"Dinner Party" Casting! Let's DO this!

Jackal Films, an award-winning film production company, is casting “Dinner Party”, a short comedy about 7 college friends who get together for a dinner party after years of separation, and due to the actions of one guest, things stop being polite and start getting very, very real.

Audition Date: 6/5/2011

Shoot Dates: 6/25-6/26/2011

Union Status: we will be shooting under the SAG New Media Agreement, both Union and non-Union actors are encouraged to submit

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Mike: the party host along with his wife. Mid to late 30's, average build, ethnicity not specified. Mike is a good guy, loving husband, hard-worker.

Kathleen: Mike's wife, the perfect hostess. Mid to late 30's, genuine and nice, with a Martha Stewart edge - almost too good to be true.

Sarah: Kathleen's former college roommate. Petite and adorable in spite of having 4 kids under the age of 6. Mid to Late 30's.

Shane: Sarah's husband, an accountant, very serious and studious. Attractive, but in a goofy sort of way. Also mid to late 30's, thin build.

Ben: Mike's best buddy from college, they haven't seen each other for over 10 years. Ben is your typical guy's guy - into sports, fit and athletic, a little snarky and arrogant. Mid to late 30's.

Cassie: Ben's trophy wife, early 20's, thin build. Not much going on in that head of hers, smiles and tries to politely join the conversation, but doesn't have much to add.

Ed: The instigator. The jokester of the group. The eternal bachelor who refuses to settle down. Mid to late 30's, handsome, but not overly built, with a quirky edge to him.

We will be shooting under the SAG New Media agreement, both Union and non-Union talent are encouraged to apply. When the film is compiled into the feature-length project (see below), all performers will be paid under the SAG Ultra-Low Budget Agreement. Copy, credit and some damn good food are all guaranteed.

ABOUT JACKAL FILMS AND WHERE THIS SHORT IS HEADED

“Dinner Party” is the second installment in a 5-part series of revenge-themed short films by Jackal Films, an independent film production company owned by writer/director/producer Jacqueline Gault. Initially, the short films will be used for online distribution (hence the New Media Contract) and festival submissions. While each film has it’s own story arch and can stand alone as a single short, the long-term goal is to edit the 5 shorts into a feature-length film.  The feature will follow five revenge stories that take place in a 12 hour period. While revenge is the theme that ties them all together, short #3, “Take the Groceries and Run”, will include cameos of characters from the 4 other shorts. The first short produced for this project was “Sack Lunch” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825939/) starring Brynn Baron and Shelly Lipkin. Barely out of the gate, “Sack Lunch” won Best in Show at the first film festival it was submitted to. Currently being re-scored and preparing for a screening at Indent Studios on May 20th, “Sack Lunch” will be hitting the festival circuit aggressively in the coming months.

TO SUBMIT:
Please send a headshot and resume to casting@jackal-films.com and note the role(s) in which you would like to be considered for. 

2011 - A Year in Preview

It's already February and the Year In Preview I promised has yet to be written. Where did January go?

I can already cross one accomplishment off my list. One of my goals for 2011 was to start building IMDb credits in new categories. I can now officially say I have a director, writer and editor credit for my first project: "Sack Lunch." I can't show you the full 6 minutes in all it's glory, but I can share a 24 second teaser I put together. Look for festival news shortly.

I've been writing up a storm, and have a ton of projects I am itching to get started on. But one in particular as taken hold of my heart and I'm putting full effort into it until further notice. I truly and honestly believe that it is the one project that will propel me and my career in this industry farther than I could possibly imagine. Yes, it's that good. And I have others to thank for that, particularly Deneb Catalan, my writing partner who has been instrumental in writing dialogue that gives characters dimension, and Tim Oakley, my production designer, who is talented beyond belief and is in the process of creating some amazing artwork that will help the world visualize the words that have been put to paper.

Of course that is not to belittle the work by others who are involved and whose participation will grow as we prepare to pitch our project to those that have the means to make it happen. Kc Guyer has been a part of the development team from the very beginning and Nate DiNiro, a recent addition who has already proven to be invaluable, round out the core group.

The little gem of a project I am referring to is called Warped! Apparently I didn't get the memo when newbies were told to start small, because this certainly is no small project. Which is why I am reaching out to additional folks with much more experience than I to help shape this bad boy. Pulling in resources that include CGI, transmedia, gaming, and more.

