Casting decisions
Casting is crucial within film producing/making, in fact a theatre director has been quoted saying "if a film is good it is 95% due to the casting decisions and whether an actor/actress was suitable to play that specific character." If an actor/actress does not suit the role of the character than the audience may fail to make a connection or they may have a bad reputation for misleading characters development.
We as a group decide to use a Jamie as a supporting cast member. We did this because stereotypically he should play the role of the stalker as he possesses great and intimidating height which would give the audience a feeling of overpowerment because of what they are viewing. We decided to go ahead and contradict the stereotype as we feel that it gives our opening title sequence a sense of originality and uniqueness. We also felt that this makes are film unpredictable and so the audience will never know what to expect allowing them to building up the suspense and fear within themselves.
Who could we have got?
We feel that if we did not use Jamie we could use Logan Leman instead, simply because he has a slight resemebelence to Jamie and that the style of his acting, mostly identified from the Percy Jackson films, is violant aggressive and powerful which is the same traits and similarities to Jamie.
We feel that if we did not use Jamie we could use Logan Leman instead, simply because he has a slight resemebelence to Jamie and that the style of his acting, mostly identified from the Percy Jackson films, is violant aggressive and powerful which is the same traits and similarities to Jamie.
We decided to use Callum as one of the dead victims because of his appearance, his appearance suggests that he is an innocent and harmless person who could never give off the wrong impression or be a very angry person. His appearance allows the audience to feel sympathetic and sad for the death of this character allowing the fear for other characters, that the audience has a positive connection with, might die. We also made sure that this character has more time than the other victims to make sure the audience know that he has died.
We believe that if Callum was not availiable whilst filming we could use Kannel Nayyar, most notibally known for his role of Dr. Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali in the Big Bang Theory, we decided to use him because he is a funny but lovable character that audiences enjoy which is similar to the reasoning behind using Callum within our opening title sequence. He also has a similar appearance because of the skin tone and the direction of the hair is the same, as well as they both have cheeky smirks.
We as a group have decided to cast Gemma within our own opening title sequence. We decided to do this because Gemma, from her appearance looks like an innocent, happy and unsuspecting person and so she is the perfect person for playing the role of a victim. She is also a woman which would go along with the sereotype of she is weak and vulnerable making people think she won't survive for a long time.
Sarah Wayne Callies was another actress we could have used instead of Gemma. This is because, similar to Gemma, she has the look of an innocent victim and therefore would be the lovable character that no one would want to see die. She however, contrast to Gemma, looks like an manipulating and controlling charcter which gives us many roles for her to play.
When casting for our opening title sequence, Unvirtuous, we decided upon the concept of having the victim talking to friends as if they were going about their usual day. We as a casting group therefore cast Amie as a friend of the victim, she has no lines and appears only once as an extra but she is vital in the portrayal of the victim. Amie allows for the victim to be seen by the audience as an individual who has many friends and is well liked by others, and therefore is a catalyst in confusing the audience into why the victim was the one killed. Furthermore, Amie brings an element to the opening title sequence, as does the killer, as an individual who is attractive and therefore appealing to the dominant audience of slasher sub-genres, young to middle aged men.
If Amie was however unavailable for use within our opening title sequence and we had the option of casting a well known actress as her replacement, we as a group believe that Emma Stone would be a suitable replacement. Initially looking at the two individuals, we see a similarity between the two in which the audience of young to middle aged men in which most slasher films are aimed at will like as both are attractive and are able to "flaunt". On a much more basic level however, we see Emma and Amie as two individuals that are sociable and well liked which would work leaps and bounds in making a horror victim look less and less like a suitable target.
When looking to cast for the opening title sequence, Unvirtuous, it was important for us as a team that the individual in which we cast as the victim not only confuses the audience but contradicts the stereotype of a horror of having a vulnerable girl as the victim in which the killer will hunt down. As a result of this, we cast Robbie as shown above, it is important that the individual in which we chose to play the victim is someone who looks innocent and as if they could do no wrong. Robbie looks as if he couldn't hurt a fly as such as well as being someone that a potential audience would be confused with his death, the individual looks as if no one would want to hurt him and along with the major fact that he is a male, it allows for the audience to see a contradiction of a stereotype often shown within the opening title sequence of a slasher film.
