Oh the dream of becoming a world class casting director slowly fades when it’s 5pm on a Friday and you want to tear your hair out (or what’s left of it) because, suddenly you get a phone call that the actor meetings you have scheduled for Saturday with the Director have to be pushed to Wednesday because the Director is flying to New York (and also, can I please schedule some meetings in NY - ummm it’s 5pm on a Friday) to meet with actors, which is great, but I thought that they were going on a Sunday, so now all of the calls that happened and email confirmations that went through had to be changed and explained and somehow (please God) re-arranged for Wednesday. While at the same time a friend of mine is just off the plane and looking to spend a great weekend with me in L.A and me being stressed out about work does not a great weekend make, so I have to compartmentalize: deal with the film and have fun with my friend. Not spin out about the appointments and have fun with my friend, which translates into eating at fabulous restaurants all weekend and being in denial that I am really stressed about the upcoming weeks meetings and auditions and actually have the actors I want to meet with the Director come in and read for him, for that actually to happen because, oh yeah, there are a bazillion Pilots casting at the same time and every one of the actors on my lists are going to be on Pilot casting lists which means unless an actor specifically does not want to do television, I am going to be doing a lot of re-arranging of my sessions and trying to figure out that one actor who doesn’t want to be in a Pilot but does want to be in a 3 million dollar budget indie-movie with no distribution and where the pay rate is probably well below their quote – GOOD TIMES!

Actually, it is all-good, and thinking about it now, it is rather fun. While at the time it may seem like a huge amount of work: the phone calls, the 70-100 emails per hour (not an exaggeration) the lists, setting up the sessions (4 actors every 15 minutes, because 20%-50% drop out for reschedules and pilot casting – it’s amazing how many actors wake up on the morning of their audition with a sore throat), uploading the auditions and editing them, it is all a good time. I do actually like doing it. It does cause me to stress eat, so going to the gym is even more important when I am busy, because nobody likes to look at “Fat Matt.” I haven’t managed to work out all week, so, a new plan, take care of me and everything will flow as it should be and yes I am talking about my mental health and my digestive system…

Happy New Year…

Anyway…

Back to work and just finished casting a wonderful film, “Touchback.” The cast is, if I do say so myself, wonderful and I could not be happier with how it all came together. I had very little time to put the cast together and we were under a lot of pressure to deliver a cast that could perform because the script was the winner of the Netflix Find Your Voice Competition and therefore as part of it’s prize, will screen at the LA Film Festival this year. So, not a lot of time, or money to do things but we did it and I have to say that the Director, Phil Flores and the Producer, Chase Kenney were wonderful to work with and get to know. It’s also nice to work on a film that is shooting in Los Angeles, because visiting the set and getting to know the cast a little better and see them in action is exciting for me. Go to IMDB to check our cast out…

A new year and a new gig. “Vinyl,” which has been on my desk and in various stages of financing is finally active. This weekend is all about me getting ahead of the names submitted and figuring out whom we want to make offers to. It’s nice to be working on a film that has a bigger budget and an ensemble piece. The film is shooting in Winnipeg and Los Angeles, but most of the casting will be done out of LA. I sent the breakdown to agents in NYC, Canada and London, just in case there is an idea that I let slip through the crack (what? Not me? I am perfect!). This job will keep me up at night, because I know how hard it is going to be to coordinate all of the information coming at me at once, but it will be worth it in the end, because the script is a lot of fun to flesh out and work on and the actors, agents and managers have been responding positively to the script, which is always a good sign.

I am also casting a short film for students at AFI that starts going in mid-March. The story is, shall we say unusual. It is a satire on a domestic drama, in which the son of a father has been raping the father for several years and everything starts to come to a head after the son gets married (to a woman). Needless to say, it’s “racy” but not surprisingly to myself, actors love the material and are interested in the project. I love working with new filmmakers as it gives me a chance to get to know emerging talent like directors, producers and actors.

It is very true that working gets you more work. Staying busy is very important to me; I don’t like not having something to work on. So for now (at least until April) I am busy. Now I just have to find my next gig…Take a look at my new website www.lessallcasting.com

From time to time I get emails from students about what I do, so I thought I would publish this one…

Hi Matthew

My name is Joe Kiddle and I’m currently in my third year studying advertising at Uni. I’m currently doing an assignment that requires me to research the role of the casting director in film and commercial making.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be able to spare a few minutes of your time to answer a few questions for me.