While we will have a designated online presence for the whole process of creating Warped!,  I want to use my own personal blog as a way for me to document my personal journey through this as a relative newcomer, fumbling my way through planning and pitching a television series. I'll have to change some names to keep things confidential along the way, but it's going to be a wild journey. These will be my personal notes. My successes and frustrations. The end goal is to look back on this one year from now and remember through my giddy naivete what worked, what didn't and the baby steps I took to get the job done. I don't care if anyone reads this. It's not really meant for anyone else's eyes. But if my progress helps inspire someone along the way, then that will be a happy bonus!

So, where am I at in the process right now?
- Pilot episode is in the umpteen millionth round of edits (that's the first newbie lesson I learned - the final draft is NEVER the final draft). FINALLY at the stage where we can hold a table read to work out the final kinks before we lock the script.
- Meeting with FX houses and animation studios, transmedia gurus, web designers, game developers, etc. so that we can pull together accurate budget numbers for all the different elements. The added benefit is that we will have a strong team at the ready when everything else is in place.
- Meeting with local entities to help me make a strong case as to WHY this project should be filmed in Oregon and am grateful that Kitzhaber has extended film incentives (even INCREASED them). Meeting with producers, OMPA, Governor's Office of Film and Television and pretty much everyone willing to meet with me.
- Gathering information on the people we will be pitching to so that we walk in the door well informed and ready to answer all their questions.





I'll update more as things progress. In a very optimistic place right now. Don't harsh my buzz or I will take you DOWN!



Next up will be my blog about the things I have learned so far! Stay tuned.

2010 Year in Review

In looking back at the past 12 months, only one question comes to mind: am I dreaming? The year began with a new job, a new acting gig, and a few new friends. And it ended with new writing assignments, a couple directing projects under my belt, a refocus of my creative energies, and a commitment to creating projects that stay in Portland and help build on the vibrant film community. While the following is not meant to be a comprehensive play-by-play of the past year (there are tons more projects and people that certainly deserve recognition), but more of a reminder to myself of the things that helped propel me to where I am now.

In January of 2010 I started working part-time for Imbibe magazine as the Marketing Manager.  For those that don't know, I have been earning a living as a marketing professional for roughly 15 years - a skill that I honestly believe all filmmakers should learn! I work on a great product that I am proud to support with some great co-workers. I have a good-paying part-time job that allows me the freedom and flexibility to pursue filmmaking. And now that we are making cocktail how-to videos, it is even more enjoyable!

Also back in January I had the opportunity to work on a short film called "Sandwich Days" that subsequently went on to win a best short film award at the Eugene Film Festival. Sure, it's no Sundance, but an award is an award and it is a project I am proud of!

In March I signed with Arthouse and enjoyed a nice round of auditions for Leverage (among others). I had a call back with Jonathon Frakes who laughed heartily and applauded my performance. I didn't get the role, but that's fine by me. My goal as an actress has always been to make people laugh – and my more recent writing projects have been along that vein as well. So the fact that I made an actor/director that I admire and respect laugh genuinely was just as good as booking the role. Well, the money would have been nice, but ah well… I started the year awkwardly fumbling my way through auditions, and ended the year walking in the audition room with confidence.

What else happened in March… Hmmm… Oh yes! We shot the teaser trailer for "Meet Jane Doe." While I had hoped to start filming "Meet Jane Doe" in February of 2010 (that obviously didn't happen) I did get the opportunity to put a portion of it on film! We shot a proof of concept teaser trailer in hopes of securing financing to begin filming in July of 2010. We had a very successful teaser release party in early May which was able to generate a little bit of funding and a ton of interest. I was suddenly propelled to the status of someone who is actually working hard to make film happen here in town. My status from "wanna-be" to "go-getter" changed that night. None of that would have been possible without the amazing support I received from Jay Cornelius, Christopher Alley, Andrea Speedie, Brian Mazzola, Jeff Hammond, Peggy Knoebel, Michelle Williams, Aaron Wong, Sadie Medley, Audrey Walker, Craig Johnson, Jon Ashley Hall, Kit Koenig, Bob McKeehen, Andrew Young and all the kids and their parents who showed up at Green Frog at 5 am – Diego, Brenton, Liam, Lily, Bella, Brooke, Beth and Emma – and Emma's Dad Ken Chitwood who was a big trooper and got thrown in as a featured extra when we were in need of one.

