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Daily Blog

May 20, 2012

I watch GIRLS on HBO and I think to myself, “I need to meet Lena Dunham’s parents and interview them for the documentary I am making (in my mind).” How did they make someone who is so available, full of inner life, smart, observant and clearly a master at what she does? I tweeted the other day, “@girlsHBO every episode blows my mind. If I had a daughter I would make her watch it and tell her, “this is what boys are like.”” I watch the show and I remember my 25-year old self (the gay version to the straight boys on GIRLS) and I connect with them viscerally. Boys at that age have one thing on their mind and it isn’t their need to fulfill the dreams and hopes of the girls they date. And girls don’t want boys that are so into them that they feel trapped or pressured into a relationship. I am sure that there are some exceptions to this, but, very few, and what I see written on GIRLS is the obviously clear perception from Ms. Dunham that she is clear about how relationships and the interactions and communication they create; the different needs, different desires, age differences, life experiences: how all of these things interact and can destroy you or guide you into a better self. Plainly, I clearly think the writing is brilliant and while many of you may disagree with me, I don’t care. This show is something special. Bravo!

Then I go into my office, pondering the episode I just watched and think about all of the details that go into making that product. From the costume design to the production design, the hair, make-up, and of course, the casting, and it is all so exacting and it all sets a tone. I think to myself, “I hope I can be like that, I hope I am like that in what I do.” Am I? Am I clear when I speak, do I get everything out clearly with a point of view, with a perspective that enhances the show or film I am working on? Do I have enough time to foster brilliance or is the pressure I feel daily and the lack of time that I feel daily, impede the quality of work or the potential greatness that I want to accomplish? Do other people feel the same things I feel?

I meet with fellow casting directors socially and often I hear, and I have said it myself, “It’s just casting, it will get cast eventually.” But it’s not really “just casting.” It’s more then that. I listen (a lot) to a lot of different people. I have to navigate the politics of the production I am on. I have to not take things personally (which is always hard for me). I have to be creative and realistic all at the same time. I have to be aware of how to run my business; do I have enough money in my bank account? Can I afford new computers, new cameras and God I really need that T-1 line and P.S can someone blow up AT&T, I hate them!? Can I afford my own assistant or do I have to wait for a production to pay for one? Will I make my hours on health insurance, and will the show I am on hire me as a Union casting director or am I going to have to go through some painful negotiation and come to terms with the fact that I might not get not just what I want, but what I need to do the best work I know I am capable of. And, if I accept the job on limited terms, how do I do the best work possible? Because, I don’t want to do shitty work.

I think I may need therapy…or a holiday. Like a three week holiday, where nobody can contact me and I am just about giving over to whatever comes my way. Sounds nice.

I remember working for Jeffrey Blitz on ROCKET SCIENCE, I look at that poster in my office and I think to myself, how lucky I was to get that job, but also, how amazing it was to work for someone who was so precise and needed everything to be exactly they way he wanted. He fought for every detail of that film, from casting to production design and wardrobe, he was meticulous in his vision and a leader and HBO gave us the time we needed to cast it the way it needed to be cast. Yes, the pressure was intense, but it was fun. I want things to be fun again. I watch GIRLS and I know: that must be fun. It has to be. It’s so perfectly constructed and executed and yet, it is feels free, it (as Laurie Cole would say at SOUL CYCLE), “it rides with reckless abandon.” Or something like that. I am usually passing out by the time she says it and thinking, “when is my next cocktail and really, God, I can’t give up cheese and my people love cheese.”

Don’t give up the cheese.

So, GIRLS…who knew I would be so affected by it?

I need to read a book.

I need to chill out. I will do that…chilling out on Sunday…reading the newspaper and not worrying that nobody is telling the public the truth about San Onofre nuclear power plant and the fact that some woman who was walking on a beach nearby picked up some rocks, put them into her pocket and the rocks caught on fire! Ummm…hello? Not good. I will put on hold thinking about all of the shitty things Republican’s say on “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” and how any Democrat can sit at the table and not call out all of the lies they spew and stop, stop, stop blaming the poor for entitlements already, and fucking maybe tax fairly the billions of dollars major corporations don’t get taxed on and stop pretending like Republican’s know anything about Economics and let’s remember that he who shall not be mentioned (George Bush Jr.) inherited a surplus and left us in the shitter and thank God we have sanity in the White House (except for their failed policy of drone warfare in Yemen – stop killing innocent people already – read about it) and let’s all just accept the fact that Mitt Romney is possibly the dullest human being on earth and should not on any level represent this country, unless you want it to tank…which sometime I think that is what these people want…put down the paper.

