To much of a Twitter may not be a good thing…

Twitter, is a social network that lets you follow people and depending on how much information they give you, you can now literally stalk your friends or celebrities and see what they are doing at any given time. For me, I think that Facebook has enough information about my life on it for the people that I think want to see what is going on in it, to follow me. I have a Facebook page for Matthew Lessall Casting, which I encourage actors to join so that they can get additional info or ask questions. I also video blog for a few minutes every week. I do this because I’m a sharer, I work by myself and sometimes it is nice to get out thoughts and feelings about what is going on at work. While casting “Polish Bar” I included some video while I was casting. I think it can be a good insight to the trial and tribulations of Indie-film casting.

For me, Twitter, is over-sharing. I signed up under an alias, because I wanted to see what it was all about and which actors are on it. To my surprise, I can follow actors, agents, managers, PR folks; the list goes on and on. I am not sure why a celebrity such as Ashton Kutcher thinks it is a good idea to display so much of his life in the public domain. I assume at some point Mr. Kutcher wants privacy in his life, but clearly putting Demi Moore’s backside on Twitter and having it splashed all over the news doesn’t bother them, they think it’s funny. And I guess, if I were a College student I would think it is funny too, but at what point does all of this information become too much over-sharing? I think actors need to be careful about the info they give out. They are most prone to stalkers and if I was obsessed by Mr. Kutcher I could figure out based on his Twittering where he was in the world, what he is doing on set of the film he is on, cross-reference the director he is working with and see that he is Twittering and posting pictures from the set and then figure out where he was and stalk him…

When you place yourself in the public domain by writing blogs or posting videos or pictures or now, Twittering, every time you do that, you are not just sharing with your friends or the adoring public of gazillions of fans that you think you have, you may also be causing some damage to your personal privacy down the road.

At the gym last week, a woman stopped me and introduced herself to me, she recognized me from the video blog I do on Facebook. I was flattered, and we chatted about her career as an actress and she was so lovely and complemented me on being “brave” to let the public see what really goes on in my head/office (it’s the same thing to me). I thanked her, and then I felt strange. I was happy that the blogging and video blogging was doing what I wanted it to accomplish, but at the same time, I was in sweats and looked like crap and was probably smelly from running on the treadmill. My point is, I realized the power (as lame as this may seem) of posting information on line. It does reach people and one does not have control of over whom it reaches.

I just think we should all think about that for a while…

Queen of the Castle…

With the exception of last weeks blog, I never really blog enough about who I like as actors. I think it is important to understand where a Casting Director is coming from when I talk about acting. I believe that a truly gifted actor is someone who commits entirely to a character. I am looking for an actor who is fearless with regards to embodying all of the possibilities that a character may possess. I don’t ever want to see that someone is acting, I want to be drawn into a performance and I want to be transported away from my physical presence and be on a journey with the actor.

So who, right at this moment is doing this for me? Hold your breath, some of you are going to be saying “WTF”? Are you watching “CASTLE” on ABC? I have always liked Nathan Fillion as an actor, I think he possesses charm, wit, masculinity and the quality of fearlessness that I look for, but to me the star of the show is, Stana Katic. 

Watch her and you will see what good acting on the small screen is all about. She is subtle, calculating and fully invested in her character. She bring layers to a role that could easily be second fiddle to Nathan’s role, but I find that I am watching the show because of her and that when she is in a scene with Nathan, he becomes a better actor because he has to compete with an intensity that is radiating out of Stana. I think she has a huge future and I think the overall casting of the show is really well done.

The film I cast in Chicago, “Polish Bar” got some press this week. Here is the link:
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/ourtown/090319/

MY TOP 10 LEADING MEN WHO I CAN CAST IN A INDIE-LOW-BUDGET FILM - MEN WHO WILL ONE DAY BE STARS - LIST…

In today’s “New York Times Style Magazine” (Men’s Fashion Spring 2009) the front cover has actor Eric Dane on it, whom I adore and not just because we go to the same gym…I lie, yes, I like seeing him at the gym…ANYWAY, the premise of the reason he is on the front cover aside from his eternal handsomeness is that the article about him is called, “Screentest: Can These TV Guys Make the Leap from the Tube to the Cineplex?” by, Lynn Hirschberg.

