CASTING CALL for indie film

Hello there! State College of Florida is making a short student film, a ghost-murder-mystery set on an island in the Florida Gulf. Here's the breakdown of synopsis, characters, and locations; I'm trying to find as much help as I can, and Christine Alexander recommended I e-mail here to get this put out on the newsletter. Feel free to link it somehow or shorten it to save yourself space if you need, and please let anyone know who's interested to contact the writer/director, Dylan H. Jones, at hlodylanj@gmail.com. Thank you!

Here's the breakdown of the story and the cast, who I'm looking for and what for:

"Ghosts" – Synopsis:

A group called Florida Paranormal Investigators comes to Clearwater Key, seeking the ghosts of a newlywed couple who died tragically thirty years before. A semi-omniscent narrative voice guides us along, eventually revealed to be none other than the woman who passed away. Other strange rumors abound, including a potential Bigfoot sighting and the lure of buried Spanish gold. Through a series of twists and turns, one of the investigators finally unlocks the mystery behind the deaths and these other mysterious circumstances, and despite a near-fatal disaster an even greater reward than they could possibly imagine comes to them.

Dramatis Personae:

Alicia – (female, early 20s) A ghost, almost never seen, usually a voiceover that represents our perspective rather than trying to affect the outcome of things. She is known as the Lady in White. Died when very young, twenty-one, not long after her marriage to John, who we see but never hear from.

John - (male, early 20s) Alicia's silent ghost counterpart; he is known as the Grey Man.

Anne – (female, mid 20s) the leader of the paranormal team, confident but constantly over-thinking, worried that this will be her last chance to prove they have what it takes before their cash supply runs out. She is in a long-standing relationship with Todd, who is the other half of the funding for this organization. Although her skills tend more towards direction rather than technical expertise, she has the drive to push things to fruition, and surrounds herself with competent people.

Todd – (male, mid 20s) he is far less abrasive than Anne, the good cop of their routine. He is intelligent, enough to understand how important things are to Anne and not to get in the way or steal her thunder. He truly cares about her, as does she for him, and together they are the backbone of FPI.

Doug – (male, late 20s) knows his equipment, but is socially inept in a very obnoxious way. A former fraternity member, he is the oldest one of the group, willing to slum around with people younger than him so that he feels superior. At his core is a shy, vulnerable person, who has covered it over the years with a veneer of ADHD and grossly inflated ego. When the chips are down he will drop the douchebag routine and focus, making him key to keeping FPI running smoothly and occasionally saving the day.

Laura – (female, early 20s) A friend of Anne, a wiz at sound equipment. She brings her expertise to the table, as well as an unquenchable curiosity and a desire to understand the unknown. She is quiet when she wants to be, explosive and excited once she is comfortable with someone, and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She is single, and constantly oogled by Doug; this bothers her more than she would like to admit.

Josh – (male, mid 20s) if there can be a hero in this story, it is probably Josh. He is the newest member of the team, an acquaintance of Todd. Josh is incredibly intuitive and clear-thinking, with a Sherlock Holmes-level encyclopedia of interesting information in his brain. He is ideally suited to be a historian; paging through hours of books and articles to find what he’s looking for is fun for him, not a chore. He knows nothing about cameras, and can be rather inept, but this is part of his charm.

Julia – (female, late 50s/early 60s) the innkeeper at the Sanddollar Hotel, site of the haunting. She is quiet, reserved and wishes for nothing except peace. She is very touchy about the stories that surround the hotel. She is fiercely protective of her younger brother, and will sacrifice herself to help him.

Toby – (male, early-to-mid 50s) the enormous mentally challenged younger brother of Julia. He has autism and was nearly seven feet tall by the time he reached his teens. Thirty years before he made a horrible mistake, which drove him further into himself and connected him very strongly to the one passion in his life: flowers. He works for Julia, and is fiercely protective of her as well.

Locations: (all on Clearwater Key)

The Sanddollar Hotel – two stories tall; at least ten rooms, some for guests, others for Julia and Toby. The lobby, a dining room is a place of primary interest, as well as themed rooms (i.e. Largo Room, Pensacola Room, Honeymoon Suite, etc.). It is not creepy, but rather sad to see, almost forgotten.

Greenhouse – a large section of the plot concerns the greenhouse, outside the Sanddollar. Inside is Toby’s world, full of beautiful flowers, and a dark secret, too.

Seafoam Place – an area, wooded, on the highest section of the island. Beneath an enormous boulder there lies a tremendous secret that will change all their lives forever.

Principal Photography will take place the second and third weeks of November; dates TBA.


I think this is going to be a fantastic project. It's a student film, but nonetheless I'm working hard to get the Sarasota Film Commission involved and to find some excellent producers. I'm especially looking for a very tall man (nearly 7 feet) who wants a meaty, difficult role. Thanks again! :-D
Best,
Dylan