the death of his fiancee. Working alongside Kitsch in the Sheila Jaffe–cast project are Robert De Niro and John Malkovich.

The production, which will follow Emmett’s first outing as a director after shooting “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” is eyeing Nov. 9 as a potential start date for shooting, which will take place in Atlanta and Puerto Rico.

Netflix’s Theatrical Run Continues Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his directorial debut with “Tick, Tick…Boom!”

By Rebecca Welch

STAY IN THE LOOP ON INDUStry and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!

Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county restrictions and may change.

Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

“Tick, Tick…Boom!”

Andrew Garfield is set to combine his screen and stage sensibilities in a movie musical helmed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The actor will star in Netflix’s stage-to-screen adaptation of the late Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick…Boom!”

The “Rent” composer’s autobiographical musical follows Larson as he struggles with an existential and professional crisis on the eve of his 30th birthday. Though Larson

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TELEVISION

Uzo Aduba Will Seek ‘Treatment’

By Casey Mink

For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!

UZO ADUBA IS HEADED TO HBO. THE three-time Emmy Award winner will star in the cable network’s revamped fourth season of “In Treatment,” which completed a three-season run a decade ago in 2010. The series, which formerly starred Gabriel Byrne, depicts a therapist working with a roster of patients while also dealing with a host of personal problems. Production on the new episodes is slated to begin this fall under COVID-19 guidelines, and will premiere at an unspecified date in 2021. No other casting has been announced yet.

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MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

Get cast!

For more upcoming productions and casting news, visit backstage.com/news/casting

the latest news on project development during this time.

performed the piece as a one-man show in 1990, it was reimagined as a three-actor stage show Off-Broadway in 2001. Garfield will take on the role of Larson alongside a cast that includes Vanessa Hudgens, Judith Light, Bradley Whitford, Joshua Henry, Alexandra Shipp, and Robin de Jesus. The film, cast by Telsey + Company, marks another milestone for the multihyphenate Miranda, who will make his directorial debut on the project. Production began recently in New York City.

COURTESY DISNEY+

What’s Casting

“Meaty” Alongside Abbi Jacobson of “Broad City” fame and Jessi Klein of “Inside Amy Schumer,” Samantha Irby is developing a series based on her 2013 essay collection “Meaty.” The comedy will follow a young Black woman in America as she grapples with her identity and sexuality, as well as a recent Crohn’s disease diagnosis.

While the pilot is still in early development, Felicia Fasano Casting has been brought on board to sift through actors.

Production is aiming to start in spring or summer of 2021.

knowledge of what everyone else is doing. I try, in many ways, to lead from the bottom up and not from the top down, because I think making a movie is about galvanizing a crew and a cast, and being in the trenches with them.”

Sabrina Carpenter, Fin Argus, Justin Baldoni, and Madison Iseman on the set of “Clouds” The Slate

Zach Sobiech, back to the top spot on iTunes seven years after its release. (We suggest you bring tissues to watch the cancer drama.) Plus, we dove into how Baldoni’s company Wayfarer Studios launched its Six Feet Apart Experiment, which gave filmmakers funds and access to create films during this unprecedented time in Hollywood.

Leading With Empathy Justin Baldoni breaks down his filmmaking style and the power of being “radically sincere”

By Benjamin Lindsay

The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was compiled in part by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit your questions.

FILM

A Wedding Goes Awry for Lopez + Hammer

COURTESY DISNEY+

MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON

By Casey Mink

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DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, actor, and filmmaker Justin Baldoni (“Jane the Virgin”) joined us on Instagram Live to talk about his new feature based on a true story, “Clouds,” which hit Disney+ on Oct. 16.

The film miraculously launched the titular song by its subject,

Baldoni’s directorial style on “Clouds” stems from his experience as an aspiring actor.

“I remember auditioning, I left feeling like I didn’t matter.

On sets at times, the way that directors would talk to me, I just didn’t feel for a lot of my career that anybody valued or appreciated my contribution, especially when I was a day player or wasn’t a part of the main cast. I think what that does for actors-turned-directors is it gives us empathy, which I think is the key to every job. You can’t be in a position of power and not have empathy and compassion and understanding and true

JENNIFER LOPEZ AND ARMIE HAMmer have signed on to star in “Shotgun Wedding,” an action-comedy from Lionsgate. The feature, which will be helmed by “Pitch Perfect” director Jason Moore, follows a man and a woman who gather their at-odds families for a destination wedding, only for the festivities to turn dangerous when the party is taken hostage. The project features a script by Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether, and a roster of producers that includes Lopez, Benny Medina, and Ryan Reynolds. Production is set to begin at the top of next year.

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His own Wayfarer Studios has mentored first-time filmmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nothing was getting made, and one of my team members said that we should shoot a movie during quarantine. And it just gave me the idea; I saw it as clear as day. I was like, ‘Well, forget about us doing it—what if we empowered five new filmmakers to do it?’ And everyone was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ And so we started the Six Feet Apart Experiment. We gave five filmmakers $50,000 to make their own movie and then provided them with a ton of extra support. And we had this national competition, and we picked five…. All of them were first-time filmmakers, four of them were first-time female filmmakers, and it’s been an amazing process to support them.”

Finding your self-worth as an actor can be complicated.

“Our business masterfully makes us all feel less than, no matter how successful we are. That’s the first thing I’ll tell people: You have to know that’s going to happen. There’s no job, there’s no movie, there’s no amount of success, there’s no role that will ever leave you feeling satisfied. You will be on a constant quest for perfection and to be seen and valued if you allow your jobs and the people in this business to dictate your self-worth.”

Want to hear more from Baldoni? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/ magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.

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Meet the Maker

Paul Rudnick, “Coastal Elites” screenwriter Issa Rae in “Coastal Elites”

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

grateful and so thrilled to have this opportunity [to film ‘Coastal Elites’]. Everyone involved had a sense of working under duress and a sort of goodwill toward the project; when you’re working on things in wartime, you cut out a lot of nonsense.”

“Coastal Elites” is certainly one version of cutting through the nonsense. Comprising five monologues from Bette Midler, Sarah Paulson, Issa Rae, Dan Levy, and Kaitlyn Dever playing caricatured iterations of the titular stereotype, Rudnick’s script, filmed entirely in quarantine via webcam, is his way of commenting on the times we’re living through. He says that filming with director Jay Roach in this way and with top-tier talent, while “very

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exciting,” was simply a product of circumstance. He began writing the monologues a year ago, long before the word “coronavirus” was seen splashed across daily headlines. The piece was originally meant for the theater (Rudnick is also at work writing the book for the stage musical adaptation of “The Devil Wears Prada”), and began as a response to our current political moment, as so much of our greatest art is.

“Everyone I knew on every side of the political divide had been having a four-year-long panic attack,” he says. “Everyone was angry and heartbroken and passionately concerned for the future of the country, so it reached a point where I couldn’t not write about it. The

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COURTESY HBO

THE MORNING OF MY INTERview with writer and executive producer Paul Rudnick, a new press release pops into my inbox: “Netflix’s ‘Social Distance’ to star Danielle Brooks and others.”

Added to the pile of series like NBC’s “Connecting…,” Freeform’s “Love in the Time of Corona,” and HBO’s buzzy special presentation of “Coastal Elites,” which Rudnick penned, an answer to how production can safely continue during the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly taking shape.

“I think people are becoming very inventive because people are yearning to work, and people need to work, and people need the jobs,” Rudnick posits.

“We’re trying to figure out a way to keep the industry going as best as we can, and so I was so

characters were—and this is my favorite kind of writing—insisting on being heard. And so I pretty much just surrendered.”

Without a commitment to be in-person for a New York stage run (and with a commitment to everyone’s health and safety), the special’s cast, miraculously, came together with similar ease. “We made a dream list, and we got all of them,” Rudnick says.

Reflecting on the writing process of “Coastal Elites” and the rest of his acclaimed résumé across film, TV, and theater, Rudnick leaves our interview with some parting advice for those who want to write their own work: There’s a good reason for first drafts.

“Don’t worry your work to death,” he advises. “It’s so different for every artist, but get it on the page. Then you can look at it; then you can rewrite it; then you can hear it. Your words are not as precious as you might imagine. And that’s something that I think is true throughout the rehearsal process as well.

It’s not pure gold.

“Here’s the most insane and valuable piece of advice: Sometimes stupid people can have great ideas, so listen to everyone. There’ll be the brilliant people; there’ll be the Jay Roachs and a cast like this where you think, Oh, my God, write it down! But I’ve also been in a room where I’d think, That’s an idiot. You just shut up. And then I hear them say something, and I go, ‘You know what? They’re actually right.’

You have to swallow it and just slap yourself and say thank you.

Don’t overprotect yourself.”

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; DOLAN AND FAZE: GRANT SPANIER

By Benjamin Lindsay

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

Note From the CD

Filming ‘Love’ During the Pandemic

THE ESSENTIALISTS

JAMIE DOLAN + ADAM FAZE podcasters + producers JAMIE DOLAN and ADAM FAZE launched a production company the first week of March—then the world fell apart. But creators create, which is what led to their narrative podcast “Day by Day.”

By Marci Liroff

WE’RE LEARNING AND adjusting to new ways of shooting during the COVID-19 pandemic every single day.

