ACTORS CREATING THEIR OWN WORK

If there's one thing I tirelessly preach in my classes is that actors should not sit around and wait for the phone to ring, but should get out there and make their own work. Bonnie Gillespie has turned me on to this brilliant actress in LA who has devised her own character and web TV show. Without an agent, she managed to attract the attention of casting directors and get invited for great auditions. For very little money she shot these spots about her created character, Mary Olson. Check it out and be inspired!

SELF MANAGEMENT FOR ACTORS by Bonnie Gillespie

I've been holed up in Scotland working on my book, and as research reading Bonnie Gillespie's excellent book, Self-Management for Actors.  She sent it to me when I was preparing for my Actor Marketing Seminars. Isn't she great? She blogs all the time about topics of interest to actors on Actors Access. Check her out.

Happy New Year!

Nancy

THE CASTING SCENE

For those of you wishing to audition for the White Road, please do so on the Casting Scene.

visit: http://devthecastingscene.com you will be able to sign up to the website, once signed up by clicking on the " Projects " tab you will find details on The White Road project and will be able to read the script excerpts and post on online audition.

New Roles opening for Prague actors on THE PHILANTHROPIST

Actors must be available 12-21 Jan

OLIVER CABON. French Businessman. Speaks a few lines in English. 40s- 50s. Sophisticated

ALGERIAN. Speaks in French. Hard man. Age not important

ASSISTANT. One line in English. Slavic. Hard man. 20s-40s

OLD MAN. Speaks Russian. Former Russian army. Points a gun at star.

PARAMEDIC. Speaks only French.

RECEPTIONIST. French but speaks English. 30s, professional, intelligent, composed.

NEW PROJECT. THE WHITE ROAD

FEATURE FILM: THE WHITE ROAD

SANTANA BROTHERS FILM

DIRECTOR: DOMINIC SANTANA

PRODUCER: LEE SANTANA

Shooting in Lithuania, March-May 09

CASTING: Nancy Bishop (EUR), Ros Hubbard (UK)

PLEASE SEND PHOTO CV AND REEL TO casting@nancybishopcasting.com

or to do an online casting, look for the project coming up on www.thecastingscene.com

Brief: 1947. Prisoners escape from a Soviet camp and struggle to survive.

Looking to cast the following characters in Europe. Nationality open.

POLA: 

Female, early 20s, striking, bewitching, unusual looks. Open nationality. Daughter of a diplomat, expensively educated and being gifted and bright, speaks several languages fluently. Pola has learnt to survive in camp by using her sexuality as a currency and she forms part of a prostitution squad serving both inmates and camp functionaries alike. Pola is tough, clever, calculating and manipulative, bordering on ruthless. Her delicate frame belies a steely determination and inner will, and on the survivor's scale, she ranks the highest amongst the group. 

JULEK

Male, white, 20-30s. Polish Solider and fellow escapee. Unintentionally quirky, frustrated and angst ridden, his appearance could be best summed up as "a clown, without make up." He possesses a character worn in face, having been raised on a rural farm. Whilst in camp, he was offered a deal to reduce his sentence by becoming a secret informant, to which he readily agreed. He keenly feels the pangs of remorse and guilt, which manifest themselves as anger and frustration, much of it inwardly directed as he is filled with self-loathing. Julek's experiences in camp shaped him into the man he is, not what he hoped he would be. He is however keen to change and atone, and seeks a fresh start. But his inherently weak, cowardly and moreover selfish nature means he will switch sides and betray allegiances in order to survive. 

SACHA. Male, white, late teens to early 20s. Fellow escapee. Nationality open. Young and impressionable, his devout Jewish beliefs offered him strength and helped sustain him during his time in the Gulag. Despite his religious convictions, he still has a strong a desire to survive and will betray himself, his faith and those around him to live. At sea in an alien world, Sacha lacks the maturity and inner strength to cope with th horrors of camp life and has withdrawn into himself, drawing comfort and sustenance from a rigorously observed religion. Although he doesn't preach, others see his creed exactly for what it is; his way of getting through the day. One can also wonder whether Sacha is entirely sincere. 

