CASTING CALL: Actors
Status: CLOSED
The deadline to apply for this particular project has passed, but please visit our Casting Calls page to sign up for general consideration.
PROJECT INFO
Project Type: Feature Film
Shoot Dates: May 30-July 10, 2019
Rate: Principals - SAG Low Budget Scale (~$630/day)
Extras: $12/hr (8 hours minimum guaranteed)
Auditions: Self-Tapes Only
Callback Dates: Fri 5/24 (Portland, OR)
Shoot City: Portland OR and surrounding areas
BASED ON The Guggenheim Award-winning memoir
WHERE BIGFOOT WALKS: CROSSING THE DARK DIVIDE
by Robert Michael Pyle PhD -
DIRECTOR
Tom Putnam - BURN, THE UNITED STATES OF INSTANITY
PRODUCERS
AARON BOYD - STARGATE, INDEPENDENCE DAY
JORY WEITZ - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
RYAN FROST - THE SECOND FRAUD
OREGON CASTING DIRECTOR
Rachel Mossey - WEEBLE MOUNTAIN
Short Summary:
The Dark Divide tells the story of Dr. Robert Pyle’s trek through America’s largest undeveloped wilderness and his encounters with its legendary inhabitant bigfoot, all set against the backdrop of the battle between environmentalists and the logging companies who want to harvest the forest's old growth timber.
FULL SYNOPSIS:
It’s 1995. Nature writer Robert Pyle is struggling to finish his next book...and help his wife Thea navigate her final days from ovarian cancer. Their relationship is an odd balance: he’s a quiet introvert and she’s a daredevil. Even on her deathbed, Thea never stops pushing her husband to be a better man, take control of his life, get out of the classroom and into the forests he loves to write about but seldom visits.
It’s not until Thea dies that Pyle finally, reluctantly accepts her challenge — spending a month hiking across Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest, from Mount Rainer to the Columbia Gorge, in search of new species of butterflies.
Named for John Dark, a 19th Century gold prospector, “The Dark Divide” is comprised of 76,000 acres of wilderness, making it one of the largest undeveloped and unexplored areas in the United States.
It’s also ground zero for one of history’s most heated battles between environmentalists and big business, where a rare species of spotted owl inhabit old growth timber up to 200 years old. Trees that the multi-billion dollar logging industry would love to harvest.
Dr. Pyle’s journey takes him through the heart of that battle. Along the way, he encounters proponents from both sides, as well as a new generation of female Forest Service workers, naturalists, and backpackers. A family from the Yakama tribe teach Pyle about the importance of the forest to their culture and challenge him to become a part of this world instead of just an observer.
But Pyle is no Bear Grylls. The ill-equipped biologist nearly falls to his death on his very first day out. He lights his tent on fire. (Twice.) Is nearly drowned by his own pack. Almost gets shot. Encounters bears, angers loggers. Gets lost in lava tunnels deep beneath the earth.
And he encounters something else along the way. The Dark Divide is infamous for having more Bigfoot sightings than anywhere else in the world. As he begins to glimpse...something... in the night, or through the trees, one of the world’s foremost biologists turns his considerable skills toward solving the mystery of whether Sasquatch truly exists.
Yet he keeps going. Pushed on by his grief and need to prove what he’s made of to himself and Thea.
As he overcomes each hurdle, the smiling, affable academic slowly comes to terms with his wife’s death. He’s finding a new appreciation for Thea, and an understanding of how much she brought to his life. As he stumbles and struggles through the journey, Pyle begins to take control of his life and his destiny.
In the end, Robert Pyle realizes he’s blossoming into the man his wife always encouraged him to be. He takes the first steps toward embracing his grief instead of avoiding it.
Equal parts Jack London, Heart of Darkness and science fiction, Pyle’s true- life journey leads him to discover a few things about the notorious ape-man, and a lot about the need for wilderness in our lives. How it can help us reconnect with what’s important, help us heal, and help us become our best selves.
Character Breakdowns
See below for the principal roles available.
Roles are available ONLY to Pacific Northwest locals unless otherwise stated.
Logger / Male / All Ethnicities / 25-40
[DAY PLAYER, 3 ROLES AVAILABLE] A tough timber logger who mistake Pyle for an activist and tries to rough him up a bit.
Blue collar, rough, and muscular.
Joe / Male / All Ethnicities / 18-45
[DAY PLAYER, 2 ROLES AVAILABLE] These friendly and amicable dirt bikers meet Pyle when he finally exits the trail. They're taken aback by his appearance but are impressed by his hike and offer him a beer and a ride back to his car.
Sporty, laid-back, and a little redneck.
Professor / Male / All Ethnicities / 45-70
[DAY PLAYER, 2 ROLES AVAILABLE] Professors in a small Pacific NW college, they’re horrified to hear that Pyle won’t spray insecticide in his house to kill some bees
Nerdy, reserved, and grounded.
Faculty Wife / Female / All Ethnicities / 45-60
[DAY PLAYER, 2 ROLES AVAILABLE| Smiling, polite wives of professors, who are simultaneously in awe of and horrified by Thea(Pyle's wife)'s stories of adventure.
Conservative, put-together, and intelligent.
Girl Scout / Female / All Ethnicities / 10-12
[DAY PLAYER, 2 ROLES AVAILABLE] These girl scouts pass Pyle on the trail and offer a few survival tips after laughing at him.
Sassy, clever, and confident.
REAL MASTECTOMY SURVIVOR / Female / All Ethnicities / 18+
Pyle encounters this woman during his hike while she’s bathing in the lake, and she reminds him of his wife's battle with cancer.
MUST be a real survivor of breast cancer, who has undergone a single or double mastectomy.
MUST be willing to appear partially nude (bathing topless) in the scene.
Nudity will be handled with the utmost tact and consent.
Grandmother / Female / Native American / 65+
This Native American woman asks Pyle some questions when he joins her family for a meal - she is educated and wise, catching him off guard, but the two find a mutual respect for each other.
NATIVE AMERICAN OR FIRST NATIONS TALENT ONLY
OPEN TO NON-LOCALS FROM ANY MARKET WHO CAN FLY-IN FOR THE SHOOT.
TERESA / Female / Native American / 30-50
This Native American woman is a bit skeptical of Pyle after he scares them on accident, but welcomes him at their campfire and they share a good conversation.
NATIVE AMERICAN OR FIRST NATIONS TALENT ONLY.
OPEN TO NON-LOCALS FROM ANY MARKET WHO CAN FLY-IN FOR THE SHOOT.
Billy / Male / Native American / 14-19
An athletic and determined young Native American man, Billy nearly kills Pyle when he stumbles into the family's camp, but eventually welcomes him as a friend. Billy refuses to become jaded like his father and fights to preserve the memory of their people - and their belief in Bigfoot
NATIVE AMERICAN OR FIRST NATIONS TALENT ONLY.
OPEN TO NON-LOCALS FROM ANY MARKET WHO CAN FLY-IN FOR THE SHOOT.