Monday, November 7, 2011

INTERVIEW: TOREY BYRNE

One of the leads actors in CRAWL - TOREY BYRNE - was recently interview by www.BattleRoyaleWithCheese.com about CRAWL!

Check out her interview HERE

 Torey in action in CRAWL

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Saturday, May 21, 2011

MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE - CRAWL DAY 367


Check out some of the latest CRAWL video updates taken from the CRAWL set location at HARDCORE INDIE STUDIOS below!






You can watch the LIVE feed now - just click:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Introducing Nicole Alonso talking about HARDCORE INDIE






www.hardcoreindie.com Friends and INDIE FILM supporters - we need your help - IF YOU BELIEVE IN INDIE FILMMAKERS TAKING CONTROL OF THE INDIE COMMUNITY - PLEASE BACK THIS PROJECT - HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR CAMPAIGN: http://kck.st/eVHmwS WE THANK YOU DEEPLY FOR SPREADING THE WORD

xoxo
Nikki

Friday, March 25, 2011

FILMMAKING: Casting for Your Film




We just held a casting call for our short film "The Farm" which I am working on with Ghost Walk Productions, LLC. This was the first time any of us have conducted an audition session and it went very well. We also received compliments from the actors on how we went about doing it, and I am going to share that with you.

Most of our advertisment was word of mouth through Facebook. We had made some connections with local actors (Cleveland, Ohio area) and once we started posting the casting call on FB the news spread through the local actor network. Actors who know and work with other actors keep in touch to let each other know about casting calls and projects as they learn of them. We also advertised on the company websites and a few other places but I believe by far the word of mouth on Facebook was our biggest benefit. We had responses from up to a couple hundred miles away.

We were calling for only experienced actors and it was stated right up front "No Pay." Any funds made from this film will be to fund other projects. We will promote the actors as much as possible through several websites and Facebook accounts, references, and the film will be exhibited in Film Festivals. It is another credit for the actors, another clip they can show for reference for new jobs, and more experience for growth. We even had a SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) actor who auditioned. Her reasoning was looking for something that is really creative and refreshing to add to her "reel" and she said Independent films offer this. This is something other than what she had been getting in television and corporate film, according to her. At the time of her audition she was even preparing for a New York stage performance of a play.

We had to ask at a number of locations but we found a hotel that offered the use of a conference room for an advertisement banner on our company website. This is where having 50,000 followers and over 10,000 hits a day comes in handy. They even provided a pitcher of ice water and cups.

At the auditions were 4 of us. This was comprised of myself (Director), Casting Director, Art Director, and a Production Assistant. The Production Assistant sent in the next actor when it was time, answered some of the actors questions, timed our audition durations and notified us by text that we had 3 minutes left, and entertained the actors with her fun personality while they waited. She engaged them in conversation as she was just as enamoured to be in their presence and learn about them. This really helped the time to go by for the actors as they waited.

There are a hundred different ways to conduct an audition with different schools of thought as to why it should be done a certain way. Our principles were based on our perception of what we were looking for. Your's may be different and just as correct. Go with what makes the most sense for you.

We wanted to see what kind of performance the actors were capable of. When actors are filmed they have received the script, have memorized the lines, practiced with an acting buddy, and rehearsed with their co-actors. They are familiar with the part and are prepared to perform this character. As such, we wanted our actors to perform a monologue which they were already comfortable with and felt enabled them to exhibit their abilities.

At many auditions the actors are handed a page of a character they have never heard of and know nothing about and are told "Ok, go," and they have to make quick judgments about the character they are portraying and snap into a performance that is more of a test than an exhibition of how well they can act, as opposed to when they are cast in a roll, have had time with a script, and know what they are doing. We feel if we were casting people for an improv type film this typical type of auditioning would be fine, but we are not there to give them a test. We are there to see what kind of actors they are, and what they are like with familiar material, like they will be performing in our film.