New Project- THE PHILANTHROPIST

THE PHILANTHROPIST- TV series

Starring: James Purefoy

Company: NBC (US) Carnival (UK) Stillking (CZ)

Director: Duane Clark

Shooting in Prague: Jan-Feb, 2009

Sysnopsis: JAMES PUREFOY (Teddy Rist) is the Philanthropist of the title. He is a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need. He'll do anything to achieve his goals. In this episode he visits Paris where he vanquishes Bejan, the Eastern European mobster who has been trafficking women in the sex trade. 

THE PRIORITY FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES IS THAT THE ACTORS LIVE IN PRAGUE:

IVANA. aged 19. Russian/E. European beauty. Should have a soft vulnerability about her, as we see her cry. She has several scenes and speaks English with an accent. 

BEJAN. 40-50s. Lead. E. European villain. Has a finger in lots of pies- runs a Parisian Casino as well as heading a human trafficking ring. Dangerous to know. Has several scenes. Speaks English with accent. 

REGINA. aged 17. E. European, very pretty. A victim of the slave trade. Working as a prostitute in Paris. a few lines in English with accent.

RAYA. Ivana's sister. Pretty and innocent. Speaks only Russian (does not need to be native speaker.) Aged 15.

THERE WILL BE OTHER ROLES BUT THE SCRIPT IS CHANGING SO STAY TUNED.

NB

THE PRAGUE FILM SCHOOL, ACTING FOR FILM

Starting Monday, 10 November, I'm touring US universities to promote the Prague Film School and especially the new Acting for Film program which I will chair, starting in Fall '09. For more information about the Film Acting Program click here.

My schedule is as follows:

10 Nov: Oberlin College

11 Nov: University of Michigan

13 Nov. Loyola, Chicago

14 Nov. Northwestern U

17 Nov. National Theatre Institute and Connecticut College

18 Nov. Wesleyan

19 Nov. Vassar

20 Nov. Simon's Rock and Barnard

YAY OBAMA!

When I started this blog, I promised myself to only write about professional things, but I can't resist. I'm so happy and proud of America that we elected Barak Obama to be out 44th President. 

PRAGUE AUDIENCES- Support English Theatre

Book your tickets now to see the Prague Playhouse's production of Criminal Hearts.

E-Talenta

EUROPEAN ACTORS. Sign up for E-talenta! Registration is free on this site until 1 January, 09. This site is an invaluable resource for casting directors looking for talent in Europe. Make sure that your photo and profile are there.

www.e-talenta.eu

ATTENTION! EVENT IN LONDON for UK ACTORS

The Casting Scene is a new online casting service for the entertainment industries. Actors can enjoy a 

Free Evening of Auditioning.

At the V&A Museum on 31 October. 6.30 - 10.00pm.

VIENNA THEATRE NEEDS A DIRECTOR

The Vienna Theatre Project needs a director for their play, A Moment On the Lips by Australian playwright, Jonathan Gavin. The play of 7 women, has already been cast and they need a director immediately. Please contact Sharron Aubrey for information: sea_zutron@hotmail.com. 

NB

For Actors in Prague

Todd Kramer and Dan Brown are starting up their IMPROVISATION CLASS again. Contact: kramer.todd@gmail. com for details

Copenhagen Class Monologues

Here is a sample of some of the original work generated in the Copenhagen class. Actors were asked to relate not their own story, but a classmate's story of a childhood trauma.

Copenhagen Class photos

I really enjoyed teaching in Copenhagen. Hakim Harder did a brilliant job of pulling together a really ace class. Here they are.  I was very satisfied to learn that the five day format works well and thanks to all those who wrote such a nice evaluation of the class. I'm quoting it here:

Thanks so much to Vibeke Hastrup for saying:
"You really make people grow, letting  us play, and have fun and at the same time you give very precise notes to each individual."