How closely do you work alongside the director and producer? How much input do they have in the casting decisions and are there ever disagreements?  The producer is the person who is actually hiring me. From their production entity I will be getting paid, so the answer is – VERY CLOSELY. At the same time, the director on the film is responsible for the creative perspective of the film. Often the director is also the writer, so the script and the vision for the film have been living with him for a long time. When the director is also a producer and there is another producer that I answer to, because that is who has hired me, there can, sometimes, be disagreements about casting choices amongst them. However, my job is to mitigate and foresee the bumps in the road that casting can cause and try to make the process as smooth as possible. My job is to bring to the producer and director the best possible choices for casting. If I am doing my job correctly, the choices I would make are what they would go for. Ultimately, the choice of who gets hired is hashed out between the director and producer and if there are disagreements, I try to resolve them by suggesting that “we sleep on it and decide in the morning.” Most of the time, this works. When it doesn’t work, well, it’s not a good day in the office…

____________________________________________________________________________________

How do you go about casting a role? Do you send out blind adverts or are specific invites made to actors you know inside the industry? Does this vary depending on the role? After reading a script, I make lists of ideas of who I would want to play the role. The lists are based on several factors and are also influenced by factors such as the budget of the film and who is available to play the roles. I then create a “breakdown” which has all of the information about the film and all of the roles written out and described in detail. The breakdown is then sent out to a service that distributes breakdowns to agents. In the U.K this is done through a company called Spotlight and in the U.S through Breakdown Services. Sometimes, I will contact agents directly and not put out a breakdown, this just depends on the project and it’s requirements. If I am looking for unrepresented actors (street casting) I will find ways of getting the word out, but this is an entirely different process and requires a lot of legwork to find what the director is looking for. I primarily start with represented actors and go from there…

____________________________________________________________________________________

What factors do you look at when casting an actor for a lead role, and which factors do you feel are most important? I have to be able to visualize (with my eyes closed) the actor playing the role and seeing him on screen. I have to be able to hear the actor’s voice in my head when reading the script. That is how I know an actor is right for the role. Seems simple, but sometimes there are only a few actors I can visualize. Once I have gone through that list, I have to audition, watch reels and re-think how a role is going to be played. Going for the obvious actor can be boring. Find the actor who will make the role unique and I have done my job.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Do you use auditions and interviews or only one? Does this depend on the role? Some actors get offered the role directly. Then if they like the script/role the meet with the director to see if their vision of the film matches their expectation of why they were attracted to the script in the first place. I tell first-time (and even experienced) directors that the actor is auditioning you at this meeting, not the other way around. Based on my availability lists per role, I will find out who is: available, offer only, to be auditioned, not available, passing, etc… Generally I am auditioning all roles, even ones with offers out, because you never know how it is all going to turn out in the end. Sometimes an actor will come in for one role and be right for something else. Auditions are an opportunity for an actor to meet with a casting director, director and producer. If you are a talented actor, we will know, even if the role is not right for the actor.

____________________________________________________________________________________

What areas do you assess when agreeing a fee with an actor? Actors’ salaries are based on several factors: budget, who the director and producer are, script, etc…. I can find out what an actor made on previous films by calling casting directors from previous films they have worked on or business affairs heads at various production companies. This process is called “verifying quotes” and is usually done on a Studio film (Fox, WB, Universal, etc…). In the independent film world if I am casting a 5 million dollar budget film and want Rachel McAdams to play a role, there is probably very little chance that we will be able to pay her what she made on a film like “Sherlock Holmes.” I always advise my producer to offer what they can afford to offer. After doing this for several years I have a general idea of what actors make.

____________________________________________________________________________________

How do you go about keeping up to date with new, upcoming acting talent? I go to the cinema, watch television, go to theatre, look at websites, etc…

____________________________________________________________________________________

Once a cast is assembled, do you have any further roles in the film production? Nope.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Look forward to hearing from you,

Here is a recent email I received from a producer:

“…In searching for money for this film we’re constantly coming up against the “who do you have attached” question. The whole Catch-22 thing. We have actors that want to be in the film, yet refuse to give us written a LOI, which is something I can’t understand, because a written LOI could be like an un-cashed check. So, we’re forced to seek out talent, prior to funding, with hopes of getting attachments. Asking a casting agent to take a script and get it into any actors hands is unfair when you can’t pay that agent. My question is are you finding this scenario happening more and more in the industry and do you feel that actors and their managers will come around, select scripts, and then go out to look for funding? Such a big question on a Sunday morning, I know…”