I saw “Battleship” this weekend. Yes, I know. But I appreciated that it was “Transformers meets Titanic meets Independence Day.” There was nothing original in it and all I could think of is that Universal Studios probably way overpaid for every actor in that film. And why didn’t anybody re-voice Alexander Skarsgård at the beginning of the film, he sounded Swedish, no? Were they just being lazy? And yes, Taylor Kitsch has a sick body and Rihanna was very good – I believed her. And yes, Brooklyn Decker was exactly who she was supposed to be in the film. It was all-fine and it was fun. I didn’t have to think too hard. I did think, “How do you direct this?” It’s kind of brilliant, that someone (Peter Berg) has to make this all look right, even with all of the obvious reasons why it is terrible, it is still kind of inspiring and brilliant. I am clearly torn on this one…look, it’s not a coming of age, Sundance spectacular, and it’s not meant to be. It fulfilled my need for sci-fi, little boy in me, hot dog, popcorn eating quotient. Saying that, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE PROMETHEUS!!!

Okay, back to my tiny independent films. Back to making miracles happen and dreams come true and hopefully back to inspiration and discovery.

It’s what I get to do. It got me this far. I hope it will get me further. Because, secretly, while I would love to work on GIRLS, I probably would just as much love to work on BATTLESHIP…I know, I am an enigma.

Not really.

 

 

April 28, 2012

So pay-or-play offers and pre-sales aside, how do you feel about hiring a CD to make offers in general (non-pay-play) for a project that is not yet fully funded? The point here being to get talent to read script and agree to play this role for this amount of money (could even be scale) when the film is funded, if they are available at the time. The idea would be to take a package to private equity investors who might be more apt to gamble if a certain amount of familiar names are on board.

I am doing this very thing right now. I am creating lists, talking to agent/managers, educating the producer & director on actors, etc… I look at it more like a consultation. You see who is coming to you, who may be interested and then make some choices. Not every actor, agent or manager is going to read an un-financed or partially financed script, unless it is fantastic. It’s a gamble, you have to be fully aware going into this that hiring a CD for this purpose may result in nothing, or may result in a cast. Some CD’s will do it for no money and help you along with the process because they are passionate about the team and material, some will want to be paid as if they are casting the film and some (like myself) would want to do it as a consultation for a fee over a certain period of time. At the end of the day, if you make an offer but don’t have anything to back it up with, unless the marketplace is in love with your script (which is rare), your not really seen to be making a film…and that creates more problems for you down the road. Try to find private equity investors who will commit to you a certain amount of money for an actor based on a pre-approved list. Formalize your agreement in writing, that way you know they are serious and aren’t just pretending to be producers. Offering a pay-or-play deal at scale on a 1 million dollar project makes no sense to me. I like the actor to like the script and then we can discuss pay-or-play in order to hold them to a date, but otherwise it feels amateurish to me.

 

I should note that said project has a female Oscar-winner attached (best supporting, Moonstruck) who is, as you know, very respected among other actors. That attachment came through a simple inquiry by producer to her agent. The producer is up-and-coming, but can’t quite get through to every agent or manager by himself at this time in his career. The film is a Mob-themed dark comedy around 1M. Is now the time to hire a CD to try to “cast up” to get the ball rolling?

With all due respect to your attached actress (whom we all dearly love & is a ray of sunshine), she is not really going to be a reason talent is going to come to your film. She may legitimize the director in some way, but at the end of the day you are going to run into an issue, which is: how much do you think you are going to end up having to pay your lead? 65,000-150,000k? Won’t she want parity on this? Or are you going to try and go for everyone at scale, which is 1,7852+10% per week for your budget? Your “names” that get theatrical distributors and pre-sales are limited, if far between in this pay range, so be aware of that.

