When the Flood Gates Finally Opened...

As soon as the rope holding the crowd back was lifted, the group spilled into the next room like a Tsunami hitting the beach, EVERYONE wanted to be sure that they had their chance to shine, to be discovered like a shiny gem that had been washed ashore...



We all squeezed past the narrow opening like minnows into a seining net… each holding our breath hoping that the gauntlet of the thin red velvet rope wouldn’t be dropped in front of them, forever excluding them from their brush with destiny…


Once beyond the rope we once again spread out and filled the next holding area to capacity. In front of us was a podium and microphone and standing behind the podium was none other than Joan Philo of "Joan Philo Casting" Joan was from the windy city, shy town, Chicago Illinois…



Joan was all smiles when she met the group. She took a deep breath, smiled, and began her performance... She was on stage in front of her audience, giving a performance I am sure she had given at least a thousand times that day… and most assuredly more like a hundred thousand times over before she was through casting for just this flick…

We all listened in eager anticipation, and hung on her every word…

Buckle up, we're due for an amazing ride!
Are you Ready? Here we go...

She went on to give the group the following run down of what we were all there to be a part of… To make history and be a part of the Universal Film "Public Enemies"

... Public Enemies is a "period" feature film, circa early 1930s. You know what this means period hair styles and wardrobe fittings -- guys please keep your hair long -- do not cut it!! Women will need to have period hair styles -- Everyone that will be cast will need to attend a wardrobe fitting. The fitting usually takes a few hours -- you'll be fit in an outfit and also be looked at by the hair department. Haircuts will most likely happen at the wardrobe fitting. The fitting usually happens a week or so before your day on set.I am looking for a core group of extras (non-speaking roles) that will be able to work many days. So let me know if this might be you! I'm also searching for people that might be available for one or two days. These are paid extras positions. Rate TBD.Being that this is a period film we need to find people that are able to fit into the period wardrobe. There are size requirements!MEN need to be 6'1" and under and WOMEN 5'8" and under (no larger than a size 12), all ages (including children) in order to be considered.*KIDS: I only consider casting kids that have current work permits on file with Joan Philo Casting. Casting children goes down fast. I mean super fast. They might call me the night before a shoot and ask for a child of a certain age. I run to my kids' files and pull any child that has a work permit. Don't miss out because your child doesn't have a work permit! (I know that getting a work permit takes effort and I appreciate that this is done in the hopes of getting cast, thank you!)We start shooting in mid-March and shoot through June 2008. I will be holding open casting calls soon! Stay tuned...

She also provided all of us aspiring actors with a bit of advice to us all… that film shoots can be exceedingly long and boring, and that patience is a virtue. "Never ask on set, or at a wardrobe fitting, when you can go home -- this is quite the uncomfortable question and will make you look ill-prepared,' she notes. "Please don't ask."

And with that, she smiled and waved her hand with a wide sweeping motion, like Glenda the Good Witch from the Wizard of OZ, and set us all free to move to the next and final holding area… Casting Photos.

Here we were given a number, asked to step in front of a white screen, and instructed not to smile as a few photos were taken of us. Some folks were simply asked to leave immediately after the photo, while others, like myself were asked to stand to the side… and hold our numbers in front of us. Then after a few minutes of just standing there, we were told to exit in the back, and drop our "numbers" in a box on the way out.

And just like that it was over... All of the waiting and anticipation of this day was done. I had traveled through the bowels of a casting call for a major motion picture, and was being ejected from the process like so much waste after a fat producers lunch...

Now all that was left was the wait…