Below is my general answer to this question. But I also have to say, being someone who did not go to business school, that when you are starting to try to bring a film to fruition, you are going to need a plan. Often time that plan involves…money. This isn’t your high school drama club, this is the real world and while, yes there is always going to be an element of people out there who would do anything to help you with making a film because (gosh darn it) they are good people, the truth is be prepared to spend, because you will only get so far on favors in this town and the people you want to work with who are any good, will cost you…

1)    It’s about the script: If you are not getting the response you think you should be getting then quite possibly your script isn’t is amazing as you think it is. This does not mean that the script is bad, it may need another polish or even a re-write. This does not mean to say that it won’t get produced (go to AFM and see the barf that is produced there-not that your film is “barf”), but an un-financed script that is not getting good coverage or getting a luke-warm reception from actors, agents & representation means that you will have to find money to bring actors into the project.

2)    It’s about the producer: What is the track record of your producer? How many films has he/she made and to what success? What are your producer’s personal relationships within the industry and are those relationships getting you the meetings you need to get in order to have progress on finding talent for your film?

3)    It’s about the writer: Is this the first script that the writer has ever written? Does a top tier agent or manager represent the writer? Has the writer had any success prior to this script? Is there anything that the writer can bring to the table?

4)    It’s about the money: what is the budget of your film. Anything over 5 million dollars is going to raise red flags on first time director/producer/writer etc…the obvious questions will be: a) why this script (b) why this director (c) why this budget & (d) how are you financed? Can you answer these questions with confidence?

5)    It’s about the LOI: The letter of intent to release funds from an investor, bank, etc…is about as old a line as it gets. Talent representatives do not think that a film is real if you ask for an LOI and do not have a good script, producer, writer or realistic budget attached to your film. It smells like bullshit and will run from the project. They are not going to be willing to sit down in a company talent meeting and suggest a project that has no legs and be fired the next day because Bryan Lourd thinks that they are a schmuck in the first place for bringing it up. Understand the politics of large agencies and management companies and the pressure they are under to deliver projects to high grossing clients and you will begin to realize where you fit in the scheme of things.

6)    Agents and Managers will try to find financing if the talent they represent brings financing to the table. This assumes that the talent that is attracted to your script is one of those few names in the industry that brings money to the table. On a film I am on, an actor is not going to get anywhere close to the money they should (and deserve, in my opinion) for making the film, in consideration of the lack of funds for the actor, they will be getting a significant back-end, and the management company may invest a few thousand dollars in order to make the actors experience on the film “doable.” Actors in general, don’t need all of the creature comforts that a gazillion dollar studio film provides, but at the end of the day, one wants there to be no distractions for an actor. An actor needs to deliver on set and if there is a way to make this happen without any drama (usually $$$, which can translate into a nicer hotel room or rental car/driver/personal assistant for the actor) then it is worth it for the management company to come up with a solution as they are invested in the role for the actor and want that actor to succeed. This is part of what I do, I introduce scripts to representation and I seek out actors that are not only right for a role, but also should want the role because it is going to make a difference to them personally. Get the actor invested in the material and amazing things can happen for you.

6)  Actors say “no.” It is not personal. You are dealing in people. This is why it takes a loooooong time to put a film together and cast it well.

If you want talent in your film, make real pay-or-play offers backed by an investor that is willing to go there with you. If your financier is not willing to back a hard offer, put money in escrow & pay your casting director, then the chances of you getting the talent you need for an LOI for the releasing of the finances are…ZERO. Also, you will realize that your financier is full of shit. This is not a game, go play Hollywood with your friends and don’t waste the time, energy and reputation of people who can actually put a film together for you. If you want to make a film, make it at the budget level you can afford to make it at, with the cast you can afford to make it with. If the film is any good, it will sell at markets do the festival circuit and hopefully do business on DVD and you will be able to begin to think about making your next film.

