Casting Our Prime-Minister!

Our 'news interview' segment of the opening is a relatively short part of our piece. In fact, it's around a few seconds long, if that. Having said that, it's fundamental in the sense that it highlights our teachers intentions and his motive for plotting to assassinate said prime-minister. Pretty important; and so casting this right was key. Actually, casting was relatively easy, and having shot these scenes already, I believe we made the right decisions. Let me explain in further detail who we cast and why we chose these talented people...

*Drum roll* Our news interviewer is played by ... Millie Warren!

Journalist played by Millie Warren

For our journalist we needed someone who seemed enthusiastic and endearing, someone who seemed really enthused to be interviewing the prime-minister. Because of the nature of the interview (about making schools more modern) and the fact the interview was taking place outside a school, I envisioned the news programme to be along the lines of Newsround for the MTV-audience. A  fictional news programme for teenagers, so to speak. Therefore, we weren't looking for a Jeremy Paxman lookalike. That's why I think Millie was such a good choice; whilst looking smart in a casual way, I felt that she wouldn't come across so formal that it was some kind of BBC news bulletin. Millie definitely portrayed that enthusiasm in a way that seemed charming and the delivery of her single line was clear and professional-sounding (in other words, she created that illusion that she wasn't just reading off a script, it seemed natural and flowing).

Next up is our prime-minister who was played by none other than... Reece Garside!

Prime-Minister played by Reece Garside

Don't worry, no one was injured on set! Here is our bloodied prime-minister; it will make greater sense in the finished piece, but the make-up is used to emphasise the sadistic internal thoughts of our psychopath teacher. In other words, its part of a surreal scene that will heighten the intensity of the opening. Reece was unquestionably our first-choice for prime-minister. Although it wasn't practical to have an adult as our prime-minister, we thought Reece could portray the sense of intelligence and firmness of our PM in way that I don't think anyone else could have pulled off. Again, the nature of the interview and setting meant that we didn't necessarily want our PM in a suit and tie but, like Millie, Reece dresses smart enough so that he could pass for a casually-dressed prime-minister. His line delivery carried off that firm, controlled tone that the script demanded; in the script, he's trying to justify for the umpteenth time that the country isn't entering a triple-dip recession (again this will become clear in the end).

The acting isn't going to gain us marks. I get that. But casting reveals to the examiner that we have considered every aspect of filming and our desire to produce something that seems professional as opposed to a poorly made student film. I suppose its important to me personally, to pay the original concept justice, by casting people who could portray these characters in a way that really brought to life what was once just a throwaway idea and has since developed into something I really believe in. Even if said actors may only be on screen for a matter of seconds. Hopefully we've succeeded in that but ultimately its you, the viewer, who will decide on that.