DUSTWALKER is a science fantasy story following two characters and their fight against an oppressive theocracy—featuring Kove, a headstrong teen girl, and Arius, a powerful politician and Kove’s would’ve-been foster father. Think Nimona but grittier.
This is going to be an overtly political story. Themes of oppression, bodily autonomy, mental health, human connection and transgender liberation are all explored. Please be sure this is the type of project you want to sign up for before auditioning!
What I'm looking for:
-A diverse cast. Queer, trans, and BIPOC people are all very, very encouraged to audition. There is no age restriction.
-A grounded tone. I need realistic portrayals of all the characters.
-Specific accents. Certain characters (Arius, Deveraux, Lysander, Romina, and Dahlia) will need to speak with a "high-class" British accent*. Everyone else should speak with a standard American accent.
This video is a good reference for the type of accent and diction I'm looking for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHgrDDwXkTA
*If you can't do a high-class British accent, please feel free to audition with some other type of "fancy accent"--standard southern British, French, transatlantic, etc. Just be sure to keep it grounded--nothing over-the-top, please.
Please read each line at least twice in whatever format you prefer. If you are trans, nonbinary, and/or BIPOC, please feel free to state so in your audition (and if you're uncomfortable announcing it to the world, message me)!
Details and logistics:
-NO GENERATIVE AI WILL BE USED AT ANY POINT IN THIS PROJECT! Your voice will not be duplicated or altered by generative AI in any way.
-The two leads will be paid a flat rate of $375 for half a season of work (about 5-6 episodes, no more than 10 hours of work). All production for the first half of the season will be done by December of 2025, where I'll then gather crowdfunding & grant money to pay everyone for the second half.
-All other actors will be paid a flat rate of $25 for one hour of work. Again, this is for the first half of the season--returning characters will be paid appropriately for the second half of the season at the beginning of 2026.
-At the current moment, I am planning three seasons of DUSTWALKER. I'm looking for people who will be willing to stick around for awhile!
-Half the season will be produced and released before December. Most characters will need to be available to record lines for the second half of the season near the end of 2025 / at the start of 2026. Episodes will be released on podcast platforms, YouTube and anywhere else I can stick this thing.
All the rest:
Please message me or drop a comment if you have any questions or concerns! And if you're interested in keeping up with the project, I am @dustwalkerpod on Instagram, Bluesky and Tumblr. All updates (and cool visual media related to the show) will be uploaded there.
Thanks so much! And best of luck to everyone auditioning!
Hello all! Two things:
1. I've just opened auditions for a lead in Dustwalker season 2! You must be both BIPOC & trans/NB to audition. More info here: https://cstng.cc/projects/dustwalker-season-2-lead
2. If you're curious about the project itself, the first episode was just released! Listen here: https://pnc.st/s/dustwalker/6e5246f8/episode-1-this-bird-heralds-death
Thank you everyone! Offers and callbacks will be sent out as the week progresses.
Just a reminder that the call will close this coming Monday (June 30th) at 11:30 PM CST! Offers and callbacks will be sent out soon after. Thank you!
Just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all the incredible auditions! There's still a month before the project closes, so no worries if you haven't gotten yours in yet.
I've added a new role--a wonderful character named Lady Meridian. She only has a few lines this season, but will be a major player in seasons 2 & 3. Please go ahead and audition for her if you're interested!
Lead role. Kove is an impulsive, headstrong 18-year-old girl living on the outskirts of Glachel, and she's pretty damn determined to show the Church a piece of her mind.
I'm pretty open to any type of "older teen girl voice" so feel free to play around with delivery.
Kove is transgender. Trans / nonbinary VA's are preferred and will be prioritized in selection, but cisgender people are free to audition! She passes as female, so a voice that's read as fem is needed (though my definition of "fem" is pretty loose).
She's also mixed--BIPOC VA's preferred & prioritized.
[Exasperated and pissed off] What do you want me to do? Knock out the power? Drive a truck into his house? I specialize in subterfuge, not assassinations.
[Matter-of-fact, mildly passive-aggressive] She wanted you to be a parent. Too bad it’s not working out.
[Incredulous at first, then disbelief mixed with horror] How would you? Outer city folks have undocumented children all the time. No–no, they can’t have been Holyborn. There’s no way.
Lead role. Arius is a powerful politician within Glachel's theocracy--and was supposed to be Kove's foster father. He's reconnecting with her years later to enact a plan years in the making, both to push back against the Church's strange new policies and to fix old mistakes that are coming back to him with a vengeance.
