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…