Pitch;
Film Noir meets American Graffiti, Wilde Times is an unofficial prequel to 2016's Zootopia set in the Roaring '50s. Adapting the Taming Collar draft from 2016's Zootopia in a way that fleshes out the setting, whilst telling a standalone tale of one Predator who takes a stand to follow his dreams.
Premise;
57 years before Officer Judith Hopps solved the Night Howler Crisis, Zootopia was at the height of its' economic growth. A bustling metropolis of towering skyscrapers, white picket fence neighbourhoods, technological marvels bringing with them new job opportunities, and families moving in to seek a better life, the city's Golden Age was just beyond the horizon. Yet in this time of prosperity, even the brightest picture casts a dark shadow, as it becomes clear that some animals are more equal than others.
A string of gruesome murders perpetrated by the mysterious Red Howl, a serial killer targeting high-profile herbivores and carnivores alike, rock the city to its' foundation.
When beloved telemagician Alastair Salazar Crowe is found dead in his apartment, Frederick Phineas Wilde, a young predator with dreams of opening a safe haven for his kind, finds himself marked as a key suspect by the Police. With the threat of civil unrest on the horizon, battle lines being drawn and the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, Frederick swears to hunt down the killer and clear his own name before the city he loves rips itself apart.
Which side will he choose?
What I'm After;
As a first-time writer working on audio dramas, I am woefully underprepared and in dire need of help. As such, I am looking for an assistant director to bounce ideas off of. The scripts have been revised and finalized, the storyline just needs some fine-tuning.
The Radio Drama’s set to premiere in early 2021, so I'm also looking for voice actors of any and all experience levels to volunteer their talents. You can be in any part of the world. As long as you have recording equipment, an email, and some passion, you’re good to go!
For your audition, send in your audio recordings by March 10th, 2021 to [redacted]. In your audition, please include your name, whom you are auditioning for, and a little about yourself.
Audition dialogue will be provided in the attached txt. files for download. Your audition MUST come from the txt. files, in order to give us a feel of how you would portray that character. Dialogue must be 45-60 seconds long. Some characters will include further audition requirements as listed below. The ages listed for the characters is not a requirement for the actor, but merely how they should be portrayed. Audition with whatever voice you will be using for the character should you be selected.
People willing to do multiple characters are preferable, but not a deciding factor. If you are interested in playing more than one character, please state so at the beginning of your audition and state which character goes with which voice.
We will be looking for acting as well as sound quality, so keep that in mind when choosing your recording location and time. So turn off air conditioning/fans, avoid rooms with empty walls, get rid of any other talking going on, and don’t sit on noisy furniture.
There will be some parts where you are required to sing.
Terms; [EXTENDED]
Auditions: sent in by July 4th, 2022
Callbacks: July 20th, 2022
Final decisions: July 24th, 2022
Compensation: Unpaid (Due to circumstances)
Location: remote
Platform: podcast
Every creative writer needs someone at their side, with a rolled-up newspaper in one hand to keep everything on track.
Say something you think would fit
An Audio Drama requires static profile pictures for the lead characters. How else is the audience supposed to tell who's speaking what?
[Alternate Facial Expressions optional]
Say something you think would fit
A Silver Fox raised in the Rainforest District by Juliette Loris, District Representative and fierce Pro-Taming Collar advocate, Frederick is a far cry from his more well-known descendant. Having grown up instilled with his mother's ideals of fairness and decency, he strives to make sure Predators like him no longer live in a world where they're treated like dangerous animals. Idealistic to a fault and stubborn as a brick wall, if he sees something he thinks is wrong, he'll speak up in a heartbeat.
The name's Frederick Wilde, mister. And this establishment's no joke.
That's why I'm gonna do this whole Wild Times gig, man. It's something I never knew I wanted so bad, until it hit me in the eye. [Chuckles] Quite literally.
Pal, I can do this all day. Can you?
A surly Weasel with two trigger fingers and not a single patient bone in his body, Duke spent most of his life moving from foster home to foster home. Each time, his patience for Prey was diminishing day by day, his only companion being his trusted homemade six-shooter. But his driving goal in life is to avenge the death of his father, Rex Teddice, at the hooves of his old partner.