To that end, this is why I am so friggin busy casting. I am working on more films below 5 million (and getting great casts for them) then ever before, because individual investors are willing to get into the world of filmmaking and the producers I work with are tapping into those people and telling them the what’s what. You get the actors by putting your money where your mouth is. By the way, that money can be SAG/Ultra-Low budget (100/day) or scale, it doesn’t matter, as long as you are making something and it is real, actors, agents and managers will be interested. Also donations are always gratefully accepted to the Matthew Lessall Casting Fund :0)…Daddy needs a holiday…

Lastly, I am not a “casting agent” the title is “casting director.” My ramblings/advice/experience is based on thousands of hours connecting producers, managers & actors to scripts that I work on. It is never easy and is always an uphill battle. I deal with egos, crazy people, narcissism that defies the mind, psychopathic personalities (and that’s just me) but I also work with the brightest, most fun, intelligent people on this planet. It’s a miracle anytime a film gets made and no matter how I feel personally about working with the producers, directors, writers, managers, agents and actors that I have worked with, I think all of them achieve more in producing one film then many people achieve in a lifetime. They all have that respect from me…making a film is that hard to do…

That’s my 2 cents…

The “Artios Awards” were at the beginning of the month. These awards honor outstanding achievement in casting and are an opportunity for the casting community to come together and bond…and drink. Agents, Managers and Studio Executives also make an appearance and so it is also a chance to reconnect with people and put faces to a name; which is kind of funny because even with Facebook, many of us don’t recognize each other except from out voices over the ancient form of communication know only as the telephone.

I volunteered to be a chaperone during the event to actors who were making presentations during the casting awards. I was responsible for James Parsons, who is an absolutely amazing, wonderful actor and very nice in person. The chaperones job was to meet the actor as they were driving up, take their valet ticket, escort them to the green room for press interviews and then come back after the event was finished and make sure they had their valet ticket and were able to find their car. Mostly, that is what happened, although I was asked to hang around the green room and “mingle” because once the press was done, the actors were kind of sitting there and so me and a colleague facilitated introductions and got everyone in a good mood: sort of like prepping a client for a casting session!

Overall the event was fun. It was kind of like what I imagine speed-dating dating to be like, talking, trying to pay attention to whom you are talking to but then having to move on because there are so many people to talk to and hug and say “we have to get together!” and with that, I missed a lot of people I wanted to speak to. My table was a lot of fun, a few managers and casting buddies. We watched the awards dutifully and then it was time to go. In the end, it is a good event, because while it doesn’t really matter who wins, it is lovely to see that we (Casting Directors) can take time out and recognize the outstanding work that is accomplished every year.

For more information about Casting Directors, the Artios Awards and the CSA, go to www.castingsociety.com

 September 29, 2009

My colleague whom I share an office with was on the phone with Producers about two films that the Producers wanted to hire her for. Sometimes, I sit across from her, because we like the energy between us and it can get lonesome in our own offices. On this day she was talking to the Producers, doing a lot of eye rolling and saying things like, “I think that you should talk to Matt (me) as he is more available then me right now.” My office-mate is in the middle of two big budget features and she was kindly suggesting that the Producers discuss the possibility of working with me on their films.

She puts them on hold (no doubt, listening to our new hold music, programmed by yours truly on our new super-duper phone system) and looks at me very seriously: “Matt, these Producers are on the phone, they are financed with two films to cast, I can’t do the jobs, they want you to do the deal right now.”  I ask, “Are they good scripts?” She smiles at me and says, “They are financed,” casting code for, “who cares, and it’s a paid gig.”

I get on the phone and introductions are made. They were very intense and they wanted to know if I would cast both films for a flat fee of $8,000 dollars each. For one script it would be “offers only” and the other would require offers and auditions. I explained to them that I would have to do both deals separately and that I am a member of the Teamsters Local 399 and that depending on how many weeks we expressed in the deal, there would be additional contributions added on top of the fee, something that they were not really prepared to comprehend. They told me that the budgets for both films were 2 million dollars each. Depending on the size of the cast and the requirements of the film, a Casting Director/Casting Department usually occupies 1%-2% of the total budget. This means that within that percentage a Producer should be looking at the (1) The weekly fee for the Casting Director (2) The weekly fee for the Casting Associate and/or Assistant (3) Weekly H/P/W contributions to the Casting Director and Associate based on the amount  of weeks that they are working on the film (Assistants are not part of the Casting Union and therefore do not get H/P/W contributions) (4) Office usage fees (5) Expenses, etc… All of this can fit within 1%-2% of a total budget. On a 2 million dollar film you are looking at between 10-15k for the Casting Director and the rest going to the other deal points outlined. This is in an ideal world and since we don’t live in that world, Casting Directors have to be creative about their deals. The one thing I am non-negotiable on is Union contributions.

