Actors Wanted for Paid Web Series in Toronto

Job Position(s): Actors and Actresses

PRODUCTION TITLE:  Manor House

MEDIA:  Pilot / Webseries

EPISODE(S):  1 and 2

STATUS:  Non-Union

PRODUCTION COMPANY:  Cookie Biscuits

PRODUCTION OFFICE LOCATION:  Toronto, Ontario

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:  Carolyn Dunk

CO-EXEC PRODUCER:  Scott Paterson

PRODUCER(S):  Christopher Seeney, Sadie Fay, Ned Petrie, Dave Henning

DIRECTOR: Carolyn Dunk

WRITER:  Christopher Seeney

CASTING DIRECTOR: Christopher Seeney

CASTING ASSOCIATE:  Carolyn Dunk

CASTING ASSISTANT:  Sadie Fay

AUDITION DATES:  Sat. May 28th to Thurs. June 9th
Please submit to whichever role feels best for you

AUDITION LOCATION:  Online – Zoom

CALL-BACK DATE:  Thursday June 9, 2022 Zoom link and instructions in advance

SHOOT DATES:  Fri. Aug. 5th to Thurs. Aug. 18th, 2022 (Tentative Dates)

SHOOTING LOCATION:  Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

SCRIPT AVAILABILITY:  Only monologues

PAY RATE:
– Pay is honorarium, $75.00 per shoot day.
– This is a non-union, indie, low-budget project.
– Food will be provided.

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STORYLINE:
MANOR HOUSE is a ten-episode webseries, and we will be shooting the first two episodes as a pilot/proof-of-concept this summer. Manor House is a parody of reality television – the kind of game show where all the contestants live in a house together. When Perry, the longtime host of Manor House, suddenly quits in the middle of the first episode of the season, it falls on an overwhelmed Production Assistant to keep the show – and its cast of bizarre contestants – in line.

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CASTING:

I – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD
I was Manor House’s P.A. until being thrust into the hosting chair against their will when the show’s regular host bails mid-production. Tries their best, but stays near their breaking point throughout thanks to eccentricities of the cast and the lack of support from the absent producers.

K – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD
K is here for the airtime. Wants to use the show to launch a full-time career as a person that was on a reality show once (Influencer? Reality TV Personality? Attention Vampire?). You can find K anywhere there’s a camera – schmoozing the sponsors, manufacturing drama, fabricating sexual tension – whatever it takes to get noticed.

Q – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
Q presents an exterior of a warm, comforting spirit that attracts friends easily. But behind that charm and hospitality, Q is a sociopathic manipulator. It’s unclear why Q is on the show, besides the opportunity to sow chaos and disorder between the contestants with his subtle manipulations. Like if Dolly Parton/Mister Rogers merged with Alex Forrest/Hannibal Lecter

M – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
ACTOR MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH FREQUENT REFERENCES TO HAVING AN ERECTION 
M is a horny party-animal. Claims to be always “gettin’ some” but is more than likely a virgin. Kind of charming in their own dumb way, but mostly gross – as exemplified by M’s tendency to talk to their own crotch like it’s a separate being, which it isn’t (probably).

DY – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD
DY is humble, sweet, and generous to a fault. The type of dorky person that smiles and presumes the best intentions of others despite being ignored, stepped on, and exploited by nearly everyone they meet. DY came on the show to impress/finally earn the respect of their adult child. It’s not working.

J – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD – BIPOC
ACTOR MUST BE BIPOC
J is returning after having been a contestant back in Season 2. J is ready to redeem themselves from that experience – which included some mysterious, blood-soaked trauma, the details of which are never explained.

C – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
C is delightfully charming, if not a little kooky. Into new age spiritualism, C seems a gentle enough soul – but they hide a dark past that may or may not have involved leading a notorious doomsday cult.

B – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
B is present, but much more preoccupied managing their portfolio of crypto, NFTs, and pyramid schemes. It’s unclear whether any of it has value, but that sure doesn’t stop B from talking about it to anyone gullible enough to listen.

V – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
V is probably a lovely person. Or not? No one’s really sure, as they can’t seem to get much airtime. Despite V’s best efforts, there’s just something about them that fails to leave much of an impression.

D – LEAD ROLE – ANY GENDER – 18-99 YRS OLD 
D is a bit dim-witted/absent minded. They definitely try their best but always seem to get it wrong. They’re not aggressive, manipulative, or even sure what they’re doing on the show – in other words, they’re not a threat to the competition.

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SUBMISSION AND CASTING DETAILS
The first round of casting will be by self-tape, followed by callbacks over Zoom.
Self-tapes are due by June 1st at 23:59
Callbacks will happen the week of June 6th (currently tentatively scheduled for June 9th in the evening).

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SELF-TAPE INSTRUCTIONS
• For your self-tape: ?We want to see your character’s audition tape for Manor House.
(That’s right, a self-tape within a self-tape!)
• Think like a Big Brother audition tape.
• Please read the sides, then improvise from there.
• The sides can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
• You are welcome to perform the sides word-for-word then keep going into improv, or to just use the sides as a general jumping-off point – whatever works best for you.
• We want to see your interpretation of the character, who they are, how they present themself, and why they want to be on Manor House.
• Aim for around three minutes.
• Please fill out the Google Form, which will prompt you to share a link to your self-tape, as well as other information.
• The submission form can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
• (Note that we are seeking submissions directly from actors)