We sat down with each actor and took about 5 to 7 minutes just talking with them. We explained why we are doing auditions this way and what we were looking for. This notion was well received and our conversations helped to relax the actors too. It was also fun to talk with them and learn a little something about them.

Then it was time to record their performance. I had marked an "X" on the floor at the opposite end of the room with masking tape for them to stand, or place a chair, on. I had a shotgun mic mounted on a tripod near them and aimed well. A 160 LED light on top of my camera helped to fill in their face, even though the lighting in the room was pretty good. Their monologue was to be between 1 and 3 minutes.

After their performance I might ask them how they came to choose this piece to perform. Those can be very interesting stories and are quite varied. Remember, beyond getting the info you are looking for people like to talk most about themselves. That makes them very comfortable and the additional information may be very valuable, and more than if you had asked specific questions. This was also the time we got compliments on what we were doing. Of course some actors will try to butter up the casting staff, but you can tell when that is happening. It was nice to get some sincere appreciation for our method. The last thing the actors wanted to know was when they could expect to hear back from us. We told them when and that it would either be by a phone call, an email, or both.

After the first 3 actors we developed a pattern. The next day we had it finely tuned. The pace went well with scheduled auditions and we also had room for walk-ins. We also had a couple people stop by just to drop off their information and headshots to be an extra, which we also called for. The first day we ran over 2 hours from the time we were expecting to finish. Part of that was because of learning that time goes fast during enjoyable conversation, and also because of the number of walk-ins we had the first day.

So that is how we conducted our first ever auditions. We all feel it went well and we were able to record what we were looking for. I hope this helps you out with your auditions. Remember, the most "right way" is the way that makes the most sense to you. Once you figure out what that is look into ways of accomplishing that process, ask others who may have been there already, and of course do a little research on the internet. There are also plenty of books with chapters on how to conduct auditions. Read them too and borrow from several methods. Just make sure when the audition is over that you have all the info about the actor that you want to pick them out of a crowd.


- Steve Olander


Don't forget to become a member of the site, and don't forget to follow the blog on "THE MAKING OF A HORROR FILM." Thank you!








Friday, March 4, 2011

MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE - CRAWL DAY 327


FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL ATWWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and Become a member for free on the website for more inside information and screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS


Friday, February 25, 2011

MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE - CRAWL DAY 320



FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and Become a member for free on the website for more inside information and screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS



THANK YOU SO MUCH ;)

OKLAHOMA WARD

Friday, February 18, 2011

MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE - CRAWL: DAY 314


FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and Become a member for free on the website for more inside information and screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS

THANK YOU SO MUCH ;)

OKLAHOMA WARD

Friday, February 11, 2011

ACTORS TIP: Preparing for CRAWL (3)



Watch as I share my journey preparing for my role in CRAWL.

FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and WWW.CRAWLMOVIE.COM
Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets 


REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMEINDIE FILMS!

http://twitter.com/bellanikki85

THANK YOU MUCH ;-)
 

Friday, February 4, 2011

MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE - CRAWL: DAY 307


FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and Become a member for free on the website for more inside information and screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS




HERE IS A LINK TO LARRY JORDAN'S WEBSITE:
http://www.larryjordan.biz

THANK YOU MUCH ;-)


Friday, January 28, 2011

MAKING A HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE - CRAWL: DAY 291



FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM & Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FILM COURAGE INTERVIEW WITH OKLAHOMA WARD AND NICOLE ALONSO BY CLICKING HERE:



http://twitter.com/oklahomaward
http://twitter.com/bellanikki85

THANK YOU MUCH ;-)

OKLAHOMA WARD AND NICOLE ALONSO 


Monday, January 24, 2011

FILM COURAGE INTERVIEW

LISTEN TO OKLAHOMA WARD AND NICOLE ALONSO ON THE LA TALK RADIO SHOW: FILM COURAGE BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE BELOW:





THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TUNED IN AND FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! STAY INDIE, STAY STRONG, KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE INFO ON THE THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE CRAWL.