Here is a shot of Casper Phillipson and Neija Hansen on the final day. They shot a wickedly funny scene from Euro Trip for their reel.

Thanks to Neija for her comment: 

"I thought Nancy created a safe, spacious and humorous environment for people to play and develop in. The workshop has given me a lot of useful information on how to approach different genres and characters in a casting session."

Casper with Michelle Bercon doing a scene from Before Sunset.

Thanks Casper for saying that the workshop and the "direct advice/critique has been so to the point, so obviously helpful to everybody. It has changed my approach to the casting process and helped rebuild my self confidence- exactly what i was hoping to get from a course like this."

Rikard Svensson is featured reading off camera next to our camera man/director Sohail Hassan.

I also want to thank Soren Rossen for saying "I think that the on camera exercices and scene work, with in between direction and evaluation was what gave me the most to work with and think about."

Thanks to Per for his comment that next time "we need to knwo our fuckability-rate for our homepage

Here's the final party. Do you think they had too much wine?

MARKETING FOR ACTORS

MARKETING FOR ACTORS...

Don't blame your agent if you're not getting work.  The Internet is the great democratizer, offering free publicity for everyone. There are so many ways for actors to get themselves and their work seen. Because of websites, clever search engines and You Tube, actors are more and more successful in promoting themselves. In November I'm teaching two MARKETING FOR ACTORS SEMINARS in LONDON and GLASGOW.

There's a also a new website, The Casting Scene, that is enabling actors to send their castings directly to productions.

LONDON: Wed, 26 November. 3pm-5pm. The Actor's Centre

GLASGOW: Fri, 28 November. 5pm-7pm. University of Strathclyde Student Union

For Details about MARKETING FOR ACTORS click here

EDINBURGH FRINGE FEST

COLD, RAINY SCOTLAND AT LEAST HAS SOME GREAT CULTURE TO WARM THE SOUL. 

So far I've seen three shows on the Fringe and I haven't chosen a dud yet. Here are my recommendations. 

Anyone who is even slightly interested in dance would be foolish to miss HAMLET EPISODE, playing at 8pm at the Roxburgh Hotel. I don't know what it has to do with Hamlet but it doesn't matter. These Korean dancers are innumerable... once you're sure you've seen all of them, another several dancers seem to hurl themselves onto the stage. The choreographer began with a distinctive vocabulary of movement, featuring actors swinging in and out of each other's arms, but then just as abruptly changed the motif entirely, alternating between combinations in which the dancers were violently cutting up the space, to gently caressing it.  It's a stunning combination of dance and gymnastics. See it!

On Saturday night I saw Romeo and Juliet at the Roslyn Chapel. It's worth the drive outside of town, just to see Roslyn Chapel alone. I never thought  this production would manage a three-handed Romeo and Juliet but somehow they did.  The production was very cleverly adpated, with strong, energetic performances from Louise Bolton, Stuart Nicoll and Cameron Mowatt, each playing at least twelve parts each.

LADIES IN WAITING is doing a show called BROWNIE RE-UNION.  The three of them are hilarious physical comedians and they're doing all of their own fresh, devised material. For anyone who is American, the series of sketches might remind you of the Carol Burnett show. They've gotten some four star reviews so their houses are filling up quickly. See them at 4.45 at the Baby Grand in the Pleasance Courtyard. Gaz Corke, who has done a lot of straight acting to this point is destined for a comedic career. Charolotte Palmer and Carolina Giametta are like a young Saunders and French.

Casting Symposium

I promised I would post the transcript for the Casting Symposium held in Edinburgh in June. It features advice to actors from top UK and US casting directors and talent agents: Click here to download the file.

One of the topics discussed was how to work in the US, if you're a European actor. You need an O1 Visa. Click here and here to download information on O1

"Wanted"

I was sorry to have missed the premiere of  "Wanted" in Prague, but I'm happy that it's doing so well and I'm proud to have worked on it. I first met James McAvoy when he was here shooting Children of Dune in 2002, and his success is so well deserved. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guys. (Glaswegians are always so nice!)