We secured some funding, and started dance rehearsals confident that we would be in full production in July 2010. While we didn't make our funding goals for that date, we did secure enough funding to shoot additional promotional material that generated interest by some heavy guns here in town. And for that I have to thank some additional folks – Kameron Johnson, Jen Filson, Levy Moroshan, Kim Donohue, Nichole Stewart, David Mendez Cantu, Jason Ptaszek, Ederlinda Ortiz-Clawson, Anthony Forsythe, Chris Benham, Luke Clements and my fabulous dancers who endured grueling dance rehearsals: Meredith Adelaide, Michelle Damis and Rachel Klein. And thank you to all of the extras that came out to be audience members at all sorts of ungodly hours! We had the pleasure to play the music video at a party at Dante's and perform one of the dance numbers live on stage – it was a great way to show of all of their hard work. Stay tuned for more news on that front in 2011. Additional thank you's go out to everyone who pledged their hard earned dollars toward the production of MJD. I won't list you by name for privacy reasons, but you know who you are and I am eternally grateful to you all. Believe me when I tell you that I am working my tushie off to make sure that you all reap the rewards and benefits that you so dearly deserve!

In addition to those I had the pleasure of working with on the teaser and video, I'm looking forward to working with Hannah and Paige Wilson, Tara Dublin, Harold Phillips and the rest of the MJD cast and crew!

The sad news of 2010 was the dissolution of JackSpeed Productions, the company formed by myself and producer Andrea Speedie. We had a great run, that included a TV interview to promote the MJD video release party and I am eternally grateful to her for her support and contribution to MJD. I wish her the very best of luck in her new adventures in Florida!

Other MJD thank you's go out to those that supported me during the development and production who, for no other reason than supporting a fellow filmmaker, offered their advice and encouragement. The first and very biggest virtual hug goes out to Todd (and Jason) Freeman. I think it was the first night that I met Todd that he and Robert Blanche (big virtual hug to you too, Robert!) sat me down in front of Morrison Hotel Bar and grilled me. Todd grilled me about money and the storyline and my 10 second pitch. He made me pitch the story to a complete stranger at the bar, even. I know, what an asshole. And he continued to support and encourage me at my teaser release party and the video release party. He read the script and told me it didn't suck. That was nice.

And speaking of fellow filmmakers who I adore that for some reason adore me back, big thanks to Phil Bransom. Your kind words and encouragement have meant the world to me.

In April I started taking stick fighting classes with Keith Cox who nicknamed me "The Natural." I'd still be kicking ass now if it weren't for my stupid knee… Tore my left ACL during a camping/people hunting trip in late July which resulted in surgery in late August. Thus ending my stunt career (ok, maybe some minor stunt work in my future, but not the awesome aerial work I hoped for…).

I also had the opportunity to work on an amazing film in April, Population: 2, a feature film directed by Gil Luna and the fabulous DP Kenneth Luba. I sincerely hope I get a chance to work with these two in 2011… And I can’t wait to see Pop2 – it's going to be beautiful. In a very depressing sort of way.

In between hurting my knee and the resulting surgery, I participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival with an amazing team, Pixel Prose, headed up by Aaron Cohen. I hope this team will be a regular participant, as we worked amazingly well together and had a blast. And our film didn't suck, either. In the middle of the 48 Hour Film Weekend I had my (gulp) 20 year high school reunion. Showed up 4 hours late and totally sleep deprived (I think I was on hour 36 when I got there, hour 40 by the time I finally got to go to bed…), but managed to have an amazing time.

In mid-August I had a concept meeting with Kc Guyer and Deneb Catalon that launched what was to become known as "The Super Secret Project" – a concept that is going to blow all other concepts out of the water. If you doubt it is that good, then you don't know me very well. Not only is it "that good" it is one step beyond. We will be working non-stop in early 2011 to launch the transmedia component of this really big, super awesome project.

