Citizens: Pilot Episode

So this is going to be a bit different than every other position, because it's one that will require an interview. The duties and requirements will be listed down below, as well as directions for application. (Don't worry about providing a phone number, we will be using e-mail to communicate with one another during this time.)

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The co-director in this project has the same requirements as the voice actors, most importantly to be a legal adult. You will need to register with the services used for group communication, and be available during designated hours for the team. This is, in its own way, a management position and duties will include things such as:

> Assisting with the direction of minor voice actors under the director's instructions (which you will be fully informed of), and to a lesser extent the main actors.

> Familiarizing yourself with the script. If there are any typos, inconsistencies, etc... Bring it to the director's attention. Sometimes things slip by one person, and a second pair of eyes are very important.

> Assisting with visual direction. You will not have any visual artistic responsibilities, but you will be required to review storyboards and discuss the effectiveness of tone, shot composition, so on and so forth.

> If the director is absent for a week's period, or longer, you will be informed and left with instructions of what to do during that time. I've mentioned before that I have been ill in the past, and this is kind of like backup. You will be in charge of the listed tasks, and even they're not all completed you'll need to report on what's been done and what hasn't been done.

> Maintain a consistent level of professionalism. If there are any problems or conflicts, bring them to the director's attention immediately. 

This is just an overview of what to expect. More details and answers to questions will be provided during the interview. For application, e-mail: citizens.series @ gmail.com ... Make sure you include that you're applying for this position, as well as your name and timezone/country. The latter is required for scheduling purposes. If you've been involved with other projects and wanna flash your resume, go right on ahead, but previous experience is in no way a requirement. 

Because the interview will be conducted through e-mail, you will have 24 hours to respond to the given questions. An exception may be made if there are any outstanding circumstances, but if there are 24 hours of dead silence between each e-mail, you will be put on the back burner (for lack of a better phrase). You don't have to be available 40 hours a week, this is not a full-time job, but you need to be open for communication during the interview process.

NOTE: The $25 dollar amount in the payment section is NOT (repeat) NOT set in stone. We are looking for a lot of things, and a lot of genres. the $25 is meant to represent just kind of a base value PER MINUTE of music produced. We are NOT just looking for one composer, we are looking for a wide variety of music to include in the show.

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GENERAL MUSIC: Citizens takes place somewhere between the late 90's and early 00's, and we need music to reflect the time. We don't just need background music or theme songs, we need clips for radio, television, and other ambiance. The music doesn't need to be an exact replica of this decade, but it does need to bear a strong resemblance to what was being produced. All genres are acceptable.

BACKGROUND: Background music can be a little more forgiving in terms of keeping things timely. Keep in mind that even though Citizens does have action in it, it's not primarily an action-based show. Hard rock guitar riffs, while awesome, probably won't be a part of the show's background. The show's darker themes and its environment need to be taken into account before anything else. Sometimes it's punchy and direct, and other times it'll be slow and murky. Don't worry, we will communicate these things with you very clearly to ensure this is done properly. Try to link diverse pieces, so we can get an understanding of your range in production.

THEME: Now, if you want to compose a theme for the show, there are a few more specifications. I'm going to be a little picky about this. If you want a broad, general idea of what we're looking for, do a little research on Rik Schaffer and his work in Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (even the unused pieces). If you want to audition for this part, send in completed works, but be ready to make at least one new piece. This is a position where the composer, myself, and the co-director (to a degree) will be communicating about frequently, and working with you on this, so make sure you have a way to do so freely. Discord is the most preferable method.

Audition with a link to a playlist or songs that you've written. Pieces can either be lyrical or instrumental.

-DESCRIPTION-

Augustine is a villain. There's no two-ways about it. She's done terrible things, she's currently doing terrible things, and she will continue to do terrible things. Augustine is also a psychopath. It is not a mental illness, it is a personality disorder. She isn't insane, or crazy. She is sadistic, but does not have that high-level energy mania that's often portrayed alongside the disorder. More on that a little down below, though.

