Pilot for Dark Comedy Rom-Com, Adult Animated Series.
Project Overview
Hello, I am co-developing the pilot to an animated series for adults (IE Archer, or Bojack Horseman). This is a pitchable, like the video version of a spec script, so casting for the show itself if picked up would be done again, but we would be interested in potentially working with some of the same people again, and if we screen it in festivals once completed to get it viewed, you'll get an IMDB credit for it. I'm looking right now for a very quick call for the scratch track (used for animators to time out their animation to), but would hope to use the same people for a scratch track again for the polished edit of the pilot itself.
The show is a dark comedy rom-com (similar in tone to something like Santa Clarita Diet), with some adult themes similar in content level to a show like Archer. Heavy violence and language, but also a lot of humor. The show is about two people dating each other on a long-distance-only dating app: Claire and Travis, a hardworking fat social worker pretending to be a model who does volunteer work, and a serial killer vigilante who pretends he’s a judge, respectively. They end up moving next door to each other without realizing the other is the same person they’re anonymously dating online, and the show follows their friendship and personal lives, causes as a social worker and serial killer, and of course, their rather insane love lives.
I am listing age, tone, and race for characters with specific ones. VAs of the same race for characters that have them listed are preferable when it comes to casting, but since this is for a scratch track only and not the finished product, at this stage, they don’t have to match, since it can be recast before the full audio edit. If you end up voicing someone you can’t in the finished project, we still appreciate the help and interest, and would be happy to check in with you for other characters in future episodes if you’re interested. The scratch track doesn't need to be as polished as the final edit will be in quality or performance, because it's got a quick turnaround time and is primarily to help set the animation, so it's unpaid, but the major roles for the finished pilot will be, if you end up picking up a role you're interested in sticking with.
The characters I need cast right now are:
Claire: One of the protagonists, she is a competent and intelligent, beautiful social worker, who is constantly exhausted, overworked, and under-paid. She struggles to actually make a dent in her clients’ lives in a system designed against them, and to have any time to have a personal life at all. Medium or slightly high pitch, not a super high, and not super low pitch, calm and reliable, nice-sounding person. Don’t be afraid to make her sexy too—she’s a class act. (30’s)
Jeff: Claire’s boss. He’s also overworked, but cares mostly about himself and his group, rather than their clients and the work. The kind of person who entered the field probably with good intentions, but has long ago started to view everyone he works for and with as the enemy, even the ones he’s supposed to help and protect. Kind of sneaky about it, though, capable of being personable, and at least decently good at manipulation. Not a super deep voice for him, but not annoyingly high. Mostly in vibe I’d just go for exasperated. (White, middle aged)
Hugo: Travis’ best friend and building manager. He’s got a wild personality, and fences everything from anime figures to drugs, often to people in the building. Drives an airbrushed van. Wildly intelligent and accomplished despite what first impressions might make someone think, visits tech conferences for the lectures, and very humorous and personable. Go for friendly and humorous, but very casual and relaxed. (Cree, 30’s).
Dayananda: An FBI profiler dispatched to investigate the killings, (30’s, male, Indian). Rational, persevering, fairly unshakable, intelligent, principled.
Cole: Dayananda’s partner, an FBI agent dispatched to investigate the killings (early 50’s, male). Cool-headed, friendly, capable, experienced, easy-going.
Talia: A victim Travis saves. Female, mid-late 20’s. She’s having a rough night.
Connor: Talia’s ex-boyfriend, who attacks her and is killed by Travis. Mid-late 20’s, threatening, entitled, angry, superior.
Clarence: Live-streams one of the attacks. Late teens-early 20’s. Very unbothered and having fun with a rather horrifying situation.
Dave: One of Travis’ neighbors, black, in his late 60’s. Experienced and personable.
Tanya: One of Travis’ neighbors, early 20’s, Slavic. A more solitary person, but gets along with her neighbors pretty well.
Aaron: One of Travis’ neighbors, mid-late 30’s, casual and grounded. Cora’s husband.
Cora: One of Travis’ neighbors, mid-late 30’s, sarcastic and humorous. Aaron’s wife.
Hannah: One of Claire’s clients. She’s 12, and going through a bad home environment, so she starts out very withdrawn and worried and almost meek, but she’s also a 12-year-old, so, very capable of becoming quite angry.
Older Woman: helps Talia after she’s attacked, in her 60’s, wry and unshakable.
Officer 1: One of two cops who attempt to catch Travis. No specifics needed other than probably go for 30’s-sounding.
Officer 2: The other cop who attempts to catch Travis. No specifics aside from age, which is 50’s.
Man: Catcalls Tania.
Social workers 1 & 2: Both female, co-workers of Claire’s who do not care for her. At least late 20’s in age; but, other than that, feel free to experiment.
