Lights, camera, action. This could be your chance to star in a movie.
Zach Cox, 15, is funding, writing, and directing a short film that he hopes to sell as a television show pilot to studios in Toronto.
“With the U.S. writers’ strike, they are going to want Canadian TV shows,” he explained. “That’s why I’ve decided to make this project in my hometown of Orillia.”
The film will be based on the novel series The Famous Five by Enid Blyton.
“It’s about four kids and a dog having to save their father after being locked away on a beach,” Cox explained. “I have been reading the books since I was five years old. It was only natural for this to be my first movie."
The budget for the small production is under $10,000 and if Cox doesn’t sell it to studios, he will aim to premiere it at the Orillia Opera House.
“I’m looking for actors,” he explained. “I’d like to find locals who are in Orillia just to make it easier.”
Shooting will begin sometime this month and could last until October. Cox already has most of the cast ready to go, but is still looking for about seven non-union actors.
“We are looking for two kids that are males from ages 10 to 15,” he said. “We do have two police officer characters that can be any gender, and we are looking for three or four adults for various bad guy roles.”
Cox, a ÉSC Nouvelle-Alliance student, says he isn’t looking for experienced actors, but rather those who can take direction. While the actors will be unpaid, unless the film generates revenue, Cox says it could be a fun experience.
“There will be a little bit of stunt work in there, a lot of acting, and a lot of dialogue,” he explained. “It will be a good jump start for people’s careers if they want to or have thought about getting into acting.”
If you are interested in acting in the film, Cox can be contacted by email at [email protected].