Included in the list are: Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy), Gaius Charles (Friday Night Lights), Bill Hader (SNL), Taylor Kitch (Friday Night Lights) and Joshua Jackson (Fringe). All of these actors are all on Casting Directors’ lists, around the world and we are constantly pushing to get one of these guys into a film. In the last three weeks I have been actively pushing a Director I am working with to make an offer to Gaius Charles, I have said over and over how fantastic he would be for the role and that his exposure on “Friday Night Lights” would be enough of a catalyst to shed a glimmer of light on our 1.5 million dollar budget film. We also have support of his agent for the script and while that is never a guarantee that an actor will do your movie, “support” in this sense means that I know that he will actually consider the film.

But Producers/Directors are notoriously slow on the uptake while casting and most feel like they have time on their side to make decisions. If I say, “Look, you really are not in a position to wait around and see who is available, this is your guy, you have to trust me on this…” well this is what I WANT TO SAY, but if I say it, it usually causes great stress on the team because GOD-FORBID anyone make a decision and be RESPONSIBLE for that decision. Smart casting is about quick thinking and knowing who is right for a role. Ask me what I think and I will tell you, but don’t get pissy with me when a few weeks later when said actor is no longer available, because someone made a better offer, quicker then you. To be successful in low-budget indie-film casting you have to trust your CD, we are on the front lines of casting and should know who is going to hit or not…most of the time :0)

So, with Gaius as my example, I have suggested him multiple times that we make the offer and that there is no need for an audition, he will be perfect for the role, just get someone in the film! Anchor the film with a strong choice, a popular actor, someone other agents can go, “Hey what’s going on over here in Matthew Lessall Casting world? He seems to have a cool, respected actor attached to a film, why don’t we have an actor in his film? What’s going on?” If I can have that dialogue going on throughout offices in L.A and N.Y.C, I am doing my job.

So aside from the guys mentioned in the article, there HAVE to be more right? Who do I, in general, try to steer my Producers towards? Who are my top ten leading, handsome men whom I would like to see in a film I cast and that I think have a bright future and if you cast them you are ahead of the curve? Here they are:

1.    Ed Westwick – Yes, he wears too much make-up on “Gossip Girl,” but I blame the genre not the actor. Go watch his performance in “Son of Rambow,” and you will see that he has an inner life that is sensitive, harsh and kind of sexy.
2.    Bailey Chase – If you aren’t watching “Saving Grace” on TNT you are missing out on excellent writing and excellent performances all-around. But Bailey really stands out. Hot from Hot-ville, and a really good actor, Bailey has auditioned for me in person and I know it is just a matter of time before someone figures out that he has a universal appeal.
3.    Stephen Moyer – I am going to shock you: I hate “True Blood.” I think it is unwatchable unless you are on crack, then I am sure that it makes sense to someone but really it is a piss-pore show and the only thing on it that makes any sense to me is Stephen. Saying that, I think that he is limited in range on what he can do on the show but, with all of that said, he is obviously going to break out as a star. He has a lot of charisma and also does the “dangerous-hard to figure out leading-man” thing very well.
4.    Josh Peck – I love Josh Peck. I am biased on this one. Ever since the first day I met him during the casting of “Mean Creek,” I knew that he had a future. In “The Wackness,” he proved that he could be a brooding, complex leading man. While not traditionally hot, Josh has a special charm and charisma that has “leading man” written all over it, it will just take the right role for him to really jump him into the main stream.
5.    Rafi Gavron – Truth be told I have only seen Rafi in “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist” (barf) and his small role on “Rome.” He has also auditioned for me. Rafi has an Orlando Bloom vibe to me, more “man-boyish” then hot leading man, but he is only 19.
6.    Daniel Henney – I love Daniel’s story. He is from the mid-west and decided he wanted to be an actor so moved to South Korea (not speaking any Korean) and landed a soap opera only to become one of South Korea’s biggest stars and now he is in “Wolverine.” I auditioned him for “Kung-Fu” a film that doesn’t seem to be going anytime soon, but when I met him it was obvious that he has what it takes. I know it would be harder to convince him to do lower budget features, but I think if the script was right he would go for it. I mean after “Wolverine,” getting your head around a dressing room that is a “honey-wagon” can be traumatic for some. Especially when the craft services budget is equivalent to the entire budget of the film I am casting.
7.    Ed Quinn – Seriously, Ed must be a really frustrated actor. He has all of the hallmarks of a leading man but has not crossed over into the feature film world. Totally underappreciated on the Sci-Fi series “Eureka” Ed is always popping up on guest stars here and there. This guy is truly “undiscovered” yet one of the hardest working actors in town. It is only a matter of time…
8.    Tahmoh Penikett – I am a sci-fi geek, I admit it. I love the cast of “Battlestar Gallactica,” to me it is one of the best casts on television. One of it’s cast is Tahmoh whom I think has a sexy vibe and pops on screen. I cast him in “Trick r’ Treat” mostly because the director loves him on the show but also because he is super-cute and you just WANT TO WATCH HIM, which is the point really…
9.    Scott Eastwood – Watch out world, here comes Scott Eastwood! Cast him now before everyone figures out how good he really is…
10.     Vincent Piazza – I save the best for last. I cast Vincent in “Rocket Science,” he was perfect as the weird older brother with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now a grown-up he has been on “The Sopranos” and “Rescue Me” and is on every television-casting director’s pilot list. He is the star of POLISH BAR and aside from being a fantastic actor, he is a really nice guy to work with and know.