 

The reason your producer can’t get through to every A-list agent or manager, is that most of them have a yearly travel budget the size of the amount you want to pay your lead actor. Why would they want to speak with your producer? They need to have a relationship with your producer to care, and even when they do, they still probably won’t call back (there lies your answer, by the way) because at the end of the day, if they are going to board a film for 100k, it better be with a fantastic script and amazing cast & crew. Your actor, albeit an Oscar winner, is not relevant anymore (I know that sounds awful, but this is a business) and doesn’t add any cache to an A-list-ish client to want to work with them; it’s just a great bonus to have her on board!

At the end of the day, your investors have to believe in you and understand what they are investing in, they have to take your actress as a good sign that the film is castable, but if they are expecting Matt Damon to co-star, they are misguided and need to be educated by you about the types of actors that would be in the film.

 

This is where a casting director can be invaluable to your process.

 

April 22, 2012

This blog is in response to the questions asked by JL.

“Great stuff Matthew, you are very generous. I am wondering what your experience has been with projects where the producer wants to make a film via debt financing (pre-sales, tax-credits, and maybe some equity). So the point is to get the script to an actor who can generate pre-sales, but there is no offer at the moment. The intention is to get the actor to sign on and then producer goes to distributor(s) and gets paper that producer can secure a loan against from the bank. I realize all this is highly dependent on the project, the actor, any possible relationships or connections. But do you have any stories to share? I’m assuming there are a lot of dead-ends and unreturned phone calls with this scenario.”

First of all, thank you for your kind words.

Now: Yes, I can tell you a lot of stories…and they would depress you. Mostly because, 90% of the time, in the scenario that you described, it is very difficult to have an actor of note, i.e. someone who is going to trigger the situation you outline, unless a few factors are in play. However, at the moment, I am casting a film where the producer is talking to his sales agent in order to have estimates on how the sales will affect our budget. In this case the cast attached or being considered has been sent the script and read the script and liked the script based on who the director and producer are, they all have previous experience with either the producer or director.

A couple of things to help you not feel like you are running into a dead-end. You need to have a producer who has a track record, a director with experience and a script that is attractive to the cast you are approaching. Also, you should be thinking about other elements like who you are hiring for a production attorney, line producer, cinematographer, costume designer, etc… Location can also be a major factor. Think about approaching a few supporting actors that will not require pay-or-play deals and who will attract interest from other actors. Ultimately, what your overall budget is and how that reads when reading the script will be a key factor to talent in order for them to gauge if they are going to attach themselves to your film.

My advice (in general) is to be 100% sure that who you approach is who all of your investors and sales agents have signed off on. You don’t want to find yourself back-tracking out of an offer.

Is it, for instance, a good idea to hire a CD to get the script to Actor X and come up with whatever amount of money is needed to make Actor X a pay-or-play offer? This is assuming that the producer has done his homework and knows that Actor X will garner a known amount of pre-sales. And what about offers in general? How do you gauge? I imagine CD’s chat with other CD’s? Any feedback is much appreciated.

If you want to hire a casting director to make pay-or-play offers, in truth, I think you are wasting your time & money. Think of it this way: most likely, the actor you need to finance your film, is working with a lot of other producers (or even their own production company) to develop scripts for themselves, so if you approach talent with a pay-or-play offer, you may think what do they have to loose? Actually… a lot. If John Cusack starts accepting pay-or-play offers and part of that deal is to “use his name at Cannes to get the sales going,” what happens when the “sales don’t go?” All of a sudden, John Cusack’s name starts being flung around the market as “not financeable.” He has a lot more to loose then you think and smart agents know this. So what he is going to attach himself to is a script, director, writer & producer who he knows and thinks can pull off putting his name/brand out in the marketplace. Overexposure in this arena can doom an actor from getting more work, so agents & managers have to be very careful about accepting pay-or-play offers.

The way I gauge how much to pay an actor is based on the budget of the film I am casting. The truth is that you have to look at up to 10% of the budget going to an A-list actor. Any casting director can get quotes from business affairs at various companies to see what the deals were on actors in other films (unless the deal was a “no-quote”). Some companies will not give out quotes. In the low-budget world, my advice is to offer what you can offer and what makes sense to the project. Getting a quote on an actor for a film I am casting that has a budget of 3 million dollars makes no sense to me. We are either going to pay the actor 300k or less (not including back-end and box office bonuses), but to pay anymore then that would not make any sense. I run from producers who say, “we can pay them more if they sign on,” that is a sure sign to me that the film will never ever be shot and that the producer does not know what they are doing.

