MEET VICTORIA D'ORAZI... and her inspiration

People have asked about the inspiration for our characters, but there is really only one that emanated from a real live person, or two people actually.

This story really revolves around Joan Everett, Helen's mother, the mother of the bride. It is her journey we see, and her back story is the catalyst for everything. At one point, I remembered my father telling me a story about my grandmother, about an old boyfriend that she remembered fondly and her "what could have been" reminiscing. And that is where Joan's past comes into play.

My main inspiration, however, is the lovely Ann Dennis. I love Ann because she's girlish, sophisticated, warm and playful, all in one. I've seen her other side too... the principled, strong-minded woman whose "right or wrong" take can cut you like a knife. I appreciate that about her. I have sat at many family dinners with Ann and some good bottles of wine. The Dennis family always likes to say that Ann "takes off"... "There she goes!" Don Dinsmore would say. It's sometimes surreal and always funny, because whatever she's saying is just the way it is.

So... with a little exaggeration, and Elizabeth Sundeen's memories thrown in for good measure, we arrived at the character of Joan.

So Joan, the star of this film, really came from a combination of different events and people. Our actor has to not only emulate them, but also capture the spirit of the character -- serious, warm, stern, funny, confused.

Needless to say, casting this part was huge. We saw more actresses for this part than any other. We even called back a couple to see what they could do. And we were so close to making an offer... then Vikki's submission magically appeared. (Actually, I confess here. It had been buried in my email.) I brought her in and had her read in my kitchen. (This was new for me, but since my favorite director recently did this with his leading lady, I thought it was okay.) She was good and seemed comfortable. Her look was perfect. And then we went out to view a tape she had brought, a little comedy persona/sketch she'd done for a friend. I laughed out loud, and hard. Just super.

So after months of frustration and fear and hope, we had our Joan. For this, I thank the movie gods, and Victoria D'Orazi. Despite the message and melancholy of the story, we will surely have a comedy on our hands.

Victoria D’Orazi: SAG - AFTRA - AEA

Received her dramatic training at the College of Marin performing in such productions as "West Side Story", "The Birds", "House of Atreus", and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". In 1968 she played Lucy to Robin Williams’ Snoopy in "You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown". She then went on to perform in the San Francisco productions of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,""You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and in Noel Coward's "Hayfever." She also performed the voice of Betty Boop in the animated feature film "Hurrah for Betty Boop" with Tommy Smothers. Victoria ran for President of the United States in the 1980 election as Betty Boop and was featured on tv, radio and national news.

Many Marin families have seen Victoria in such Mountain Play performances as Peter in "Peter Pan", Annie in "Annie Get Your Gun", and Ado Annie in "Oklahoma". She has also performed comedy at the Improvisation Theatre in Los Angeles. Victoria performed in two original plays performed at The Corner Stone Church in San Franciso.

Most recently, she has been songwriting and performing music at local clubs with Robby Gordon. "Gordon & D'Orazi."

Thanks too to Ann for her inspiration. She's an interior designer with great flair. When she and her husband Bill redecorated their home, my daughter marveled, "It's a palace!" ... Ann was beaming. Nothing truer then the words of a child.

For a little more background, you can check out Ann Dennis's beautiful interior designs here. I will someday have a shop like that. I had a dream about it once.

Rounding UP the Cast

After Mick and I completed the script we asked a few people to read it. One very astute friend/reader (I forget who) said, "Wow, you're going to need some good actors to carry this off."

In that sense, the film has been blessed so far. But on Saturday, we will take on the final missing pieces to the casting puzzle -- the father CARLOS, the bride CARMEN, and of course the replacement for our beloved Mawiyah (who can't ever be completely replaced), the shop HOSTESS (affectionately named STELLA).

