Casting call  using TheStage.co.uk/castings

As part of the professional toolkit unit, we have been tasked with creating a set from scratch and making some kind of campaign between 1 and 2 minutes long. The campaign we have decided to pursue is to create an advert that intends to raise awareness about domestic abuse against men. Using real life examples.


One of my roles in pre-production is the role of Casting Director. My role is to organise and facilitate the casting for all the roles in a film. This involves working closely with the director and producer to understand their requirements, and suggesting ideal artists for each role, as well as arranging and conducting interviews and auditions.

Using the character profiles created by the scriptwriters and directors, I will work with the director to plan an audition/interview process that  that will help gauge if the actor is suitable for the role(s) required. This is the first process of casting.



But first, we have to find some actors. Here are some casting websites and resources that will be used to cast them.

Castingcallpro
Thestage.co.uk
library: spotlight books
Starnow
Castnet
Contactcasting

Character profiles

Anthony (Victim): 

30 year old male, currently living in his lower/middle class house in Bromley, South London, with his wife and two small children. Anthony goes to the gym twice a week after his work as a self-employed bricklayer. Due to the nature of his work, he has developed a strong figure. Anthony has dark brown hair. Usually quite a confident guy, considered 'one of the blokes' and thus he has to maintain a certain sense of masculinity to adhere to his friends standards. Anthony loves football, especially watching it with his friends from work either down the pub or at one of their houses. Anthony is a social smoker, but only smokes when the football is on at the weekend, or when his wife and kids are out of the house running errands or visiting her relatives. Anthony is being physically and emotionally abused and blackmailed by his wife, who threatens to take his kids away from him if he speaks up about even the smallest of things. She takes all her anger out on him, and he is afraid that without him being around, she might hurt his children. Because Anthony is a man of morals, he knows that he can't defend himself when he is physically or verbally attacked because she will use it as ammunition and use it to abuse him further. He is physically abused scratches, cuts from bottles, iron & cigarette burns on his arms, and hides this abuse by wearing long sleeves regularly. This is a very emasculating situation for Anthony, because if he speaks up about it or opens up to his friends, as he is dominated by his wife which, in their eyes, is considered as 'un-masculine.' 


Mike Starling (Friend):

28 year old male, currently living in his two bed end terrace house with his bulldog Gray. He is a smoker and a keen social drinker. He is very well built guy, but does not at all deserve to look that way due to his unhealthy lifestyle. He shares 49% stake in a building company with his friend Anthony and they alternate going to each others' house at the weekend to watch the football. Anthony is probably one of Mike's closest friends, mainly because Mike is a very stubborn guy who will defend his views and his friends unflinchingly, even if he is wrong about both.  This stubbornness is often mistaken for loyalty, which is why he has so many friends but very few close ones. 

Casting call using Starnow.co.uk

A 2 minute long campaign film focusing on the stigma against male domestic abuse victims. Based on the classic sitcom the campaign will open with the male lead entering the set talking to a friend about how how his partner has been hitting him. At this point you will hear a generic laugh track. This will continue often with his friend quipping in remarks about ‘manning up’ and ‘don’t be a wimp’. The laugh track will continue until the character notices it and address the fact that it’s not a funny subject, at this point the actor will look directly into the camera breaking the fourth wall. Tracking backwards the camera will reveal the set (eg lighting, other cameras sound equipment) showing the audience how the media control our perceptions of abuse alongside the actor who will be speaking about the importance of the stigma being dropped.