Make the film you can make and cast it with the best possible actors. Shoot for the moon in casting, but have a back-up plan that you are happy with.

 

March 31, 2012

I am always looking on the internet for articles pertaining to casting, the role of the casting director and trends in the world in which I operate.

Please read this: http://www.independent-magazine.org/magazine/2011/11/Katherine_Brodsky_indie-distribution_fundraising_tips

I have a few opinions about how some of the comments the panelists made pertain to first time film makers and low budget films:

Keep in Mind When Casting

“According to entertainment attorney, Wilder Knight (Pryor Cashman): Before going to talent it’s crucial to look at whether the script will appeal to said talent.” Daily, I am asked by producers and directors, “do you think that [A-list actor] will like the script?” In truth, I have no idea if an actor will respond to a script or not. I do know that you can look at an actor’s history and the type of material they are attracted to get a general idea of what they have done plenty of times and maybe, they are okay with constantly playing a gangster (for example) or a terrorist (for example) or maybe they are sick of being type-cast – who knows? BUT, what I do know is that a good reason one should hire a casting director is to get those answers for the director/producer. We can do that fairly quickly but be aware that every time a casting director speaks with an agent or manager, they are pitching the project and have to entice the representative to want to know more. On a low-budget film or a film with little to no budget for an actor, this means I will need support from my team in the form of: (a) a look-book, (b) previous history, like shorts or other successful feature films that have been made (c) story boards/visuals, (d) explain who is attached to produce, direct, DP, costume design, etc… in essence, on films for first-time filmmakers, you have to lay all of your cards on the table and scream, “LOOK AT ME!” my film is worth paying attention to!”

“Most people come to talent with no budget hoping to get them for SAG minimum. Talent gets attached for two reasons: Personal appeal of project and personal relationships.” If you are shooting a film for SAG scale, low budget scale, modified low budget scale, the SCRIPT is going to be what attracts interest from actors, agents & managers. After that, you had better be able to substantially explain to everyone how you are going to shoot what reads like a 5 million dollar film for 500k. The “Saving Lincoln” folks are probably going to kill me on this one, but when I was hired to cast “Saving Lincoln,” I was told that the film was going to be shot entirely in a studio and in 3D. This is an historical period piece…with animals and children! I ignored the fact that the film was going to be shot in 3D, because I could not explain that process to agents and talent because, I knew that if I didn’t understand what I was saying, there was no hope in hell that what I was saying would translate to agents, managers and talent. So, instead, I chose to not mention it while setting up meetings and auditions. I felt that it was something the director and producer could talk about because what I wanted was to have the best possible actors come to the project because of the script. I needed options and truthfully, I felt, at the time, talking about a 3D movie on a 600k budget, made the production look like it didn’t know what it was doing. And the team I was working for, though experienced in film making, was not made up of any “names.” I couldn’t say, “Oh, James Cameron is an Executive Producer on this…” then the 3D conversation could have made sense. In the end, the production ditched the 3D, but has a great cast (if I do say so myself), and it is because of the script, the director and my efforts in making sure that I was hitting the marketplace as hard as possible and selling the film to the agents/managers & actors as something exciting and worth being a part of…www.savinglincoln.com

Personal relationships can be a key to casting, but in the end, whomever is going to be in the film, needs to trust that the filmmakers know what they are doing. I always say, personal relationships can get you the meeting, the script in their hands, the SKYPE call, but once they agree to do the film, it’s all business.

