Choosing our cast

Choosing our main cast was a straightforward process in that we knew exactly what age and looks each main actor needed to have, but the pressure was immense in finding such actors in such a relatively short space of time once we knew what we required. Hannah and I both knew an actress, Katy Ashworth, who fit the description perfectly for our femme fatale, in age, looks, build and ability. We thought finding her male counterpart was going to be difficult as we did not personally know a late-twenties, handsome male who could act. However on Katy’s advice Hannah used www.Uk.CastingCallPro.com and profiled potential male leads, by looking at their pictures, stats, experience and even their show-reels. We deliberated between us a final ten or so and Hannah sent off emails briefing the actors about the project and asking if they would be interested.

Hi (name), 
My name is Hannah and I attend Farnham College in Surrey. My group member Emily and I are currently looking for a male 20 something actor to co-star in our short film for our media coursework. It is a short film (5min) in the style of film noir and a convincing American accent will be needed. You would be acting opposite Katy Ashworth, a CBBC presenter and star of 'I Can Cook'.
It is not a paid job, however we can cover your travel expenses, to Camberley, where the filming is taking place. 
Let us know if you would be interested
Kind Regards
Hannah and Emily

Of the few who replied, we picked our actor who lived nearest, seemed the most professionally experienced and looked most fitting for the part, actor Jonathon James from Aldershot.

http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=228616  

Hannah then corresponded with him via telephone to organise suitable filming dates and times, and forwarded the script and details to him via email. Due to the hectic schedules of Katy, Jon, Hannah and I, despite our attempts to organise time for them to rehearse together, it was not possible so we were forced to hope they could learn their lines respectively and rehearse together on set.

To play the smaller part of the husband of our femme fatale, Katy had a friend she had previously worked with. After looking at pictures of him and speaking to him on the phone about shooting some “home” scenes with Katy, we decided he was perfect for the role and opted not to search on Casting Call again for his part. A few years older than Jon James, he appeared more forbidding and fatherly with a beard. We knew he was perfect to represent the cuckolded husband Rita was being unfaithful to with a younger, more boyishly handsome man.

Having organised these three actors and secured the location, the logistics in finding extras to be sitting around in the background were against us – especially seeing as we agreed with the Bella Italia manager to start filming at 6am and wrap up by 11. We decided to go without other diners in the scene. Hannah and I both knew a waitress who worked in the restaurant so we thought we could use her for the waiter’s line, if we could not find a male member of staff to do it. In the event, the manager, Huw, volunteered to be in the waiter’s scene.

We were really starting to appreciate the level of co-ordination that making a short film needed, especially if you planned on multiple characters, extras or shooting a scene you needed permission for. Hannah and I both realised that we weren’t creating a film that was convenient or easy for us as students, and that we were going to have to persevere that little bit more.