As production has started up around the world, I’m seeing some amazing work being created under very difficult circumstances. One example of this is Freeform’s miniseries “Love in the Time of Corona,” which aired all four episodes in August. I spoke to producer Christine Sacani (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Good Trouble”) about mounting a show like this in such unprecedented times.

COURTESY HBO

ILLUSTRATION: MARGAUX QUAYLE CANNON; DOLAN AND FAZE: GRANT SPANIER

What were the biggest obstacles you faced in producing this series during a global pandemic? The safety committees and task forces analyzed our plan from every angle, and together we came to a safe and acceptable way to move

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forward. This meant paring down, shifting gears, paring down again, and modifying where needed. As a reminder, there was not a film industry white paper yet, so we were essentially taking the CDC’s greatest hits and reviewing them with doctors and lawyers to figure out safe protocols for our small team of filmmakers.

So, really, the whole process, from conception to planning to execution, was a series of “obstacles in” and “solutions out.”

What should actors know to keep themselves safe during production? There was no physical contact with cast members other than with their quarantine buddies (the other actors). They never left their home, and we never entered their home when they were in it. On the rare occasion that a cast member stepped

If you want to create something, don’t waste your time or resources.

ADAM FAZE: Everything we had planned to do for the rest of the year was obviously not going to be happening anytime soon. There was a moment [when] we just sat there and were like, “We have to do something about this.” All our favorite writers are home and

all our favorite actors are home, and if there’s one way we’re going to collectively get through this thing—which is not just going to be a twoweek thing—it’s through storytelling and talking about what we’re all going through. Because for the first time on Earth, every single person has been impacted by the same thing.

JAMIE DOLAN: We have a pretty broad network of writers and filmmakers as well as actors in young Hollywood. We knew that if we could just leverage our immediate circle, we could translate that to something much bigger….

outside—as in the case of Gil Bellows, who came out to walk his dog during filming—he would wear a mask and stay 8–10 feet from any crew member. That was the No. 1 goal when we conceived the show: All actors will be quarantining together, and no crew would come in contact with them, so the actors were safe at all times. Going forward with the bigger show, “Good Trouble,” this answer gets a bit more complicated. We are back to the normal filmmaking routines of an actor getting makeup, hair, and costumes done by a team of professionals with an on-set crew of 50+ watching rehearsals, lighting, and shooting.

Now, the question needs to be answered differently. We have broken down the crew into A, B, and C zone groups.

The A zone crew gets tested

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By Casey Mink

Come the second episode, we had known Julia Fox’s manager for many years, and we told him about the podcast.

And he was like, “Julia’s No. 1 priority is to be behind the camera as a writer-director. Would you guys be open to her writing an episode?”

And within a few days, she sent us her pitch and script.

three times per week and needs to wear a mask and face shield at all times when on set. The B zone crew cannot be on set with the cast. The C zone crew never goes to set. The cast members are considered A zone, get tested three times per week, and wear masks at all times—except when the camera is rolling.

The one thing that is difficult to monitor is cast activity when they are not at work. Bottom line: If we all continue to follow the three simple rules—wear a mask, wash our hands, and stay a minimum of 6–8 feet away from others—we will continue to be safe.

Want more?

Read our full Note From the CD Want more? at backstage.com/ Allarchives our Backstage Experts can be magazine found at backstage.com/magazine

11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

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Stars of Social Media

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humongous hit.

Another TikTok star, young Addison Rae, has been cast as the lead of the new Miramax film “He’s All That,” a remake of the 1999 teen rom-com “She’s All That.” Compared to D’Amelio, Rae is a total failure with only 66 million followers.

(Of course, I kid.)

A top L.A. agent summed it up in one sentence: “This is definitely a place to discover new talent.”

Cynical minds would say D’Amelio and Rae are two attractive teenagers with limited talent who will be a distant memory in a few years. I beg to

I would also tell the cynics that social media isn’t a fad, it’s just a new way for talented performers to make themselves known.

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Azumi Tsutsui

By Jalen Michael AZUMI TSUTSUI wields her skills like a weapon— even for projects that may not at first appear to be a good fit.

Always apply, and quickly.

“I use Backstage every day. I submit [for roles] quite a lot every day.

You have to submit a lot.

And submitting sooner is always better. It’s crucial to turn the notification on so that you can submit soon after the notice was posted.”

Don’t count yourself out before trying. “[A recent project I booked] is a musical, but there were non-singing roles. I love musicals, but I can’t sing well, so this project was perfect for me.

The audition was at the theater in Pelham, the venue for the actual show. I live in Queens, so it was quite a thrilling short trip to Pelham.”

The perfect project is waiting for you.

“I liked working on films and commercials, but now I’m focusing on stage productions, especially classics. Also, I speak Japanese, so I never miss a breakdown that looks for a Japanese-speaking actress.”

TO SEE YOUR SUCCESS story in print, tweet @Backstage using the hashtag #IGotCast, or email us at igotcast@ backstage.com.

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; TSUTSUI: JW HEADSHOTS

CAA, WME, AND MOST OF the big talent agencies have a digital media department.

Why? Because there’s a lot of money to be made from the unexpected stars that are being created by social media.

Just take a look at Charli D’Amelio. Back in April, she attracted 50 million followers on TikTok from her bedroom in Connecticut. She also turned 16. Since then, the young talent has garnered more than 95 million followers, signed with the digital talent department at UTA, and is well on her way to earning a fortune. It’s safe to say her parents won’t have to worry about college tuition. If I were a development executive, I would be putting together the deal for D’Amelio’s first TV series.

Just think about it: If only a fraction of her followers were to support the show, it would be a

#IGOTCAST.

RAQUEL APARICIO

Secret Agent Man

differ. At their age, talent is a seed that needs to be watered.

So if I were lucky enough to represent Rae, I would put her in the best acting class out there, and I would have the studio hire an on-set coach to work with her during the shoot.

I would also tell the cynics that social media isn’t a fad, it’s just a new way for talented performers to make themselves known.

In the future, these platforms will have development and production deals with all the studios, networks, and streaming services out there. Trust me.

One day, you will see credits like: “Produced by Universal Studios and Instagram Productions.”

Now, let’s take a look at another social media star—one who’s old enough to drink.

Sarah Cooper, 42, is a New York comedian who rose to fame because of her viral TikTok videos in which she lip-syncs to Donald Trump’s voice. You might recognize her from the clip they used on this year’s Emmy Awards. I laugh every time I think about it. Cooper now has a special on Netflix, and she’s developing a CBS comedy based on one of her books, “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.” This is a woman who was told she was too old for social media; and that’s why you should never turn your age into a self-imposed limitation.

Is social media right for you?

The answer might be yes if you can sing and dance, or if you have a unique comedic voice like Cooper. But on the flip side, social media is probably not the best option for a classically trained thespian who dreams of playing Hamlet. If you want to know for sure, explore the world of social media the way Magellan explored the globe.

Every actor is an individual.

Only you can decide what’s best for you.

culture +

Spotlighting the people and projects you need to know

In the Room With

Sara Isaacson

In a world where nothing is what it once was, some things about casting a TV series will always stay the same

By Elyse Roth

RAQUEL APARICIO

ILLUSTRATION: SPENCER ALEXANDER; TSUTSUI: JW HEADSHOTS

WE’VE ALL HAD TO ADAPT TO LIVING AND WORKING WITH COVID-19 restrictions, and those in entertainment in 2020 have been especially limited in what they can create under the circumstances.

But, as spotlighted in this special issue with “Love in the Time of Corona,” “Coastal Elites,” “Social Distance,” and more, that didn’t stop creatives from coming up with ways to serve original content to audiences. While not all of these projects used casting directors in the traditional sense, CD Sara Isaacson was tapped to fill the ensemble of NBC’s “Connecting…”—a typically 10-week process that she shaved down to two. Here, she shares with Backstage exactly what elements had to change for her audition process and what actors can be doing with this time at home.

What about the “Connecting…” casting process was similar to or different from a normal pilot you’d do? Everything was done online. I never met a producer in person; I never met an actor in person. The callbacks were on Zoom; the screen tests were on Zoom. It was wild…. I

backstage.com

released the breakdown like we normally would and got thousands of submissions per role, like we normally would. I could give far more appointments out because I’m watching them from the comfort of my home; I’m not working with an actor in the room for 10 minutes

during each audition. I get to see many more actors with selftapes because you don’t have to talk in the room, and you don’t have people stopping and starting and wanting to do another take. The difference is, I’m not able to give redirection. That’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation, because you could see an actor would be so close. In the room, you could give them a really simple note that allows them to do that thing that you need in the scene. We did callbacks, but in real life, we’d have more time for those.

What was it like to cast a project while most productions are paused or don’t know when they’ll start? We had

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to really make sure that we’d created an ensemble of actors who were game for how they were going to shoot the show.

Production was providing the camera, lights, and sound.

Some actors had pieces sent to them from production. One person had to paint a wall.

Other actors had to put up curtains. There were myriad things the actors had to be game for. The show alternates between FaceTime and Zoom, so when we see these actors, they are in a version of their homes. There’s been a lot of moving stuff around or things being added or taken down to have them make sense for each of their characters’ homes, but they are all responsible for hitting record. There’s a whole team of people that have prepped all the actors; they get a full tutorial from production.