In September I got to meet one of my favorite funny men of all time, Dan Aykroyd. Not much of a story there except that he came to my office and we drank cocktails and chatted about vodka. We didn't talk film or Yogi Bear or anything. We just hung out and it was lovely. This is the part of my blog post where I just drop names needlessly without any real content to go along with it. At least I have photographic evidence.

It was also about this time in the time-line that I got word back from Mr. Moneybags about "Meet Jane Doe" – the gist of it was "we like the script, we just have reservations about investing in a first-time director." Hmm. Ok. We can fix that. I started writing a series of short films to build up my writing and directing credits and get the experience that the money-holders say I need. Shot the first short in early December, called "Sack Lunch" and am in the process of polishing it up and preparing it for distribution. I'll be submitting to the Seattle International Film Festival and the LA Shorts Fest in early January, but will also be going straight to my target audience, as this is a film that all recent or soon-to-be divorcees will truly appreciate! Super big thanks to Christopher Alley, Peggy Knoebel, Brian Mazzola, Michelle Williams, Ian Fowler, Rob Harris, Susan Funk, Terri Lodge - and major love to the talents of Brynn Baron and Shelly Lipkin and to Muffin for being such an easy cat to work with.

Top it all off with monthly and weekly sprinklings of networking events, a couple spec commercials with Gay Nolton, coffee dates and lunches galore, many many film screenings, and a little bit of karaoke, and you have yourself on hell of a good year. I met a heaping pile of amazing new people simply by attending networking events and social gatherings. People that a year ago I put up on pedestals I am now honored to call friends, and that, above all else, is what I am most proud of this year. The fact that in one year's time I have gone from a nobody to part of an amazing, supportive community tells me that this is where I am meant to be. And if 2011 is anything like 2010, then you can call me Jacqueline Gault Super Star this time next year.

Casting 4 Shorts & A Music Video

In the coming months I will be shooting 4 shorts and a music video. Time to beef up my IMDb credits in preparation for the next round of funding for Meet Jane Doe (a blog post on that status is long overdue and forthcoming soon). Three out of the four shorts I am casting are single-location interior homes - super easy stuff - likely shooting for 1 day, although Dinner Party may stretch into 2.  Below are breakdowns of the characters I am looking to find talent for. I will be scheduling auditions in the coming weeks and will likely cast all shorts at the same time. Casting for the music video will happen seperately as that audition will occur on roller skates. :-) Please note that compensation for these projects is limited to copy, credit and food, but since this is for my reel I will be pushing hard for all of them on the festival circuit. Script is available now for Dinner Party and Sack Lunch, scripts for My Turn and Take the Groceries and Run will be available at the end of next week.

DINNER PARTY, comedy
When 7 college friends get together for a dinner party to meet Ben's new wife, things stop being polite and get very, very real.

Mike: the party host along with his wife. Mid to late '30's, average build.

Kathleen: Mike's wife, the perfect hostess. Mid to late '30's, genuine and nice, with a Martha Stewart edge - almost too good to be true.

Sarah: Kathleen's former college roommate. Petite and adorable in spite of having 4 kids under the age of 6. Mid to Late '30's.

Shane: Sarah's husband, an accountant, very serious and studious. Attractive, but in a goofy sort of way. Also mid to late '30's, thin build.

Ben: Mike's best buddy from college, they haven't seen each other for over 10 years. Ben is your typical guy's guy - into sports, fit and athletic, a little snarky and arrogant. Mid to late '30's.

Cassie: Ben's trophy wife, early 20's, thin build. Not much going on in that head of hers, smiles and tries to politely join the conversation, but doesn't have much to add.

Ed: The instigator. The jokester of the group. The eternal bachelor who refuses to settle down. Mid to late '30's, handsome, but not overly built. More of a GQ handsome, with a quirky edge to him.

SACK LUNCH, comedy
A middle-age housewife cures frustration with a little passive-aggressive revenge.

Wife: mid to late 40's, typical empty-nester mom type. Mom is the focal point of this film, which has very little dialogue, but tons of action. Comedic timing and personality are what will sell this role to audiences.

Husband: mid to late 40's, businessman, professional. Cold and militant.

MY TURN, comedy
Having three teenage sisters has taken it's toll on poor Billy. He's had all he can stand and he can't stand no more!