“While studios often peg and typecast talent, indies can offer talent outside-the-box opportunities. Make sure that yours does. Look at casting against type. On the flip side, casting against type might make the film less commercially viable. However, according to Submarine’s Josh Braun, if it works, it can also attract more attention.” This is very true. And there are certain actors that gravitate and want to know about a project and then there are certain actors who will want to do a role at a reduced rate, but not a hugely reduced rate, in order to do something different and have their “Charlize Theron/Monster moment,” and then there are actors who just want to work. Again, you don’t really know, until you are in the marketplace, who is going to respond as this dynamic changes daily. An actor you want, could be with a B-list agency one week and be totally accessible and open to reading your script and then BAM, they are with CAA and now, my job has gotten a lot tougher. Agencies are corporations with agendas, and you may or may not fit in with the politics and the agendas that are being drummed up for a specific actor at the time you are casting. There was a period over the last 5 years where every conversation on every film I was meeting on, started with, “We wrote this for Joseph Gordon-Levitt.” Also, this one was quite popular as well, “We see Liam Neeson in this role.” I get it, I would want them too, but while we are having this conversation, every studio executive on a financed film 100 times more expensive then your film, is having this conversation as well and the only way you are going to get Liam or Joseph, is to have a script that interests them and that interests their team. If you are budgeting way below what their expectations are for their services (in their minds, for where they are in this particular place and time) you are not going to get them. BUT, let me introduce you to 10 other ideas that are just as strong (if not as good or better) then Joseph and Liam. Let’s see if we can find the up and comer who has a studio film under their belt, which won’t come out for 2 years because it has super-duper special effects, but he is going to mean something by the time your indie gets submitted to Sundance. For example (and not really a good one because BAIT was a 20 million dollar budget), on BAIT a film I cast that shot in Australia, I cast Xavier Samuel in the lead and there was another role to play opposite him. At the time, we had the chance to cast Liam Hemsworth, for what I thought was a great deal for the producers. It was a little more money then they had anticipated budgeting on casting, but a whole lot less then what he would inevitably cost them a year from the time they were casting. I was so excited, two hot, young Australian potentially A-list actors, in an Australian film, with a great supporting cast, in a 3D shark movie! Alas, it didn’t happen, because the producers didn’t want to spend the money and didn’t see the upside to having both of them in the film. A few months later, Liam got that tiny unknown film, “The Hunger Games.”

“Consider spending $5k on a good casting director to attach talent who may not otherwise accept unsolicited material. The better the casting director, the better the “in.”” There are so, so many things wrong with this statement that I sort of don’t know where to start. Okay, yes, it is true, there are CDs who are on the A-list and those on lists lower then the A-list, but, in truth, if the script is fantastic and the team that is being put together for the film is quality, you will have options open up to you. It’s like cooking; you need certain ingredients to make things blend well together and taste delicious. Just hiring a casting director, does not make your film any more real then the day before you hired the casting director. You have to think like this: If you hire a casting director and (God I hope my peeps are doing it for more 5k) and the actor says, “yes, I want to do it!” have you thought about what your next step would be? And by next step, I mean 30 seconds after you hear they want to do it. Because, here’s the thing, you have a VERY SMALL WINDOW of opportunity once an actor says yes. Every day that non-action happens on the film, e.g. no deal memo is sent over, no funds are escrowed, no negotiating on the deal between lawyers: everyday that stuff like this does not happen, is a day that your production starts to look like it is not happening. In this case, perception is reality, you have to keep the deal progressing and keep interest in the project or your film will end up dead.

“Often, back-end is given to cast in lieu of a lot of money. So is production credit, sometimes even to talent’s manager and best friend.” Expect to give up a large amount on the back-end. Expect to not own your film (if you want a name) and expect to be giving a lot more up then just net points. First time directors, writers & producers give up a lot in order to have name talent in a film, BUT the upside here is that this is not about making this film, this is about making your future films. Remember, “perception is reality,” and if your film does well, nobody cares about what your deal was, you are still the producer, director, writer, etc… who is credited and you will get the credit. This will give you leverage on future projects.

“According to Jodi Peikoff, if stars work for scale, they usually end up with a lot of control over director, distributor, etc.” A fundamental error that I see new film makers make is that when they meet with a “star” for a role, they think that the interview is about the director liking the star. The star is interviewing the director. And what he/she thinks will effect not only the perception of the director, but also the perception of the entire film. If the star walks away wanting to be in the film, that is a great, but if they walk away not wanting to do it, because they were not convinced that the director had the skills to pull off what they were discussing, you are (meaning “me”) are in a damage control situation, where I have to mediate how much anyone else (talent) hears about how the meeting went. The last thing you want is other talent and representation thinking that the project is mediocre. I recently cast a film, where I was trying to get an A-list name to do a very low-budget film (250k budget). The actor had several phone conversations with me about the script and then after a month of talking with me, agreed to meet with the director. This actor was traveling a lot, and I thought it was a coup that we had any interest at all. The director was excited to meet with the actor, but only wanted to SKYPE. I suggested that they get on the next available Southwest Airlines flight and go meet the actor in New York or Chicago, or wherever that actor was to (a) show how interested you really are – all actors want to be wanted – and (b) do the pitch for the film face to face, with passion and the love that they had for the script. I know if they had done that, they would have gotten the actor, but they didn’t and just spoke on the phone and in the end, the actor couldn’t be convinced that she should spend 3 weeks with this director and crew. The funny thing about this, is that several months later, I ran into the actor at a film festival. She asked me, “Matt, what ever happened to that little film?” and I replied, “Oh we cast Lynn Cohen in that role.” She replied, “Maybe I should have done it.” Actors, are in the end, wanting to work, they just need a little push. That push is about passion. You have to show that you are passionate about the script and that you know what you are doing, because that will give the experienced actor confidence that the journey they are going to embark on with you, be it one day or one month, will result in a great product.

