Menu
IN YOUR SHADOW PRODUCTION FOLDER
ADAM STAFFORD-SMITH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cumHCY1y14U https://www.spotlight.com/0215-0169-2489 This film will be the fifth time that I have worked with Adam over the past year, including his portrayal of the same character for the Initial Project. During that time together, we have developed a shorthand in the communication of creative ideas that saves valuable time during the tight scheduling of a short film shoot. Over the time I have spent working with Adam, I have been impressed with his ability to deliver a wide range of emotions through facial emoting and body language in short periods of time. If I’m being honest, my decision to cast him in In Your Shadow is very much based on familiarity and ease of access to his strong set of acting skills. While I would have liked to have extended my search for actors while casting In Your Shadow, time and budget constraints would have made casting a wider net a big gamble in terms of potential quality of performance. COSTUME www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MIVH8HC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I wanted to invoke the style of controversial fashion and portrait photographer Terry Richardson with Mathew’s costume, while also being conscious of colours that would appear dull or very dark under the red lighting. This would mean that I couldn’t have Adam wear Richardson’s trade mark red chequed shirt so I opted for a black and white chequed shirt instead that would ensure that Mathew’s figure stood out amongst the flat, pattern less contours of the environment. By coincidence, Adam happened to be playing the Conductor on a Polar Express themed train journey across Dartmoor throughout December while production took place for In Your Shadow. As part of this role, he was asked to grow a moustache. Although I couldn’t have asked Adam to shave due to the paying role that he was taking time out from to make this film, I was willing to embrace this happy accident. I found the idea of Mathew having a moustache to be almost sleazy and quite mundane, adding to the sense of banality during the procedure of the print being created that is then shattered once The Shadow makes her appearance.
GEMMA REYNOLDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edq6X9uJAos https://www.spotlight.com/6214-6752-5466 After placing two casting calls on Facebook for the role of The Shadow, as well as a third call on professional casting website Backstage, I had a total of 37 applicants to choose from for the role. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the applicants would be out of my reach as almost all of them would be travelling from Greater London and I would not be able to cover travel expenses as well as a reasonable fee due to the nature of the role for the two days the actor would be needed. I was very surprised when Gemma Reynolds, an actor that I have worked with once before on my second-year film Token, contacted me via a very passionate email that stated her interest in the role. Although I initially believed that the Shadow role needed to be filled by someone with a younger figure, I had been very impressed with Gemma’s ability to inhabit the roles she has taken on in several short films. Gemma has had experience with performing nude in short films before and was very understanding of the need for the objectification of the female body in the context of this script. While I had my doubts that Gemma’s physical appearance would be appropriate for my vision of the character, I was more than confident that she would be able to deliver the scolding intensity that the role required. COSTUME www.prettylittlething.com/black-lace-trim-satin-bodycon-dress.html https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CHYHNRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The costume for The Shadow will be the same as the costume for Ella, a revealing black lace dress and black high heels. This will convey Matthew’s desire for Allison overpowering him and the objectification of both Ella as a lingerie model and The Shadow in the form of the photo that Matthew exhibits. ALICE DILLON https://www.spotlight.com/0214-9083-4251 Alice was one of several actors who replied to my casting call on Facebook. Having studied acting at the Oxford School of Drama, she recently moved from London to Bristol and was looking for local creative people to make connections with. After viewing the short scene that showcases her talents on her Spotlight page, I decided to ask her to send me an audition tape for the role of Marie. I was very impressed by the layers of emotional depth to Alice’s performance and the strong sense of presence that her performance conveyed. With her short fiery hair and nose ring, Alice very much looks the part of a slightly left of centre art critic. Her large penetrating and expressive eye’s give the impression that nothing would pass before them without being fully contemplated. COSTUME The costume for Alice would ideally be a white suit. This will provide a visual counterpoint to Matthew’s black suit, visually signifying the two character’s as being on opposite sides of the same argument. Marie’s white suit would also make her blend in with the white walls of the gallery, suggesting that she is in her element in this environment, adding rational weight to her counter argument. SUZANNE KENDALL https://cahootify.com/suzanne-kendall https://www.spotlight.com/8735-7866-2362 After not having any luck finding someone over forty to portray Claudia, Matthew’s agent, I decided to spread my net a little further and started messaging actors directly on Cahootify, inviting them to apply for the role. Suzanne replied back very quickly, feeling that she would be a good fit for Matthew’s energetic and stern colleague. The showreel that Suzanne has on her Spotlight and Cahootify pages shows an affinity towards comedy performances. While this is a style that I initially thought would be inappropriate for this role, I soon began to equate the physical energy of Suzanne’s performances with Claudia and thought that it would contrast well with Adam’s downbeat portrayal of Matthew. Claudia is a role that is very vocally driven and the wide range of accents that Suzanne has mastered in her showreel footage made me very confident that she would be able to vocalize the script in an accurate and energetic manner. COSTUME Claudia is a character who gets straight to the point and pulls no punches. This will be reflected in costume by a classic, no nonsense sharp, business suit with a grey shirt that will match the corporate surroundings of her work environment.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Clay Sandford and I am currently studying an FDA in Film and Media Production at University Centre Weston. I have a keen interest in directing, cinematography and camera operating. ArchivesCategories |