There are also three men attacked in the opening scene, and four later in the script, for a total of seven unnamed male roles (mostly shouts and screams). All of them are at least in their late 20’s, but other than that, go for it.
[[Deadline extended to the 12th, but casting decisions will happen in the evening of the 12th, so please try to make submissions before the early evening if submitting the 12th, and you want to be sure to be heard in time]]
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One of the protagonists, she is a competent and intelligent, beautiful social worker, who is constantly exhausted, overworked, and under-paid. She struggles to actually make a dent in her clients’ lives in a system designed against them, and to have any time to have a personal life at all. Medium or slightly high pitch, not a super high, and not super low pitch, calm and reliable, nice-sounding person. Don’t be afraid to make her sexy too—she’s a class act. (30’s)
(In shock, hopeless, broken. A child you were trying to protect has just committed suicide. She begins to cry halfway through.)
"They would just get away with it. Forever. She’s... She was ten years old, Jeff. They’ll just kill her and walk away. I c- ... I can’t. Even if I could land in jail, I can’t just...I already failed her in every other possible way. I can’t let them get away with it."
(Livid, shouting, reactive. A child both of you were responsible for has just killed herself, and his refusal to intercede is largely to blame in your eyes)
"YOU’RE SORRY?! You’re fucking sorry?! Where was ‘sorry’ last month, when it could have made a difference! Last week! This-FUCKING- morning!"
(gentle, kind, but playful at appropriate moments, speaking with a child in a bad home environment)
"There’s a guy working at your library named Jake-- he’s about 26, looks like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, without a beard. He’ll get you a secret card, one without your mom attached to it, and you can check out whatever you want. Just--be careful. Read them away from home, and don’t keep the books in your house. Do you think Molly would hold onto them for you?"
Hugo is Travis’ best friend and building manager. He’s got a wild personality, and fences everything from anime figures to drugs, often to people in the building. Drives an airbrushed van. Wildly intelligent and accomplished despite what first impressions might make someone think, visits tech conferences for the lectures, and very humorous and personable. Go for friendly and humorous, but very casual, relaxed, and sure of himself. (Cree, 30’s).
(This is a joke you're playing along with. You /are/ the building manager, and you organize these things. Everyone knows this, but they also like making this joke, as do you.)
"You guys talking about the illegal secret barbeque on Friday? That’s gonna be some good shit. Just don’t tell the building manager. He’s a huuuuge fuckin asshole."
(You are talking shit right back at a friend who just accused you of scalping because you charge him for a service you steal. Familiar and friendly, but you're also not having it. You're clearly in the right.)
"Yeah, at like a dollar a month. Win- win. That ain’t bad for the fuckin Paramount-Netflix-Hulu-Disney- Amazon-HBO-Crunchyroll special."
(You want to follow your friend into a storage unit you lend him to keep talking. He won't let you in. You don't really mind, but you like giving him a hard time. Friendly ribbing.)
"Alright, alright. Keep your creepy sex dungeon to yourself, then."
(Friend says it's not a sex dungeon.)
"Yeah, because you can’t get laid." (gleeful parting shot)
Jeff is Claire’s boss. He’s overworked, but cares mostly about himself and his group, rather than their clients and the work. The kind of person who entered the field probably with good intentions, but has long ago started to view everyone he works for and with as the enemy, even the ones he’s supposed to help and protect. Kind of sneaky about it, though, capable of being personable, and at least decently good at manipulation. Not a super deep voice for him, but not annoyingly high. Mostly in vibe I’d just go for exasperated. (White, middle aged)
(Exasperated, but also not giving your entire attention to this. You've just been asked by Claire what kind of parents gives pills as a gift to a child whose older sibling over-dosed)
"Parents of kids with a lot of headaches? --Okay--Okay. I hear you. I’ll look at the report. ...But I need you to drive out to Salem for an appointment at-
(CLAIRE: 'Salem? That should be Clarksville.')
"-They’re understaffed, like everyone. Besides, don’t you want to fill in the cracks in the justice system? Thought you were all about that."
(You're doing something pretty messed up here. A client just committed suicide, and you're pinning it on Claire to have a way out for your company, which means you have to simultaneously convince her she's at fault, /and/ that you're on her side. Persuasive, kind even, despite the nature of the dialogue. Convincing).
"This isn’t just about her, Claire. If you stay, we could all go under. We could lose most of the little pull we already have to act. We have other clients, Claire. You can’t do that to them to ease your own guilt. You know this. ...I know you want a fight. You want a way for it to have not been your fault. You want a way to still fix it. You meant well, Claire. Let that be enough. But you can’t take everyone else down with you. You have a last chance to help the kids here--by leaving. And you’ll be able to keep helping people there, too. It’ll be okay."