Like many films, a fair amount of footage ended up cut. Unfortunately one scene, which was particularly heavy on Czech actors, ended up on the cutting room floor. Hopefully you'll be able to see these well respected Czech actors in the cut scene section on the DVD:
TOMAS HANAK

JAN TRISKA
MIREK SIMUNEK 

Casting Symposium, Scotland

Casting Panelists (from left) Priscilla John (Casting Director, London), Maureen Duff (Casting Director, London), Derek Power (Talent Manger, LA), Nancy Bishop (Casting Director, Prague), John Hubbard, (Casting Director, London), Maryam Hunwick (Agent, Edinburgh). Leading professionals met at the Edinburgh Film festival to discuss topics of interest to actors. Photos are thanks to actor, James Watson. 

I was really pleased with how positive and encouraging the panel was. And thanks to all those you turned up (I think we had more than 200 people in attendance, including directors and producers.) I've already received thank you emails from actors from as far as Belgium, London and Dublin, who flew in for the event.  I will provide a FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THIS EVENT ON THIS BLOG as soon as I have time to transcribe it. So stay tuned for valuable advice. This will include a copy of the "01 Visa" which are the work requirements for European actors who want to gain work permission in the US (provided by Derek Power.)


Priscilla and Maureen. 
Nancy and John.
John and Maryam. 
Maureen, Derek, Nancy.
Derek, Nancy, John.
The audience of actors, producers, directors. 

CAST SCOTLAND, TALENT SYMPOSIUM, 20 June, 3pm

Apparently we've already have sold 75 tickets for the talent symposium at the Traverse Theatre, so if you're planning to come, it's a good idea to  book a ticket at www.edfilmfest.org.uk. 

I'll be moderating a panel of:

John Hubbard, Casting Director, UK

Priscilla John, Casting Director, UK

Maureen Duff, Casting Director, UK

Derek Power, Manager, USA

Maryam Hunwick, Agent, Scotland

Hope to see you there! For more info, please see my website: www.nancybishopcasting.com

Thanks

NB

Tim and Katie, AvP, London Actors Centre

Prague Fringe Festival

Thanks to the lovely Stephen Gove from Edinburgh, we have a zappy Fringe Theatre Festival in Prague. I'm always advising my students, that if no one is casting you then cast yourself in something... do a fringe festival. And sure enough some of my Prague actors are doing just that. I was so proud of Matt Blood-Smyth, James High and the whole cast and crew of "Sacred Cow" that's playing at the Rubin right now. I congratulate Brian Caspe on his direction and Elleanor Cummins on her script. The play is ever so Irish, reminding me of the caustic, but darkly funny Beauty Queen of Leenane and like. The only decision that didn't work for me was that the role of Pavel, the Czech pub owner, should have been played by a Czech actor. Come on Brian, there are plenty of them here in Prague! See www.pragueplayhouse.com for details. 

I also caught Magic and More with Frisco Fred. He says it's for all ages. It's not. It's for kids. 

As for Pip Utton with his Hitler, and Michael McEvoy with Not in My Name; the trial of Machiavelli, I have some ambivalent reactions. I loved McEvoy's thesis that Machiavelli's "Prince" has been bastardized, and that many of the same torture techniques that were used on him are still being used today at Guantanamo... but why did he need to take out a sledge hammer and bash it over the audience's heads at the end? OK... we got it that he was making a comparison with Bush and the US before he started lecturing to us about how nasty our war is (yes... we all know), with the final blast of Bush's voice at the end. It would have been far more interesting if he had let us come to the conclusion ourselves, which we easily would have. 

