Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

Casting Evidence
For my A2 Film Studies portfolio, I have researched into the superhero genre and
have discovered how the protagonists of films within this genre have
differentiated since the superhero movie came to fluctuation back in the 1970s.
I have also created a finalised version of a script that I will be using to film my
creative artefact, as well as a location report, which highlights the locations I will
be using in my creative artefact and why I am using them.

In this document, I will be highlighting the cast of my short film entitled Red
Hood, providing a biography of each actor and their character, and outlining the
various reasons why I have chosen the respective cast members. I will also be
providing a monologue for each actor to perform and read I will be using this
monologue to judge how well each actor performs in the role so I can determine
who is the right choice for each character. I will be looking for good projection
and tone of voice, expressive facial movement and professional gestures, which
sell the characters and make them believable people in the real world.

In my textual analysis, I had realised a trend within the more recent superhero
films, in the sense there was more depth to the main protagonists. (the
superhero) Since Spider-Man (2002), many superhero films such as Man of Steel
(2013), Batman Begins (2005) and Watchmen (2009) have all seen the most
popular superheroes with a more sympathetic approach to their characters
instead of being seen as nothing more than symbols of hope. This recent trend
first rose in 2002, and many people theorise than 9/11 inspired Spider-Man to
tell a story from an average New York citizens point of view to reflect the
perspectives of September 11th 2001.

To deliver a more sympathetic representation to my short film, it is extremely

important to pick the right actors who can deliver such empathy to my
characters and perform well in their respective roles the way that I want them
to. My short film will also feature the conventional action scene; therefore I will
need to consider my options wisely based on not just performance, but also
appearance.
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

Character #1 Jason Todd/Red Hood

Jason Todd is the main character of my short film. He is a young man aged 20
who served as the previous Robin, under the command of Batman, until he was
brutally beaten and left to die by The Joker. Miraculously, Jason survived and
now operates as a ruthless vigilante known as The Red Hood trained in hand to
hand combat, martial arts and having experience with weapons from crowbars
to machine guns. Because the character of Jason is somebody who has
experienced events filled with turmoil and pain, it is important that I find an
actor who can convey that to the audience watching my short film. The actor
must do an exceptional job of conveying sadness, anger and rage all
in one in order to sell the character. Jason is also a ruthless fighter,
trained in almost every conceivable form of martial arts and has
tremendous experience with weapons, so I will need a more athletic
actor who can participate in fight choreography efficiently. I will be
looking for someone who is 17-18 years of age and can act to a
good standard.

Character #2 The Joker

In my short film, I will also be featuring The Joker, who
is a character who has had exceptional
representations given to him, as well as ground-
breaking performances such as Heath Ledgers
interpretation in The Dark Knight (2008) and
Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989). In conclusion, he is
a character who deserves an exceptional
performance, but also a character that I very
carefully need to pick the right actor for. I need an actor
who can convey the mental instability of The Joker, and
if necessary, can read more into the character or watch past films, in order to
set themselves a guideline that they have to live up to. I will also need to
consider the appearance of The Joker in the comics, he is very skinny and tall,
and that is what I best want to replicate in terms of visuals. I would prefer an
actor who reflects his appearance in the comics. In terms of age, anybody above
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

the age of 16 would be helpful, however considering the age isnt much of a
problem as I will be applying makeup to the actor and giving them a costume to
wear, so their facial appearance will not be much of a problem to consider when
picking the cast. However, I still need someone who can perform well and is
willing to do extra research into the character to get inspiration from the past
roles and the comic interpretations of The Joker.
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

Character #1 Jason Todd/Red Hood

My name is Jason Todd. Ive never had it easy in life in

fact, its been a rather treacherous ride to get where I
wanted to. Whilst serving by the bat, I was restricted of
my full capabilities - now Im free and theres nothing he
can do about it

Actor Sam Willmore

Age 18 years old
Height 6
Features Long hair, tall figure

Sam has a very tall figure, which is something that is definitely a

benefit and increases his chance of getting the part. He also is
very active outside of school life, taking part in dancing
performances and dances as a hobby this will come into good
use in my fight scene, as he is more athletic and proactive in his
free time. As well as this, his school life is more gravitated to
performing arts, which means he has a fair amount of experience
with acting also. Sam and I know each other relatively well from secondary
school I have his contact details and I can easily arrange to meet him at the
time of filming. Sam and I met together and I gave him the monologue to
perform to me, and it came as no surprise that he did a good job in terms of
delivery, gestures and his facial expressions. His performance embodied the
sympathy of the character of Jason Todd, and I personally felt it shine in his
performance. Also, he was very confident, which is something that other people
fail to be when performing, and I am happy that he was. To take on the
character of Jason Todd takes confidence, and Sam possesses this.

