Filmmakers look for fresh talent at Pitt

‘ ‘ ‘ Big characters are all the rage in Hollywood this year. From Heath Ledger as the Joker,… ‘ ‘ ‘ Big characters are all the rage in Hollywood this year. From Heath Ledger as the Joker, Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and Meryl Streep as ruler-slapping Sister Aloysius Beauvier, big personalities have dominated the big screen. ‘ ‘ ‘ Maybe it could be a lucky Pitt student’s big turn to be big on the big screen. ‘ ‘ ‘ Worse Comes To Worst Productions will hold auditions this weekend in the Cathedral of Learning for its next film, which is under the working title ‘The Art of Mental Stability.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re looking for big actors, people who can have lots of fun and can really explore exaggerated movement, voice and character,’ said Dangerfield Moore, the director and producer for Worse Comes To Worst. ‘ ‘ ‘ Moore is one of the founding members of the production company and was on hand for its first film. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘After we saw the new Incredible Hulk movie, we looked at each other and said, ‘You know what, we need to make a movie,” said Moore. ‘ ‘ ‘ The first movie by WCTW rotates around the lives of five jerks who constantly make fun of one another until they find out that one of the jerks is a porn star. Its next film takes a much larger picture into the frame. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s a coming-of-age story. An artist has to deal with influences, other artists and people in his life trying to show him the way he should view the world and his work.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The main character, an artist named Darren, is easily relatable to the audience because ‘he’s going through a lot of problems,’ said Moore. ‘ ‘ ‘ But it’s not the main character whom Moore is most proud of. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The reasons for Darren getting into the art business come to him as apparitions, psychological characters and memories,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Each of these psychological characters represents exaggerated thought processes, and Moore has plenty of opportunities for people to play any of these roles. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There are about 26 speaking roles, all of which are significant. There are roles for all ages, ethnicities and genders,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One character, named Zoe, plays a dual role. Not only is she a figment of Darren’s imagination, but she is also a real person in Darren’s life. ‘ ‘ ‘ In the fantasy, Zoe has an indulgent yet dynamic personality. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘By the end of the film she is violent and insulting,’ said Moore. ‘The actor has to be very big, but very realistic too.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Another character is an artist named Vince. He is an open-minded, unique, fun-loving character who makes a firm point after giving a speech in the film about his views on the world. ‘ ‘ ‘ Along with big characters, though, Moore is also looking for actual artists to donate their work to the movie to use as Darren’s art. ‘ ‘ ‘ Moore is not only excited to get to meet big personalities and actors for the film, but he’s also excited to use Pittsburgh once again as the setting of his film. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I was born and bred in Pittsburgh. I love it to death,’ said Moore. ‘There’s a unique attitude that permeates through people who live here, and I understand the mentality of everyone in Pittsburgh. It shows up in a lot of my characters on screen.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Moore graduated from the Pitt only last semester and is still involved with the department of theatre arts. ‘ ‘ ‘ Now he is looking at graduate schools and hopes to attend the University of San Diego and hone his filmmaking skills. ‘ ‘ ‘ Auditions for the film are Friday from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ‘ ‘ ‘ Auditions take place in 1601 Cathedral of Learning, and actors are asked to bring a prepared monologue and also to be ready to read parts from the new film. ‘ ‘ ‘ WCTW has no money to pay people right now but promises that you will come away from the experience with something worth much more than dollars and cents. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Everything is either volunteers, donations or out of our own pockets, but we feed you, you get your name in the credits and have lots of fun and make plenty of memories,’ said Moore. ‘ ‘ ‘ Contact Moore and Worse Comes To Worst at their MySpace page www.myspace.com/wctwproductions