Are there changes made in this casting process that you think are going to stick? I think until there’s a vaccine, we will only be using self-tapes. I think actors can take the time to really discover the time of day the sun hits their apartment just right to self-tape. I think that there is a lot of time now to practice. Educate yourself on recording a reader that’s not in the room with you, using an external mic for your iPhone, and the technical side of selftapes. Maybe invest in a tripod.

It’s a lot to ask. I’m not a sound engineer, I’m not a DP; and yet, somehow, we’re asking these actors to learn the material, perhaps be off-book, depending on the situation, and also be responsible for a reader who can’t be in the same room.

Want more?

Read the full interview at backstage.com/magazine

11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

Making the Most of It The world fell apart on March 13. Four days later, Hilary Weisman Graham pitched what would become her Netflix series “Social Distance”

By Casey Mink - Photographed by Ian Spanier

A DARK CLOUD WILL FOREVER hang over the second week of March 2020, the extended D-Day of sorts of the coronavirus pandemic in America. Hilary Weisman Graham recalls it all too clearly.

“On March 12—I remember because it’s my birthday—I was like, ‘What are they gonna do, close every public school?’ ” she says. “And then on March 13, they did. Now this is just how we live.” But while the world’s norms and infrastructures crumbled beneath the endlessly “unprecedented” situation, Graham didn’t crumble with them.

Instead, the writer, who’d previously worked on “Orange Is the New Black” and “Bones,” came up with and pitched an idea for a television show that would become her first showrunner experience.

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“Social Distance,” as its title suggests, is about this moment and for this moment; and someday in the future, when masks are only worn on Halloween, it will serve as a time capsule of this moment.

Now streaming on Netflix, each of the eight episodes is a vignette of quarantine life viewed through one of the digital interfaces we’ve all been using to communicate with our friends and loved ones during these months. Executive produced by Jenji Kohan, it was made entirely remotely, from a virtual writers’ room to actors (including Danielle Brooks, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Okieriete Onaodowan) who filmed themselves using equipment delivered to their doorsteps. It’s a new world, but Graham is adapting with it.

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Take me back to the beginning: What was the genesis of this series?

Shit hit the fan with the pandemic on March 13 in America. That’s when New York public schools closed and everybody was like, “Oh, this is here.” That Monday, March 16, I woke up in a panic. I guess I fall into the stereotype of the neurotic writer. And I was just like, Oh, my God, my job is going to disappear, because why the hell would anybody pay to have a screenplay or TV show written that they could never shoot? When is a network or studio going to let 200 cast and crew members into a soundstage again to shoot?

From that paranoia and desperation came this idea of: The only way we can do it is to shoot remotely. Because I am on a text chain with Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann and the “Orange Is the New Black” writers from Seasons 6 and 7, I texted them: “Guys, I have a crazy idea. Do you want to get on a Zoom?”

Everyone’s like, “Zoom? What’s that?”

On March 17, I pitched them my initial thoughts. We would meet occasionally on Zoom, [and] I would write up more thoughts and ideas. As it was developing, I was like, “Jenji, we gotta get this to Netflix before somebody else beats us to the punch.” We ended up pitching Netflix on March 31. They bought it in the Zoom, and then [on] April 20, the writers’ room opened, and we started shooting on June 15. It was a really fast pace—much faster than normal.

What was it like doing a remote writers’ room?

It’s certainly exhausting. We very quickly learned the tips and tricks to make it slightly less exhausting. Most people now know staring at your screen all day and trying to communicate—especially to a group—over Zoom is not the dream. The advantage we had is we all knew each other really well.

Our writers’ room was composed entirely of people I’d worked with before, and the only person who hadn’t been on “Orange” was my friend Joe Hortua, who has written for “Better Things.” We all had a real shorthand that helped us a lot. The other thing we did [was work] three- to four-hour days, and that was it. We were very targeted. There was a little less goofing around time, but people had kids at home, and it’s pandemic life. That was the way to limit our burnout—and it did work. We got it done.

was difficult, but it also forced us to be more creative. When you take away some of the tools you normally have in your toolbox, it forces you to do stuff you didn’t ever imagine you could pull off.

The thing we found hardest, which we realized really quickly shooting and producing a show remotely, is how much communication in the real world happens when you’re walking to the kitchen to get a snack [or] in the van on a location scout.

You’re thinking more deeply and talking about a scene or the episode, or you’re coming up with ideas in a time that’s not intentionally set for that. Everything on Zoom is so intentional. Anything else you want to say is an extra call or text or appointment. With shooting, too; when you’re sitting at video village in the real world, as a showrunner or writer of the episode, you just lean over to the director and whisper, “Hey, I think you should tell the actor this.” There’s no whispering in remote production. We had separate text chains between me and the writer and the director of the episode, and that seemed to be our solution.

How did the actors shoot themselves?

We had video village, which was just a Zoom.

The camera department was advising the actor about where to put the camera, the props department was advising the actor like, “You have to reset the wine glass so it matches the previous shot.” We had the role

When you take away some of the tools you normally have in your toolbox, it forces you to do stuff you didn’t ever imagine you could pull off.

What was the process for actually producing an episode?

In some ways, it felt like making a normal episode of television. For example, for our first production meeting, the assistant director is running the meeting, and all the department heads are there. But instead of sitting around a table, we are in a Zoom. It’s always the collaborative problem-solving that continues throughout the pre-production process. The thing that was daunting about it was everybody was working in a way we hadn’t ever had to work before. That BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

we coined “Zoom DJ,” who made the breakout rooms and a green room for the actors and a private director’s room to talk to the actors. It was very well choreographed and it did feel very normal, except for the fact that nobody was touching anything except the actors.

The way I pitched it to actors was, “Are you up for doing this? It’s going to be like the Blue Apron of production: We’re going to send you a little box, and it’s going to have a

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camera and audio equipment. We’re going to walk you through it.” And then the first two episodes we shot, the actors were like, “This is not easy. I just lugged a 40-pound case up my stairs.” These are real actors who haven’t had to do something like that in a long time!

There was only so much we could burden them with. We were able to send props to their house, but with the agreements we signed with the unions, because of COVID safety, we couldn’t even bring them inside.

That became a thing we had to consider: Who is at the house with this person? Is someone able to help them carry all this stuff? It wasn’t just a budgetary thing.

Whatever we send, Danielle Brooks is going to have to lug in all this crap. Just because she’s Danielle Brooks, she’s not magically having a better time during COVID.

Since every episode is viewed through a different digital interface, was there a lot of thinking about interesting tools to use beyond just Zoom?

It started from a place of: How much can we ask these actors to do in terms of coverage?

They’re not going to be able to shoot it in the way we would shoot normally. But then I was like, The show is called “Social Distance.” The only way we can communicate with most of our loved ones is over these devices. Isn’t that the perfect point of view of the series? backstage.com

backstage.com

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11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

Because that is how we’re experiencing social distance. Looking at something like the teen episode, the teens, even pre-pandemic, their reality was this mediated reality through their devices. I joke that teenagers are like, “What pandemic?” because they’re still texting and on social media and on their video games and on their phones.

Was there catharsis in writing about this uncertain time while it was still unfolding?

It was really cathartic to talk about these stories and write them, for sure. And I hope the show is cathartic for people who watch.

There were days on “Orange”—especially when we were doing the immigration and detention center [episodes]—where I would drive to work listening to podcasts about children separated from their parents and just be sobbing on my commute to the office.

For this, we were listening to stories of parents who thought they were dying of COVID, and they had no one else to take care of their kids. One of our writers, while we were in the writers’ room, his wife’s aunt got coronavirus and died. It touched us. But writing, for me, is always cathartic. I feel like I’m always working out my own demons on the page.

Why was it important to create something both during and of this moment?

The ingenuity involved. The fact that I got an opportunity to sort of rewrite the way television gets made, it truly gives me hope that anything is possible. I know that sounds really naive, but I have a lot of crazy ideas.

Sometimes they’re ridiculous, and sometimes they become a TV show. Any time that change comes about, there was some kooky scheme at the beginning of it. “We’re being oppressed in England? I know—we’re going to get on some boats, and we’re going to sail across the ocean and start a new country.”

Like, that was bonkers; boats were shitty back then!

I’m just very attracted to [the idea of]: Let’s find a better way, a different way. Let’s do something we haven’t thought of before. I always want to write and make TV; it’s what I love to do. And I felt really proud and happy that, at the time, nobody in Hollywood was working, and I employed some people.

Do you hope the post-COVID industry looks different than it did before?

The thing that was most eye-opening making a TV show in this way was, this is a pretty low-budget series. What we asked of them really democratized the process. We were so reliant on the actors. I think they got an appreciation for what all of the crew members do on a daily basis. I’ve been on shows where there is a star, in some cases a superstar, making so much more money than anyone there, including the showrunner. And this show, it was very democratized. There was something really lovely about it. It felt BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

like we were truly all in it together, because we had never done it before. Also, sometimes in writers’ rooms, it can be sort of like the writers versus production, where you’re like, “I’m writing things the way I want, and they’ll have to figure it out,” and production is like, “You can’t spend the money!” This made me think, Oh, maybe that doesn’t have to exist in the real world, because I just saw it not exist in eight episodes. Maybe Hilary’s socialist production will continue into the future!

get a lot done and not be so hard on myself. I spent the first 10–20 years of my career being very hard on myself and not having as much success. When I learned to have more compassion for myself and be like, “This wasn’t a good writing day. Oh, well. There’s always tomorrow,” things just opened up. And write about this time. I often take pictures as I walk around my neighborhood because I do think we’re going to want to remember this time. I hope, in a way, this show is a time capsule of this time.

