Casting Call: 'Mind Games' TV/Web-series pilot
Hi all,
Trusty Sidekick Productions the company behind webseries The Splott Division are making another pilot, to be filmed at the end of April. Mind Games follows a group of isolated individuals who form a Pub Quiz team.
We are looking for actors for a few roles. We have previously cast a couple of roles through NTW. While we cannot provide a fee, we can provide food and drink, and the project may be good exposure. Our previous project The Splott Division was featured on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Nation Radio, and Radio Cardiff along with interviews in The Guardian, South Wales Echo, and Buzz Magazine amongst others. You can see it here:
We have been given funding to cover production costs by IdeasTap as winners of the Innovators Award Fund in order to make a 5 minute web-pilot.
Please send any submissions to Jonathan Ash jonathan@trustysidekick.net including contact details and a link to your Spotlight page or CCP.
Character Breakdowns:
Gary: Male, 20’s.
Gary has been well educated and has managed to graduate from University with a decent degree. He struggles to hold down a job but has money coming in from a trust-fund set up in his name. He is a heavy gambler and binge drinker. He loves to write film scripts. He fancies himself as a film maker, so much so that he believes his own life could be made into a Hollywood blockbuster.
Jo: Female 30’s-40’s
Former Librarian, Jo lost her job with the cutbacks and resents this so much so that she has since fallen into crimes of marginalia. She is very status conscious. Enjoys Internet dating and is privately a very sexual being. Jo is now working as a volunteer in a day centre.
Steve: Male, mid to late 30’s.
Steve is obsessive. He lost his job and then pumped all his money into the court case to clear his name. Has a passion for World War II memorabilia. He enjoys chat rooms and writing letters to the local newspapers.
Sophie: Female, 20’s
Sophie used to work as a presenter on a television shopping channel. She is glamorous and knows it. She updates her Facebook status every 5 minutes with subjective opinions which tend to attract comments. Sophie’s best friend is a successful television personality. Sophie writes blogs.
Peter: Male 40’s-50’s
Peter lives at home with his wife and problematic teenage daughter. He works from home selling double glazing on the internet. Peter has a real passion for ballroom dancing. He used to dance competitively with his wife.
Holly: Female 40’s
Holly is a high achiever, working as the head of a successful PR firm. She lives at home with her husband and teenage daughter. Her daughter has recently come out as being gay. On the weekends, and for some time now, both Holly and her husband enjoy using drugs, in particular heroin. However Holly has recently been caught shoplifting. Holly has never know her biological parents. She writes lots of letters but never sends them.
Filming will take place in late April over 2 days.
Regards,
Jonathan Ash
Producer
Trusty Sidekick Productions
Views: 218
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Ash on
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Absolutely not. We ploughed our own money into Splott Division, knowing that we would not get a return. The money we are receiving for this will not go to us in any way, no-one is being paid. We are treating cast and crew on a par with us. The money is used purely for production, and part of the funding agreement was on the basis that we do not pay ourselves. The money will be used for production eg expenses, equipment rental, costume, make-up, location hire, room hire (for workshop/rehearsals) etc and that is before the costs of the editing process eg hard drives, grading etc. For more information visit the IdeasTap website.
I am trained as an actor myself and run the production side of the company based on those experiences, both good and bad. For example, as people are working without a fee we want to minimise the time they are giving us. Which is why we are only filming for two days.
We are a relatively new company, this being our second production, and our goal is to get to a position where we can give everyone a decent wage. Unfortunately, people do not want to give £15,000+ (the amount it would cost to do a small scale pilot paying everyone a decent wage) to a company who a) have no previous experience and b) have received no previous funding.
I understand your concerns about the welfare of our fellow professionals. My own choices as an actor are I want to work and get paid, and when I am in between jobs I volunteer my services for free in short films to keep that skill going, to learn more (rather than paying £20 a session for acting for camera lessons) and to make more connections, while the nature of the project means its only a short term thing. Personally I'm happy to give up a couple of hours of my time over 2 days to enhance my CV.
These opportunities can prove a really useful experience for all those involved. For example the Director of Photography of Splott Division, has already received paid work based on his work with us and his reference from our director, BAFTA Cymru winner David J Evans. While the exposure in the press has been useful for all involved. We filmed it over a weekend, so the time committed was minimal.
People are entirely open to differing opinions, I am sure there will be many who agree with you, and many who disagree.
You suggest that 'Actors are asked to do work for a cup of tea and 'exposure'. Would anyone in any other profession be expected to do this?' - I would argue that I have friends who wish to be a barrister or solicitor who give up a week to two weeks at a time to go on work experience for free in order to increase their chance of gaining full time work. Doctors who have to work for a year in their fourth year at medicine school in hospital for free. Young people wanting to go in to PR doing work placements for free. So I'd say the answer is yes, people in competitive professions who want to enhance their CV above the competition do give their services for free.
Given this arguement should we also scrap rehearsed readings if actors are not being paid? Where actors give up time for short rehearsals and a formal reading.
I know I've come down very hard on your response, but I really want to stress that we are not taking advantage of anyone. We are an independent company fighting for a place in the industry.
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Thank you Paul, and I agree when major companies are asking actors to work for free it is indeed exploitative.
Best of luck for the future.
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