Auditions and things

Last Thursday, auditions were held for the roles of our main characters in our script and we were really pleased with the results!

Overall,the characters that turned up were really excellent in bringing out what we wanted them to in the script. Because our script was very narrator based, we want the actors to well, literally act! Over the top, dramatic kind of acting to bring out the comic film we are creating. The main characters are really eccentric and over the top and extreme.
The whole movie is very the cat in the hat kind of a cartoon-y crazy reality and the actors really reflected that.
The narrator was fantastic as well, with the exact voice we were looking for. In fact, it was tough deciding between a few but we ended up choosing by votes and logic.

So that's settled, next up would be the costumes and makeup and other such details and then, probably the practice shoot itself!

I'm still settling into my role as sound and after recording the auditions, I have realised that

a) pointing the microphone directly at the actor, even at a distance, makes a huge difference than when it is pointed slightly away. The microphone picks up even the slightest bit of noise which is a pro and a con. It is fantastic in delivering excellent sound but also picks up ambiance noise as easily. When playing back the audtions of the narrators, there was this bit were the background noise was overwhelming due to some cleaning truck outside. So, although we are filming indoors, we definitely have to be very aware of our surrounding noises as it would make a big differences.

This also occurred in the Lenny exercise as well where we filmed in a room and in the corridor. The difference in the levels of the natural sound of the surroundings was very obvious and even after editing, I think we could still tell that there is a difference. So, if possible, the microphone should not be switched to many different positions if it is the same shot from a different angle.

b) Spare batteries is essential. We ran out of batteries during the auditions and it would have been a hassle, not to mention unprofessional if we had to run out for new ones and made the actor who was auditioning wait.

c) Must remember what goes where!
Getting the hang of it, but still pretty nervous when plugging in wires!!


We will be filming May 15th, followed by editing, and then narrating voice over, and then editing again.
There is a long journey ahead of us!