Rebecca O'Brien

THE FILM

‘A Child’s Introduction To The Principles And Mechanics Of Flight’

Toby,6, wakes one morning to an empty house. Scared and alone he takes solace in constructing a model plane for its maiden flight but as the days go by unforeseen circumstances force him to reckon with the power and pain of letting go.

THE CHARACTERS

We are open to finding the right children to play these parts, regardless of sex, so if you are a boy or a girl feel free to send us an audition.

TOBY (Girl or Boy 5-8yrs) is an airplane enthusiast. A sensitive child who loves reading and playing board games. He/she is loyal and kind with a determined streak that can sometimes get him/her in trouble.

BILLY (Girl or Boy 6-8yrs) is a bit of a bully, he/she has had to weather parental neglect and an older sibling who torments them on a daily basis.

TIM (Girl or Boy 6-8yrs) is timid, happy to not make waves, lives in fear of Billy turning on him.

PETE (Girl or Boy 6-8yrs) is funny, a bit of a larrikin, articulate, a bit of a smartarse.

YOUR AUDITION

The audition can be filmed on any phone or any other camera you have available.

Here is the link to the scene we would like you to perform for your audition…Audition Scene

As most of you are very young I have included a link to the entire script for your parents to read here…Link to Script – An Introduction to the Principles and Mechanics of Flight

PLEASE DO NOT post your audition on YouTube, social media or anywhere else! Your audition should only go to us via this Dropbox link.

PLEASE READ THESE HANDY TIPS.

Keep it simple. Make sure there is enough light to clearly see your face. An iphone is fine to use. In a perfect world the camera/phone should be on a tripod for a steady image. If not, make sure the camera is a steady as possible. The shot should be of your head and shoulders with a small amount of space above your head.

Make sure there is enough light to see your face clearly. Record a test to see how it looks and sounds beforehand.

Have someone read the lines of the other character(s) off camera.  Please don’t look at the camera! You should look off to the right or left of the lens at the reader.

Learn the lines beforehand and try to pretend the camera isn’t there.  As this is film and not theatre it is very important to keep it simple and conversational, don’t make it too ‘big’. It should feel effortless, like a real conversation. We really want to see naturalistic performances, not heightened pantomime style.

And don’t forget to listen to the reader. How does the other person in the scene make you feel? How do they affect you?  You don’t need to talk to communicate. We also communicate when we listen.

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE your NAME, AGE and LOCATION at the beginning or the end of your audition and zoom out so we can see how tall you are 😉

Thank you !