Initially, they started the conversation with telling me what each film was about and where they were shooting and that, “There would not be that much work to do…” Producer-code for, “We are under-paying you and require your full attention for the next six months of your life while we put this film together that eventually falls apart or nobody ever sees…”  Without reading either script, I agree to do each film for $8,000 over a five week agreement, with the health, pension and welfare contributions. I did not ask for an assistant, office fees, phone usage: I was obviously high on crack that morning, but, what the F—, I could do it, I have done it before and I was happy to help out. I thought I was being more then generous! Usually when I donate my office fees, expenses, etc… I ask for a back-end and an Associate Producer credit in the end titles. I didn’t do that for this deal, again really good Crack that day. It seemed like the deal was done.

October 5,2009

An email comes in: “(We) are in meetings most of today and tomorrow, is there a good time for you to talk on Wednesday?” I give them times.

October 7, 2009

An email comes in: “Matthew, (We) are going to have to reschedule our call. I’ll let you know when we are available. I write back, “OK.”

Now in the meantime, I am casting three films, all of which are keeping me busy and I kind of know that when being brushed off, that, in general, it is not a good sign and I truly wasn’t that worried about the fact that I was not hearing from them, because (A) I was busy working and (B) the scripts were nothing to rush out and cheer about.

 October 23, 2009

I send them an email: “Hi, Anything further on the films?”

An hour later I received this: “Hi Matthew, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, our investor was going through resumes of the casting directors we talked to and also had concerns about your Pension and Welfare requirements. Anyway we went with another casting director. Hopefully we can work together on something in the future.

Best regards, “Mr. Producer”

I write back: “Who did you go to? Just an FYI - if your film goes 399 - Casting Directors are automatically included in that deal. I am disappointed that you asked me to negotiate such a low rate and then did not have the courtesy to come back to me to let me know what was going on, as I did agree to work well within what you were asking for in your offer to me.

 An hour later, I receive the following email:

 “Matthew, I’m well aware of the 399 requirements, it had more to do with experience and I did send you an e-mail, lets leave it at this and perhaps we can work together in the future.”

 Ouch!

Well, I get on the phone to my agent friend and ask him to look up if any of the two films are listed in their grid. They were and the Casting Director is a colleague of mine.

Please understand that, yes I admit on some level my ego was bruised, but truthfully I was more distressed about the fact that another Union Casting Director, according to the Producer’s email, allegedly took the gig and agreed to do the job non-union. What you have to understand is that, Casting Directors fought for a long time, long before I became a Casting Director, to join a Union and receive benefits. If a member of the Union agrees to do a film non-union there had better be a good reason for that agreement to happen. Usually Casting Union members are paid their benefits on anything with a $500,000 budget or higher. But I have negotiated benefits on a short film and on budgets well below 500k. On a two million dollar feature, there is no reason why a CD should not be receiving benefits and every time a Producer gets away without paying the benefits, this only hurts the collective bargaining power that Casting Directors may or may not have in the future.

So, I was confused by the email from the Producer, because initially it was about the benefits and then it was about my experience (again - Ouch!).

Well once I found out who the Casting Director was, I called him and told him my story. I started out by saying, “I am glad that you are working, and this isn’t about that they picked you over me, I am just calling to make sure that you are getting benefits with your deal.” We had a very friendly conversation and he said that, yes in fact the deal took a while to negotiate, but that he was doing the films for 10k each and receiving 5 weeks of benefits on both films and that the Casting Union was copied into the emails about his deals. They told him that one of the films budgets was five million dollars, they told me 2 million.

WAIT—10k each?! Mother-F—ker! Now here is the thing: The Casting Director that got the job is someone whom I consider a peer. In fact, I know that we both have a mutual admiration for each other’s work and that we look at one another as having equal experience. I am the first to admit that I am no Bernie Telsey, but my colleague who got the job is defiantly in the same casting strata that I am in, we go up for the same gigs all of the time. So, honestly I am happy that he is working and getting more then I negotiated. What I am learning and what we had a laugh about was that this Producer felt the need to express to me that the reason I did not get the job was because I wanted Union contributions, which ultimately they did agree to and that I had less experience; something I am not going to argue here.

