Casting Call for Reenactors - PSA for the UK
Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 8:18 am
DISCLAIMER: This is a public service announcement. I do this merely to support the medievalist community at large, of which I am a proud lifelong member.
I neither know nor endorse these people. Caveat Emptor.
THE CASTING NETWORK is a well-established and reputable agency supplying film and television extras to the British Film and Television Industry, especially to productions filming in Greater London and The Home Counties.
I have been working in the business for 30 years, specifically in crowd casting since 1980, when I trained and worked for ten years at the then world-famous Central Casting in London’s Soho.
We are about to start work on a 13-part drama series of half hour episodes which is being made by an independent production company for BBC Television.
It is the dramatisation of the popular ‘Horrible Histories’ and at this stage we must assume they are looking for both military and civilian characters.We have been asked to find suitable people to work on episodes depicting the following eras:
Aztecs and Incas
The Stone Age
Celts
Ancient Greeks and Ancient Egyptians
Vikings
Romans
The Middle Ages
Christopher Columbus – end of 15th Century
Ivan The Terrible (Russia 1530 – 1584))
Tudors
Stuarts
Georgian Period
Victorians
World War 1 AND World War 2
More than one period will be covered in each 30 minute episode, and each episode will comprise several short ‘sketches’.
It has been decided to utilise the expertise of re enactment societies in order to get authentic costumes and also people who are genuinely interested in their chosen era.
We are not looking for hundreds, just a handful of people (adults and children) to illustrate each particular scene.
Filming starts on Mon 19 May 2008 on location in Buckinghamshire for around 4 weeks and in a quarry and the subsequent filming will take place at Twickenham Film Studios in Middlesex. The complete filming window is Monday 19 May – 18 July 2008. All filming takes place on WEEKDAYS. There is NO FILMING ON WEEKENDS.
All participants must have their own transport to get to filming locations.
It is likely that those chosen will only be required for one day’s filming.
If you think anyone in your society or group maybe interested in being considered for one of the scenes, do contact me during office hours (10am-6pm weekdays only) on 020 8391 2979 or email me to lesleycastingnetwork@talk21.com
If you email me, please write ‘HORRIBLE HISTORIES’ in the subject box and in the text, do tell me which era you or your members would be interested in and include your phone number and their contact details too if possible. Could you also please attach any photos of you or your colleagues in costume? Please ensure this attachments are small jpgs only and that they are clearly labelled as to who is who in each picture!
A standard filming day is 7am-7pm but there may be some ‘split days’, which is a term for when filming starts half way through the day at say 12noon and therefore the expected finish would be 12 midnight. Therefore anyone wishing to be considered MUST be able to get to either Buckinghamshire or Twickenham film studios by 7am.
PAYMENT: This production company propose to pay each adult £100 which includes holiday credit plus £5 travel allowance. This is for up to 12 hours from call time and is to be include payment for bringing your own costumes and props where required.
Children (anyone under age 16) are to be paid 50% of the adult fee.
Note: All children have to be licenced to work on film and television productions in order to comply with current legislation. One of the items needed for a licence is a letter from the child’s GP stating the child is ‘fit and well for film work’ and GPs can charge up to £45 to provide this letter. Therefore children who take part in filming do it more for the experience than for the fee!
Please note: All fees, with the exception of travel allowances, are subject to 20% agency commission and VAT is applicable on commission. Therefore after deductions, payment for a days’s work is £100 - £20 commission - £3.50 VAT = £76.50 plus £5 travel allowance. Therefore the total will be £81.50 per adult per filming day.
The agency invoices for your money and it takes between 8-10weeks from the date of filming until we receive payment. Payment to you is made by cheque and is posted to you to the address you give us.
Please read our terms and conditions on our website on www.thecastingnetwork.co.uk.
Click on Artists and then go to Information.
As yet I do not have a filming schedule or a list of scenes I need to cast for, so I cannot be more specific.
LESLEY GOGARTY
1 May 2008
Director
The Casting Network Ltd
4 Vidler Close Chessington Surrey KT9 2GL Tel: 020 8391 2979
www.thecastingnetwork.co.uk
email: lesleycastingnetwork@talk21.com
I neither know nor endorse these people. Caveat Emptor.
