Lost Ledger: The Blackwood Disappearance Promo
Project Overview
LOST LEDGER - PROJECT BRIEF
THE PROJECT
Lost Ledger is a small independent investigative mystery project that I've begun, built around fictional cold cases. Each case is constructed around evidence that the audience must examine, interpret and connect for themselves.
The Blackwood Disappearance is the first case in the project, and this trailer is intended to establish the tone and presentation of the series before its release.
I am currently producing a short promotional trailer/audio snippet for the first case, The Blackwood Disappearance. The case is set in the fictional town of Marlow, Pennsylvania, in October 1997 and follows the disappearance of 31-year-old Eleanor Blackwood.
For this specific trailer, I am aiming to create a short recreation of the original 30-60 second emergency call that begins the investigation.
THE SCENE
The trailer centers around a 911 call made by Stephen Blackwood, Eleanor's brother.
Stephen calls emergency services after realizing that his sister might be missing. He is frightened, confused and struggling to understand what has happened. The 911 operator attempts to keep him calm while establishing the basic facts of the situation.
The scene is deliberately understated. There is no large dramatic monologue and no exaggerated performance. Stephen should sound like an ordinary person who has suddenly found himself in a situation he cannot explain, while the operator should sound like a trained professional trying to establish what is happening.
The final recording will be edited with period-appropriate sound design and presented as part of the trailer for the case.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR
I am looking for two voice actors who can deliver naturalistic performances and make a short scripted exchange feel spontaneous and authentic.
For Stephen, I am looking for someone who can portray genuine confusion and a hint of fear without becoming theatrical. His emotions should build naturally as he struggles to explain that his sister is missing.
For the 911 operator, I am looking for someone calm, professional and controlled. The operator should, initially, treat the call as a standard emergency.
The overall performance should feel closer to an actual emergency recording than a traditional audio drama.
RECORDING
This is a remote voice-acting project. You do not need professional studio equipment to audition, although a reasonably clean recording is important. A good USB microphone or comparable home recording setup is perfectly acceptable.
Please record in the quietest environment available and avoid significant background noise, clipping, echo or heavy processing. I will handle the editing, sound design and effects during post-production, so please submit clean, unprocessed dialogue where possible.
Auditions can be recorded using any DAW or recording software capable of producing a clean voice recording. (Audacity, Reaper, Adobe Audition, GarageBand and similar software are all acceptable.)
WHAT TO EXPECT
This is a very small role intended for a short promotional trailer. The final amount of recorded dialogue will be limited, although selected actors may be asked for occasional retakes if a line needs to be adjusted during editing (And will be compensated appropriately if needed).
Communication, scripts and recording instructions will be provided remotely. You will receive the relevant scene context before recording so that you understand what is happening in the call and can perform the dialogue appropriately.
COMPENSATION
This is currently an unpaid independent project. It is being produced as a small promotional piece for my project, and participation is completely voluntary.
Actors selected for the trailer will, of course, receive credit for their work on the coming site, and the production is intended to be used publicly as promotional material for the project.
AUDITIONING
Auditions are intentionally simple. You will be provided with a short selection of dialogue from the scene and asked to perform it in character.
I am primarily judging naturalism, emotional delivery, clarity and how convincingly you can make a scripted exchange sound like a genuine emergency call. Technical perfection is not required, but the recording should be clear enough for us to properly assess your performance.
I am much more interested in a believable performance recorded on a modest microphone than an overly polished recording, in which the acting feels artificial.
Voice Actor
Stephen Blackwood is the brother of Eleanor Blackwood, a 31 year old woman who disappeared in October 1997 in a small town in Pennsylvania. He initially reported her missing and was interviewed by police during the initial investigation.
Stephen is calling 911 during the initial stages of the investigation. He is distressed, confused and struggling to explain what has happened, so going slightly off script is okay. Natural pauses, hesitation, interrupted sentences and moments where he struggles to find the right words are encouraged.
- english
- pennsylvanian
- american
- general
- male adult
- american (northeast)
- northeastern american
911? I don't know if this is an emergency, but I think my sister's missing.
No, you don't understand. She wouldn't leave like this.
Voice Actor
The unnamed operator is receiving a call from Stephen Blackwood, who is distressed and attempting to report his sister missing.
The performance should sound like a genuine 911 dispatcher handling a real call. The operator should remain calm, professional and focused on gathering information while recognising that the caller is becoming increasingly distressed.
- english
- american (northeast)
- general american southern
- female young adult
- female senior
- general
- pennsylvanian
- female adult
911. What is the address of your emergency?
Okay, sir, I need you to slow down for me. Tell me what happened.
Okay. Stay on the line. I'm going to send someone to you.
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