INCA CASTING

I’m back from my two-week, amazing, re-energizing vacation to Peru and Bolivia. I cannot recommend highly enough the importance of visiting this sacred and amazing land full of ancient energy and fabulous people and food! I ate – a lot.

So here I sit a new refreshed me. A lot has happened to me over the past few weeks. I have split with my casting partner and moved into the other office next to hers, which some would say could be awkward, but moving is a pain and I liked the office, so it makes sense to me. I think we can remain friends and that is the most important thing, when these things happen.

As predicted, all of the films I am working on are still in the same place they were when I left. The funny thing is that the film that was hardest to cast, and is still not cast, is now less of a drama for me because the producer had to pick up where I left off. Before I left, I was being accused of being negative because I told the producer my opinions on whether I thought they would be able to secure talent they wanted or not. If it was bad news, to them, I was negative. I’m just the messenger, don’t shoot me! I gave my opinions and educated guesses because that is all I’ve got to go on; experience. If the producer doesn’t want that or want to listen to me, fine, but don’t call me negative, I’m on your team and trying to get the film cast!

Well, two weeks away completely changed the tune of this producer and although I know she would never admit in a hundred thousand zillion years that maybe, just maybe, I was being more helpful then negative, I could tell that after a lot of calling around to the same agents and managers that I talk to daily, she finally caught on to the reality of the situation and was in fact, a little deflated.

But, they have a great cast coming together and when the final shot happens on the last day of shooting, I expect them to say, “Wow, what a great cast, Matt was right!” At least I hope they say that!

I learned that the Inca’s language does not use future or past tense. If you are walking somewhere you walk there, you do not think about walking or have walked, you are just doing, being, going, you are in the present. Maybe, that is what it takes to be successful at casting. Be in the moment, don’t worry about the past or what could be, what you are presented with is your answer, what you are given is your gift of an amazing cast as it is presented to you.

I’m leaving on a jet plane…

Today I received a call from my casting director friend in London. She recommended me for a film and the producer was in LA today. Not ten minuets later I got a call from the Producer inviting me to lunch. I explained to him that I hadn’t read the script, but was happy to meet. I get to their hotel, I am in jeans and a crappy shirt, and I am thinking, “Let’s go to Jerry’s Deli!” I am very low maintenance and I know that there is something for everyone at Jerry’s. Nope, not today, today it was off to The Ivy.

Now when I say, “I looked like crap,” I really mean it. I wasn’t planning on having a meeting or trying to impress anyone today. In fact, all I can think about is my upcoming vacation to Peru and Bolivia. I guess this is a good time to mention that there will be no blogging for the next two weeks, as I will be one with the Incas.

 Anyway, we get to The Ivy, I order my $25 dollar chopped salad, and sit and get to know my hosts. They were absolutely lovely and so eager to get their production going and were also planning on announcing the cast at the American Film Market (AFM) in L.A, in November. I explained what I do and how I do it, and they were experienced and knew the score. They had all the basics taken care of: Production Lawyer, a Publicist for AFM, a stand/office at AFM, planning a party for the film at AFM, meaning, of course, they need a cast by AFM in November.

Not such an easy task, but not impossible. The film will be shot in Egypt, at a new studio and the cast includes children. Hence, the casting in London and L.A. I think the thought is that British actors will be more open to the idea of traveling to Egypt, but I think this is a great opportunity for a young actor: an adventure!

Well, hopefully they liked me enough to want to hire me and I had confidence that they knew what they were doing based on the recommendation from my friend in London and their work history. They were not first-timers and seemed to know and understand the genre of film they were making as well as the realities of securing a top-notch cast.

I will be prepared to look a little less disheveled next time they want to go to lunch!

As I prepare to leave at the end of the week, of course the proverbial casting shit is hitting the casting fan. All of a sudden my producers are panicking and stressed out. I tell them two weeks is nothing and sometime, I know this for a fact, sometimes, casting has a way of working itself out when you do nothing. Simply, wait and see what the results are going to be. On all of the films I am currently casting (3 of them) offers are out, negotiations are happening and more interest on the projects is being generated because, although the budgets range from 800k to 2 million, agents are starting to finally read the scripts and see that the films are actually good and have potential. This is why I recommend more time to cast, because it takes time for things to get done, and once an agent decides they like a script, they will be there championing it at their talent meetings.

So, this is what I am hoping happens while I am on holiday; momentum builds, agents call my producers excited about the scripts, actors get attached and I come back to excited producers who are thrilled with the talent they have secured for their films.

Quick, if you are near some wood, knock on it three times…