“Producers want name talent not only for financing and distribution, but also for their ability to promote a movie later. According to Wilder Knight, it is worth finding the money to give talent a first-class ticket to film festivals.” Seriously, who are these people? It’s going to take a lot more then a first class ticket to Sundance to get an actor to want to be in your film. First of all, just assume that you are going to have to fly them first class, but once they get there are you prepared to pay for their people to be there? Are you prepared to have them stay at the hotel they want to stay in? Are you prepared to have the right food available to them? These things come up and what could be a flippant, “Yes we will get you to Sundance for the premiere,” could cost you upwards of 100k just to have them there. It’s happened to many producer friends of mine and it happens all of the time. This is why I try to convince producers on low-budget films to cast the film to the highest standard, with the actors who are passionate about the material. Hopefully that will include a name, and if it does, you will have an easier time with these types of negotiations because the talent will want to be a part of the film.

At the end of the day, all casting directors want is for their director to have the best possible cast. As budgets shrink in our industry, an experienced casting director will be thinking not only about whom they want to cast, but how they are going to get the film cast in the first place. My job is more then about just finding actors; it’s about finding actors who are passionate about the material and matching up brilliant new filmmakers with brilliant and experienced talent. Casting low budget films successfully is one part skill, one part luck, one part experience, one part taste and the most important part: believing that it will happen.

 

 

 

March 16, 2012

SXSW 2012 is now over for me. I saw 19 films and met a ton of really talented filmmakers, actors, directors, etc… Below is a brief review of my thoughts (through the eyes of a casting director) on the films I saw (in order of how I saw them):

 

THE CABIN IN THE WOOD (Casting by, Anya Colloff , Amy McIntyre Britt, Coreen Mayrs, Heike Brandstatter) While it took a while for this film to leave the grasp of a bankrupt MGM, the wait was well worth it. I don’t care what anyone says, this is a fun horror film that expands the genre in a way that only the mind of Joss Whedon and Director Drew Goddard could come up with. The casting was solid and it was so great to see Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford clearly having a great time on screen. The stand out for me was Fran Kranz. Always, funny, he brought the “stoner dude,” to a new level.

(Photo: Fran Kranz)

 

 

 

PAVILLION (No CD credited) Here’s the thing; as someone who casts a lot of “coming of age dramas,” I can appreciate the, “we are just going to hire ‘real kids’ and ‘non-actors’,” conversation (that I have had multiple times) with directors, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Ummm…sadly, it didn’t on this one. The acting was without depth or connection and while the cinematography was beautiful, the rest of the film fell short. I wanted something to be happening to the protagonist, but nothing happened and I had to leave before the ending, because my soul was leaving my body.

GIRLS AGAINST BOYS (Casting by, Ellen Parks) What a great ride. This film would not have been the same without the wonderful Nicole LaLiberte being able to play counterpoint to Danielle Panabaker’s subtle, refined and nuanced performance. Bravo to Michael Stahl-David for being a great rapist and Andrew Howard, for being, well, Andrew Howard – he is always so good in everything he does. I am not someone who handles the sounds of bone cutting gore (a la “Saw”) so I did feel a little queasy watching the film. (Photo: Nicole LaLiberte)

 

 

 

 

PILGRIM SONG (No CD credited) Oh God, why? This film needed a lot of help. Firstly, it needed a strong editor to tell the director that the film was way too long. The essence of this film is captured through one mans journey camping on the Sheltowee Trace Trail in Kentucky. I get that this was an ode to the South. I just didn’t care…at all. The acting was acceptable and that’s all I can say without crying.

