2008-02-15: Open Call

Starring:

Tyson_icon.gif Zach_icon.gif

Summary: Zach's having trouble finding some good actors for his film, but the day gets saved by an unlikely Token.

Date It Happened: February 15, 2008

Open Call


NYU's Courtyard

NYU's Main Courtyard. This is where a group of people of all ages have lined up and are hanging out and everything else they possibly can do… as they wait for their turn to deal with the man of the our: Zach Moyer. At the present moment, Zach is seated at a table, with a couple of other people that aren't important and right now he's filming some girl…

"So like, y'know, I was totally like, y'know, scared and stuff. Like… OHMIGAWD! Y'know?" Becky rambles on and on with her lines as she reads for the part of the leading lady. It's all jawdropped stares from the group at the table as they watch Becky ruin a perfectly dramatic script.

"NEXT!"

Tyson Harris is one face a lot of people probably wouldn't expect to see around the NY campus, the reason for this being the fact that he was not an enrolled student; in fact, the boy had pretty much dropped out of school entirely… begging the question, why was he here today? That answer is likely to be something as simple as scouting out college females or… appearing in the middle of a clump of people, he immediately realizes how stupid it was to just appear like that, especially when it seems the group he appeared within was getting ready to do some acting. The worst part? Tyson was the one standing next in line when the apparent director called next. "Uh… yeah… So this isn't the line to the bathroom?"

"Humor. Again with the humor. Seriously, guys, I think we should look into filming this as a comedy instead." Zach mutters with everything that means sarcasm. However, the two guys sitting with him take the idea seriously and start writing notes. Zach just rolls his eyes. "Anyway! Here ya' go." And Zach holds out a couple sheets of paper. "You'll be reading for the part of Manny. He's a street talkin' tough kid that doesn't take crap from anybody. Especially demons."

Zach's camera has also been on this entire time. Aimed at an angle that quite possibly might've caught Tyson's little show upness on film. Who knows.

"Yeah, well-" Tyson begins, caught off guard by the fact he was now doing an audition. "I guess- Manny, huh?" The name seems to ring a bell, especially when when the director gives him the character's personality, he can't help but chuckle. "Too bad, Phi ain't around." He mutters to himself, looking over Manny's lines. "And you just want me to go? Just start reading? Or do you want I should take some time-" His questions surprised himself, he was getting into this now. Not that it mattered, he supposed, if anything he would fail and just get on with his business, just hoping nobody would go on wondering how he had gotten here in the first place. "But yeah, screw demons, starting trouble and stuff, right? Where do they get off with all that jazz." He wasn't reading lines, though, more likely, he was stalling.

Zach is getting comfortable in his chair at this moment, listening to the rambling coming from the kid he's never seen before. "Maybe this comedy thing isn't such a bad idea after all…" This time, the comment is serious. But then he's sitting up and sliding his pencil behind his ear. "Just go for it. Spin it. However you want. Hell, improv if you feel like it." Apparently, Zach is a little frustrated with the lack of talent that has come out for his student film and he just wants to cast at least ONE FREAKING PART!

Hearing the suggestion, Tyson wings it. Really not caring if he got in and finding himself kind of wanting to just slip back into the crowd and disappear. That, however, would have been more dificult to explain than just getting the audition over with and so with a shrug he committed himself to his goal. "All right. Yeah, I'm a badass, so what? It doesn't mean I'm going to jump you walking down the street, but I know how to put up a fight. I can take care of myself and I don't- I don't need some demon? Trying to run my life." He was running low on creativity, maybe that was why he started pulling from some real life example… "Besides, I've got tricks of my own. Kinds, you've probably only seen in Hell, which is exactly where I'm about to kick you back to if you don't get out of my way…" Go spontaneously improvised monologues! Done, Tyson looked around for some kind of response seeing as he really had just tossed whatever was on the paper out of the window.