Do you have any advice for people feeling creatively stunted right now?

This is your first time as a showrunner.

How does it feel to reach that milestone under these circumstances?

I do think there is something to not putting too much pressure on yourself, because it’s such an intense, emotional time. There’s a lot we’re all processing on a daily basis. But I also think: Just write. I just don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe in sitting down, writing something shitty, and then working on it till it gets better. I think it enables me to both

16

I could not have foreseen these circumstances, but it was a great first experience.

I’m so grateful to be employed during this time when so many people are not, and to be doing what I love. I just mostly feel grateful—and on the plus side, I did get to make a whole TV show while barefoot.

backstage.com

Staying Connected for Laughs The team behind NBC’s “Connecting…” on the triumphs and tribulations of filming in isolation

By Allison Considine The preparation for at-home filming, including wardrobe fittings and set decor, was conducted remotely. Before shooting, Parvesh Cheena, who plays Pradeep on the show, gave a virtual tour of his house to a team of location scouts. “We went from my front yard to the carport, and through every nook and cranny of the house,” says Cheena with a laugh. His character is a dad of two young children navigating at-home learning. He was provided artwork to hang on the walls and kids’ props, including snacks and toys, which were strewn about the house for filming.

“It’s comedy; we can’t shoot them one at a time. They have to be there to be able to play off each other and allow for spontaneous moments to happen,” says Gall, crediting director Linda Mendoza for this approach. “It’s made the show much harder, but it is so much better because of it.”

The intimate, close-up format of Zoom brings the actors together and pulls viewers into their group. “There’s a chemistry that crackles between them because it feels so present,” says Gero, noting that the far-flung cast has not yet met in person.

“I think it’s also because of the constraints and the instructions of the format—these actors have to be listening, and they have to be so ready to play. It makes everything come alive, so there’s an alchemy that occurs that is very magical.”

Now that “Connecting…” is airing, the actors, like their onscreen counterparts, are experiencing the pits and peaks of the pandemic. “It’s important to remember that we’re trying to make art that actually connects us during a time of extreme isolation and confusion,” Nayfack reflects.

“I think we’re giving people a way to understand what has been happening to us, not just on a social level and a humorous level, but also on a heart level.”

“Connecting...”

NBC

IN THIS TIME OF SOCIAL distancing, video chats have become the new norm of communication, for better or worse. Co-created by Martin Gero and Brendan Gall, NBC’s “Connecting…” captures that spirit, and was inspired by a real-life group chat early in the pandemic. “We would Zoom and check in with each other a lot more, and those conversations were deeply profound and super hilarious,” says Gero. “Brendan and I really just felt like this could be a show.”

“Connecting…” teeters between humor and profundity and offers a sobering portrayal of this topsy-turvy year. Each of the eight episodes chronicles the pandemic, from panic-buying groceries to plotting safe, socially distant meetups. The show’s Los Angeles friend group reflects a variety of pandemic experiences, from an exhausted hospital worker to a lonely writer looking for love in quarantine. Via Zoom, they commiserate and buoy each other’s spirits.

The hangout comedy is a coronavirus-era show in both its form and content; “Connecting…” was filmed remotely with iPhones over Zoom. Cast members were mailed shooting kits containing phones, mic packs, lighting trees, diffusion curtains, and more. “It’s kind of like sending someone to space. I mean, you need to plan for every contingency, because if something goes wrong, you won’t be able to physically be there with them to help,” says Gall.

“An unprecedented amount of the labor falls to the actor in this situation, and it really garners a whole new level of understanding and respect for all these different aspects of production that we’re kept out of a lot of the time,” explains Shakina Nayfack, who portrays Ellis, an out-of-work Clippers fan. “It’s crazy to think that we’re basically self-producing network-ready content. It’s kind of unreal.”

For her part, Otmara Marrero, who plays the lovelorn Annie, has a greater appreciation for the behind-the-scenes workers— especially those tasked with monitoring continuity and wardrobe onscreen. Adding these production skills to her toolkit has been empowering as an actor.

“I know how to light a room and make it look like daylight or like the sun is going down,” she says, noting that her self-tape game has greatly improved. “I really know what the fuck I’m doing…. I feel very practical.”

The filming itself was conducted through Zoom with a platform called TeamViewer, which allows the production staff to remotely access the actors’ recording devices to check sound registration and monitor lighting.

Despite the time differences among the bicoastal cast, the actors all have the same call time.

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11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

Plays Musicals Film TV & Video Commercial Modeling Variety Voiceover Gigs Events

Submit a Notice |

New York Tristate Student Films ‘Imprisoned In A Pandemic’

• Casting “Imprisoned In A Pandemic.”

Synopsis: An abusive relationship escalates when a global pandemic hits.

• Company: NYU Film. Staff: Sundus

Mustapha, casting dir.

• Shoots Nov. 14-15 in Hoboken, NJ. • Seeking—Claire: female, 24-32, all

ethnicities, 28; Claire’s abusive boyfriend; with his high-stakes job and his mother asking for money, he takes his stress out on Claire and pushes her past her breaking point. Josh: male, 26-34, all ethnicities, 28; Claire’s abusive boyfriend; with his high-stakes job and his mother asking for money, he takes his stress out on Claire and pushes her past her breaking point.

Ryan: female, 24-32, all ethnicities, 26; Claire’s spunky and artsy best friend from college; while she tries to be there for Claire, she is unsuspecting of the abuse until it’s almost too late.

News Anchor: all genders, 35-60, they break the official story that a global pandemic has hit and quarantine must go into effect. Boss: all genders, 35-55, Josh’s boss at the company he is now working remotely for.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to sm9378@nyu.edu.

• No pay.

‘The Golden Door’

• Casting “The Golden Door,” a drama

and undergraduate NYU short film.

Synopsis: A Chinese single mother in Manhattan is applying for U.S. citizenship, and has to grapple with the decision to and implications of reporting her undocumented neighbor to ICE. • Company: New York University. Staff:

Jaap Deinum, student filmmaker.

• Shoots Nov. 26-28 in NYC. • Seeking—Hugo: male, 24+, Ethnically

Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, the undocumented man who moves into the single-room occupancy apartment next to the Chinese woman’s; he’s together with his wife and baby girl,

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

SUBMIT YOUR CALLS FOR CAST AND CREW: Visit backstage.com/findtalent and click on “Post a Notice.”

Include all relevant project requirements, including any pay, fees, dues, costs, required ticket sales or nudity. who stay hidden in their small apartment at all times because they illegally exceed the tenant limit—it is all they can afford; Hugo and his wife endured gang violence and poverty in their village in Guatemala, but they were not granted political asylum in the U.S.; once his wife became pregnant, however, it was clear they would need to find a better home to raise the child in; now, in New York—and with his poor English—Hugo still feels extremely vulnerable with his illegal status; he is a man of very few words, but works various jobs nearly day and night to support his family.

Casting picks of the week

BY LISA HAMIL

tv

‘City On A Hill’ Climb your way to the top of this Showtime series in NYC

audiobooks & podcasts

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to jcd513@nyu.edu.

• Food and transport will be provided and

‘Atlas Mental Health App’ Educate high school students for this motivational app

you will receive a copy of the finished film.

tv

Scripted TV & Video

Untitled ABC Workplace Comedy Bring your baby to work for this ABC pilot

‘City on a Hill,’ Featured Attractive Women

film

‘Imprisoned In A Pandemic’ Art imitates life in this NYU production in NYC

• Casting background actors for work on

the Showtime show “City on a Hill.”

• Company: Grant Wilfley Casting. Staff:

Emily GWC, casting assoc.

• Fitting and fitting testing TBD (some-

tv

time between Oct. 30-Nov. 5); COVID test in order to work Nov. 6; shoots Nov. 9-10 in the Bronx, NY (exterior work).

‘Paper Girls’ Compete for a series regular role on this Amazon series

• Seeking—Featured Attractive African

American Women: female, 18-30, Black / African Descent, 1990’s featured attractive women. Must follow studio COVID-19 protocols when working. Looking for people with early 90s or 80s style hair. No modern hair styles. Straight hair, weaves, dreads, slight fades, curly hair ok. No large afros. Must be ok with atmospheric smoke. Men must be ok being clean shaven, & receiving a 90’s haircut, if needed. Women, no one over a 32 waist Do not submit if you have already worked this season.

• Pays SAG BG rates.

Hunting or Airgun Model

• Casting multiple rugged hunter-type

male models/actors (25-40 age range) for field and studio photography as well as social videos and commercials focusing on the Velocity Outdoor brands (Crosman Airguns, Ravin Crossbows, Benjamin, etc.).

• Company: Velocity Outdoors. Staff:

Noah Brininstool, content dir.

• Shoot dates TBD in the Bloomfield, NY

area.

• Seeking—Hunter: male, 25-40.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Send submissions to nbrininstool@

velocity-outdoors.com.

• Looking for someone we can continu-

ously call back for multiple projects.

• Pay TBD.