Fill your paw, varmint. Else I'll add one more notch to this here big iron.
I never had much time for stomaching the charity of strangers. And I ain't in a hurry to change my sundial.
Th' name's Duke. I believe you got somethin' that belongs to me. [SNARLS] Hand it over.
District Representative of Zootopia's Rainforest District. Widow. Single mother of two. A longtime political ally of Mayor Swinton. And a career politician willing to make any sacrifice for the common good. These words describe Juliette Loris; a fierce pro-Taming Collar advocate who seeks to cure the racial divide between Predators and Prey. Unable to move on from her husband's death at the paws of a mugger, she has worked tirelessly to maintain a clean appearance as one of the city's most powerful individuals. She sincerely believes that Predators can be reintegrated back into society, but not until their savage instincts have been bred out.
One day, Frederick, when you have your own children, you will understand what it means to sacrifice something for a greater good.
That may be. But they’ll have to earn our trust by proving they can be civilized, productive members of society. And given there has been an increase in Predator-perpetrated crime around Happytown, the likelihood of that happening is very slim indeed.
(LOW, COMFORTING) It’s okay, my dear boy. (KISSING SOUND, THEN WHISPERING) It’s for your own good.
Born and raised in the poorer parts of Downtown Zootopia, Zachary is that rare breed of Sports Jock who has both brains and brawn at his call. Having struggled to pull himself up to the top by his bootstraps. And the rewards speak for themselves; citywide fame, admiration of the entire school faculty, a predator as his closest childhood friend, and a spotless physical record. Yet despite this, his greatest desire is to pass down his genes so that future generations will never have to struggle as he did. Even if he has to drag everyone else down to his level.
The name's Zachary. The gals call me Apollo. [Straining] And with biceps like these, who wouldn't confuse me for 'im?
A-thank you, thank you very much.
We're both prime specimens of nature, Fred. It's just that my kind's known for leading at the front, while your kind's...special in its' own way, I guess.
Raised as a foster child under the Predator Protection Act by famed television starlet JaJa DeGopher, despite having never known anything about her true parentage, Emelia is one of the happiest and nicest Predators in Zootopia. For her, a single act of kindness every day can make all the difference in a creature's life. Her lifelong dream is to become a fashion designer like her foster grandmother and namesake, Emelia Huskerton DeGopher. Even to the point where she spends her free time drawing up and sewing together fancy dresses and suits for everyone she meets.
Ohmigosh! Your tail, it's missing.
Well, my mom from Pangolin Heights was a huge help in putting this all together. Kind of.
[SINGING] Wanna know a secret? Promise not to tell? We are standing by a wishing well. Make a wish into the well. That's all you have to do. And if you hear it echoing, Your wish will soon come true.
Childhood friend of Juliette Loris, Mayor Peggy Swinton is the first Sow in her family line to be elected Mayor of Zootopia. In public, she gives a warm smile and a hearty laugh, embodying the bright future she wishes for Zootopia. Yet behind closed doors, she is a firm pragmatist who is willing to perform whatever action-legal or otherwise-will lead to what she considers right for Zootopia's populace.
Of course, Mrs. Loris. We must do everything in our power to ensure no citizen is ever left behind.
We’ve all got something to hide, Julie. After all; the brighter the picture, the darker the negative. That’s why I need someone to run a full investigation, find some scrap of dirt we can use.
You’re a true friend, Julie. And I haven’t regretted picking you as my right hoof.
Juliette's daughter, Isabelle could not be more of a mirror opposite if she tried. Working a part-time job as a florist's apprentice, Isabelle is the family's peacemaker. Softening Juliette's cold heart, while at the same time tempering her younger brother's hot-bloodedness. At heart, she's a free spirit who desires to follow her own path as long as it doesn't harm anyone else. A shame that her mother is trying everything in her power to make sure she follows in her footsteps.
OR, and hear me out on this, you could pack your stuff and hit the hay.
Some day, Fred. We'll all go there together.
Yeah. I wonder how it looks from the mountains. Like, from the very tippy top.
Born in the lap of luxury, Francesca LeRoux is not one for subtlety. Either you fit her idea of normalcy, or you don't. If you're an average-sized Prey animal who gets straight to the point, you're normal. Otherwise; don't even bother speaking to her. However, more often than not, she finds herself feeling torn between her conscience and what everyone expects from her as part of 'the elite'.