Scheduling is as follows:

3:15 - Angela Nicole Davenport (Hostess)

3:30 - Roque Gutierrez (Carlos)

3:45 - Teresa Navarro (Carmen)

4:00 - Andrea Covington (Hostess)

4:15 - Josie Alvarez (Hostess/Carmen)

4:30 - LaToya Johns (Hostess)

4:45 - Shannon Turner (Hostess)

5:00 - Reuben David Garza (Carlos)


And hopefully after that I'll be in such a splendid mood I can pop over to The Warfield to see The Black Crowes. Everything goes better with a little rock'n roll, that's my motto.

Break a leg to all.

Meet Heather Shaw -- Bride #2, Mary Jones

Many screenwriters imagine a specific actor when they're writing a part. Maybe they've pictured Robin Williams or Jim Carrey taking a wacky crack at their lines and adding some funny little gag... or perhaps they've pictured Bridget Fonda beating up the neighbors or Juliette Lewis on a rampage. But we never did. When we wrote this, we didn't explicitly focus on a look or a person. We worked on the back story and creating believable characters with a little history in their back pocket.

I personally liked the idea of having a young teen pregnant bride -- because they're all too common. And of course a good opportunity for comedy. There are two ways to go with something like this... she could either be a caretaker kind of gal (who would naturally take care of her father after her mother died), or she could be just a little pissed off, because, you know, her mom was dead and she was pregnant and it's messed up. So we went with that. But who do you picture playing a role like that? Not Reese Witherspoon or Rachel McAdams or Anne Hathaway. Maybe Lindsay Lohan, but that's it.

We called in three actors for the part of Mary Jones -- the goth, pregnant teen with a punk rock attitude. They all looked so pretty in their headshots, but I wanted to open the door a little to see what they could do. During her screen test, Heather turned into someone else when she read the part of Mary. That sweet girl that walked in the door went away and Mary Jones, the spitfire, came out. We looked at the tape a couple of times but there was no doubt. We liked her Mary, testy and all. Plus Heather didn't care if we wanted her hair dyed black. No hesitation, no problem. Go goth.

Heather will be a great addition to our cast, if only because she'll be the best sport and we can play tricks on her. Thank you to Heather!

Heather Dayah Shaw was raised in Santa Cruz County, CA and has been active in the performing arts for most of her life. Heather is trained in many styles of dance and has a passion for choreography. She has danced as a company member in both the Santa Cruz Ballet Theater and the Teen Dance Company of the Bay Area. Other performance highlights include singing at Carnegie Hall with the Cabrillo Chorus and appearing as a guest on the television show “Q&A.” Some of Heather's musical theater credits include The Music Man (Zaneeta), Oklahoma!, Bye Bye Birdie, and Camelot. Heather began college at 15 years old. Now 19, she is continuing her education at UC Berkeley as a Philosophy and Theater double major with a Dance minor.

The Domino Effect

This weekend, our three casting wizards will meet to go over the videos we shot of the auditions. As a director I am very open to the idea of call-backs, but want to be sure we're not wasting valuable time -- both ours and the actors'. So, with that in mind we'll make our "best decisions, go forth and conquer" (a line from the film, hee hee).

Selecting Joan is probably the most challenging part. She IS the whole story really. And while one actress captured the first part of Joan, another actress was able to play the second part with real emotion... The dynamic nature of her character is challenging, and we wished at the end of it that we could merge the two actresses, but that (as we all know with old boyfriends) can never be. Then, once we pick Joan, that will in some ways define who her daughter will need to be. Thus we're in the midst of the cliffhanger: a real fist-clenched, white-knuckled domino effect. Knocking off one will make choosing the rest easier. God Bless Joan.

Emmanuelle put it best: We want to be very deliberate in this final step.

This film is an internal film; that is, it takes place in the minds of the characters... what they're thinking, feeling and experiencing. There are no crashes or chase scenes or multiple locations. Just one place at one time with a bunch of people kind of losing their mind in this strange and superficial way.