Southern California

‘The Man Who Was’

casting.

• Shoots remotely , but talent must be

located in NYC.

18

Print & Digital Modeling

Buzzfeed Video, Girls Of Color React To Kamala Harris

• Company: BuzzFeed. Staff: Alicia Pitts,

VISIT BACKSTAGE.COM/CASTING for full character breakdowns, script sides, and more casting notices

• Paid, nonunion.

Short Films

it would mean to them if Kamala Harris were elected vice president, for BuzzFeed Video. Casting Note: “We are looking for girls ages 8-17 years old!

Nonunion, and shoots remotely “vlog” style on the participants cells phone.

Applicants must be located in New York State and must have a valid NY Performers Permit and Trust Account.

No exceptions.”

worked this season.

this casting you must fill out the mandatory casting application below.

Multimedia • Casting girls of color to talk about what

• Seeking submissions from NY and NJ. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Do not submit if you have already

• Seeking—Girl: female, 8-17.

• Seeking submissions from NY. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• If you would like to be considered for

• Casting “The Man Who Was,” a

character study of a priest struggling to find his purpose and lead his people.

• Company: John Paul the Great Catholic

University. Staff: Seth Bakke, film/TV prod. student.

• Shoots the weekend of Nov. 13-15, 2020

in Escondido, California.

• Seeking—Priest: male, 30+, Father

James is a priest struggling with his purpose as shepherd to his flock; he is rough around the edges for a priest, but still strives for holiness.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

backstage.com

2020 Wasn’t What We Expected.

Innovate. Adapt. Reach Higher.

LIVE. ONLINE. GLOBAL.

NOV. 20-22 TIX: SOVAS.ORG #LetsGetVoiceActorsWorking

casting California • Auditions will be held virtually either

through Backstage or Zoom, to be announced at a later time.

• Pay provided.

‘The Skirmish Line’

• Pays $125/day (DEF). Copy, credit, and

• Shoots Nov. 18-19 at my school at

meals provided. We will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and be following all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines.

Columbia College Hollywood in Tarzana, CA.

• Seeking—Jack West: male, 18-26, all

• Casting “The Skirmish Line,” an unset-

tling and humorous tale about the unfeigned companionship of a US Marine Sniper and a US Marine Spotter who must take a nerve-racking life or death decision within seconds when their covert mission is suddenly compromised. Note: We will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and be following all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines.

• Company: 8 Sages Entertainment.

Staff: Braden McClain, dir.; Goirick Das, Gerson Ibanez, Vincent Wang, Todd Tetreault, crew.

• Shoots Dec. 11-Dec. 13 around Orange

County, CA.

• Seeking—US Marine Spotter: male,

18-40, a young, agile, Mustang loving US Marine Spotter who engages in banter with his partner/friend, a US Marine Sniper, until their mission takes a turn for the worse and fills the scene with anxiousness; shoots Dec. 11-Dec. 13 in Orange County, CA; will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and follow all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines; include your phone number, email and instagram, if you have one, in your cover letter. Enemy Sniper: male, 18-40, the Enemy Sniper: perched on an opposing cliff, the enemy sniper scans for the US Marines in a race to find them before they find him; will not be required to fire any weapons, but would prefer someone who has some familiarity with snipers or other firearms; shoots Dec. 11-Dec. 13 in Orange County, CA; will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and follow all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines; include your phone number, email and instagram, if you have one, in your cover letter. Lawyer: all genders, 30-55, a lawyer who earnestly defends a US Marine against serious false accusations; needed on set on Dec. 13 in Orange County, CA; will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and follow all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines; include your phone number, email and instagram, if you have one, in your cover letter. Judge: all genders, 35-65, a Judge who presides over and hears a case regarding serious accusations towards a US Marine and is left with a difficult decision to make after hearing both sides cases; needed on set on Dec. 13 in Orange County, CA; will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and follow all SAG-AFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines; include your phone number, email and instagram if you have one.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• For consideration, include your phone

number, email and instagram, if you have one, with your cover letter. Note: We will have a COVID Compliance Officer on set and be following all SAGAFTRA and Industry Standard Safety Guidelines. Spotter/Enemy Sniper needed all three days. Lawyer/Judge needed on Sun Dec. 13 only.

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

Student Films ‘Bird Of Love’

• Casting “Bird of Love,” a student short

film. Synopsis: On her 18th birthday night, Leslie, a Chinese American girl is waiting alone for her father who abandoned her ten years ago in a Chinese restaurant she used to go to in her childhood. While waiting, she indulges into a dreamy state of mind and contemplation of her unreliable memory.

• Staff: Jaden Chen, prod.

• Shoots Nov. 14 and 15 in Los Angeles,

CA, very likely in the evening.

• Seeking—Photographer: male, 30-50,

White / European Descent, the photographer is weird and obsessive about taking pictures with a polaroid camera.

Leslie: female, 18-25, Asian, is an American born Chinese woman who hasn’t seen her father for a while; she is sensitive and introversive. Eddie: male, 18-28, Asian, the waiter who works in a Chinese restaurant; he is gentle and talkative; speaking Cantonese is recommended. Restaurant Owner: male, 35-55, Asian, the owner of the restaurant, visual age 35-55, must speak Mandarin.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to jadenchen333@

gmail.com.

• The pay varies depending on the roles.

Will discuss it more if you are selected.

‘Buddy Bot’

• Casting “Buddy Bot.” Synopsis: Adam, a

deviant teen, learns responsibility when the supervising ‘Buddy Bot’ his single mother leaves him with goes haywire.

• Company: Dodge College of Film and

Media Arts, Chapman University. Staff: Joey Jordan, dir.; Angela Vaynshteyn, prod.; Victoria McJunkin, casting dir.

• Shoots Dec. 4-6 and 11-13 in Orange

County, CA.

• Seeking—Hope: female, 30-70, all

ethnicities, female, open ethnicity; tired, frustrated, and just trying to do her best; she works around the clock as a nurse in order to support herself and her son, Adam; while she would do anything for Adam, his deviant behavior has caused a rift in their relationship; she struggles to communicate with him because she can’t be around for him a lot; she gives Buddy Bot to Adam as a last ditch effort to whip him into shape because she thinks she has lost all ability to connect with him.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to mcjunkin@chap-

man.edu.

• Travel, meals, and copy provided.

‘Dead Judgement’

• Casting “Dead Judgement.” Synopsis:

After Jack is refused in a proposal to his girlfriend. They both are threatened by a crazy mad man to blow everyone up.

• Company: Swenson Films. Staff:

Brandon Swenson, dir.

ethnicities, 25ish, character who wants his beloved girlfriend to marry her; Jack has a hard time making quick decisions when he is held hostage to be blown to pieces he must decide to kill the enemy or kill his girlfriend. Kayla Lane: female, 18-25, White / European Descent, is a firm role who rejects her boyfriend in a proposal for marriage; she wants to focus more on school than marrying someone and thinks she is too young at this point of time; she is the hero in the end when she figures out how to disarm a bomb. Crazy Mad Man: male, 30-40, all ethnicities, the crazy mad man is a role that is much like the Joker; willing to laugh at just about anything he does.

Bar Crowd Person: all genders, 21-30, all ethnicities, yells out a line of dialogue; this character sees something in a drink and yells at lead actress.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to Bswenson@

columbiacollege.edu.

• For consideration, submit your head-

shots and reel. Due to being in school this will be a very fast pace production and will be shooting in the next few weeks.

• Footage for reel provided.

‘Giving Love A Chance’

• Casting “Giving Love A Chance,” a stu-

dent film. Synopsis: The story takes place over Zoom and Facetime calls. A group of four friends, Henry, Elliot, Diaya, and Mariana discuss the fate of their group after the breakup of Mariana and Diaya. Henry and Elliot do their best to keep the group together by manipulating the girls’ perception of their relationship (think Mean Girls phone call scene). They also make new discoveries about how they feel about each other.

• Company: 290 Productions. Staff: Sade

Famuyiwa, dir.; Phoenix Derba, prod.; Alex Honey, writer; Evie Masters, cinematographer; Kaleigh Barris, editor.

• Shoots TBD over zoom. Note:

Production will be happening Friday through Sunday. The rehearsal will be on Thursday and Friday.

• Seeking—Mariana: female, 18-24,

Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, 20-year-old female; headstrong and intelligent; stubborn; very outgoing and confident; Mariana has just come out of a relationship with Diaya, and consults with her friends to process the breakup; her relationship with Henry is kinder and self-assuring, whereas her and Elliot’s relationship is more vent-y and they feed each other’s fires. Elliot: male, 18-24, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, 20-year-old male; energetic, blunt. If he has a problem with someone, he’ll let them know; fun-loving and extroverted; Elliot desperately wants his

20

friend group to stay together; when Mariana and Diaya break up, his means of keeping them all together is to work with Henry to manipulate the relationship to the best outcome; his general tactic is to insult Diaya so that Mariana will want to defend her and reconsider staying in the relationship; in the final act and after an emotional rollercoaster, Elliot realizes his feelings for Henry. Diaya: female, 18-24, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, 20-year-old, nerdy, more reflective, shy. Having just broken up with her girlfriend of 8 months, Diaya reaches out to Elliott and Henry to talk about it. She shares concerns with Elliott about how the group will be affected by the breakup. She is very sympathetic towards Mariana and still cares about her. She is least likely to jump to conclusions about the relationship than Mariana.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Camera required (DSLR preferred),

actors will have to set up their own lighting with instruction from the cinematographer. LED and/or color lights ideal. All filming will be done over Zoom format and within the actor’s space.