Billy: 7-9 years old, must have incredible sense of timing and physical comedy. Must be extremely likable - the audience needs to sympathize with this little guy and root for him in the end.

Melody: 18 years old, senior in high school. Typical older teenager, thinks she knows it all, rude to her siblings, bossy and demanding.

Charity: 16 years old, diva in the making. Extremely trendy and stylish and puts great effort into her fashion and appearance.

Harmony: 14 years old, following in her older sister's footsteps. Barely a notch above Billy in the household rankings, and tortures her little brother to take out her frustrations of being the younger middle child. Sassy and rude to Billy, idolizes Melody and Charity.


TAKE THE GROCERIES AND RUN, comedy
Being a mom of two young children is hard enough. Try taking them grocery shopping when you are already stressed out of your gourd and nothing seems to be going your way.

Mom: early to mid-30's, tired, worn-out, frustrated. She's at the grocery store with her two small children simply trying to get her shopping done. Must have the ability to swing from manic to loving to screaming to crying to numb. Requires great comedic timing and minor stunt work (being chased by a security officer through a grocery store parking lot).

Kid 1: age 3-4, girl, winy and impatient, demanding ill-mannered little princess.

Kid 2: age 5-6, boy, complete terror. Throws food, wrecks displays, pulls his sister's hair.

Grocery Clerk: Male, mid '20's, thin build. Sarcastic, bored and snarky young adult that hates his job and makes everyone else miserable. Total attitude of arrogance and indifference.

Security Guard: late 30's to mid 40's, overweight, donut eating slacker that couldn't get in to police academy. Must be great with physical comedy, as he has to chase down the mom in the parking lot, panting, stumbling, falling down.

Old lady: elderly. She's in line in front of mom at check-out, going really slow, fiddling through coupons and writing a check. 

ANOTHER NOTCH, music video
In need of roller dancers! We need men and women with various levels of skill on four wheels. In addition to needing 20 or so skaters, we need 2 attractive male roller-dancers who are AMAZING (there will be a dance-off!).

To submit for any of the above roles, please email your HS/R along with the role you are interested in auditioning for (please don't just email and say "whatever you think I am appropriate for" - you know your type better than I do) to jacqgaul@gmail.com. I will contact you for an audition once we have the audition date set.

Thank you all in advance! I am really, really looking forward to these shoots.

Lots on my plate! Good thing I'm hungry...

I love to juggle - metaphorically. I can't juggle for real. It's part of me being a giant klutz. I trip over the pattern in the carpet if given a chance. Why do you think I've had 2 knee surgeries in less than 2 years? One blew out while dancing at the Crystal Ballroom (it was super '80's night!) and the other while jumping over a log in the woods (I was being hunted by friends armed with Airsoft guns). Not exactly big stories of traumatic injuries - just me being a klutz. But I digress, my inability to remain upright while navigating sidewalk cracks is not what this post is about.

Juggling. For those of you who know me, and know me well (and even for those whom I've just met), I always have a lot going on. If I'm not writing, I'm concepting. If I'm not acting, I'm volunteering to be on someone's set. If I'm not networking, I'm planning the next networking event. I just absolutely love what I do - and I'm impatient. If I don't have ten things on my plate, then I stress and obsess over every little thing. Having a lot going on keeps me from obsessing over any one thing. I am currently repacking my feature film "Meet Jane Doe" so that I can continue to seek funding from a fresh perspective. I am writing a series of shorts to be produced in the next few months because I desperately need more writing/directing/producing credits so that I have more behind me as I seek funding for "Meet Jane Doe". And of course there is the big secret writing project that I am collaborating on, which I can't go into detail about other than to say it is brilliant. 

With so much going on, it is easy to get distracted, sidetracked, muddled. I crave and need structure. I need an environment that fosters creativity and kicks me in the butt when I get stuck.  Which brings me to the other big project on my plate. Tentatively titled "Base Camp", I dream of a hub of creativity that creative minds from all aspects of filmmaking can gather together and make shit happen. A place where artists can have a permanent residence to write, collaborate, inspire. A place where educators can hold workshops, teach classes, mentor. A facility where people that can't afford the latest and greatest in technology can shoot and edit their dreams (this last one is a bit ambitious, but will come with time).