Pip Utton was a much more skilled performer, who finds moments of resonance in taking clips from Hitler's actual speeches which as a whole also... yes again... found correlations in contemporary times. I'm not quoting this verbatim but "a lie becomes truth if you repeat it many times." Yes that's politics today. And as this nefarious Hitler character spit out his ethnic cleansing aphorisms, "if a people are a problem, then just get rid of them," (Sorry again not quoting exactly)I was haunted by Rudi Giuliani's removal of homeless people from NYC. (OK, he didn't kill them but that's next.) I was so happy and relieved that Pip Utton didn't feel the need to lecture to us about that... but no, I was wrong! Lights went down, then up, and he slipped into another character, letting the audience think it was the real Pip Utton. Then he started casually flipping off the racists jokes and sentiments... all so that he could prove to us, his dumb audience who can't figure it out ourselves, that racism still exists. I was squirming like a jelly fish I was so angry. Why didn't he trust us to figure that out ourselves? No... he had to explain the play and its relevance to us. Though maybe he's right that the audience IS stupid... a few people left during this section since they thought he was serious. OK... so actually these offended audience members merely lacked humor. I would recommend the show, just leave after the first forty five minutes and you'll feel really enlightened. 

TOPPING AND BUTCH is always good too, and I'd love to catch Peter Hoskin's show (he's pictured above, shaving) A Stretch of the Imagination.

And support the Fringe. Our arts are in danger in Prague.

Havel's new play

I felt so honored to be at the premiere of Vaclav Havel's latest play, Odchazeni (Leaving.) Kate Connolly, a Guardian journalist, went around with a mic reminding everyone that it had been twenty years, since he had written a play!

I must say, it was typicially Havel. He keeps his style of playing absurdism in a realistic setting, and I had to giggle at all of the conventions that I know so well from his earlier plays... the characters who appear on stage and don't speak, but non the less steal the show, the hubris of the main character... yet it's all in a post market economy context. 

Havel says it's not about him, but it's about an ex Prime Minister, with a glamourous "long term girlfriend" (which his wife Dasa was meant to play), and his nemesis is a character called Klein (which couldn't have anything to do with Vaclav Klaus.) The fact that his wife, actress Dasa Havlova, backed out of playing the role of Irena at the eleventh hour, was the subject of much gossip. Ostensibly her absence was for medical reasons, yet no one seemed to believe it... speculating that she had fought with her husband, or with Jan Triska (the lead actor) or the director. Yet, when I talked to other actors in the cast, it seemed that she really had simply stressed out, putting real pressure on a weak heart and thyroid. In any case, she was sitting next to him and smiling during the performance. (It must be stressful to play yourself in your husband's play.)

As I was reading the play, previous to seeing it, I was snickering a lot about the convention of the "voice" which intermittently comments on the action, reminding the actors to stop exaggerating and over- acting, and occasionally criticizing the play's construction. It turned out to be Havel's voice, which was perfect.  I noticed that one critic called this a "new convention," but it reminded me of the voice from the hole in the wall in "Memorandum." My friend Lou Charbonneau, who has done considerable research on the play, as he wrote his Master's Thesis on it, told me that apparently Tom Stoppard advised him to loose the voice. At the end of the play, the voice enters to say something like "my colleague told me I should end the play here, but I must apologize to my advisor." It must have been Stoppard. I'm glad he didn't listen. As much as I like Stoppard, Havel has is own humble style that works for him. Part of that style, is doubting his every step, but then making fun of himself in the process. 

Martin Palous (Czech ambassador to US) introduced me to Havel in glowing terms, saying "this is Nancy Bishop who directed a very funny film about Americans living in Prague," and I shook his hand, but it was awkward and I didn't know what to say to him beyond congratulations. My first meeting with him was much more interesting. It was a summer night in the year 1995. President Havel was enjoying a beer at a pub on the stairs to the castle. He was sitting with Dasa though it was before their marriage. I introduced myself in my awkward novice Czech and told him that I was directing one of his plays in English (I think it was Protest.) I then told him that it seemed that many Czechs didn't like it that Americans were working on his plays in Prague. He smiled at me and said, "before the revolution there were 10 million Czech communists, but now after the revolution there are 10 million Czechs against communism."