Our actors will have to be top notch, or at least work very well together, and that's the key. A call-back would be ideal to see who plays off of who best. But we filmed everything as a screen test for a reason. We need to *feel* something from the actors... and what I remember may not be what I end up seeing on the screen. AD says, "It's the screen that counts, baby" but at the same time, I'm loathe to ignore my instincts. So we will have one final pow wow before making this next big CHOICE. Freedom can be a curse and a blessing, n'est-ce pas?

I have developed a great appreciation of the casting process, and cannot begin to fathom how actors channel characters and nuances. It is magic, truly.

Below is our list of finalists, and yes, we have made the final call for a couple of characters. Here we have it (drum roll, please):

HELEN
Dee Marshall
Holly Nugent

JOAN
Jennie Floyd
Dorothy Gallagher

KATIE
Larissa Kasian
Jennifer Linkous

MARY
Heather Shaw

GIL
Randy Hurst
Jeffrey Davis

CONCEPCION
Christabel Savalas

BRIDAL ASSISTANT
Juliet Heller
Mawiyah Johnson

HOSTESS
Juliet Heller
Mawiyah Johnson

Round 2 Audition Finalists

With a room full of talent, visualizing the character and watching him or her come to life is an amazing experience. That being said, there are always those people who simply stand out--not only with their talent and interpretation, but more importantly by virtue of their fit for the role. Congratulations.

Actors still under consideration from Round 2:

JENNIE FLOYD
JULIET HELLER
JEFFREY WEISMAN

Pictures and summary to be posted later.

Blessed or Damned? That is the question...

This week we reviewed actor submissions and have come up with our list for the first round of casting -- Ta Da!

I'm tired. It's taken longer than I thought it would to get here, and the road has been bumpy at best.

The production of this short, lovely, marvelous film was early on blessed by the gods. An enthusiastic team, a core group jumping in with enthusiasm, great script feedback, and the joy of joys... a location that's already beautiful, needs very little set dressing, and is allowing us to use their space gratis, including all the designer gowns fit specifically for each actress!

As time has gone on, reality has chipped away at my little island of paradise. We have had nearly every imaginable challenge thrown in our path. It really truly started with the loss of JC's job... JC, our driver and "behind the scenes" shooter. From there, we had the resignation, no, the *divorce* of our beloved co-writer and editor Mick, the success of our storyboard artist (who graciously bowed out due to her pending gallery exhibits), the blunt *pass* of our composer, and finally, most recently, the crash derby destruction of my car, which is currently in the body shop getting $5k+ worth of work. This was further compounded with the tragically sad news of the passing of Emmanuelle's uncle -- Emmanuelle, my always positive friend, my casting & visionary guru. In the midst of this, the IRS is auditing me for 2007 & 2008. At the same time, the store owner is truly an artist at heart, and we just can't seem to sit down and sign the contract.

While these small and seemingly not insurmountable challenges may seem individually piffling, together they combine to create a huge swell -- and it's me that's tumbling in the green room. But I am moving forward positively, my great eye fixed on the prize.

We made our casting choices and we will have our auditions despite the tribulations. I will secure the stage for Round 2.


Much thanks goes to Emmanuelle who, in the midst of her tremendous grieving and her own uncertain future, had the courage and strength to run through the casting, encourage me and pass her positive thoughts toward the production of this film. She asks the big questions, plus she drank martinis with me.

Casting with Emmanuelle

In the midst of real-life craziness, I'm meeting my casting gal Emmanuelle Anatolin at Rizzo's Cafe in Oakland. I've already sent her a CD of potentials, and we have a whole bunch more to view online. I trust her judgment and know she'll have some insight about working with the team we pick out. Our ideal scenario is to have 4 candidates for each role, and narrow down the key roles to 2 people for the follow up casting call. I'm hoping to cast the secondary and background actors all at once -- view the card and resume, shoot them at the casting on video, and then a quick decision: How do they interact and how do they look on film?

My key crew is a team I worked with years ago on Emmanuelle's film, Ode to Donuts. Shooting was fun and a great learning experience for all of us. She had a great cast and did a lot of work to get them to work together well. The film ended up 180 degrees from what we thought we shot, but it was a good creative effort for her, and yes, O's little part with the donuts is still in the final cut. That's sweet.