Augustine is a manipulator, and uses empty emotions to get the response that she wants. There's a lack of passion to her words, but in its place is unwavering confidence. What little charm she has is superficial, and her position of leadership was paved through a series of bribes, alliances, and a staggering amount of death. She's a matchstick of a human being, 6' tall and as narrow as a spider's leg. Augustine was born without smell or taste, and eating doesn't give her much joy. She's a heavy smoker, though, and usually takes her cigarettes with a cup of coffee. She's as much of a caffeine junkie as she is for adrenaline. That's why she's often on the front lines, in the middle of the fire and taking part in the more 'exciting' points of her career.

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Her voice has a few specific details. It is deep, and raspy. She's been a smoker for a long time, which has taken its toll but hasn't led to anything extreme. Her voice isn't gravely, or nasally, but needs a bit of a bite to it. Because of this, it may be acceptable if her voice sounds a little bit older than what's normal for her age (in her 30s during the pilot). Someone with a medium-low or low ranged voice will be ideal.

The best direction I can give towards acting as a psychopath is to quote a scientific source.

"Psychopathy is defined as a mental (antisocial) disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, shows a lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, expresses extreme egocentricity, and demonstrates a failure to learn from experience and other behaviors associated with the condition." (From: 'Dominance and Aggression in Humans and Other Animals' 2017, By: Henry R. Hermann Ph.D.)

It's not as if she's a robot. If she gets shot, she'll scream with pain. If she's caught out in the rain, she's probably going to be annoyed. And she does act impulsively and irrationally. But there's a level of emotion in most humans that is absent in a psychopath. Rather, there is the illusion of emotion. There's the understanding of what emotions are, and how someone should react in that situation. It's not genuine. Approaching the lines with a level of understanding this is required. That's not to mean that they should be dramatic or theatrical to sound fake (or emotionless, on the opposite side of the spectrum). Read them calmly and confidently, relaxed with a 'can't do wrong' attitude. If anyone has any further questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

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Rod, short for Roderick, is the older half-brother of Augustine. He's a bit of a loner, and distances himself from others because he can't stand the territory that comes with being a criminal. Of all the jobs to do in a drug circle during an uprising, he does the books. It causes a fair amount of tension between him and his sister, and he tends to be passive in the resulting conflict. There are a few things he enjoys about the job. Top-shelf liquor, upscale nightclubs, and five-star villas being a few examples. Rod is an alcoholic, though this won't be a point of focus (or really, mention) in the pilot. Either way, this seems like a life he's been dragged into, rather than one he chose.

He's the only member of the group with exceptionally outstanding intellect, but he doesn't often get to use it apart from crunching numbers. When he does get the chance, it's in his own company, and through music. Rod is a musical genius, and has a sizable range of instruments that he's able to play at an expert level. He prefers the kalimba (or a hand-held piano) above everything else. It's small, it's quiet, and it's easy to hide. All of those are traits that he's learned to embody in the presence of those who are much stronger and far more aggressive than he.

Rod doesn't really hold a position of leadership, and most of the members in the group have a neutral opinion of him. He doesn't exactly have the reputation of being strong and bold, but he is the one that deals out the cash. Rod tends to interact with people outside of the group a little bit more, characters who have no involvement in criminal behavior. It's a breath of fresh air, and he's able to relax more around them.

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Rod's often tired, but in the sense of emotional exhaustion rather than physical fatigue. His voice is deep, with a possible, very light rasp to it. He's only a couple of years from being middle-aged, around 5 years older than Augustine. We're looking for a mid-low to low ranged voice.

When mentioned that he's 'passive' in conflicts between him and his sister, it means that he'd rather let her have her way than rile her up. There is a level of fear there, but it's not quite absolute terror. He's more wary of her than he is frightened, kind of like treading in a minefield, and the voice should reflect that. However, he does have scenes with characters outside of the main group. At these times, he doesn't have to be on his guard. He can let down the mental wall and open up a bit more. When he does, there's a warmer personality not unlike a big brother. In the script he has dialogue with another character named Lucy, who he knows well enough to be personable with and comfortable around. 