What I think happened is that I negotiated a deal and where they where, at the time, they were not prepared to give the Union contributions and that when they went to another Casting Director and negotiated the deal, when he asked for the Union dues, they realized that they were going to have to budget for that and instead of coming back to me (and paying me less overall) they went with the CD that they were negotiating with because they would rather close that deal then admit by hiring me that I was being reasonable by asking for the Union contributions on top of my fee. What is not cool about the Producers (and this happens a lot with Casting Directors) is that they thought it was okay to negotiate a deal and then see what they could negotiate with another Casting Director at the same time. Essentially they are lying to the Casting Director they are negotiating with by not telling them that they are non-exclusive on the offer, because why would they be negotiating with someone else at the same time? This is called “Shopping The Deal” and some Producers think that it is negotiating, but in fact it is being dishonest and because it is clouded in the word, “negotiating” they think that it is okay to behave this way. Well, it’s not. If you think it is, please don’t call me to do your film. I don’t want to work with people who behave this way, it’s not cool and it just means that you will be dodgy when dealing with agents and managers and talent and I’m not into that…

 October 24, 2009

I just negotiated my deal for the most amazing script! I am getting my Union Contributions, 2% of Producers Profits and Associate Producer credit. It’s good to feel appreciated and it will inspire me to work hard on the film.

On a current breakdown I wrote: “Film will be shot entirely in Macedonian. Only submit if you can speak Macedonian.” I was not expecting a lot of responses. In fact I kind of knew I would only have a few choices and I sort of know that if you speak Serbian or Croatian, you can probably get buy on Macedonian. My neighbor was a famous German actress from the former Yugoslavia, so I got on the DL about the Slavic States and the various languages and dialects in the region. So I was expecting a few Serbian/Croatian language speakers to chime in.

However, and, I need help with this, and I am speaking to you – the Actors who are out there who read this blog – why would you submit to a Casting Director for a role that you cannot possibly ever play? Do you think I am asking for a Macedonian speaker just because I think it will be fun and, “oh exciting” I get to sit up to 3am scrolling through submissions on Actors Access of actors who hardly speak English let alone a second language! Yes, I am pissed off about this. I got no sleep last night, because I do, do my due diligence and go through every submission, which means sorting through hundreds of resumes to make sure that I am not missing the fact that someone who obviously grew up on the corn fields of Iowa, somehow, may, speak Macedonian fluently! Actually, there is one actor in Chicago (as close to a corn field from LA as I can get) who speaks Macedonian.

I go to workshops, I know some of you know me which means that I don’t understand why in the world if you speak FRENCH FLUENTLY you would even think about submitting for a role that I have a specific request out for. It is annoying and not helpful to the casting process and especially if I recognize you from classes that you take with me, I am wondering, “what are you thinking?”

Actors in general say to themselves, “I can do anything, I am an actor,” I get that, my point is, at what point do you respectfully not submit to a Casting Director when it is very clear in the breakdown that you will not in ANY WAY be able to perform the duties that are required. When you submit electronically via Actors Access or Now Casting, take on the responsibility that you truly think that you can play a role. Speaking Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Spanish (Mexican), French, Arabic, German, Hebrew and Tagalog are not, I repeat, not the same thing as speaking Macedonian…

Matthew Lessall  okay, I may have to rethink my life…

James Franco joining ‘General Hospital’

Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com

NEW YORK — James Franco will guest star on ABC’s “General Hospital” for a lengthy story arc in the fall.The “Pineapple Express” and “Spider-Man” actor will play a mystery person who comes to the soap opera’s town of Port Charles. …

9 hours ago · Comment · Like / Unlike · View Feedback (11)Hide Feedback (11) · Share

NiNo Alicea (Actor)

damn, too bad “passions” is canceled…

8 hours ago · Delete

Jillian Neal (Manager)

got an email in to Teschner - Can it be TRUE!?!?!

“The first thing I’ll do when I get super good job offers is go back to college, than after being in an Oscar nominated film and some blockbusters, I know, I’ll join GENERAL HOSPITAL?????????”

8 hours ago · Delete

Matthew Lessall

Bring back Sunset Beach!!

8 hours ago · Delete

Melissa Hirschenson (Agent)

Well Teschner is pretty amazing ..i think anyone would want to do it for Mark alone.

