Casting for a British and Canadian accent, EH!

This was the original posting for this casting call:


Sid Paterson Advertising is casting for non-union on camera talents for buyout. We are casting for “Real People” roles, both male and female, between the ages of 25 – 50, plus one child. Looking for both English speaking and bilingual Spanish and English speaking, as well as dialect talent in British, Canadian, Indian, Mexican, Argentinean and Peruvian. Also non-speaking roles. Must be welcoming and personal.


So you would think that this would be a perfect role for me. I went to this casting call over on Madison avenue. I went up to the 6th floor and signed in and then sat in the waiting area, and waited and waited some more. I went in there wearing my Canadian emblem with a maple leaf hat and Canadian "Moose" shirt. There was NO way anyone could compete with me on this one. Had this in the bag....or so I thought.

There were several different types in the waiting room. You had the model "Untouchable" types, the "way too pretty" types, the "delicate flower" types, and a couple of Indians, and Hispanics. Most of them were auditioning for the "Middle America" role.

For the role I was auditioning for doing the "British-Canadian" part, there was NO ONE else in that room for the role I went for. Being this fact, and knowing that I didn't have to compete with the "fresh young nubiles", gave me the confidence that I needed to get this role.

So finally after 3 hours, my name is called "Anne Canada". I storm into the audition room with my Canadian emblems and say "Guess where I'm from? Eh!" So I immediately went in front of the camera, slated my name and then proceeded with the audition. The line was "We'd call our daughter in the States. She just moved to New York City." I did it first in Canadian, which is my regular voice and then in British.

They loved it!! They asked me to do the line in British again an I was on a role. The director even told me that I have "Betty Davis eyes". I mean what a huge compliment. Then I was joking with the director about Canada. "How many Canadians does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Then he asks me "Is the population in Canada still 500,000?" I respond, "No actually it's only 499,00 after Celine Dion left us!"

I left the room with a great feeling and on top of it I had the entire room laughing and I knew they were interested me. Even the receptionist was asking me where I perform and all. I knew I nailed this part. I left that place happy and my head held up high!

A couple of days later I get this e-mail from them:

Hey Anne This is Dara from the Sid Paterson Casting for IDTI was wondering if it would be possible to get a recording of you saying this line with a Canadian accent and a British accent?
"We'd call our daughter in the States. She just moved to New York City."

Let me know!

Awesome I thought, this means I got the part!!!! I responded to her Yes I am available to do this role and for her to send me details. So Monday goes by, nothing. Tuesday goes by and still no word, nothing. On Wednesday I call up that office and ask to speak to her and I get put through the voice messaging system.

I leave a message and basically say that I would like to speak with her and I am a little confused to what she is asking, and if she could get back to me to clarify. Very professional and to the point. Thursday goes by and still no word. I figure I will give it until Friday before I try calling again.

I went out and did my regular job, get home to check my e-mails and LO and Behold there is an e-mail from her. I was getting excited and before I opened it I was thinking "well I guess she took so long in getting back to me because she has been busy.

Here is the e-mail she sends me:

Hey Anne!Sorry I haven’t been able to get back to you.By the time I had a moment to schedule something with you to hear more accents, the client decided on someone else and it was off to 2 days of shooting! Thank you though for getting back to me. Hope all is well!

CAN YOU F'IN BELIEVE THIS?????? I e-mail her back because I was really angry and upset. First off all for having me wait around so long and to make me believe that I had the role. On top of it HOW MANY CANADIANS WHO CAN DO A BRITISH ACCENT IN NEW YORK ARE THERE?????

I mean this is such a HUGE slap in the face. I really don't think I will get over this one. I mean if I can't even get a role as a Canadian, being an authentic Canadian..then what in the world is the "right role" for me??? Unbelievable. I am SO upset over this right now I can't even breathe. I give up. This has really done it.

Sigh :(

Accuvein commercial Audition

I went to this audition for this new pharmaceutical device named “Accuvein”. Yes as you can determine in the name, the device checks for “good veins” to tap into in order to draw blood from.

Like any other audition, you go there and don’t expect much of anything. Just go in and give it all you got. So I went to a casting agency over in the Flatiron district. There were already 100 people signed up on the list.

In the room there were heavy set people, thin people, and most of all babies. Big babies, small babies, chubby babies, ugly babies, cute babies. All these babies were in carriages and strollers wailing away as their Mothers were trying to shut them up and comfort them for their audition.

When I got to the audition I was check in #102 and I thought I would have to wait forever. To my surprise it went very quickly..only 2 hours of waiting!

You watch every person; baby and Mother go into the room and see their reaction when they come out. Most of the babies went in crying and within seconds were out the door wailing stronger than ever.

Finally after sitting there for 4 hours through all this madness going on the guy calls out check in #102. I looked at my card..”Hey that’s me!” At first when I entered the room I was nervous as with any audition, though by the time I was called, I really just wanted to get this audition done and over with.