• No pay.

‘T-Shirt’

• Casting “T-Shirt.” Synopsis: When a

romantic night with his girlfriend does not go as planned because he refuses to take off his shirt, Prashant, an insecure plus-sized man is forced to face his own insecurities.

• Company: Chapman University. Staff:

Raghav Puri, dir.

• Shoots Dec. 11-13 in Orange County,

CA.

• Seeking—Prashant: male, 25-40, all

ethnicities, plus sized, sincere, insecure, sensitive, determined. Maya: female, 25-40, all ethnicities, independent, secure, empathetic, loving. Tim: male, 35-60, all ethnicities, plus sized, confident, married, cheerful. Liz: female, 35-60, all ethnicities, sharp, supportive, caring, reserved.

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Credit, copy, gas and food will be

provided.

Scripted TV & Video Untitled ABC Workplace Comedy

• Casting a SAG-AFTRA, 1/2 hour multi-

cam pilot for ABC. COVID-19 Notice: Production will comply with applicable health and safety laws and regulations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Actors will be required to comply with Production’s then-applicable COVID-19 protocols, including any advance testing and negative test result requirements. Employment will be contingent upon receiving a negative pre-employbackstage.com

National/Regional casting

ment test result. Current protocols require testing approximately three days prior to the start of services. All protocols, including timing and frequency of any required testing, are subject to change.

goal is to create content that bridges people together, inspires love and challenges conventional thinking. We’re all about embracing empathy!”

Gx6LdUjESpR?in=dlgn33/sets/ save-yourself-final-lp//s-q3YgQYkyFhe.

• To apply, visit https://airtable.com/

20th TV for ABC. Staff: Shana Goldberg-Meehan, EP/writer; Chris Gernon, dir.; Susie Farris, Tineka Becker, casting dirs.

Media Casting, casting intern; Devy Brown.

• Shoots Nov. 21, 2020 in Los Angeles,

• Company: Jubilee Media. Staff: Jubilee

• Company: CBS Television Studios /

CA.

• Seeking—5th Grader: all genders, 8-11,

all ethnicities, must actually be in the fifth grade; outgoing, talkative, comfortable on camera, and feel comfortable speaking on topics based on their own life experiences.

• Tentatively shoots the week of Nov. 9 in

Los Angeles, CA.

• Seeking—Cassie: female, 2-3, Asian,

Identical twins/muliples only...2 yrs. old, East Asian. Must be able to say single words like “mama.” Must be based in the Los Angeles area (and surrounding) and be fully available to shoot Nov. 11-Nov. 13. Cassie is Devin’s (Lucy Lui) newly adopted baby daughter...

CO-STAR. Storyline: Devin, the head of a multi-million dollar furniture business, prides herself on always being in control. However, all that changes when she adopts a baby. Ill-equipped to be a parent, she turns to her long-time assistant and mother of three, Annie, for guidance and advice. In exchange for her parenting expertise, Annie is promised mentoring and a promotion. As their relationship shifts, Devin begins to understand the importance of having a work-life balance, which upends the entire office dynamics...

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to Casting@jubilee-

media.com.

double.com.

shrlnJQLpGA3U5uLG. For more on the artist, visit www.instagram.com/ nanaisking/.

• Pays $250 + 20% agency fee if

applicable.

National/ Regional

• Note: We would be exercising an

extreme amount of caution with a COVID compliance officer on set, required testing beforehand, and adherence to all state guidelines regarding social distancing.

• For more info, view a sample episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2 EPLfCIRHM&list=PLBVNJo7nhINSaQvW 3YclzZ6465EnL34CD&index=18. Here is another series we have worked on with Middle Schoolers: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CD7UmmLhFR8&t=373s.

• Production States: “We do all our con-

tent on a volunteer basis which means we are unable to offer payment or cover the cost of travel and accommodation. This has been consistent with cast members throughout all of our videos since Jubilee started. We feel we do really great work here at Jubilee and how we do that is by primarily working with people who fall in line with our vision of bridging people together, inspiring love and challenging conventional thinking. We feel this would be a really great opportunity to share your story as we have a positive platform and generate anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of views on our videos.”

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Note: Identical twins/multiples only.

Must be 2 yrs. old, female, and East Asian.

• For consideration, feel free to include

current home videos in your submission.

• Casting note: We are committed to

diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, submit qualified performers, without regard to disability, race and ethnicity, age, color, national origin, or any other basis prohibited by law unless otherwise specifically indicated. The persons and events depicted in this casting breakdown are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons or events is unintentional.

Music Videos

• Pay provided.

Music Video for RCA Artist Nana

Reality TV & Documentary

• Casting a music video for RCA artist

Nana.

• Company: Anastasia Solovieva. Staff:

Student Films ‘Briefly Gorgeous’

• Casting “Briefly Gorgeous.” Synopsis:

Caleb, a depressed college dropout working at a fish market, struggles with his physical appearance. On the Fourth of July he finds a beautiful winged creature in his pool and steals its wings.

However, a stray bottle rocket strikes him from the sky. Miraculously, he musters the strength to make it into the nearby post firework-show traffic and finally receives the attention he’s been looking for.

• Company: FSU Film School. Staff: Elijah

Barry, dir.

shoots January 2021 in Tallahassee, FL. • Seeking—Caleb: male, 18-28, all eth-

nicities, any ethnicity; early to midtwenties, college dropout; Caleb lives at home with his mother and six-yearold brother; his depression has gotten worse since moving back in and he has retreated from the difficulty of life by retreating into his mind, leaving him akin to an emotionless husk in his everyday life—unfazed by anything, pain included; he wants nothing more than for something great to happen in his life, to accomplish something great, but the difficulty and pressure of those dreams has crushed him; he has no friends other than the not-so-great influences that work with him at a local fish market; when he’s not working, or drinking, he’s daydreaming about waking up one day having discovered a newfound superpower—or anything that would make him desirable, give him a purpose, and ultimately save him away; he loves to draw, and is talented, but views the hobby as a waste of time—something his mother impressed upon him from a young age; special notes: all talent must be willing to wear only underwear on camera; must be willing to mimic pulling out eyelashes on camera; must be willing and able to perform body horror scenes; must be willing and able to climb from window to roof (strict safety precautions will be taken and absolutely no danger will be present); must be willing and able to perform a choreographed fight

Marci Liroff C A S T I N G

D I R E C T O R

Private Coaching

Private Coaching

Your audition should not feel like a visit to the doctor!

Nana, artist; Andrew Litten, dir.; Anastasia Solovieva, prod.

‘Spectrum’

• Shoots Nov. 10 or 11 (one eight-hour

day) in L.A.

• Casting six 5th graders for “Spectrum,”

a series. Production states: “In this original series, five-six people from a specific group share their beliefs by agreeing or disagreeing with various statements. ‘Spectrum’ breaks down stereotypes by showcasing the complexities/varieties within a single group. ”Note: This is not an acting role. You will not be required to ‘perform’ a character or anything else. Be aware of this before applying. We are looking for people who personally identify with the topic / role in their personal lives.

Jubilee Media is a digital media company based in Los Angeles with over 5.7 million subscribers on YouTube. Our backstage.com

• Seeking submissions from CA. • Send submissions to casting@casting-

• Rehearsals Fall in Tallahassee, FL;

• Seeking—Nana as a Child: male, 8-15,

Black / African Descent, male, African American, ages 8-13. Must have valid work permit. Looking for a boy to play up-and-coming rapper Nana as a child.

Looking for someone with physical similarities to Nana. Reference photos attached. Ideally looking for talent with gap teeth. Seeking outgoing, fun, and energetic personalities. The song deals with Nana’s rise to success and rough upbringing. Talent and parents/guardians must be okay with talent rapping along to song with explicit lyrics. Song: https://soundcloud.com/dlgn33/nanakings-blvd-new-break-mix1/s-

21

11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

After working for over thirty years as a Casting Director with some of the best directors and producers in our business, I have gained an extensive knowledge of what it takes to get the job.

For the last several years, in addition to my ongoing casting work, I have been coaching actors to help them prepare for upcoming auditions and projects.

In an intimate one-on-one setting, I map out each actor’s personal path for success. It is your time to show us what you’ve got. I will help you feel more in your body than you’ve ever felt before.

Available in Los Angeles or worldwide thru Skype or Facetime.

For more information please visit http://marciliroff.com

casting National/Regional sequence; must be willing and able to work in a pool. Creature: male, 18-40, all ethnicities, (cast): any ethnicity; no dialogue; physically fit. Preferably 5’11” and over; the creature resembles an angel, a model for peak male form; special notes: all talent must be comfortable with nudity on camera; must be willing and able to perform body horror scenes; must be willing and able to work in a pool; must be willing and able to choreograph a brief fight sequence.