THE CASTING NETWORK is a well-established and reputable agency supplying film and television extras to the British Film and Television Industry, especially to productions filming in Greater London and The Home Counties.
I have been working in the business for 30 years, specifically in crowd casting since 1980, when I trained and worked for ten years at the then world-famous Central Casting in London’s Soho.
We are about to start work on a 13-part drama series of half hour episodes which is being made by an independent production company for BBC Television.
It is the dramatisation of the popular ‘Horrible Histories’ and at this stage we must assume they are looking for both military and civilian characters.We have been asked to find suitable people to work on episodes depicting the following eras:
Aztecs and Incas
The Stone Age
Celts
Ancient Greeks and Ancient Egyptians
Vikings
Romans
The Middle Ages
Christopher Columbus – end of 15th Century
Ivan The Terrible (Russia 1530 – 1584))
Tudors
Stuarts
Georgian Period
Victorians
World War 1 AND World War 2
More than one period will be covered in each 30 minute episode, and each episode will comprise several short ‘sketches’.
It has been decided to utilise the expertise of re enactment societies in order to get authentic costumes and also people who are genuinely interested in their chosen era.
We are not looking for hundreds, just a handful of people (adults and children) to illustrate each particular scene.
Filming starts on Mon 19 May 2008 on location in Buckinghamshire for around 4 weeks and in a quarry and the subsequent filming will take place at Twickenham Film Studios in Middlesex. The complete filming window is Monday 19 May – 18 July 2008. All filming takes place on WEEKDAYS. There is NO FILMING ON WEEKENDS.
All participants must have their own transport to get to filming locations.
It is likely that those chosen will only be required for one day’s filming.
If you think anyone in your society or group maybe interested in being considered for one of the scenes, do contact me during office hours (10am-6pm weekdays only) on 020 8391 2979 or email me to lesleycastingnetwork@talk21.com
If you email me, please write ‘HORRIBLE HISTORIES’ in the subject box and in the text, do tell me which era you or your members would be interested in and include your phone number and their contact details too if possible. Could you also please attach any photos of you or your colleagues in costume? Please ensure this attachments are small jpgs only and that they are clearly labelled as to who is who in each picture!
A standard filming day is 7am-7pm but there may be some ‘split days’, which is a term for when filming starts half way through the day at say 12noon and therefore the expected finish would be 12 midnight. Therefore anyone wishing to be considered MUST be able to get to either Buckinghamshire or Twickenham film studios by 7am.
PAYMENT: This production company propose to pay each adult £100 which includes holiday credit plus £5 travel allowance. This is for up to 12 hours from call time and is to be include payment for bringing your own costumes and props where required.
Children (anyone under age 16) are to be paid 50% of the adult fee.
Note: All children have to be licenced to work on film and television productions in order to comply with current legislation. One of the items needed for a licence is a letter from the child’s GP stating the child is ‘fit and well for film work’ and GPs can charge up to £45 to provide this letter. Therefore children who take part in filming do it more for the experience than for the fee!
Please note: All fees, with the exception of travel allowances, are subject to 20% agency commission and VAT is applicable on commission. Therefore after deductions, payment for a days’s work is £100 - £20 commission - £3.50 VAT = £76.50 plus £5 travel allowance. Therefore the total will be £81.50 per adult per filming day.
The agency invoices for your money and it takes between 8-10weeks from the date of filming until we receive payment. Payment to you is made by cheque and is posted to you to the address you give us.
Please read our terms and conditions on our website on www.thecastingnetwork.co.uk.
Click on Artists and then go to Information.
As yet I do not have a filming schedule or a list of scenes I need to cast for, so I cannot be more specific.
LESLEY GOGARTY
1 May 2008
Director
The Casting Network Ltd
4 Vidler Close Chessington Surrey KT9 2GL Tel: 020 8391 2979
www.thecastingnetwork.co.uk
email: lesleycastingnetwork@talk21.com