While producing and directing your own short film is a challenge on its own, it's clear I've taken on a giant gorilla while doing it with a full-time job, a home life in disarray, and now, I've just crashed my car and will have to spent a chunk of money I've planned for the film to get it repaired. These are the hurdles we overcome during the process, I suppose. I've decided to drink more tea to keep it calm. Chamomile is my new friend, if only because it slows the machine down...

Today is the Big Ass BBQ. For those in the know, it's a big day. And so I will drive down to Oakland, do some casting work, and then head into the great fiesta, drink in hand, hopefully to rock out a little and play some music with my posse, the amazing TWO STICKS. My DP and Art Director will be there as well. But no film talk allowed. It's a party, my friends.

Until next time...

SCRIPT IS POSTED

The most recently updated version of the script is now posted!

Our casting notices are out and we're receiving lots of submissions. Right now we're trying to find a suitable stage to hold the auditions. Auditions will be held in Petaluma, CA, and will be these two days:

AUG 29
SEPT 12

CASTING... the big puzzle piece

We've officially finished the details for the casting notice. I'll be spending the next 10 days getting it out and filing forms for SAG. After that I'll have to spend the following two weeks looking at pictures and video clips.

Casting can be a tricky dog. Sometimes you have a great actor, but they just don't fit the part. Or you have the perfect look, but he doesn't have the gravitas you need. I have casting heartburn sometimes when I watch movies (which I do A LOT). What the heck was Samuel L. Jackson doing in the Star Wars films anyway? Hello? He couldn't event say the dialogue right...

Some interesting movies have been ruined by poor casting, like Eyes Wide Shut. Or even mediocre movies made pathetically weak, like The Da Vinci Code. I loved Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, in Forrest Gump, and especially in Splash. But isn't it weird when actors "mature" how they take themselves so seriously and forget to explore? Think Harrison Ford. If he plays one more presidential-like hero I think I'll hurl. And I would have loved to have seen Sam Elliott in that last Harry Potter flick. Don't say you can't picture it!

Okay, enough about casting. You get my drift, so let's get crackin'. Check out our Facebook link or the details below.
ROLES:

LEAD ROLES
Helen- Age 30, female (Bride from the title)
Tall, reedy, classic-looking, a little nervous (5’6” – 5’9”)

Joan- Age 55+, female (Mother of the Bride)
Upper middle-class, reserved,
opinionated but kind demeanor, must resemble Helen

Katie- Age 30, female (Maid of Honor)
Dark hair, street-wise, voluptuous, likes to drink a bit, PR gal

Mary Jones- Age 19, female (Bride #2)
Pale skin, black hair, goth-looking pregnant teen

Gil Jones- Age 45-50, male
Widowed father, slightly gray, post-hippie dad, resigned to fate but warm & protective of Mary

Bridal Assistant- Age 35, female
Discreet, thoughtful. Insightful re. customer needs

Concepción Salinas- 55+, female (Carmen's mother)
Modern Hispanic mother, tolerant, sports-loving, wise and patient

SECONDARY ROLES
Carmen Salinas- 21, female (Bride #3)
Hispanic or mixed ethnicity, fairly pretty, wants traditional wedding

Lucinda- 20, female (Carmen's cousin)
Hispanic or mixed ethnicity

Carlos Salinas (Carmen's father) - 55+, male
Hispanic or mixed ethnicity, traditional, boisterous

Hostess-28-38, female
Friendly friendly

DATES:

CAST Table Read - Sept 26-27
CAST Rehearsal - Oct 3-4
Set-up & Blocking - Oct 11
Shoot - Oct 12-15 (Santa Rosa, CA)
* Possibly one extra pick-up day for two characters

SUBMISSION INFO:

Send resume, headshot & DVD/links to: 1759 Stone Creek Drive, Petaluma, CA 94954
Or email to: museworks [at] hotmail [dot] com

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