Silence. The response is silence. Because Zach and the others are just staring at him like he's managed to save their film. "I think you might've single-handedly saved our film. Right guys?" The unimportant duo just nod and smile about what's being said and such, before Zach gets himself up from his chair. "Okay. Just tell the camera your name and a way to contact you. Because you're hired. Well, not really hired, so much, since this is a student film and we're all broke. But! We will provide food! You like food, don't you?"

Crap. Tyson really had not meant to succeed in his audition, so can you blame his jaw for dropping. "Uh… you serious? Like serious, serious? Because I'm not even a student here, I just-" Then there was mention made about speaking to a camera… double crap. Had that thing been on the entire time? Did it catch his entrance? This was not going to be good. He just needed to check if that video actually caught him doing anything he might catch hell for. "Yeah, well… My name? Is Ty… King. Ty King." He was really not sure where that last name came from but he was running with it. "And I can be best reached at 283-2785. Any time, just call me." He smiles weakly, hoping he knew what he was doing.

"Awesome. Cut!" And that's Zach reaching out to turn off the camera. Before long, he has those cronies of his doing that thing where they break down the tripod and all of that. The tape is handed off to Zach, who pockets it very quickly. "Okay, everybody! Thanks for coming! But we need to do some changes to the script so… we'll be holding another open call later this week! Hope to see you then!" And as the crowd moans and whines and does the reluctant dispersing thing, Zach moves closer to Tyson. "Don't really matter if you're a student or not. It's a free reign production. Thanks to me having the most awesome professor at this school. So are you in for this? I can get you a script and you can start channeling that inner Manny…"

Tyson seriously ponders whether or not to join the project or not as others around him depart. He could hear them muttering about how randomly he showed up, but it did not sound threatening. In Tyson's mind, though, he considered that he did not need to be a student to do it and that he had the time… "Yeah… it might be fun. I've never done any acting before." The tape… "Did you really think I was any good? Because I pretty much just handed you a crap sandwich that you took a bite out of and asked for more…" Tyson casually tries to spy at the pocketed tape while knowing how easy it would be to just deal with the situation the "easy way", that might make things really dificult to explain. Not the easy way at all. Plus… this guy seemed desparate for help. "Okay, though. I'll give it a shot. Could, I look see my audition though? It's just, I've never even seen myself on camera, I bet I'm hot, but I guess I'm just curious what I look like. You know? With that whole five pounds thing…"

Considering these thoughts for a moment and making sure that his people are doing that thing where they pack up everything, Zach moves over to the table, motioning for Tyson to follow. "Ty, right?" He grabs up a script and swings it over in the guy's direction. "You're just what this production needs. Some life and some energy. I want you to read this. Make notes on it. Let me see what ideas you've got bouncing around in your head. I'll credit you as a consultant, don't worry." Zach leans back against the table, before giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "Don't worry about the tape. There'll be plenty of time to see yourself on camera throughout the project. And I'm sure there's going to be some serious outtakes."

Tyson takes the script when handed to him and he begins looking it over, slowing his reading when the director brushes off his seeing the tape. Was he going to have to follow him, sneak up on the guy when he thought he was alone, and steal the thing? That felt incredibly shady and not how the new-actor wanted to spend his day. "Thanks. Giving new blood a shot… and all." The outtakes made him look up quite suddenly though, "The blooper reel sure is going to be something… Do you have any other parts cast yet? I mean, if I'm allowed to know yet?"

Zach hops backwards and up onto the table, allowing his feet to swing lightly. "No such luck. But with you in our corner, I think we might finally be getting some good luck with this film." Zach is starting to sound excited. Maybe a little too excited about something as student-y as a film. But, of course, tis his passion and there's going to be some admittance to film festivals and all that craziness!