 

THE LAST FALL (Casting by, Michelle Adams) The poster made me want to see this film about an NFL football player who has to come to terms with being booted off of his team and facing the fact that he may have to integrate into society. Any artist can relate to this theme, the football player only knows football, it is his passion and when that passion is stripped away, how do you deal with it? Clearly, Lance Gross could pull off this role. But again, the film was too long, and we hear too much exposition, too much talking as if the audience members are not sophisticated enough to understand the story. It felt over written, and in the end, I was bored. There is a good movie in there, just not in the version I saw. (Photo: Lance Gross)

 

 

 

 

DOLLHOUSE (Casting by, Maureen Hughes) Finally! Thank you Maureen Hughes! I hope that the director of “Pavilion” saw “Dollhouse,” and realized what a few, key, well placed actors can do for a film. This was a mix of young first time actors and young experienced actors based out of Ireland. An homage to “Kidulthood,” the standouts for me were, Jack Reynor and Kate Brennan. I will never leave my house alone, to my run-away pregnant teen daughter…just sayin… (Photos: Kate Brennan, Jack Reynor)

 

 

 

 

HUNKY DORY (Casting by, Jessica Ronane) I have to say that there is something slightly terrific about the kids in the U.K & Ireland. Specifically, set in Wales in the 1970’s, “Hunky Dory” was a wonderful respite from the serious, depressing stories that independent films tend to gravitate towards. Minnie Driver was a delight. I have grown to like her more and more over the years. The standouts were, superstar Aneurin Barnard (watch out Johnny Depp) and the lovely Danielle Branch. It’s so great to come out of a film wanting to cast everyone you saw in it. (Photo: Aneurin Barnard)

 

 

 

 

SMALL APARTMENTS (Casting by, Kim Coleman & Bonnie Timmermann) How can you not love Matt Lucas?! He is so funny, smart, precise and committed as an actor that I could watch him read a phone book and I would probably think it was the most exciting thing to happen to me that day (I am sad like that). What a great ensemble cast! Even Dolph Lundgren made sense in this, and that’s saying a lot. Peter Stormare’s cameo, playing a mostly dead character was genius and Juno Temple, Amanda Plummer, Johnny Knoxville and James Caan all were colorful and real. Rebel Wilson’s small role as Johnny Knoxville’s girlfriend really impressed me. I like her a lot. (Photo: Matt Lucas)

 

 

 

 

EDEN (Casting by, Emily Schweber) Some of the best acting in the festival was in this film. A true story, about a girl’s abduction into forced prostitution/slavery, Jamie Chung is absolutely stunning and moving and dare I say it, Academy Award worthy. Matt O’Leary’s performance is so fantastic and Beau Bridges is everything he is supposed to be: hateful, a disgusting vile man, and a disgrace. I loved the casting on this film. (Photo: Jamie Chung)

 

 

 

 

LOS CHIDOS (No CD credited) I think that the director pretty much cast this film on his own with the help of a local theatre company in Guadalajara, Mexico. Set in Tijuana, this Spanish language film tells the story of the Gonzales family and their encounter with an American man who intersects with their lives. Part comedy, part tome on religious symbolism, this film went slightly over my head as clearly being a straight male, Latino, Catholic (something I am not) helped one understand the themes of this film. And while I quite liked the story, the cinematography and some of the actors, I still think this is a case where casting an American actor could have been cast a little smarter, as it would have helped a lot towards making the film feel less “amateurish.”

SEE GIRL RUN (Casting by, Jessica Kelly) What a sweet film. I think Adam Scott is so undervalued as an actor and Josh Hamilton needs to become the star that he should become. Robin Tunney does not disappoint as a woman who is going through an early mid-life crisis. (Photo: Robin Tunney)

 

 

 

 

STARLET (Casting by, Julia Kim) I really liked this film. Dree Hemingway (so amazingly stunning) walks around Los Angeles with as little clothing as possible on. I thought it was because she was twenty-cute, however it’s because she has a porn-star dress sensibility. Her life collides with Sadie, played by eighty-five year old first time actress Besedka Johnson. Both Dree and Besedka’s chemistry on-screen is delightful. Stella Maeve and James Ransone turn in excellent, twisted-charming performances. A really strong supporting cast abounds in this film. (Photo: Dree Hemingway)