If Robbie was unavailable for casting within the opening title sequence of Unvirtuous, we would cast Josh Hutcherson as he would have looked in 2013, this is because at this time in the actors career he shows a similarity in resemblance to Robbie therefore allowing for many of the same character traits to be portrayed across the screen to the audience, Furthermore, Josh looks as if he also wouldn't hurt anyone once more allowing the audience to become confused to why he'd be targeted by a killer within a slasher style of horror film. Finally as a male, Josh Hutcherson would also allow for the traditional stereotype of a first kill being a female to be contradicted and therefore create a new breed of horror in which a male could be seen as vulnerable and in danger.
We decided to cast Eve as the role of another victim within our opening title sequence. We have specifically chosen her because even though she is a woman and so the stereotype is that they are weak and vulnerable she appears to be strong and organised and aware of anything that goes her which causes the audience to be confused whether she will survive within the opening title sequence or not.
If Eve was unavailable for any reason we would have cast Amy Poehler. This is because of the similarities between the two people and she also looks like a strong, organised and an independent woman which are all good character traits to have in a horror event and similar characteristics to Eve. She also looks like she could be an evil character which would add the effect of suspense and unpredictability.
When looking to cast individuals for parts within our opening title sequence, Unvirtuous, we as a team wanted a killer that not only contradicts the stereotype of being strong or overly deluded but also a teenage female that looks as if they are completely innocent. It is important for us that we as a group create a slasher form of horror film that is different and that reaches out to a audience that may have never seen such ideas before therefore pushing us as a team to cast a young and attractive female killer that would be unsuspecting but also kill those who look innocent and vulnerable to the audience. George is in her teens and has an attractiveness about her that would confuse audiences to why she'd become a killer of ruthlessness and savagery and combined with the major factor that she is a female allows for the contradiction of the stereotype that young females within horror are innocent.
When filming the opining title sequence for Unvirtuous, it would be important for the cast member to be present and if this was impossible for Georgia then we as a group would cast Jennifer Lawrence as a replacement. The reasons in which we as a team would cast Jennifer in replacement for Georgia begins with the fact that they both share a small similarity with each other in which the audience could still receive the character traits in which Georgia would have otherwise. Secondly, Jennifer also looks as if she wouldn't hurt anyone and so she makes a perfect killer for a horror film such as ours that wants to contradict stereotypes as well as challenge ideas to who could be the killer within a horror, and why. Finally, and obviously, she is a female and so not only shares the resemblance to Georgia but allows for us as a team to portray as an innocent girl that goes on vicious and dangerous killing rampages.
When casting for our opening title sequence, Unvirtuous, we decided upon the concept of having the victim talking to friends as if they were going about their usual day to show that audience that the victim is someone that is liked and valued rather than abandoned and lonely. We as a casting group therefore cast Caylum as a friend of the victim, he has no lines and no major acting part but ensures the character of the victim to be one which is loved and do confuses the audience when the victim is eventually killed or even found dead within the opening title sequence. Having extras such as Caylum allows for the victim not to be seen as a poor man with no friends but a middle class individual with a circle that makes him a socialite, because after all who cares in horror when a poor man dies.
When casting for Unvirtuous, out opening title sequence, it is important for our cast members to be available. If Caylum isn't available for filming then we as a team believe that a suitable replacement for the individual would be Alexander Ludwig who bares a similarity to Caylum and allows for similar character traits to be portrayed across to the audience watching the opening title sequence. When casting Alexander, we would be able to see that he and the eventual victim look sociable and as if they are middle-class school kids or at least individuals who are not poor. Alexander will allow for Robbie as the victim to be portrayed as someone who shouldn't be killed as he is liked in a friend circle rather than someone who is lonely and poor or someone who is worth killing as such.