DRAGON’S BREATH - SHORT FILM CASTING CALL (UNPAID)

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from young SA-based actors between the approx. ages of 13-15 for a short film titled DRAGON’S BREATH. This project is supported by the Mercury CX Quicksilver Fund and the South Australian Film Corporation.

Note: Pronouns for each character are included in their descriptions – anyone who uses these pronouns is encouraged to apply for these roles. We also encourage actors from any cultural background to apply.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us here: dragonsbreathfilm@gmail.com

***If you have applied already and have not received an email from us yet, please check your junk/spam folder. Thank you!***

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

Genres: Comedy / Drama / Fantasy

Logline: A group of year 8 students must convince their friend to perform in the school talent show after she reveals an embarrassing and fantastical secret.

Synopsis:
Imagine the most awkward years of your life. What was your biggest insecurity? What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? What if everybody in the world (or at least your school, which is bad enough) found out about the thing you most wanted to stay hidden?

That’s what Year 8 student Cass is facing. She knows her best friends – Maya, El and K – are depending on her to perform in the school talent show with them. They’ve all got something big at stake – but Cass has a super embarrassing secret and will do anything to hide it.

With five minutes till showtime, Maya, El and K must work together to get Cass on stage and make it through their dance routine without a catastrophe – or worse, public humiliation.

Tone:
DRAGON’S BREATH is set in a modern Australian school with queer and gender diverse characters, but it's a world where being queer isn't out of the ordinary, and real-world teenage problems exist alongside fantasy elements. Think DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH meets CHRONICLES OF NARNIA - but queer, edgy and funny!

The film explores themes of friendship and self-acceptance. It’s about growing up, finding your place in the world, and learning how to accept and cope with the things that are out of your control. It is also a celebration of female, non-binary and queer friendship groups.

CREATIVE TEAM:

Melanie Easton – Writer/Director (she/her) Previous work includes AQUAPHOBE (14 mins, 2020) and segment producing on children’s TV series TOTALLY WILD. 2022 AFTRS National Talent Camp participant.

Poppy Fitzpatrick – Producer (she/her) Emerging producer with skills in journalism, writing and creative producing. Producer’s Attachment on SBS Digital Original A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GRIEF. 2022 AFTRS National Talent Camp participant.

Rebecca Elliott – Executive Producer (she/her) 10 years’ experience in production across film, series and TVCs. Associate Producer at KOJO Studios, participated in Screen Producers Australia's Ones To Watch initiative in 2019, received Emerging Producer Award at the South Australian Screen Awards.

AUDITION PROCESS:

Due to the number of characters we need to cast and being mindful of COVID safety, we are requesting video auditions for our first round, and will conduct in-person auditions for callbacks.

1. We are inviting anyone who is interested in auditioning to fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM providing contact details, a photo, and which characters they would like to audition for. (Feel free to choose more than one!)

2. We will email interested actors with audition scenes and a link where you can upload a video audition. No need to be fancy – you can record on a phone and have a friend, sibling or parent read the other lines. Just make sure we can see and hear you clearly – some helpful guidelines for video auditions can be found HERE.

3. We will contact shortlisted actors for in-person callbacks. These will be conducted on a weekend date (TBD) in the Adelaide CBD.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:

Note: Pronouns for each character are included in their descriptions – anyone who uses these pronouns is encouraged to apply for these roles. We also encourage actors from any cultural background to apply.

LEADS:

CASS (age 14, she/her): Cass is the opposite of attention-seeking – she is someone who would be perfectly content to blend into the background. She’s always been overly concerned about what others think of her and absolutely HATES letting people down. She’s also the sort of person who envisions the worst-case scenario first – and is likely to go into panic mode if things don’t go as planned. (Her friends would call this a Cass-tastrophe.) Has a super embarrassing secret she doesn’t want anyone to find out about. Note: Role involves a dance routine – some dance experience preferred but not required – should be comfortable/confident learning some simple choreography.

MAYA (age 14, she/her): Maya is the dictionary definition of perfectionist – she has high standards for herself and everyone who associates with her – including her friends. She’s the type of person to overprepare for any situation and has an assertive attitude that sometimes borders on controlling – but only because she cares A LOT. She is anxious and insecure about the fact that her parents’ relationship is failing but here will be NO divorces happening on Maya’s watch – she’ll see to that. Note: Role involves a dance routine – some dance experience preferred but not required – should be comfortable/confident learning some simple choreography.

EL (age 14, she/her): El is a good friend – really, she is. She’s just... not good at keeping secrets. Some might go so far as to call her a blabbermouth. She doesn’t mean to be, of course – she just takes a very relaxed attitude to life and doesn’t consider anything a big deal. The “comic relief” of the friend group, El is determined to keep things light – maybe because she has a lot of trouble processing her own feelings and turning everything into a joke makes life easier to handle. El’s avoidance tactics get harder to maintain when she finds herself caught in a love triangle between two girls in her class. Note: Role involves a dance routine – dance experience not required but should be comfortable/confident learning some simple choreography.

K (age 15, they/them): Calm and confident K would do anything for their friends and is often considered the problem-solver of the group - they just want everyone to get along! But while outwardly K projects a sense of confidence and calmness that the others lack, inside they are TERRIFIED that a dark family secret – and the real reason they changed schools two years ago – could come out at any moment. Even after two years, they've never told their friends the truth... but an unexpected appearance from their father might make it impossible to hide. Note: K is non-binary, so we are looking for a non-binary actor for this role. Note: Role involves a dance routine – dance experience not required but should be comfortable/confident learning some simple choreography.

SUPPORTING ROLES:

CHRISTINE (age 14, she/her): Christine is El’s ex-girlfriend – and super bitter that El recently dumped her for a new girl. Her talents include slam poetry and giving dirty looks. 

GREG (age 14, he/him): Greg has always been a bit of an outsider – but he either doesn’t know or doesn’t care. His biggest passion in life is playing the bassoon – he’s not exactly good at it, but what he lacks in skill, he makes up for in enthusiasm. Well-intentioned but more likely to panic in a crisis than do anything useful. Nicknamed “goat boy” by some classmates, Greg has a bit of a goat-like look to him. (As in goat the animal… not goat the compliment.) Note: Bonus points if you can play the bassoon, but not required!