THANKS,

OKLAHOMA WARD AND NICOLE ALONSO

Saturday, January 22, 2011

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO VOTED!


We would like to give a special thank you to the following people - without whom - we never would have gotten the opportunity to be on Film Courage.

Michael Dittman
David P. Baker
Allen Cutler
Tresa Gates McGhee
Robert M Lindsey
Petra Cahill
Brittanyka Ann Todd
Parthiban Shanmugam
Andrea Rueda
Roxanne Hall
Jocelyn Miller
Wolf Kopp
Wayne D. Wasion
Jessica Good
Angela Leep-Gowdy
Sharon Whitley
D.L. Wilson
Ron Carter
Eric Stuyvesant
Steve Olander
Ann M. Doria
Jacquelyn Roberts
Craig Chartier
Trailer Wars
Molly DeBettencourt
Melody Khalifa
Hillary Spratford
Jeanine Neal
Shanna J. Digsby
Schwam Soprano
Shirley Ward
Liz Kopp
Robert Glenn Plotner
Ed Vigdor
Jen Judkins
Leia Billings
Marie Shaw
Nick Kopp
Danielle Rukki
Lynette Taylor Brown
Mia Von Doom
Eric Meek
Jessica Seaman
BJ Worth
Paul Reeves
Isare Lee
Megan Baylies
Jessi Renzi
Wally Milner
Kelly Willis
D.A. Sebasstian
Vanessa-May Dolphin
Mike Skatz Scasserra
Richard Purves
Ramona Maramonte
Neva Galvez
Lauren Ashley Grygo
Amy Van Risseghem
Graham Aanestad
Michael Craig
Dyana Aives
Brett Carr
James Tarpley
Adrienne Eige Grygo
Germaine DeLeon
Karlene Zamora-Billings
Homer Ward
Clay Heery
Michael Frye
Claudia Corey

We wanted to make sure to give a special thank you, because without interaction and word of mouth - independent filmmakers and independent films would not survive. We greatly appreciate the effort! 

To check out our interview tomorrow at 12:00 PST - please visit http://www.filmcourage.com and look for the same picture posted at the top of this blog. It is on the top left of the site - just click on LISTEN LIVE directly under that picture. 

If you have any questions you would like us to answer on the show - please submit them HERE.

Thanks Again, 

Oklahoma Ward and Nicole Alonso

Friday, January 21, 2011

MAKING A HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE - CRAWL: DAY 284


Discussion about upcoming Film Courage interview on Sunday, January 23rd.

Film Courage Link: http://www.filmcourage.com

Also included - exclusive first look - sneak peek footage of the feature film The Isolation of Subject #136.

FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM & Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS

http://twitter.com/oklahomaward
http://twitter.com/bellanikki85

THANK YOU MUCH ;-)



Friday, January 14, 2011

ACTORS TIP: Preparing for CRAWL (2)


Watch as I share my journey preparing for my role in CRAWL.

FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT
WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM and WWW.CRAWLMOVIE.COM
Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER -  SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS


http://twitter.com/bellanikki85


THANK YOU MUCH ;-)

 

Saturday, January 8, 2011

ACTORS TIP: Prearing for CRAWL


Watch as I share my journey preparing for my role in CRAWL.

FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM & WWW.CRAWLMOVIE.COM
Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER -  SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS

http://twitter.com/bellanikki85

THANK YOU MUCH ;-)




Friday, January 7, 2011

DAY 279: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL



The ONLY lighting used in this footage is being held by the actor.

FOLLOW THE MAKING OF THE HORROR/THRILLER MOVIE CRAWL AT WWW.OKLAHOMAWARD.COM & Become a member for free on the website for more inside information & screening tickets ;-)

REMEMBER - SUPPORT/INTERACT INDEPENDENT FILMS - FOR YOU/the PUBLIC is/are the LIFEBLOOD for the SURVIVAL of #EXTREMENIDIE FILMS


THANK YOU MUCH ;-)