 

 

 

 

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (No CD credited) I think that Bob Byington, the director, probably cast this himself, as he knows most of these actors, and everyone in Austin personally. I actually thought this was a charming film and Nick Offerman is someone that I find so watchable and interesting. Jess Weixler, Keith Poulson, Jonathan Togo, Megan Mullally, Kate Lyn Sheil, Anna-Margaret Hollyman and Kevin Corrigan round out an extremely strong ensemble. (Photo: Nick Offerman)

 

 

COMPLIANCE (Casting by, Kerry Barden  & Paul Schnee) This Sundance standout played to full houses at SXSW this year. I think Ann Dowd is the stand out in this film about what the power of suggestion can do. Dreama Walker and the supporting cast are very strong. There is not a weak link here. (Photo: Ann Dowd)

 

 

GAYBY (Casting by, Jonathan Lisecki) A comedy! It was a nice relief to have a laugh in the sea of doom and gloom (subject matter wise). The film spoke to me and yes, probably because I am a gay man of a certain age and no, not really wanting children, but I do have children in my life – so seeing this brought up a lot of personal issues for me. This was very well cast. The director, Jonathan Lisecki , at the Q&A said that the key to casting is having friends who are good actors. Not a weak link in this cast, Jenn Harris is hysterical, Anna-Margaret Hollyman plays her demanding sister with care and spite all mixed together - she deserves to be on television in some Shonda Rhimes show. Matthew Wilkas and Mike Doyle are adorable together and Dule Hill has a nice cameo.(Photos: Jenn Harris, Anna-Margaret Hollyman, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle)

 

GIRLS (Casting by, Jennifer Euston) While not an independent film, the festival felt that screening this upcoming HBO series was appropriate as it’s creator, director & star, Lena Dunham (“Tiny Furniture”)  is a SXSW darling. And appropriately so, this series has the potential to be the voice of a generation and in as much as “Sex & the City” was the touchstone for those in my age-range, 20-something girls are going to look back on this series when they are in their 30’s and realize how in touch with their generation Lena Dunham is for them. Framed by the wonderful experience and nuance of Producer Judd Apatow, the cast of this series is courageous and unique. I would like a little more of a world that reflects who actually lives in New York City (more diversity please) but on the whole, I loved what I saw and look forward to many, many more episodes. (Photo: Lena Dunham)

 

 

 

 

 

21 JUMP STREET (Casting by, Nicole Abellera  & Jeanne McCarthy) As the voice for independent film, SXSW does often premier films that are not independent and are geared to a commercial audience. Even SX has to be aware of commerce and make money and these kinds of premieres draw attention to the festival. With that in mind, I was not too keen on spending time on seeing this, but boy, am I glad I did! My face hurt from laughing and smiling so much throughout this and Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were perfect together. The SX audience really loved the film and screamed with joy when Johnny Depp came on screen. Dave Franco  comes out of this as the adorable leading cute bad-boy-sensitive-on-the-environment kid next door. I loved him in this. (Photo: Dave Franco)

 

 

 

 

BOOSTER (No CD credited)The best film that I saw at the festival was this little tiny perfectly formed film about an anti-hero who steals for a living, falls in love and is asked by his gangster brother to vouch for him in order to keep him out of jail. Most of the actors had never acted before and Nico Stone (the director’s friend) turns in a stunning, precise, sensitive performance that rivals some of todays leading male actors of his generation. I am so impressed with the cast, the director and the crew that put this film together. This is what independent film is about! (Photo: Nico Stone)

 

 

 

 

EXTRACTED (Casting by, Devon Ogden) I wanted to like this film. I love the leading actor, Sasha Roiz. He is charming and handsome and a really strong leading man type. Rodney Eastman stands out as the “bad guy’s” best friend who does him wrong and while I wanted to like Dominic Bogart, he is great to watch, I didn’t find him that watchable and I think the writing and directing let this, what could be a strong cast - down.

 

Best Actor: Nico Stone - BOOSTER

Best Actress: Jamie Chung – EDEN

Someone to watch: Aneurin Barnard – HUNKY DORY

Outstanding Casting: Maureen Hughes – DOLLHOUSE

Best Film: BOOSTER