Feature Film THE LAST AIRBENDER CASTING CALL in Flushing Queens!!!

The entire Month of February has been a complete write-off in terms of background work. Actually...it's been a VERY bad month for getting other job/income as well. What a huge struggle. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So when you see Craig's List postings such as:

**BE IN A MOVIE!!** a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE filming in Philadelphia “THE LAST AIRBENDER” Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, “Avatar”, the PARAMOUNT PICTURES & NICKELODEON MOVIES live-action feature film, THE LAST AIRBENDER, directed, written, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. NOW CASTING… MARTIAL ARTISTS, CRAFTSMAN, ARTISTS, DANCERS, GYMNASTS, FAMILIES, & GRANDPARENTS**

The part that I omitted from the original posting is this :Searching for… ASIAN-AMERICANS MEN & WOMEN, BOYS & GIRLS AGES 5-85 ...yes not CAUC-Asian..JUST ASIANS!!!!

Though being the determined and resourceful person that I am, I went anyways. Actually it was my friend "S", who is now SAG, that mentioned this to me. So I figured, "I got nothing better to do on a Sunday, why not!"

I headed out to Roosevelt avenue subway stop and I picked up the "7" train. It was a nice and pleasant trip. I got a seat on the train and it was not jam-packed with ASIANS, as it is on the weekday.

I got to Main Street in Flushing and I was in absolute shock. This area is literally Canal Street times a thousand!!! WOW! I have never seen SO many Asians and Asian stores than on Main Street. I think they may have more Chinese than in China! Well okay maybe not, but close!

Part of the intrigue to going to this casting call was this posting on the Internet of a protest being held there: last airbender casting call protest in flushing. The protest was because this "Avatar"/animated series consists of ONLY Asian characters. There is not one single white person in the series.

However, when Hollywood produces a movie, they are the big money shakers and in order to sell tickets, have to make it as marketable as possible. So in this case, they, "Hollywood People with 'deep pockets' to produce such a big budget film", decided to cast a female and male lead that are of "Caucasian persuasion", not ASIAN...



NOT going to make the ASIANS happy , considering the original animation was cast as all Asians and gave the Asians a brand name. Now this "brand name" is being tainted all for the 'almighty buck', so to speak. Mess with the Asian product, you mess with the Asians.



Mind you it turned out to be a very mild protest with a turnout of only two brave souls and die hard fans of the avatar to stand out there in the cold and hand out fliers. Still these two young individuals stood their ground and maintained their space and proved they had a purpose. This was of course until they got booted off the premises and had to go across to the gas station sidewalk to continue their brigade.

As for this cattle call, I guess it was funny in a way that My friend and I were the only Cauc-Asians in that room on the 2nd floor of the Flushing Town hall where we had to fill out the forms. For once I was the minority and not just another thirties blond "mom" type. When they called out "SAG" my friend was the only one out of about 100 Asians in the room that raised their hand. Still there is no way me or my friend will get cast on this movie.

We explained this to the casting person and they Though as sad as things have got, you have to try everything in terms of the economy and lack of film and TV productions, you have to try everything.

Desperate Times indeed...

Sigh :(

Cattle Call for two Feature Films

I swore to myself that I would not waste my time going to one of these cattle calls. Last time I went to one of these, I had to stand outside for hours in a huge line of people just to fill out some forms and get a quick digital snap-shot taken.

So it was no surprise to head out into the city and see hundreds of people with headshots and resumes in their hands, shivering in the cold waiting to get inside to the doors of the church where they were holding the "auditions".

This cattle call was at least at a decent location over by W.59th St and 9th avenue at the church of Saint Peter the Apostle. it's definitely a huge area to hold a throng of people, though there were just TOO many people to bring in at once.

I recall being in this church before when I was on that movie "Don't Mess with the Zohan" starring Adam Sandler and ended up being a horrible experience. I knew that the location of the church sounded all too familiar and when I got to W 59th and started walking across Columbus Circle,the flashbacks of the horror became all too clear.

I will never forget the 3 days/nights on that shoot with NO food and No respect at all. Oh did I mention NO waivers for being out in the cold miserable rains...The list goes on, though I will stop here on that "Zohan Mess"! I really know how things work too well and how to work the system.

Why in the world I still don't have my SAG Waivers...Ask the "GOD of SAG Waivers" I wish I knew why I am still a non-union loser after all this time.

Moving on...So I got there and luckily I saw my friend "D" in line as soon as I crossed the street. Talk about luck b/c this meant I avoided having to wait in the line wrapping around the end of the block.


Eventually after standing outside for about a half of an hour, which wasn't too bad, we got inside to the church where there were rows of chairs for our next step to sit down and fill out a form which consisted of everything from your name to your bra size. Oh yeah don't forget color and make of your car, if you have one. Very Important information...

The two movies that they were "auditioning" for was an untitled "Nancy Meyers Project" and oh yeah...the movie that I auditioned for on a callback which I didn't get and would have meant a feature role and instant SAG..Named "The Sorcerers Apprentice" .

Yes, I auditioned for the role of a Russian Woman and was really close to getting it, though it didn't happen. Here is the original blog of my devastating failure and how I blew an opportunity of a life time:
http://annietalentsearch.blogspot.com/2009/01/call-backs-for-sorcerers-apprentice.html

So you can imagine how I felt even going to this cattle call. It's humiliating and embarrassing at this point. There I was offered a "Golden Opportunity" and it was stripped from me in an instant.

I'm sure the entire New York Actors Roster will be called for the one thousand people scene that they plan to shoot in April of this year. I'm sure I'll get a waiver for being in a crowd scene. Lord knows I was right beside Julia Roberts in "Duplicity" which is showing on Movie Trailers right now and I got NOTHING out of that.

Life is a long lesson in humility by --- J.M. Barrie --- I think I have humiliated myself enough
and need to move on..

Sigh ;(