8 hours ago · Delete

Jillian Neal

Agreed - he is a class act and the best of the best! Plus, I have been watching the show for um, 30 years - yes, I was a newborn then.

8 hours ago · Delete

Taylor Loeb (Speedreels/Actor/Casting)

I have a feeling Mark will be getting QUITE a few emails today. Fuck Sunset Beach, I want Santa Barbara back.

5 hours ago · Delete

Jillian Neal

It is confirmed by Mark! WOW - and btw I vote Sunset Beach as my client “Ricardo” would be happy to do a cameo!

5 hours ago · Delete

Roz Weisberg (Producer)

don’t we all…..

4 hours ago · Delete

Amy Berman (Casting Director)

I know. I almost fell over when I read that. Huh?

3 hours ago · Delete

Jamie Sparer Roberts (Casting Director)

THE SCOOP: He is a METHOD ACTOR and is researching for a role in an upcoming feature where he plays a soap star. THAT IS THE TRUTH.

about an hour ago · Delete

Matthew Lessall

Oh thank God…I was thinking that this could be one of the signs of the Apocalypse…

5 minutes ago · Delete

So, I am (was, who knows!) casting a film that is supposed to shoot in Iowa on October 19^th . However, the Governor of Iowa has suspended the tax credit program to films being shoot in Iowa:

“Last week, allegations of misconduct emerged surrounding the tax credits. Those allegations include the purchase of luxury vehicles that were not associated with film production; filmmakers claiming payments for themselves for multiple jobs; poor record keeping; contracts that were changed to increase tax credits sought after they had already gone through an approval process; and reliance on vendors from outside Iowa.

The allegations have led to resignations from the top two officials at the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the firing of Wheeler, who was running the tax credit program almost single-handedly. Culver also suspended the tax credits while an investigation takes place.” (http://iowaindependent.com/20038/with-or-without-abuse-value-of-iowa-film-incentives-difficult-to-measure)

The suspension of the tax credits is still in effect, keeping in limbo several productions from starting pre-production. In our case, actors have been offered roles and are negotiating to be in the films. Week’s worth of casting work is now in jeopardy and the livelihoods of hundreds of potential crew in Iowa is in limbo.

 Insert me…wanting a cocktail right about now…

Last night I saw Annette Bening in “Medea” at UCLA/Live. I really, really, really wanted to be enthralled and engaged in her performance. I have seen Diana Rigg and Fiona Shaw in this role in the past and it truly is one of the great roles in the theater for any actress to play. The audience appreciated the production with a standing ovation at the end and I think that if you have never seen “Medea,” this version would be interesting to experience. Ms. Bening has certainly become the “Grande Dame” of the Los Angeles theater scene, which is great, because L.A certainly needs a theater diva, and after all, it lights a fire of excitement in L.A to have someone like her getting audiences to go to the theater. I hope she continues to inspire more productions…we do have some great actors in L.A!

I am over-worked this week. My assistant is leaving for an executive casting job (I’ll miss you Gene) and I am going to be solo casting five (gulp) active films. All of them are shooting October 19^th. I expect a few to push, they always do. Two shoot in LA, one in Detroit, one in Iowa and one in Romania. Some have more work to do on them then others, but if I think of them all as one film, I think that it will be manageable. I will keep telling myself that.

Our new phone system is up and running. I can’t figure it out. Who has time to read 50 pages on how the frickin thing works? But if you call the office and are put on hold, I promise you will like the music - all songs with names of the people who work here in them or KCRW…

I have a cold. I hate working when I am sick; it is nearly impossible for me to concentrate.

I was in New York over the weekend and I was flying there on Wednesday and had to set up a session for Friday morning. I tried the new Wi-Fi service on American Airlines. It literally was the best thing ever! Setting up sessions at 35,000 feet was awesome. I was able to do so much work it was like I wasn’t out of the office.

I got a Kindle for my birthday. Now, I don’t have to schlep scripts home, I just forward the PDF to my kindle. I love it! I feel like I read faster on it and my back doesn’t hurt from carrying a bag full of scripts around. Oh yeah, I am saving the environment, less paper used, etc…

I have to say that “District 9” was a fantastic movie. Yes I am biased towards loving sci-fi, but this film is really worth it. It gets a little gory but as I had to remind my fella, Aliens are not real, so when they kill someone, it is not the same as watching a film with violence in it, right?