You can choose which one of the first two (or both!) lines to express this personality. It could go either way. The third line, however, is during a dialogue with Augustine. So it should follow the first few directions.

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Theo is a very talented individual with a wide variety of skills, extensive medical training and firearm handling being a couple of examples. The first impressions of him are of an agreeable, friendly person. And, truthfully, that's a pretty accurate description. The issue is that he's made a lot of mistakes, and his police records document every single one of them. One in particular landed him in a federal prison, and through another prisoner he was introduced to Augustine. She saw potential, made a few phone calls, paid a few people, and his extensive sentence was shortened to only four days. He has since been loyal to her group, and is considered to be her right-hand man.

Theo and his girlfriend, Monica (not in the pilot), have a 3-year-old daughter named Adelaide with a very rare, debilitating condition. He's only able to pay for treatment and appropriate care because of the work he does. He tries to cover it up as much as he possibly can, saying he works in 'stocks' and dressing humbly to avoid curiosity. He even lets his girlfriend, a hairdresser, experiment on him however she wants. Pink, blue, purple hair... But, in truth, who knows if this deflection is actually working?

Because of dealing with his daughter's condition for years, Theo is a very patient person. Sometimes, he can be a little too patient, especially with the younger members of the group. There's often a lack of discipline when he's been put in charge. He comes off more as a friend than a boss. While he is very likable, the younger and older members don't really have any respect for him.

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Theo is 24 in the pilot. A medium or medium-low ranged voice would be most appropriate. As stated above, he's patient, friendly, and kind. He's used to being a father, and to his credit he's actually a pretty damn good one. Unfortunately, that translates over to his work, where it probably shouldn't. He thinks of the group more as a family than business partners. Despite the lack of respect, he's actually pretty good at diffusing serious tension between members. He just can't get them to take out the trash.

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Lawrence is a bit of a pessimist. He's believes that bad things will always happen, and quite a few of them have already happened to him. Only, instead of moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he gets angry. He doesn't fly off the handle at random, though. He just lacks the patience that some of the other members have. Lawrence has the tendency to become very confrontational, and often has to be corrected by a member in the group that has higher authority. He usually listens. Even though he is aggressive, and can be violent in a threatening situation, he isn't a stupid man.

He's an excellent hand-to-hand fighter, his style being a combination of boxing and street fighting. It's clear that he's been trained, probably for a number of years. He delights in it. Fighting is his craft, in form and in execution. Lawrence actually prefers a fair match on even ground to pummeling in some random's face, but when the job needs to get done he's not going to turn it down.

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Lawrence is in his 20's, but there's not much youth to his voice. He is very serious, and he's one of the few younger members that actually realizes just how grim the situation can turn. He is kind of a grump, but it's a product of caution and awareness. Since he has such a short fuse, he can quickly go from slightly annoyed to downright pissed. Whenever there's an active conflict, his voice is much more commanding. Be prepared to deliver a fair amount of loud lines. His part also has a lot of shouting. 

You don't have to audition with improv, but I'm just going to make a quick note about it with Lawrence. Writing out an entire, fast-paced shouting match that has general phrases like "shut up" or "get the fuck down" or "drop your weapons" can sometimes sound forced, and Lawrence is going to have a part in the script that's like that. It's very likely that I'll just give a few pointers to the cast actor and let them shout however they like (that's the improv bit). So, if you want to showcase your ability to do that in your audition, go right ahead, that's probably a good idea. However, it's not mandatory, and not doing it in the audition isn't going to hurt your chances of getting the role.