Tyson nods slowly, closing the script. "Cool, well I can't wait to get started." The statement had been a strained one, but it definitely had lines of truth. "So, what can you tell me about this movie of yours that I couldn't get from reading it? You mentioned demons? Are we talking real demons or like, inner ones? Are you needing a huge cast or is it just a couple of people?" Maybe Ty had figured that by keeping close to the guy with a tape of his potentially popping out of nowhere he could keep the matter as isolated as possible. Here's to hoping.

"It's kind of got this Buffy feel to it. But darker. It's called the Midnight Society and it's loosely based on Are You Afraid of the Dark, if you've ever seen that. Like what would happen if those stories weren't just stories. And, of course, our heroes are forced to band together to combat the evils that lurk beneath this wretched city!" Zach's hyperactivity may be showing off a this moment. But that's okay. At least he's not being held upside down and swirlied. He remembers those days. They were not particularly fun. "If we pull it off right, it should be a sweet little flick."

"Hm…" Tyson thinks about that a little, "I never watched Buffy, but are you afraid of the dark was a cool show. I can totally see how that would play out. Nice. How are you planning special effect scenes? I bet you'll be keeping that side of the toned down." He asks, hoping not to derail the guy's happy train. "I bet there are a lot of students around here who could help us out with that stuff, though." He shrugs out a suggestion, thinking more along the lines of computers but definitely thinking that some of the abilities he was aware of would be interesting in a science-fiction movie.

"Haven't really got that far yet. This origin film doesn't really have that many special effects in it. But I'm sure something can be worked out with the school or somebody. Don't worry about anything. As your esteemed director and writer, I'll make sure this looks as far from cheesy as possible." Smiling as much as possible, Zach is working his hardest to try and make this look like he knows what he's doing. Even though he's just, really, trying to get his feet underneath him.

Tyson nods slowly, "Right, well. I guess we don't have anything to really worry about then, for the time being…" He shrugs, still trying to keep an eye on the pocket with the tape in it; also doing his best not to seem like he's coming onto the guy. Reminding himself to get some information in case he needs to do a background check. "I guess we've got ourselves a project. What's your name, anyway, Oh Director slash Writer?" He was ribbing the guy a little, there was ambition in the eyes he was looking into and that, if nothing else, made him seem trustworthy, if not like a dog ready to piss himself.

"Oh man. I totally forgot." Zach actually pulls out a crude business card. Well, business paper. It's cut out notebook paper with his name and number on it. "Zach. Zach Moyer. You can reach me there, on my cell. Or you can always sneak on campus and ask for me. I'm an RA over there." And he's pointing off in the direction of one of the halls that's, well, not too far from the courtyard. "If I'm not out filming stuff, I'm usually there. Scraping freshmen off the ceiling."

Sneaking… maybe this Zach guy had caught him popping in? Maybe he was just trying to lure him into a false sense of security and then drop the net? Tyson wasn't happy about either of those situations, but hoped that he would be able to handle the guy and his friends should they try anything… he hoped… taking the makeshift card and looking it over. "All right, Zach. This looks to be one hell of an event. Here's to not letting anybody down, woo!" Maybe he should just grab the tape now? He wanted to, he could… but something was holding him back… what was it?

"Awesome." Zach hops down off the table and offers a hand to shake for Tyson. "Me and the guys're probably gonna' check the auditions out a little bit later tonight. Y'know, hang. If you want to come by, just hit me up later and I'll put your name on the guard's list downstairs. So you won't have too much trouble getting in." Zach's all up front and what not. He's too Zach to be trying to drop some net on people!

Tyson takes Zach's hand in his own and grips it firmly for a moment as if trying to discern what kind of person Zach was from the shake. Of course, when mention of watching the tape, Tyson does his best to keep his surprise at such an event hidden. He was in the movie now, it only made sense to be curious how his audition looked. "Thanks, man. I'll definitely hit you up. This is my first film. New stuff is exciting." Net or no net, this prey never lets himself stop being the predator. "Hanging out is cool to. New people, just as exciting."

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