BlackmanVision Film Production

STUD LIFE – CASTING CALL – LONDON ACTORS
Mates b4 Muff
Writer/Director: CampbellX
Producers – Stella Nwimo & Nadya Kassam

BD Women Clip from BlackmanVision on Vimeo. One of Campbell’s award-winning films

Stud Life is the new feature length film on queer street life in London written and directed by CampbellX. The film is a post-modern LGBT She’s Gotta Have It for the YouTube generation. Stud Life asks the perennial queer question, how do you choose between your lover and your best friend?

Stud Life is filmed over 10 days in London. Please note Stud Life contains lesbian, gay male and transgender content and scenes of a sexual nature and is a lo-budget independent film shot on HD video.

AUDITIONS
Dates of auditions will be 19, 21 22 July 2010 in London.
22 July will be the call back day.
Please email head shots and CVs to studlifethemovie@gmail.com stating what role you are auditioning for. Please include links to any videos of yourself online.
DEADLINE 16TH JULY 17:00 HOURS

CHARACTERS
JJ – 20 something Black butch masculine female, often mistaken for a guy.
Seb – JJ’s best friend and confidante and side-kick is a white ethnic 20 something emo gay man.
Smack Jack – 20-something Anglo English posh boy. He is smitten by Seb, who takes no notice of him.
Elle – 20-something lesbian hi-femme professional dominatrix. JJ falls for her but realises she is very hot to handle.
Manchester Joe – 30 something chavvy and thug sort of guy, Has anger issues and internalised homophobia.
White Man – 60 something
Thai Woman – 20 something
Bouncer – 30 something Black man
Iranian gay guy – 20 something
Older white boyfriend of Iranian guy – 50 something
Butch Boi – 20 something masculine woman
Hooded Youth 1 – 18-25
Hooded Youth 2 – 18-25
Flirty beautiful feminine woman – 20 – 60 something
1950’ s Bride – 30 something tattoed burlesque type woman
1950’s Groom – 30 something 1950’s style and vibe
Woman in Loo – 30-something
Barber 1 – 20 something – African
Barber 2 – 40 something – African
Hairdresser 1- 20 something Jamaican woman
Hairdresser 2 – 20 something – Black woman
Buppy woman – 30 something – Black aspirational woman
Buppy man – 40 something – Black aspirational type man
Old Skool Butch – 60 something woman
Chic Femme – 60 something woman
Hippy Femme - 30 something woman
Toi Boi – 30 something transman (FTM)
Asian bride – 20 something Asian woman
Bride’s Mother – 40 something Asian woman
Bride’s father – 40 something Asian man
Bridesmaid 1 – 20 something Asian woman
Bridesmaid 2 – 20 something Asian woman
Bridesmaid 3 – 20 something Asian woman

You got funding for your film after submitting your precious script or treatment to a funding body. Someone liked it! In fact someone out there loved it so much they want to invest their money in you and in your film. Celebrate! Go out with your friends. Feel the love because the next months are going to be hard and you will need your friends. This may all sound basic to some people, but to others maybe not.

1. Meet the funders with your producer who will have read the contract and has some questions. If you are the producer as well as director, read the contract very carefully and ask any questions about things you don’t understand. Clarify. Clarify.
2. Make sure you understand the needs of the funders. Yes they love the script, they love you. It is a kissy kissy lovefest. But they usually have an agenda er …goal. Find out what it is from other people who have received funding previously, if you are not alert to this, the relationship can turn sour very quickly.
3. Find out how many stakeholders need to see the film before the rough cut is signed off. It may not be just the people you meet up with, but other invisible backroom people who have a say. Build this into your schedule.
4. Get a good senior production manager or line producer to manage the shoot. Not your mate!  Get someone who is skilled and comes with cash flow templates, contracts, and other tricks. She – it is usually a ‘she’ will negotiate good deals for you. She usually comes with loads of contacts too. If you are not very experienced these are like gold dust. She will also prevent you from going over budget.
5. Work with a crew who believes in you and your vision. Yeah I know you are paying them and they should get all enthusiastic because you are flashing the cash. However you need to have support of the crew because after several days working long hours, they will be tired and narky.
6. While you are at it, don’t forget to feed people. Humans on film crews somehow get primal, and food is one of the basic needs. If you feed them food they like, they will be very happy. This is for any film whether funded or not.
7. If it is a drama get professional actors or performers to be in your film. It is tempting to use friends who would LOVE to be in a movie. I am passing on this warning  from more experienced directors than me.
8. Film sets are notorious for having loads of people hanging around. Leave that to the blockbuster movies with their multimillion budgets. On your lo-budget movie every penny has to count. Check with your line producer if you really need everyone. More people means more mouths to feed, more people to move around which eats money. Be brutal.
9. But don’t delete the stills photographer who will take stills for your film. Trust me, stills are better than frame grabs for press and publicity. And you can afford a photographer with funding.
10. Enjoy the experience it is like no other.

Nina’s Heavenly Delights was the first feature film in the UK by an out Asian lesbian. It is a miracle that this film got funded as no feature film about lesbians directed by lesbians gets funded anymore in the UK. Shocking but true. Usually the films are directed by men.

It is a major achievement and a testament to Pratibha Parmar‘s tenacity and sheer doggedness in the face of dragging feet by a major funding source in the UK that the film completed it’s journey from script to screen. The film has gone on to win international awards. It is really inspiring to me to see that Pratibha has managed to sustain a career sticking to her politics as well as still maintainng a committment to making films that include queer or Asian storylines.