Dayananda: An FBI profiler dispatched to investigate the killings, (30’s, male, Indian). Rational, persevering, fairly unshakable, intelligent, principled. North American or Indian are both good for the accent, I just can't select both on the dropdown.
(Wry/heavily sarcastic, tired but friendly, talking to your partner)
"Yeah, because the locals precincts are always so warm and open to us. I mean it's practically impossible to investigate without full police cooperation. I can't /imagine/ how we'll ever get it done."
(Intense, firm, shouted, facing armed hostile near potential hostage)
"Hands up! Back away from the girl." *fires gun upwards* "That's the ONE warning you're going to get! I said back UP! Hands out, palms empty! Now!"
(Friendly, curious. Talking to a new acquaintance/potential ally)
"You've been with the force for a month, and you decided the good career move was to ask to be paired with /me/? You know your boss is actively trying to have me killed, right? There's no version of this that's good for you."
Cole is Dayananda’s partner, an FBI agent dispatched to investigate the killings (early 50’s, male). Cool-headed, friendly, capable, experienced, easy-going. Think Nick Valentine.
(You're about to get to drop a 'careful what you wish for' on your partner and it's quite funny to you.)
"You know how you're always hoping you'll get one of those freaks; like, your own Clarice Starling case?"
(Serious, careful)
"I know. But I haven't seen someone with that much power, and that little memory that he can be held accountable, in a very long time. Even if people pay for it later, it doesn't always undo the initial damage. A little extra caution here would be wise."
(Pleased, showing off a little. Just found a hidden door).
"Oh, this is nothing. You weren't with us yet in 2006, when we took down Varsaul. You can't imagine the little funhouse he had in Florida. I think it's the closest anyone in the /bureau/'s ever been to living through an honest to god dungeon crawl."
Talia: A victim Travis saves. Female, mid-late 20’s. She’s having a rough night.
(Scared, bargaining. Trying to convince your ex not to attack you)
"C-Connor, please. Please don’t do this--we could just talk, like we used to. I could-"
(You're being attacked. Terrified)
*Scream, hoping to draw notice* "Help me! Please!"
(Dazed and a little sick. Both horrified and relieved. You've been saved, but the people who were attacking you are being butchered pretty gruesomely)
"Oh god."
Connor: Talia’s ex-boyfriend, who attacks her and is killed by Travis. Mid-late 20’s, threatening, entitled, angry, superior.
(Threatening, but also smug. You're intimidating your ex-girlfriend you deeply want revenge on, and she's terrified. You're winning.)
"Oh, they won’t help you. A fight in the alley. A gunshot? Six guys?"
(Incredibly menacing.)
"What do I want? I want what I had before. What you owe me. I want you to get on your filthy little whore knees, and beg me for forgiveness. I want you to lick my feet, and I want to fuck you on the pavement of this disgusting alley. I want to break your neck."
Not a line as such, but he's murdered pretty brutally, so just whatever impressive screaming and choking sounds you can do.
Clarence: Live-streams one of the attacks. Late teens-maybe 20, 21. Very unbothered and having fun with a rather horrifying situation.
(You're having a /great/ time. Essentially Deadpool or Batman is in your alley right now, doing vigilante justice and incredibly bloody murder, and you have a chance to live-stream it. You're not taking the situation seriously beyond the excitement, because it doesn't affect you personally and you're young.)
"Hey guys, you will not believe this, but it’s 8:22pm right now, and Mr. Fuck-You-Up is IN my alley, killing shit right now! -- Yeah, I dunno what happened--heard some voices and a gunshot. Looks like maybe that girl over there was gettin’ raped, but you know Anti- Rape Batman. So yeah, he’s totally ripping these guys to shreds."
Older Woman: helps Talia after she’s attacked, in her 60’s, wry and unshakable.
(Nonplussed. You've been around, and around Justice specifically. You've seen the vigilante kill people at least from a distance about four times. You do /not/ live in a good part of town. This is the 'come on' of a 'we better get a move on,' not 'you're witnessing a bloody murder,' despite that being what's happening. Speaking to the woman the vigilante just saved, while he kills her attackers.)
"Come on, honey, you might want to back up a little. The blood spatter gets intense, and you never know what diseases these men have."
(To Justice. Judging in the way only older people can judge. You aren't remotely afraid of him even though you probably should be a little bit. He criticized your poor 'consoling' efforts, and you're responding in kind.)
"You think disemboweling six guys in front of her is less upsetting?"
Dave: One of Travis’ neighbors, black, in his late 60’s. Experienced and personable.
(Intentionally loud. You're having fun. The BBQ isn't secret, but everyone pretends it is. Friendly, speaking to younger neighbors you're on good terms with)
"Hey kids--you all coming to the secret barbeque on Friday?"
