Director asking for film extras
Sue Rowe Studios is looking for extras for their upcoming short film, “White Wings,” set to be filmed this weekend.
Friday, Dec. 10, Sue Rowe Studios will be at the Ellen Eccles Theatre, at 43 S. Main St. in Logan. They will be holding an open casting call at 6 p.m. Those who are interested have been asked to arrive by 5:30 p.m., and e-mail whitewingsextracasting@yahoo.com before the casting call to confirm their arrival.
The “White Wings” production crew is looking for people 16 and older to be the extras, dressed according to the 1920s time period. Suggestions from producer and screenwriter Sue Rowe concerning guys’ apparel is to wear a “dressy, pinstriped suit,” or to look like you’re going to a period play.
The studio is only taking the first 100 people that e-mail.
Rowe hopes the volunteers can remain in the theatre until 9 p.m., but, if they need to leave early, she will permit it.
Rowe said a perk for attending the casting is a free photo for all involved, while dressed in their costumes. Volunteers are also expected to have their makeup and costume completed on their own before arriving to Ellen Eccles Theatre.
The volunteers will also have the opportunity to meet “White Wings” director Richard Hatch, who plays Apollo in the television show “Battlestar Galactica,” and Cindy Pickett from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Rowe said the film has an engaging plot with a purpose to raise awareness of domestic abuse. She said those who are interested can donate for the cause by locating “White Wings Domestic Abuse Awareness” on Facebook.
The film also has a Facebook account that can be located by typing “White Wings the Movie” in the website’s search box.
According to Rowe, the plot revolves around a woman, Eliza McFarland, and her fight to achieve her dreams in being an actress.
“It’s about the conflict of taking care of a family with being an artist,” said Rowe, who completes the filmmaking hat trick by playing Eliza.
Rowe also said a substantial part of the plot involves the conflict of her character’s husband, James McFarland, who does not want Eliza to be an actress, who had a lead in the current play she was involved in.
“Eventually Eliza ends up on the edge of a cliff, with her husband after her,” Rowe said.
Rowe said Eliza is also conflicted because she actually loves her longtime best friend, Sam Whitfield, and also feels the importance of her duty as a wife and mother, while wanting to be an actress at the same time.
“In the play, she’s an angel with white wings and has a recurring dream about it,” Rowe said. “She has to make a decision to stay with her family in an abusive life, or live her life in freedom.”
Eliza’s decision, as initially manipulated by her husband, is a conflict that intrigued James’ portrayer, Brian Ibsen.
“There’s a lot of fun to playing the bad guy,” said Ibsen, who was recruited from and auditioned in Los Angeles for the part. “It’s juicy to play the bad guy. But then again, the trap of playing such is to make him all bad, so he seems as a monster. It’s more interesting to me to play a human being who has flaws who does what he thinks is best for him and his family, when in reality it destroys his family until he comes out other side.”
Ty Mayberry, who was also found in Los Angeles to play Sam, enjoys the role that he gets to portray.
“I feel right at home in this character. It’s my third love,” said Mayberry, who described Sam as a character who follows his acting passion out west, even though it doesn’t make much logical sense. “He doesn’t want to force Eliza’s hand, but her wants her to accept him as a major role in his life. At one point in the film, he has to leave her behind, and it’s a difficult moment.”
Of course, the plot twists at the end. But Rowe, Ibsen and Mayberry all encourage students to take part in what they described as a unique experience.
“How many times are you going to see the space shuttle?” Ibsen said, comparing the opportunity to take part in a live production of a movie to being able to see NASA’s go-to vessel up-close. “Not all get to see how a film is made. It’s not something you get to see everyday. This gives (the students) a chance to witness something they’ve never been a part of.”
– rhett.wilkinson@aggiemail.usu.edu