Late 30's / early 40's. Has a no-nonsense, confident tone with a "high-class" British accent. He's not particularly emotive.
Arius is transgender. Trans / nonbinary VA's are preferred and will be prioritized in selection, but cisgender people are free to audition! He passes as male, so a voice that's read as masc is needed (though my definition of "masc" is pretty loose).
[Mild goading] I thought you of all people would understand that this type of birthright doesn’t mean anything. Not really. Unless you believe having holy parents makes you less of a rebel?
[Answering a question, matter-of-fact] Senator Dahlia? She's a lovely lady, and she's going to get herself killed if she keeps talking like that.
[Reserved despair] I’ve lived here my whole life. Look what they’re doing to us. I can’t be proud of this place anymore. How could I?
Friend and fellow politician to Arius. Early 40's. Has a deep, warm, and friendly tone with a "high-class" British accent.
Deveraux is mixed. BIPOC VA's preferred & prioritized.
Special note for Deveraux: the vast majority of his lines are in the second half of the season. Please make sure you are free to record 4 to 5 hours of work sometime in December / January before you audition!
[Friendly, amused] Quite an exciting start to your career. Don’t expect all hearings to be like this one.
[Mildly pissed off] You know what the worst part about this is? Seeing Lysander winning. How can such an incompetent fool possibly be winning right now?
A stuck-up politician who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. Mid 30's with a masc voice and a "high-class" British accent.
[With false professionalism] Counselor Arius, you must have something of note to say about this. After all, you're the one who worked so closely with Velderic.
[Gloating, sarcastic] A shame you two won't be around for much longer.
A sweet professor with a fem voice and a "high-class" British accent. She is BIPOC, so BIPOC actors will be preferred & prioritized.
[Kindly] If you can’t hit the deadline, I need to know. It’s not personal. It just means we have to change the plan.
[Still kind] Human minds are difficult. They always have been, duststone or not. If you let yourself develop a new anchor—don’t give me that look.
A sassy corvid with four eyes under the care of Arius.
I need someone who can make convincing raven noises--clicks and croaks, not calls. I'll link some videos below of some examples I'm looking for:
https://youtube.com/shorts/J1o_2CyddTg?si=lNNImxmVP6qLdw6_
https://youtube.com/shorts/QVaWzHzbupc?si=2kRsc4NlhD1J01-9
+anything else you can find / think of!
Feel free to copy noises from the videos or create new ones you think would work
Barkeep and owner of Fifth Road Tavern, AKA "The best place to be in District Twenty-One!".
[Pleasantly very surprised] I—Arius! By the Gods, man, it’s been years. What on Earth brings you back here?
[With a laugh--can carry it through the whole line] This is a dive bar, girl, not Groundwater.
Jex is a dedicated member of the partisans and has a soft heart for kids. Her voice should be somewhere between "kind" and "firm".
[Trying to be gentle] Just between me and you, Kove... there are those within the organization who care about people like you. Lone wolves, outcasts, orphans, whatever you want to call yourself.
[Kove is accusing her of something] "I didn't know either! Rill said it was a shipment for the medical district--I assumed it was pharmaceutical!"
A teenage girl under the care of Jex.
[Informing Jex] No guards that I could see. I think we're clear.
[Panicked, close to tears] Mom? Oh my gods, Mom--Mom!--please wake up, Mom--
A middle-aged politician with a kind, fem voice and a "high-class" British accent
[Raising her voice to be heard over a crowd] I'm saying the partisans’ complaints have bearing. They should not be ignored.
[Almost nervous] Counselor Arius. May I have a word?
An adorable old lady with a night market stall selling bandages, medications, food packs and other helpful items. 80-ish y/o.
[With great concern] Good gods, girl, what happened to you? Your poor face!
[Indignation] I can’t give you three bottles. That’s more than half my stock.
I need a voice for reading the title / credits for the end of each episode. Trailer / promo narration also a possibility. No preference for gender or age!
Dustwalker, written and produced by Bren Penname, starring Person A and Person B. Main theme by Person C.
Feel free to do some other random title reads--like for Star Wars or another project you've done before
A middle-aged woman with a rich, commanding tone. Any accent other than American would be great for her! BIPOC actors preferred & prioritized.
[Chastising] Watch your tone. Your impatience is grating.
If he survived once, he’ll do it again. Put your faith in him. He will be the key to everything.
A sassy corvid with four eyes under the care of Arius.
[Sorry to everyone who got a notification because of this--I'm just figuring out technical stuff. No new roles!]
*Say something you think would fit*