So there you have it. There are others and there will be more to come. And to all of the Directors and Producers out there: I think that at the end of the day no matter who you cast in a film, a film is only as good as it’s weakest link. If the casting is great but something else in Production is off, the acting can come out not the way that was intended. The actors above, all have star potential. It’s not their acting that I ever need to worry about. Filmmaking is a team sport. So go get your cast and put these faces in the forefront and you will have a star in your film and a good shot at standing out in the crowd of independent film.

Wanted: A job…

I am now looking for work. I always get asked, “How do you get a film?” The answer is always the same for me, I send my resume out to anyone who will read it, I look at the trades, websites and figure out who will need a casting director and try to make contact with that person. It’s not pleasant to do, but it is part of the job.

I remember after “Rocket Science” premiered at Sundance and the Director won “Best Director,” I remember coming back to my office, sitting at my desk and thinking, “The phone is going to ring any minute now…ring…please ring…why aren’t you ringing?!!”

Anyway, the ringing didn’t happen the way I had played it out in my mind, so I was back to the drawing board and sending out my resume, letting people know that I was out there and available. My point is, not to take anything for granted and all of the success that you may feel you have from one project does not necessarily translate into more work. It just means that you can be proud of your body of work (which I am) and it helps me be more secure when trying to convince someone to use me for a job.

This week I had an actor come in for a general. He is from the U.K, 24, very charming and has had success in television there. He came in and asked me if I thought he should move to L.A. I said that it is a personal decision and that if he secured a Visa that allowed him to look for work in the U.S that I thought that trying it out for a year could be worth it. I then added, “You are not getting any younger…” I thought he was going to have a heart attack and drop dead right in front of me. He said no one has ever said that to him before and I explained that while right now you may be 24 and cute and fabulous, by the time you get your act together and get the Visa you may be 25 or 26 and a whole new crop of 20-somethings will be arriving looking for the same roles that you are going for and you may not be in the position you think you are in. Competition is fierce and I said that you should decide now what you want to do, but make a strong choice and don’t waste time thinking about it. I think he appreciated what I said to him, it forced him to look at his career as a career and not as something to take for granted.

Which takes me back to me looking for work. Every day I have to make choices that determine if I am going to be able to sustain successfully what I do. I have to find work and do the best that I can, because there is always someone right behind me looking to do the same thing for less money and there is always someone in front of me more famous and with way more credits then I have, but if I let that bother me, I would never have a job. So, I don’t let it bother me and I just get on with it…