I don't have the means or ability to create this space on my own. I didn't win Powerball last night, so I continue with my campaign to attract other filmmakers to join me in my quest. If we get enough folks on board - people dreaming of their own office, people with existing office looking for a more collaborative environment, successful companies willing to share space and mentor - we can do this. We can do this in phases and grow as our community grows and as we are able to raise money to add resources. But first we need to start somewhere. I am willing to do the legwork to gather folks and seek out affordable space (affordable being the key word here!). I just need to know who is interested so that I know what kind of space to look for. Is it 1,000 square feet of office or 4,000 square feet of mixed-use - or more? If I can get enough people committed to needed rehearsal and classroom space, then I will go for the latter. If I only find a few people that need office space I will go for the former. But regardless of where we start, it is a START! A start to something I hope will be big. And you wouldn't believe how many in our community have construction experience!

Now I just need to know who is interested. I set up a very simple, basic survey that is just meant to gather information and interest.  If you are interested in this project in any capacity, then take the survey and let me know what your needs are.And please feel free to share.

Cocktails with Dan Aykroyd

 

Like most independent filmmakers, I have a day job. But unlike most independent filmmakers I have a really cool day job. I am the Marketing Manager for the national print magazine Imbibe.  And today we had a very special visitor come by our office. None other than the uber-talented funny actor/writer/producer Dan Aykroyd. He is in town promoting his vodka, Crystal Head Vodka (watch the video of Dan explaining the vodka, it's pretty wild stuff), and stopped by our offices for a quick interview and tasting. We had a fabulous local bartender, Dave Shenaut of Beaker & Flask, come in and mix some cocktails for Dan and his entourage. I even got to drink out of the same glass as Dan. I now have Aykroyd cooties...

No, we didn't talk film and no I didn't tell him I am a filmmaker. There is a time and place for everything and today was all about Imbibe magazine. I'm just glad I got a chance to meet him. One of my favorite old-timers, for sure!

Casting and Crewing Up for "Dinner Party"

What's Up?
Thanks to an amazing short film idea that was given to me by Ethelwynne Crain Mathews (gotta give credit where credit is due...), I am now in early pre-production for a fun little project. The purpose of this short is to 1) give me additional footage for my director's reel, 2) to submit to festivals and get myself a directing and screenwriting imdb credit, and 3) to test out some new camera techniques and equipment. I hope to shoot on a consecutive Friday and Saturday in late October.

Will I Get Paid?
Please note that this is a VOLUNTEER opportunity. I will feed you some yummy food and provide you with an imdb credit. That's all I can promise.

What's It About? 
It is a single-location, character-driven story about a bunch of old college friends that get together for a dinner party to celebrate the recent marriage of one of their friends who they haven't seen in over 10 years. Turns out their happy charade isn't quiet as blissful as they all pretend.

Is There a Role For Me?
Kathleen & Mike: both late '30's, married for over 10 years, college sweethearts, professional upper middle-class. Still in love after all the years, they are the ideal lovey married couple - almost sickeningly so.

Shane & Sarah: both late '30's, got married young, Shane has a good paying but stressful job to support Sarah (stay at home mom) and their 4 kids. Sarah is the happy homemaker and Shane prides himself on being the breadwinner. On the surface they appear to be the perfect family. Sarah was college roommates with Kathleen.

Ben & Cassie: Ben is in his late '30's, lawyer, no one thought he would settle down. Cassie is in her early '20's, thin and drop-dead gorgeous, but not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Ben and Cassie live out of state and are in town visiting - hence the reason for the dinner party. Ben and Mike were best friends in college.

Ed: Late '30's, the eternal bachelor. Handsome, funny, charming. Kathleen has been trying ti fix him up for years, but he refuses to settle down. His friends give him a hard time, and he is sick of them telling him how wonderful marriage is, so he comes to the dinner party to shed light on their perfect lives. Ed was also friends with Mike and Ben in college.


Do You Need Crew?
We are also looking to fill some crew positions, so hit me up if you are interested.



Location?
AND, I need a location: upper middle class suburban home with a large kitchen, formal dinning room, and large entryway. Will likely only need it for 1 day (maybe 2).



What Now?
Interested in helping a girl out? Shoot me an email: jacqgaul@gmail.com.