Thoughts, and moving to phase 2

We had the second auditions and callbacks this weekend. I am not sure what to say except we locked down two more parts. But I just got done talking to our potential lead actress, and she unfortunately had to decline. The script is hard, about hard times, about a time when I was having trouble with the other gender. I understand that the female characters in almost everything I write are either hollow, scary, or idealized. I also understand that this is the way that women are portrayed in most of the dominant media culture, and it is our mission to change that. I want someone in that part that can be dynamic enough to explore those themes. I want the characters to be challenged in this movie the way we are in real life, by dynamic people, with things they need to sort out and things they need. But this is a tall order.

I understand why exploring that is something she wouldn't want to do.

So what are we to do then? We are still on our search for someone who can do that, and someone who can compliment her.

A few people have told me that I should think about playing the lead myself. He is based on me after all. I am not entirely opposed to the idea either, it's just that I'm over my head right now, and adding another complicated and new task to the agenda isn't really appealing. But as it is congealing in my mind I find it oddly comforting. This could be an opportunity to really find out some things about myself, a way to really push myself and the artistic process into another level of reality.

This movie is about me remembering my life and idealizing it. This movie is a way to deconstruct that.

I had a thought today that we all lead two lives; a material life and a symbolic life. I realized today that my symbolic life is the inspiration of my art thus far and that this project is another page turning in that exploration.

The First Auditions...

Monday October 16...

Right now I'm feeling as if I have officially gotten in over my head. Keeping what I need to do straight in my head is a difficult task without life, and now I feel as thought I have compounded my problems. 30 minutes doesn't seem that long when you watch it on a screen, but organizing a production, any production is a long and hard task. So today I have been hiding (not something I have a lot of time for). There is just a line that you have to maintain. Humans are creatures of fury, and doing and creating, but they are also creatures of talking and laughing and walking around with nowhere to go. There are many layers to a brain and a heart and they all have to be dealt with.

The first auditions were Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was hard because we got a lot of no-shows. I was also very nervous as I have never been to an actual audition, and have been known to have problems with theater in general. It was really good that Brad was there because he has been to auditions, and has even performed in some plays, so he helped put my mind at ease and offered some suggestions about how to conduct them. We started with a chat to make them feel comfortable, and to get a little contextual information about them. Then I had them run through some lines cold. We would run through a scene a few times and then we would discuss the character, what they wanted and how they were trying to get it through these words. I think I was able to glean a lot of information about the actors, but wonder about the things I missed, and about versatile the actors were (meaning that I felt they were capable of a versatility that I wasn't finding.)

There are two really strange things about auditions. First is that they are competitive, but in a really strange way. It is not like you can beat someone at an audition. It is really about finding the kind of expression that the director is looking for. In sports for example, the competition is quantitative, their worth being judged by how man points you score, how fast you run etc. But auditions are a kind of qualitative competition. There is no way to know before hand what the director wants, and no way of really preparing. You go in, you talk, and either you are what they were looking for or not. This type of judgment is rare, especially when you deal with humans. As an artist you are always making qualitative judgments about the elements of your medium (color, timbre, motion etc.) but I am not used to making these judgments about people. In my personal life I am all about people just being who they are and not asking them to change.

That being said, I really like directing. The emotional transference, and play are cathartic. As actors and directors we are allowed to be emotional beings in a very safe place. No one will judge you or hurt you on a set because it is the actors job to be an emotional being and the directors job to help them through that. Which brings me to the second strange part about auditions, saying goodbye.

All of these auditions were very intense and emotional. I got a lot of feeling from everyone that walked through that door. As we moved through the scenes, we were able to build, usually to an apex of feeling. There was a lot of screaming, and a lot of whimpering. Sometimes it got so intense that me and Brad had to laugh just to release some tension. As a director you bring people to these auditions and you ask them to be performative with their emotions. In the real world that would presuppose some kind of intimacy. So as the auditions came to a close, with all of these feeling being thrown around, how can you tell someone to leave so that you and your partner can talk about what you've just seen, and discuss how well that person will fit into the production? So when the actors left, I felt a little deflated...

So that was the auditions....

I know that this is extremely long but I am just going to write a few lines about the plan of attack from here. The plan now is to decompress from the first auditions. It's sort of like 52 card pickup – except there isn't 52 cards. So we have to figure out what worked, what we can salvage, and what we need to add. It is also important to do some callbacks this weekend and see of there is anything with these people that I have missed.

After that, we need a scene breakdown first, then a shot breakdown. I also have to get in contact with the (hopefully) art director to set her in motion... We have to start work on the animation (which will be done mostly in After Effects instead of physical replacement animation). That needs to be started three weeks from now after the 1^st shoot. Hopefully after that begins everything else should be on a downhill, and easier ie. less time consuming.

Auditions - B's take

so here I am sitting next to morgan as we sit through our last audition for this weekend. he is explaining character motivation and character goals to a lady that makes me wonder what it would be like if my mom was super suburby and rich. I am waiting to be the line reader... the opposite for the actor. we have had some really great auditions and a lot of no shows. I think we are going to post some of these auditions in the form of videoblogs.
I am all antsy to get the main part cast to get going on the animated opening... I think it is now going to an after effects extravaganza. woo!
-Brad

The Trouble with Unicorns is looking for actors...

Are you an actor who wants to work on a different and challenging project? Are you tired of telling the same old stories that same old ways? Do you want to help do something about it? Are you interested in trying to describe something new? The Trouble With Unicorns is a 30-minute short about a unicorn named Morgan who leaves his happy home and finds himself in Factoryland. He begins dating a stripper that his boss is in love with and after an epic battle, he decides to leave. He then tries his luck in Fantasyland, and ends up alone in the dessert deciding whether to kill himself or join the circus. This project is colliding the styles of children’s television and neo-realism. Think Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets Cassavetes or Dogme 95. We are looking for actors to fill some of the roles… Morgan is a unicorn that is trying to find the place he belongs. He is having to fight his way to happiness. Early 20s. Ron is Morgan’s boss. Ron is uptight and concerned with keeping his job. He falls in love with a stripper, and decides that Morgan needs to die. Mid 30’s – mid 40s. Sarah is the stripper. She wants peace and happiness, and is having trouble finding it. Early 20s. Mark is Morgan’s friend at the factory. He is having trouble with his wife. He also wants peace and happiness and is having trouble finding it. 20s. Ann is Mark’s wife. She is combative, troublesome, and mean. 30s. Dan is the janitor at the warehouse. He knows that he doesn’t belong as a janitor but is too tired to try and change anything. Age unimportant. There will also be various other small parts. We are shooting EXCLUSIVLY ON THE WEEKENDS from January 13 – March 10. The shooting will take place in Olympia, Tacoma, and Seattle. You will get respect, food, credit and copies with the possibility of a modest payment sometime in the future. I am more interested in actors that are dedicated to working on a new and exciting project than actors with a lot of experience. Willingness to experiment, work collaboratively, and dedication are more important than a long resume and a glossy headshot. Rehearsals start at the end of October and continue into early January and will generally be one or two days a week. Please email a little about yourself and why you are interested in this project, a resume, and photo to troublewithunicorns@gmail.com and we will contact you for an audition.