Mother: female, 38-60, all ethnicities, (Cast) any ethnicity; mid-forties; Caleb’s mother gave birth to him fairly young, around 18; their relationship verges more on a friend or sibling relationship than mother-son; they bicker a lot; she subconsciously blames him for her lost youth and has been trying to find it ever since he was old enough to self-sustain; she isn’t evil, but certainly isn’t nurturing; she isn’t great at picking men and has had a series of “father-figures” rotate in and out of the household— quick to trust them with everything, but ultimately always crushed each time.

She had another child, Caleb’s younger brother, with one of these men; however, although single again, she is now able to lean heavily on Caleb for much of the rearing duties; she drinks a lot, works a mundane (but consistent) day job, and lives in her childhood home— left for her in her mother’s will; special notes: all talent must be comfortable with revealing wardrobe.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to eeb16@my.fsu.

edu.

• Note your availability. Send a full body

slate with name, location, and height attached separately.

• Travel, housing, and meals provided.

Harvard Student Virtual Short Films

• Seeking—Tanya: female, 18-25, age 18

to 25, female, sociopath, confused, delusional, non-native English speaker, a college sophomore. Salman: male, 25-35, age 25 to 35, male, ESL speaker, a mid-professional foreign worker running into immigration issues for his actions.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to bnepal@g.har-

vard.edu.

• Zoom audition, Zoom rehearsal, and

Zoom shooting for the class work.

Massachusetts locals preferred for pos-

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

than a minute.

• No pay.

Scripted TV & Video ‘Paper Girls’

• Casting “Paper Girls,” a new Amazon

series based on the comic book.

Synopsis: “Paper Girls,” from Image Comics, follows four young girls who, while out delivering papers on the morning after Halloween in 1988, become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers, sending them on an adventure through time that will save the world. As they travel between our present, the past, and the future — they encounter future versions of themselves and now must choose to embrace or reject their fate.

• Casting ‘Parenthood’, a Harvard

Student virtual short film. Synopsis: Feeling the need to distance herself from her family and her boyfriend, Elizabeth leaves home in the middle of the night, driving to a Japanese restaurant in the city. Desperate for advice, she exposes her uncertainty to a stranger, the host, and is enlightened by the wisdom that he gifts her. We will be shooting one scene from my comedy-drama Parenthood. All rehearsals and shooting will be conducted via Zoom.

through the streets on her BMX, a cigarette tucked behind her ear.

Raised in an abusive home, she inherited the paper route from her older brother who taught her everything she knows, including how to smoke and win a fight by playing dirty. She’s learned how to survive the hard way. Her toughness is the only tool she has to deal with any threats that come her way. Series Regular. KJ Brandman: female, 11-14, character portrayed is a female, 11-14 to play 12.

A good foot taller than the rest of the girls. She’s from the wealthiest family in town. Her mother would love for her to be a good little girl that likes dresses and pink. Unfortunately, KJ has never liked any of those things.

She likes sports, and finds field hockey is a good place to work out all the frustrations she can’t fully articulate.

She’s guarded, protecting a sensitive nature, and would love nothing more than to feel comfortable and accepted in her own skin. Series Regular.

• Seeking submissions worldwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com • Submit for more information on how to

submit a tape.

• Pay TBD. These are contractual series

regular roles. Rates to be negotiated with Business Affairs.

• Company: Amazon/Legendary/Bialy/

Thomas & Associates. Staff: Gohar Gazazyan, Russell Scott, and Sharon Bialy, casting dirs.; Stephany Folsom, Chris Cantwell, Chris Rogers, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner, Christina Oh, Brian K. Vaughan, and Cliff Chiang, exec. prods.

• Company: Harvard University. Staff:

Andi Everly, dir.

• All rehearsals and shooting will be con-

ducted via Zoom; rehearsals begin midNovember; shooting will be completed

by Nov. 20.

New Dating Game Show for Cable Network

• Seeking—Erin Tieng: 11-14, Asian,

game show.

character portrayed is a ChineseAmerican female, 11-14 to play 12, speaks Mandarin. Mall bangs and an eager smile. Her father passed away shortly after her family immigrated to America, forcing Erin to grow up fast.

As the oldest child, she became the caretaker of her younger sister and her non-English speaking mother.

Erin’s new paper route is her first opportunity to be like the other kids and have some fun and friends. When she unwittingly starts her first day on “Hell Day”, she gets more than she bargains for when she and her new friends stumble upon warring factions of time travelers and are taken to the future. Series Regular. Tiffany Quilkin: female, 11-14, Black / African Descent, character portrayed is a Black female, 11-14 to play 12. She’s the only child of success-oriented parents and the pressures to be the best are intense.

While she is crazy smart and a bit of a math whiz, her biggest fear is not living up to her genius and being discovered as a total fraud. Tiffany is a bit lonely as she doesn’t have many friends and overcompensates by trying to be an expert in everything, making her the first paper girl to take Erin under her wing to show her the ropes on her first day. Series Regular.

Mac Coyle: female, 11-14, character portrayed is a female, 11-14 to play 12.

The original Paper Girl, she tears

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to andreaeverly@g.

• Send headshots / resumes and reels (if

available) to andreaeverly@g.harvard. edu by Nov. 10, 2020. Committed actors only.

• No compensation, but actors will have

the opportunity to rehearse properly, do their best work, and show their work to a room full of future industry professionals via the final film.

‘The Fallen Child’

• Casting “The Fallen Child,” a short film

about a teenage girl who is having trouble coping with social media attacks and school bullying.

• Company: Flashpoint Chicago. Staff:

Jaylin Scott, dir.

• Rehearsals TBD; shoots at Roosevelt

Classroom in Chicago, IL.

• Seeking—Addison: female, 18-22,

White / European Descent. Addison

22

Reality TV & Documentary

• Shooting tentatively begins March

2021, location TBD.

• Seeking—Elizabeth: female, 24-33,

harvard.edu.

class work starting the first week of November. Note: On-site shooting of the short movie is possible after pandemic. But no promise of the on-site shooting of the short movie is made for this class work which is the immediate need now.

• Any video submissions will be no longer

‘Parenthood,’ Virtual Student Short Film

• Zoom rehearsal and Zoom shooting for

Harvard University Extension School.

Staff: Bishal Nepal, writer-dir.

college.edu.

the opportunity to rehearse properly, do their best work, and show their work to a room full of future industry professionals during rehearsal and via the final film.

• Company: Directing for the Screen at

which may turn into a short film (30 minutes) after pandemic shooting issues are shorted out. Synopsis: A hopeless romantic empathetically falls in love with a struggling woman, soon to find out that she is a sociopath who is manipulating him to escape her dreadful misdeeds.

• Seeking submissions from IL. • Send submissions to j.scott@columbia-

• No compensation. But actors will have

White / European Descent, an outgoing and indecisive woman who had vowed not to have a child, is now pregnant; Elizabeth feels utterly alone, fearful of the future, and is desperately searching in the dark for direction. Host: male, 50-70, Asian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, the wise and compassionate host of a Japanese restaurant who is still grieving the loss of his son, feels compelled to comfort a confused pregnant woman by offering her guidance.

• Casting a scene rehearsal for class

Father: male, 34-50, White / European Descent, the role of this character is that their voice will only be used. Tonya: female, 18-21, Latino / Hispanic.

sible shooting of the short movie.

Committed actors only. Involves scene study. Requires emotional authenticity.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts.

Auditions and rehearsals will be conducted via Zoom. Shooting will be conducted remotely using pandemic guidelines, with or without the help of DP and production designer. No compensation. But actors will have the opportunity to rehearse properly, do their best work, and show their work to a room full of future industry professionals during rehearsal and via the final film.

• Seeking single men for a new dating

• Production states: “This brand new dat-

ing game show gives you the potential to win a trip, potential cash, and a chance to find ‘the one’ you’ve been searching for all while being on an island in paradise!

• We are looking for all types of people

from all over the country-from serial daters to a newly divorced parent to someone who has never been in love before. Our contestants are up for the adventure while playing a game to find their perfect match!

• Company: Water Cooler Casting. Staff:

Amanda Dash, coord.

• Films in L.A. • Seeking—Single Men: male, 25-40,

include Instagram in cover letter (if comfortable).

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• To be considered, apply at newdating-

gameshow.castingcrane.com.

• Pay TBD.

Multimedia High School Teens for Wired Magazine’s ‘5 Levels’

• Seeking West Coast high school fresh-

men and sophomores to appear oncamera and have a science expert explain a new concept to them for Conde Nast and Wired Magazine’s next backstage.com

National/Regional casting

installation in their “5 Levels” series.

This series challenges an expert to explain a scientific concept at increasing levels of complexity to five different people. We are especially seeking high school students that are interested in math and science.

• Company: Conde Nast. Staff: Elina

Stella, coord.

• Remote recording on or around Nov. 12,

students will have to be available for a two hour Zoom call on this day, and a 15 minute Zoom call some days before.

• Seeking—High School Teen: 13-16,

seeking high school students with interest/experience with math and science to participate in WIRED’s 5Levels Series; when submitting, please send your name, grade, school, email address, parent’s email address, and info regarding any math or science programs or initiatives you’re enrolled in; submissions without this info will not be accepted; we are only interested in students on the West Coast.

• Seeking submissions from CA, WA and

NV.

• Send submissions to elinatalentcast-

ing@gmail.com.

• For consideration, be sure to include

your full name, grade, school, and email address of you and your parent -- submissions without this will not be considered. Also, let us know if you’re enrolled in any math or science programs.