Actor George Sicobo

Age 18 years old
Height 510
Features Curly thick hair, athletic build, tall figure

George is a very good friend of mine, immediately increasing the

chances of him being able to participate in the filming of my
creative artefact. Regardless, George is quite tall and is quite bulky, which
makes him look more intimidating. He is also very active, having played
football and still does frequently today, meaning the fight scene would be a
lot easier to film and choreograph with someone with an athletic
background. George also has been studying performing arts at a
sixth form since 2015, and had received an A in Drama GCSE, so he definitely
possesses an extensive range of acting techniques and experiences which
makes the casting more successful. When performing the monologue, George
perfected everything. His delivery was great, his gestures and facial expressions
were outstanding and overall he embodied the character of Jason Todd. Even
though he does not look like the comic interpretation of Jason Todd, with Jason
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

being white and George being mixed race, George pushed himself to become
the character, which is far more important.
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

Actor Taron Egerton

Age 26 years old
Height 5 10
Features Athletic build, talented actor

Taron Egerton has proved himself to be a flexible actor in his career.

He has been part of a wide range of films across multiple genres,
appearing in dramas such as Eddie The Eagle (2016), crime thrillers
like Legend (2014), action films such as Kingsman: The Secret
Service (2015) and animated movies including Sing (2016). This is
enough to determine him a flexible actor, and with his career slowly
on the rise with an upcoming Kingsman sequel (where he will reprise his role), a
superhero film will project his career even more. Superhero films have helped
actors like Robert Downey Jr. recover from a treacherous personal life, and have
given actors like Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot an
even bigger spectacle in the film industry. In my personal opinion, Taron Egerton
is also very talented, and I feel that he would claim some sort of role in the near
future. He also looks very much like Jason Todd, he looks like he can deliver a
cocky performance and he is very athletic in the live-action movies he has been
in.

Character #2 The Joker

You know, its a shame you truly do have so much

potential but youre working with the Bat. And I really,
REALLY dont like the Bat! (screeching laugh)

Actor Billy Gravestock

Age 17 years old
Height 5 9
Features Stocky build, intimidating appearance

Billy has previously helped me out with filming he was part of my

AS Media Studies opening sequence of The Dogs, and was the
antagonist of my action sequence in my AS Film Studies film
entitled The Cowl, which was also categorised as a superhero film.
Knowing he has experience with acting (Drama GCSE) and having
been part of my past projects indicates to me that Billy will be part
of another one of my projects and deliver a performance of the same standard,
if not even better than what he has shown to me thus far. However, his stocky
build and smaller size may detract people from believing that he is The Joker of
my short film. He does not look like the comic book counterpart however I
digress. It is not new to see how comic book characters can look different or
have different origins contrasting the original source material. Examples can
range from characters such as Christian Bales Batman and Jared Letos Joker, so
this makes Billy a viable candidate for the role. His appearance does not match
the comic version of the character, but his performance caters to the character
well. I gave the monologue to Billy to perform, and the performance fell nothing
short of stellar. I was pleased with what he brought to the table good facial
 Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

expressions, a menacing American accent, and good gestures that made him
believable in the role.

Actor Mohammed Abikar

Age 17 years old
Height 6
Features Tall, broad figure

Mohammed is a very good friend, meaning he will most likely be

able to put time aside to help me with filming my creative artefact.
He is quite tall, which is how I would ideally want my Joker to look
like. The Joker is quite a slender-figured character and Mohammed
possesses this stature. I know Mohammeds personality quite well,
and I know that he is quite a boisterous, loud and confident person.
Unfortunately, when looking at his experience with acting, he does not have
much of it. He hasnt acted in any of my projects, and I dont recall him acting in
anything at all. Regardless of this, I still have him the monologue to perform and
see how he would hold up. Unfortunately, what Mohammed performed was not
very worthy of a lead role. His performance lacked in facial expressions, his
gestures werent great and his attempts to embody the character of The Joker
were very mediocre. He also lacked in confidence, being rather immature and
having trouble to keep himself composed. I will not be using Mohammed as The
Joker because of these factors.

Actor Willem Dafoe

Age 61 years old
Height 5 8
Features Ageing skin, slender figure

Willem Dafoe is an actor who has been part of the film industry for
decades, acting in dozens of films across multiple genres, including
his roles in superhero films such as Spider-Man (2002) where he
played the antagonist Green Goblin, and his upcoming role as
Nuidis Vulko in Justice League (2017). Visually, he looks exactly like
The Joker, with his slender figure aiding this comic-inspired
appearance I am looking for. Also, he can prove to be a menacing antagonist.
This is evident through his sinister performance as the Green Goblin in Spider-
Man. His broad experience across both sympathetic, menacing and cunning
roles throughout his career leads me to believe that he would be the perfect
casting for The Joker in my short film.

Final Cast
Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634