 

GI JOE

I'm currently looking for a very short, very round man to play a French Chef  in GI Joe. (Like under 5'5" or 170 cm).  Shoots in Prague 7+11 June.  Director, Stephen Sommers, is looking for a Gaston type character, like from Ratatouille. The is for locals in Prague only. Please send submissions to casting@nancybishopcasting.com

Thanks

NB

Short Film Competition

See this website for short film contest: www.filmaka.com. If you're not working, then get off your butt and pitch your own film! There are cash prizes as I understand.

CAST SCOTLAND, TALENT SYMPOSIUM

The Edinburgh Film Festival presents top castings directors and talent agents on a panel to discuss topics of interest to actors. This two hour symposium will include one hour, moderated by Nancy Bishop, in which panelists John & Ros Hubbard, Maureen Duff, Priscilla John, Maryam Hunwich and Derek Power will discuss:

- How actors can establish a relationship with an agent and casting directors

- What are casting directors looking for in actors

- How actors can best promote themselves

- What are the possibilities for Scottish actors to reach beyond the Scottish, and UK market

- What is the process for actors to pursue work in the US

This will be followed by a one hour questions and answer session, in which participants can directly address the panel.

When: Friday,  20 June, 2008

Time: 3.00

Where: The Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St, EH1 2ED

Cost: 5 GBP

To book tickets see: www.edfilmfest.org.uk

About the panelists

Moderator: NANCY BISHOP, CSA, is an Emmy award nominated casting director. An American, working from Prague, she has cast over fifty projects. Her credits include, Prince Caspian, Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, and she is currently working on GI JOE for Paramount.

MAUREEN DUFF was born in Glasgow, but has been working in London for many years. Her projects include, The Flying Scotsman, X-men, Still Crazy, The Beach, and Richard Attenborough's Closing the Ring. 

JOHN and ROS HUBBARD are well renowned casting directors in London who have been casting in England, Ireland, Scotland (where they cast Taggart) and around the world for twenty-five years. Their work includes Evita, Bourne Ultamatum, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

MARYAM HUNWICK has established an excellent reputation for her talent agency, Hunwick Hughes (formerely 41 Management) in Edinburgh, for guiding the careers of award winning stage and screen artists, including Kate Dickie, Martin Compston, and Kathleen McDermott. 

PRISCILLA JOHN is a well established casting director in London. Her prolific career includes Jewel in the Crown, Coronation Street, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad and About a Boy. 

DEREK POWER is a Hollywood based talent agent who often represents Eurocentric talent. Among many he has helped guide are Sir Ben Kingsley, Greata Scacchi, Robert Dornhelm, and now Graham McTavish, a Scottish actor who recently starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the return of Rambo. 

Georgina and Waldemar

Georgina and Waldemar

Georgina Verbaan and Waldemar Torenstra cold reading a troubled, married couple. He wants some action but she doesn't.

Hannibal

Here's Thomas Cammaert playing the cannibalistic maniac, Hannibal Lecter. He's such a handsome devil!

Tine as Edith Frank

Tine Joustra played a wonderfully complex Edith Frank

Georgina and Sarah

Georgina Vebaan and Sarah Jonker are cold reading from a psychological thriller scene

Dan and Tom with the aliens

Daniel Boissevain and Thomas Cammaert are battling aliens in a scene from Alien Vs. Predator. 

Robbie Kay and Fugitive Pieces

Here's ROBBIE KAY in FUGITIVE PIECES, (directed by Jeremy Podeswa) which just opened in the US. I'm really proud of Robbie, because not only did I cast him in it, but he was my student. Production hired me to coach him since he had so little experience at the time, and he ended up putting out a superb performance! According to Peter Howell at thestar.com, "the grandest laurels must be reserved for Robbie Kay, who plays Jakob as a young boy. Relatively new to acting , he invests the role with an intensity of purpose not often seen in an actor of so few years." Howard Schumann in International Entertainment, claims that "Robbie Kay turns in one of the best child performances I have seen in years." Congratulations Robbie!
Robbie went on to further performances, after picking up a London agent, Kate Buckley. Here's a preview of Robbie in the upcoming Hallmark production of Pinnocchio with Bob Hoskins.