• No pay.

or comedians to talk with professionals in these fields; must be ages 18-22; looking for natural conversationalist who is passionate about their dreams and comfortable interviewing talent.

Aspiring Musician: all genders, 18-22, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, need aspiring musicians to talk with professionals in this field; must be ages 18-22; looking for natural conversationalist who is passionate about their dreams and comfortable interviewing. Aspiring Animator / Artist: all genders, 18-22, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, need aspiring animators and artists to talk with professionals in these fields; must be ages 18-22; looking for natural conversationalist who is passionate about their dreams and comfortable interviewing.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Zoom auditions only.

• Flat rate includes one prep day and one

Free Hand Mobile Game Skit • Casting a skit that will show you can

still play mobile games and win money while doing regular everyday things as long as you’ve got one hand free. Note: You’ll be filming yourself in different scenarios while playing (ie. brushing your teeth, making a sandwich, walking the dog, etc) and also filming your win reaction.

• Staff: Katherine L, creative marketing

coord.

• All done online.

• Seeking—Actor/Actress: all genders,

25-50, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Pays $400 for final video assets.

Hosted Junket Video

• Casting a hosted work from home press

junket. Casted individuals will be interviewing film talent. Looking for aspiring actors, comedians, artists and musicians ages 18-22 to ask professionals advice on how they have succeeded.

• Staff: B. Miller, coord.

• Shoots early November online.

• Seeking—Aspiring Actor / Comedian:

all genders, 18-22, Asian, Black / African Descent, Ethnically Ambiguous / Multiracial, Indigenous Peoples, Latino / Hispanic, Middle Eastern, South Asian / Indian, Southeast Asian / Pacific Islander, need aspiring actors backstage.com

• Staff: Jackie N., casting dir.

• Shoots remotely from home.

• Seeking—Men With White Teeth: male,

20-35, all ethnicities, seeking men with white teeth for teeth whitening ad.

Women With White Teeth: female, 20-35, all ethnicities, seeking women with white teeth for teeth whitening product ad.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Pays $75.

Phone To Cash Mobile Game Skit

• Casting a skit for a mobile game. Actors

23-65, all ethnicities.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Apply on Backstage.com.

• Pays $100 for video.

Andrew Bennett, dir.

• Shoots TBD date (aiming for Nov. 6 but

flexible) in the Austin, TX area.

• Seeking—Bearded Man: male, 25-50,

must be willing to shave beard on camera.

• Seeking submissions from TX. • Apply on Backstage.com.

• Professional headshot required.

• Pays $250/model for the day.

Print & Digital Modeling ‘Hunt a Killer,’ Casting For Still Photos

• Casting “Hunt a Killer,” for two roles in

Doug Peavey, president.

an upcoming season. Note: Production will begin in a few months, but we need to pre-cast these two roles for reference photos.

two in Kansas City.

LaMartina, dir. of prod.

• Company: Lynn Peavey Company. Staff: • Tentatively shoots in the next week or

• Company: Hunt a Killer. Staff: Melissa

• Seeking—Forrest Gump: male, 27-53,

• Photoshoots will be in Winter 2021 in

White / European Descent.

Baltimore, MD.

• Seeking submissions from KS and MO. • Send submissions to doug@peavey-

• Seeking—Thomas Ford Cross: male,

33-40, modern era; mid to late thirties man; very handsome, fit, and lean politician; TFC is always well-groomed and polished, no beard or mustache, welldressed in semi-formal/business attire; wears bowties. Will need to be de-aged for certain media aspects (photos); type: Christian Bale in “American Psycho,” Michael Fassbender, Tom Hiddleston in “High-Rise.” Harold Richards: male, 33-40, modern era; mid to late thirties man; very charming and suave, a bit laid back and casual; stocky build and very slightly disheveled;

corp.com.

• Note: A rough script is available for

actor’s to request.

• Pay provided.

People With White Teeth

• Seeking men and women with white

teeth for teeth whitening brand. This shoots remotely from home and we will send you the teeth whitening product to demonstrate and talk about on camera. You will be given a script and directed over video call before the

23

• Each role pays $400 for approx. one

photoshoot day.

Commercials (Voiceover)

• Records remotely.

• Seeking—Narrator: 18+.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to hi@stg6.com.

• For consideration, submit an audition

• Shoots remotely.

• Seeking—Actor/Actress: all genders,

• Company: Bennett Creative. Staff:

Gump for a short 2-3 minute feel-good promotional video targeted at law enforcement. Synopsis: Forrest has just gotten back to Alabama from a run to our facility in Kansas. He has done a lot of things, but now he wants to become a Crime Scene Investigator. He has run to Kansas to meet with a company who might help him achieve his new career.

(Us.) Wearing his new “Crime Scene” baseball hat...and dragging his bloodhound with him, he sits down with a stranger and has a brief conversation with them about what he has learned about CSI work. We have the film crew, the location and the bloodhound...all we need is you. Are you the guy we are looking for? Maybe with squinted eyes?

Hopefully, this should be an actor who can have fun with the project. We ideally want to film this in the next week or two in KC at a local park bench.

tina@huntakiller.com.

coord.

• Staff: Katherine L, creative marketing

razorblade brand’s product shoot.

Talent must be willing to shave their beard.

Internal Company Video, Forrest Gump Type Actor

• Seeking submissions from MD. • Send submissions to melissa.lamar-

Pizza App VO

• Casting two male, bearded models for a

shoot day.

Harold dresses in business-casual attire; is the type to wear sneakers with a suit; type: Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio in “Wolf of Wall Street.”

will film themselves playing a mobile game then a win/celebration reaction in which the phone instantly turns to cash right in the palm of your hand.

Razorblade Brand Video Shoot

• Seeking a feel-good actor like Forest

Online Commercials & Promos

shoot. Non union or SAG eligible only.

• Casting a super fast paced and exciting

VO for a pizza app.

• Company: Stage 6 Media. Staff: Cindel

Krajewski, creative dir.

read, with the script below, to jenko@ videgro.co. Instructions: This is a 30 second TV spot that’s super fun and extremely fast. There is a test read below (it’s an earlier version of the script) -- you need to be able to basically match the tone/pace of that. Do not submit without first listening to the sample read.

• Script: “Okay so you’re craving pizza!

But how do you get it? You could use a fancy big chain app but the pizza’ll taste like cardboard and cardboard tastes bad so that brings us to option 2: delivery apps. They seem great but then they add on their fees and holy crap not so great. Plus they deliver your pizza like this so what the heck were all the fees for and now that’s out and it’s time for option 3: get REAL, authentic pizza straight from a local shop. But these guys don’t have apps so you make a phone call, shout over the kids, and *oh yeah that tastes good* but they also misheard your order. So we thought what if there was a fancy app that made it quick and easy to order from the best local pizzerias without the crazy fees and so we did and it’s called Slice and you should download it and order amazing pizza right now.”

• Pay provided.

Audiobooks & Podcasts Atlas Mental Health App: Motivation and Homework Content

• Casting actors to record motivational

podcasts for high school students.

• Company: Atlas. Staff: Sophia Jennings,

creative dir.

• Will all be recorded from your home.

• Seeking—Voiceover Artist: 18-28.

• Seeking submissions nationwide.

• Send submissions to Sophia@atlasmh.

com.

• Pay provided.

11.05.20 BACKSTAGE

Ask An Expert Acting Auditions Film Headshots Television Theater Unions Voiceover

Q:

I’m looking for ideas for creative projects to work on while stuck inside. What can actors do to remain creative, collaborate, have fun, and stay active?

—@Holden_Caulfield, Backstage Community Forums

Our Expert Craig Wallace is an acting and audition teacher.

*Submit questions for our Experts on Backstage’s Facebook or Twitter accounts or via our forums page at backstage.com/forums!

The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

BACKSTAGE 11.05.20

24

backstage.com

ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET RULING/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; WALLACE: COURTESY CRAIG WALLACE

Here’s one project you can try while social distancing: Get a group of actor friends together and Google free screenplays. Meet up on Zoom and go through the sites. Choose a movie script you all like, and assign roles to everyone. Each person may wind up playing one major role as well as a few smaller roles.

Next, decide on the tone of the script. Is it light, dark, sad, outrageous? All of the actors now need to decide what their character’s main intent is for the movie and how they feel about the other characters. Break the script down into three acts. Note that the first act is the introductory act, the second act is where the main action takes place, and the third act wraps things up. Prepare act by act, noting the differences in your energy and your decisions as the story moves forward.

Then read the script scene by scene. The actors should decide what their intent is for each scene and how they’re feeling about the others at that moment. Remember that the overall intent and relationships are a culmination of the intents and feelings of each scene. Love may be the dominant emotion between two characters overall, but that love is made up of the specific experiences those people share scene by scene. None of this information should be shared with the other actors.

All of the actors must decide on the tone of each scene so that there’s cohesiveness in the storytelling. This is a fun step and often entails a good amount of creative discussion. When you’re done going through the entire screenplay this way, rehearse the whole thing and then tape it.

Have a Zoom viewing party for your version of the movie, and then watch the actual movie.

Notice that there’s room for other interpretations, and that no matter how good the original actors were, they didn’t make your decisions. That’s what makes you unique.

Text, character development, and interaction—what more could you want in a project? Have fun!

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