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Tony's age, as well as the amount of money he makes, drives his arrogance. He's at that age where he thinks he's bulletproof, and with more money at his fingertips than he's ever had in his life, that cash might as well be making him immortal. He's absolutely taken by high-class food. Tony comes from a home where the only meals he had were scooped out of a beige, grocery store container. Eating good food is a symbol of status to him, and a vast majority of his earnings go towards prime cuts of beef and exotic produce.

He likes to poke fun at Lawrence a lot, figuratively and literally. He enjoys getting a rise out of someone who's always so serious and temperamental... But he's also a little insecure that he's the youngest one around. It's hard for him to act older and more mature than he is. So, in attempts to relate to the older members, Tony tries to evoke emotions out of them that are more common for someone around his age. When he's not doing that, spending money, or eating expensive food, Tony hangs out with his friends from high school.

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Tony's about 16-17 years old in the pilot. He's outgoing and talkative, and even his more aggressive statements come off as sarcastic and teasing than mean. Even though he's usually called annoying (and those accusations are usually justified), he does have a playful, boyish charm. One thing that I would like to see in auditions would be the addition of a happy laugh. It can be applied to any of the listed lines. Apart from that, just keep in mind that even though he is nearing adulthood he is youthful. That's the most important thing.

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Delfina's main goal in life is simply to survive. As a child, she was homeless with her parents, living in a variety of places from shelters, to overpasses, to backyards. She left her family before her teenage years to join los Renegados. Most of the gang respects her for being one of the only people to take the initiation beating without losing her footing. Since then, her day mostly consists of shopping for lipstick, getting a slushie, and going back to the garage to hang out. It's pretty routine, and very mundane, but that's the kind of life she likes. Quiet, with no one trying to kill her. Now that a few members of the gang have turned up dead, that might not be possible any longer.  

Rosa is her best friend. Despite the way she got in the gang, Delfina has had no personal reason to dislike Rosa and the two of them have gotten along well since the beginning. She's very wary of her gang's leader, and doesn't agree with a lot of what he's done. She only followed him because Rosa took his side during the split.

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Delfina is around 21 years old. Her exact age isn't known, she just knows she turns older in November. She is a very grounded, practical individual. Even during a fight, she tries to keep her composure and handles reasonable conflicts with a stern tone. She's young, but needs a bit of a deeper voice, with a medium range being the absolute highest.

Most of Delfina's dialogue is reactionary. This is very, very circumstantial, but in an ideal situation I would like to have the actor record in a group. Of course, not mandatory at all for obvious reasons, but nearly all of Delfina's lines are in response to conversation. When she's on her own, she's pretty quiet. She doesn't often take the initiative to begin socialization, but of course she participates. That's just something to keep in mind, that if you are cast for the part (and we can get everything together), most of your readings will probably be in a group setting. It is not a deal breaker if this doesn't work out.

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Rosa is Delfina's best friend, and another member of the gang los Renegados. She didn't go through the same initiation as everyone else. Instead of being knocked around, she chose to go down the route of sleeping with one of the gang's members. Many of the members look down on her for this, as is typical. Rosa and Santiago have a slightly 'romantic' relationship. They're not openly boyfriend and girlfriend, but it's heavily implied that he's the one Rosa slept with. She does have a level of care for him and his well being, but there's also a sad knowledge that they're probably never going to be able to be together. At least, not as things are, now.

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Rosa is a little more upbeat than Delfina, a little more passionate while still carrying that air of soft femininity. She's still very young, and has a lot of optimism. Her worries usually consist of a few things involving the gang, mainly Santiago, but she does her best to remain positive in those moments. She's about 20 years old, and her voice should be relatively high in range. She's also one of the few members that went to high school for an extended period of time, so her vocabulary is a little more extensive. A lot of the members don't really have a strong opinion about it, but a couple of them see it as snooty behavior.

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Lucy is bubbly, energetic, and eager to please. She's a waitress at a diner called Bluebird, one that Rod and Augustine frequent. She's upfront and honest, but most importantly she's all smiles. She's almost always seen in her blue and white work uniform, and her hair in that neat bun with some stylish bangs. There's a genuine kindness to her, and she deeply enjoys listening to people's problems, getting to know others, and being as friendly as possible. She tries her best to be a good person, which comes pretty naturally.