Panther Command

Stills from "Panther Command". Dennis Lyons and James Babson are heroes in this Swiss produced cop show I cast from Prague....

Dennis discovers the shaken James

Ouch!

Isn't he brave?

Announcements

THE CASTING DIRECTOR PANEL DISCUSSION is definitely confirmed for the Edinburgh Film Festival on 20 June. Time and date to be announced later. Please stay tuned. It will include UK casting directors John & Roz Hubbard, Maureen Duff and Priscilla John, and American talent manager Derek Power. 

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

London: 3-4 June are the correct dates. Please contact Louise Bolton at castingworkshops@hotmail.com

I'm also adding an Edinburgh workshop to coincide with the film festival: 17-18 June

Please contact Helen Raw at info@rawtalentproductions.co.uk

I also want to introduce Lucie Lechner, who will organize my Munich workshops on 23-4 June during the Munich Film Festival. To learn more about Lucie see lucie-Lechner.de

-NB

Scene of the Day Award, Paris

Here's James Gerard and Eiren Forsberg in Mirrors:

What I like about this scene is that both actors are taking risks. My students often ask, "how to you take a risk without going over the top?" I think this scene is a good example of actors playing opposites (ie the scene is about love and about hate). There are a lot of changes in the scene and it makes it interesting. 

Casting Announcement

Feature Film: Hilde

Director: Kai Wessell

Producers: Judy Tossell, Jens Meurer, Egoli Tossell Film

Starring: Heike Makatsch

Shooting: Late June - August, 2008 in Germany

More info: www.egolitossell.com

Synopsis: Hildegard Knef was a sinner and a singer, a movie star in Hollywood, and a hit on Broadway. She loved a Nazi and married a Jew. She fought in the ruins of World War II Berlin, but felt at home on park Avenue. Both adored and despised by the German public, her autobiogrpahy was a No. 1 bestseller. Her concerts were legendary. She was a German icon. This is her life. 

Casting LEADING MALE CHARACTER, KURT HIRSCH. Age 30-40. He should speak German for most of the film, but audition may be conducted in English. According to Hilde, "he was a Czech Jew, born in Teplitz-Schnonau and grew up in Prague. When he was fourteen years old his parents escaped with him to New York, he became an American citizen, landed with paratroops in France and in the end he came to Germany and Berlin. He had a sweet tempered teddy bear face, liked to laugh, could easily fly into a passion, was young and uncomplicated."

ANTON LITVAK: 45-50, Distinguished, attractive director. Will speak German or English with a Slavic ccent. He lived 1902-1974, and was a Jewish, Ukrainian-born international filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in a variety of countries and languages. 

If you are interested in auditioning, please send your photo and CV to:

casting@nancybishopcasting.com

Thanks

NB

Bernard Hiller's class in Edinburgh

Here's Bernie's class. Organized thanks to the lovely Louise Bolton. It was hilarious visiting and seeing some of my former students coming OUT so well! (You'll know what I mean if you ever visit one of his classes.) Check out Frank Gilhooly's knickers. I would recommend Bernard's class to anyone who feels like their work, their career is blocked. He's teaching again in London, Paris and Rome this year.

-NB

New Article on Film Acting

One of my articles on film acting was just published in Dramatics Magazine. It is mostly oriented towards very young actors (like still in high school or college). I was a little embarassed about a few things in the article since I didn't get a final edit before it went out... so for example I seem to claim I was THE casting director on Polanski's Oliver, when really of course I was only one of them... but here it is anyway
http://www.edta.org/pdf_archive/film_actor633428106117187500.pdf

E-Talenta

E-Talenta will be Europe's spotlight, an international database for actors. It was meant to start in 2007 but was having teething problems. The site is up now and I would recommend that everyone register on it:

www.e-talenta.eu

International film activities in Prague are quiet at the moment. Solomon Kane  just recently wrapped, as did the re-shoot of Wanted. Paramount's GI Joe is coming next month. We are currently looking for native French speaking actors who live in Prague for that. 

NB