I thought it to be strange that after all that time in the waiting room, there were NO sides or lines handed out to study before going into this audition.. So I figure, great it’s going to be one of these “improv auditions”.

I get into the room; the guy takes my information and tells me to take a seat. There is one camera set up and a blue screen backdrop. I slate my name to the camera and I am expecting to get a scenario by the director to work off of and just improv this product to try and sell it.

Instead, the director says: “Roll up your sleeves as far as you can and Put out your arms so we can see your veins”. I was like what??? So I did as directed, rolled up my sleeves as far as they would go and thrust my arms out towards the camera to display the best veins I have.

The Woman in the room then comes by with a red light device and streams it up and down my arms to “highlight” the best veins. Then the hard part came, I was asked to show the back of my arms. Same thing again this time with the red light up and down the arms to the hands. After 5 seconds that was it! Thank-you and get out! Next!

So much for getting that part. I didn’t have the right veins! Can you believe this? I would have had better luck being a heroin addict to have the best veins to tap into. Maybe I need some good "heroin veins" to tap into!

Maybe this product is being marketed to druggies! Who knows? What I do know is that I faltered at another audition, wasted an entire day to do this and don’t get the part b/c my veins are not good enough.

Go figure.
CA.

The Baster - New Jennifer Aniston comedy!

(from April 10,2009)

Thinking that I would have no work this past week as it was Passover and Easter, I really didn't expect to get any work. Lo and behold, things always happen when you don't expect it. Sure enough this was true this past week as I was booked on the new Jennifer Aniston move "The Baster" co-starring Jason Bateman.


The movie “The Baster" is a comedy with co-star Jason Bateman. Which is about you guessed it...one thousand ways to use a turkey baster! You can either baste a turkey or "baste" yourself!Thus a new movie synopsis is born!

It’s basically about an unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he (Jason Bateman) replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own!

Shocking! As if this concept has never been done before on a Soap Opera. Still I have to admit, it's a cute premise with comedy potential. On to the night....

The night consisted of mostly line, lines, and more lines. The night started in a line to get checked in and to get the pay voucher. Then you have to get into another line to get checked by wardrobe. Then you wait…and you wait and wait some more in a holding are until a some PA comes in the room with a bullhorn and tells you have 5 minutes to get ready for lunch!

Mind you before we got summoned to Lunch, we totally rationed and hunted out for any drivel of crumbs, food, and chips we could find. I was not going to let myself starve on this movie as we did on the Angelina Movie, "SALT", with a walk-a-way lunch!

So instantly when we saw the food table stationed down the block of the Roosevelt hotel, we started "pilfering" as much food as we could. With the past experience and knowledge of working on a big budget film and getting NO food, any sight of food meant.. "Take NOW! ...Pilfer. PILFer.. PILFER!" Oy Vey. All of a sudden I am feeling mighty Jewish! LOL.

Being the fact the it was Easter /Passover week, I think we made the Lord proud of the food we did manage to take and distribute amongst our brethren background brothers.

Of course we started stuffing our faced with rolls, meats, cheeses, Oreo cookie packs and then we find out that JEN..OH Glorious Jen was to feed us non-union folk as good if not as well as the Sag-folk. Just to get fed was a huge "Hallelujah" and rejoice across the non-sag tables. If felt like the part in the "The Commandments' where Moses takes his staff and parts the sea apart so all the (non-union) slaves can get through to where there will be food and new dwellings.


The best line of all! That is of course if there is a good buffet lunch provided for both the Sag and non-Sag players. Luckily on this movie, we did have a decent catering service provide for all 300 extras! The food was really good and some of us were just SO happy in glee and thanked JEN, our "Moses" for the night! Thank-you Jen!

The worst line has got to be the “Sign-out” at the end of the night line. This line can be brutal as people get demanding and bitchy and an entire state of panic and anger ensues. What’s amazing about this line is that after being on a set for over 14 hours and it ‘s 6am in the morning and the director still wants all the extras to act fresh and active, people are ready to drop.

Though as soon “It’s a wrap” is called, a big mad mass of people regain their energy and will race, run, scream, push, trip and fight to get into that line to get checked out! It’s a swarm of insanity and tired reckless people with the same objective “GET IN THE LINE; SIGN OUT TO GET HOME AND CRASH!”

This is what happened on a set of this nature where you have at least 300 background extras. Why I am still doing this is simply because I need the money. Though I have to admit that the madness of it intrigues me. It’s like once you get through the lines, you have accomplished something great! Strange, but true.

Just like on the Jennifer Aniston movie, we were trapped in Grand Central subway shuttle train where they shot the scene. Clearly I was not in the scene. And not visible, though when I asked if I could leave the set to use the bathroom, it was a big NO!

So it was being trapped there all night ling until they wrapped. It was 14 hours of this craziness. Walking in and out of the subway train doors, over and over again, a thousand times.

Will I do it again. Of course. My favorite part is how people complain how horrible it is, yet they ALL come back…."Back to one!"



CA ;)