(Good natured ribbing. Questioning Travis' ability to pick good alcohol for a party)
"If you wanted it to taste good, why'd you ask Travis to choose some?"
Tanya: One of Travis’ neighbors, early 20’s, Slavic. A more solitary person, but gets along with her neighbors pretty well.
(Joking. Your neighbors and you are pretending your building manager is scary, when he's basically everyone's best friend and weed man.)
"I hear he is fierce. He will shut us all down. Me? Deported."
(Disapproving, but for show, not serious. Speaking to a friend)
"I do not sleep. You forget the life of college students. We do not any of us sleep. We drink things that slowly kill us, and persevere."
Aaron: One of Travis’ neighbors, mid-late 30’s, casual and grounded. Cora’s husband.
(Friendly, playing us a situation, not serious)
"That’s what makes the barbeque so good-the danger."
(Affectionate. You love your wife so much)
"Cora's been home late a lot recently. I'm kind of worried about her, so I thought I'd try to take care of everything to do around the house before she gets home, much as I can. Didn't realize how much she was doing before, in addition to her job. She's pretty amazing."
(Exhausted, not truly serious)
"Hugo, I love you, and I /love/ the custom lightsaber you got my nephew somehow for 20 bucks, but if you drive past my window at 3am blasting Ska ever again, I'm going to kill you."
Cora: One of Travis’ neighbors, mid-late 30’s, sarcastic and humorous. Aaron’s wife.
(Sarcastic, friendly. In response to a friend claiming he 'only' watches CSI when Special Victims is on)
"So all of the time, every day, then?"
(Intrigued by the topic)
"Well, it's certainly made work interesting. Nothing really changes the crime scene in a city like some guy in a fucked up hallow costume running around shredding violent offenders like Freddy Krueger."
(You just got home and see the house in disarray. Your husband is hurt. You get closer and realize he's hurt way worse than you thought, and not responding. Worried, to panicked.)
"What happened? --Shit. Are you okay? ... Oh my god. Aaron!"
Hannah: One of Claire’s clients. She’s 12, and going through a bad home environment, so she starts out very withdrawn and worried and almost meek, but she’s also a 12-year-old, so, very capable of becoming quite angry.
(Meek, hopeless. You're trying to explain your distress to an adult, and do not have high hopes about being understood or sided with.)
"But I was in class. At science, with Andy. And...I looked down, and there was all this blood on the seat--I thought I was dying. I screamed! He’ll never look at me again. Nobody will."
(A burst of sudden rage towards your mom. This has been festering for a long time)
"I hate her. You know there’s not even a lock on my door? She only lets me use the computer out there, she checks the history. There’s settings on everything--it’s like she thinks I’m evil!"
(Intensely distressed, defending yourself, afraid you won't be believed)
"I brought home a book from the school library, and she screamed at me and called them to tell them not to let me take any more. She thought I was looking at sex stuff, but I wasn’t! I just--I wanted to know what’s happening!"
Officer 1: One of two cops who attempt to catch Travis. No specifics needed other than probably go for 30’s-sounding in age.
(In response to gunfire close enough to hear,, surprisingly calm about this.)
"I think it’s coming from Walden."
Officer 2: The other cop who attempts to catch Travis. No specifics aside from age, which is 50’s.
(Just heard the Vigilante your department desperately wants caught is close)
"Oh hell yeah."
A catcaller who is scared off when the girl he was trying to pick up is attacked by her ex-boyfriend.
(Catcalling a stranger)
"Hey, what's your name, girl?" (beat) "Come on, I don't bite."
A coworker of Claire's. Tired of her job and in general, not very sympathetic to her clients, despite being a social worker.
(Tired, annoyed. Someone is calling you for help, but not the exact kind you offer, and you're not very sympathetic.)
"I’m sorry. What you want is a help line. Would you like a reference number? I’m sorry. I can’t just talk to you ma’am. I have clients I have to get to. There’s nothing I can do. Okay--Goodbye."
A coworker of Claire's. Does not like Claire. Thinks she causes problems, and is full of herself. Not a very nice person.
(Extremely fake-nice)
"Hi Claire. How's your lawsuit coming?"
Various violent criminals Travis kills, and onlookers witnessing one of his attacks. If you're auditioning for another role, but would be willing to voice a named character and an extra as well, please don't hesitate to audition for both, or indicate that. Thanks!
There are 7 male victims of the Vigilante. No specific lines to follow to audition, just do some screams and choking/being injured or killed sounds, calls for help, angry shouts. Feel free to experiment with it.
There are a number of onlookers (all genders) during Travis' second fight, commenting on the gruesome scene playing out in their ally. Improvised chatter. You're watching a vigilante serial killer eviscerate some guys who were going to gang rape a girl. 'Holy shit' 'oh my god' and gasps and the like.
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