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There are actually a couple of possibilities regarding the quality of Lucy's voice. The first would be standard, cheerful and high pitched. But we're not looking for anything extremely specific. It'd also be perfectly acceptable if there was another element to her voice. So, if you have a regional accent (New York, Minnesota, etc...), don't be afraid to let it out. I've actually considered the possibility of her having a fairytale princess voice (you know, that soft, cooey, dreamy lilt that one animation company in particular is pretty famous for... you know the one.) That's not to discourage others from auditioning, just to make a note that there are more possibilities with this voice than others.

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Deanna is both a broadcaster for Promise's local station, and an occasional staff writer for the town's newspaper. She began her journalism career in print, and sealed her position on television and radio after helping to found the station. She's won several awards, her most notable being for an investigative piece against toxic materials being knowingly included in the manufacturing of children's toys. Right now, she's just kind of coasting in her career, enjoying herself and doing the work she loves but placing that work on the back-burner so she can experience life.

Deanna only has a few lines of dialogue towards the end of the pilot, so she's not classified as a main character. However, should the series continue, it would be a larger part.

ATTENTION PLEASE: Should this expand further than the pilot, it should be noted that Deanna will be in a same-sex relationship. There's nothing explicit involving her, and it bears little to no consequence for the plot (and is in no way relevant in the pilot), but it's still something to consider when you're auditioning.

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Deanna has a professional's tone when she's on the air, which is 100% of her screen time in the pilot. She is not overly charismatic, but after being involved with broadcast news for a very long time she's comfortable in front of a camera. Deanna is a confident, and professional speaker. She's in her 40s, and her voice needs to reflect that maturity. We're not looking for any specific range, just the quality of someone of older age.

Instead of having an audition section for each of these characters, we're going to group them together. They're all minor characters that will not be reoccurring, and all of them are members of los Renegados. The accent and age applies for all three. (And yes, it's $20 each, not $20 total.)

(If you want to audition for Lucas, you read line 1.) 

Lucas is in his mid-20s, and for the most part he has a pretty calm demeanor. He does a lot of artistic work in the gang, mostly graffiti, but has been pressured by Santiago to give some of the members tattoos. He's not thrilled about that. Lucas tries to be a neutral party in the gang's growing tension, wanting to steer clear of drama but not wanting to be distant from his peers and friends. He tries to keep himself composed, but that's becoming difficult... Especially after finding out a few of his friends were killed. That's given him a lot of sleepless nights. Any vocal range will be acceptable for Lucas, it's a very adaptable role.

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(If you want to audition for Ines, you read line 2. ) 

Ines is a 22 year old firecracker. She's loud, she's proud, and to say she curses like a sailor would be an understatement. She's also the most outspoken when it comes to Rosa's position in the gang. The two do not get along at all. She has a bit of respect for Delfina, and only really listens to her when told to keep her attitude in check. Any sort of vocal range will do just fine, provided the actor has the ability to speak loudly and shout without causing any technical issues like popping or peaking the mic.

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(If you want to audition for Santiago, you read line 3.) 

Santiago is a little bit older than the rest of the gang, around 27-28 years or so. He's a bit of an interesting case. The garage where the gang is stationed has dozens of tributes to Our Lady of Guadalupe which was completely his choice. He's also beginning to require his gang members to get religious tattoos, like crosses and other holy symbols. This has been a problem with some of the other members in the gang, and los Renegados is currently split because of it. It's put a lot of stress on him, because he did consider the gang to be his family, and sees their split as abandonment. He's become desperate to bring those people back, and will take any means he is given to do so. Santiago needs a very deep voice, one that's smooth and resonate. He's a man of subdued passion, having strong feelings towards his beliefs and principles but not feeling the need to scream and shout to express them.