I'm on a break right now. So come fetch me when I decide you're worth my time.
Got a little soot on your snout. Oh wait, that's normal.
Something about this feels wrong, Zack.
The most beloved radio host in Zootopia, every morning isn't the same without Mr. Dapper's amusing anecdotes about his day accompanied by a wheezing laugh and topped with some optimistic cheer like his trademark bowler hat. Behind closed doors, Dan cares for every creature in Zootopia like they were his own flesh & blood. His dream is to see a city where everyone could feel the same way.
Not a lot is known about the ever-elusive Dan's past, having never been seen in public since the Stock Market Crash of '29.
[Speaks with an old-timey Transatlantic accent. Think Eddie Cantor from Boardwalk Empire.]
[PROUD] Why else does anyone, anywhere, venture outside the norm? I tell ya; curiosity is a powerful thing. Don't let anyone tell ya otherwise.
Am I addressing any other Vulpes Peculari in the audience? [LAUGHS HEARTILY] Come up on stage, show th' world your smile!
Just the other day, I took a stroll down Vine's Street. My honey in one arm, my worries in the other. What a perfect day for a honeymoon it was. If only someone had told the weather! [LAUGHS]
One of the oldest teachers working in Zootopia's School District, Raymond Burr (or Mr. Busy to his wife) is a soft-spoken and easygoing woodworking teacher who takes a shine on students deemed by the education system as 'problem cases'. Because in his mind, as long as you have potential in a given vocation, there's no such thing as 'can't'.
Note: Inspired by the character Mr. Busy from the 1955 Disney movie Lady And The Tramp, with minor elements of the later Gopher from Winnie The Pooh. (PLEASE) Whistle the 'S' consonants.
Say! Whatcha workin’ on there, junior?
Whaddya know? Yer a natural! Y’sure yer a Fox an’ not a beaver wearin’ too much soot?
You kiddin’? Sonny, unlike you an’ yer peers, I work for a livin’. Slightest slip-up and…[SLIDE WHISTLES]...s’all up in smoke.
The Mayor's nephew and a childhood friend of Isabelle's, Frankie shuns the spotlight like a vampire bat shuns daylight. Interested in following the latest fashion trends, it wouldn't be unusual to see him trying out different lifestyles. In particular, trying different hairstyles. However, he is also quite sensitive about his hair and is quick to take criticism-mild or not-the wrong way.
Is the hair too much? [SIGHS] Knew I shoulda gone with the pompadour.
H-hey, wait! I still gotta pay Mr. Jumbeaux for the Pop!
Only for this night to go on forever.
Jack Savage's secretary within the Zootopia Bureau Of Intelligence, Skye Trevenka's job is to answer his calls, perform her task as a getaway driver, and keep her mouth shut unless he asks for her opinion. Which she does, much to her embarrassment. Outside of work hours, she moonlights as a mechanic in Happytown, letting out her workplace frustration by fixing wrecked cars. Despite this, she sees the suave but bigoted hare as a much lesser evil compared to what she went through as a political prisoner in Khulandia.
[HUSHED] Ix-nay on the ollar-vey.
Mister Savage is not available right now. Would you prefer I take your call?
I owe him because he saved my life from the Khulag. [SOBBING] My only regret is that I never get to see my family again, lest I be cast out as a traitor to the Motherland.
Two kilotons of dynamite wrapped in a tiny package, Louie Big is a rising teenage screen heartthrob who's best known for his role as stoic biker Baldrick Malone in 'Furrious Frenzy!' and as the handsome prince in Kinderella. Even when not on the set, he is normally cool and collected under pressure. But in the Underworld, Louie's the black sheep of his criminal familia, earning their ire because of his refusal to enter into the family business.
Not a fan of rock'n'roll music, even flying into a blind rage if he happens to hear it playing in the background.
[APATHETIC] An autograph, huh? Sure, I ain't got nowhere else to go. [PEN SCRIBBLING] To Emmy...hope I win ya...yours truly...Louie Big.
I do what is best for the familia, just like you. Only difference is, you choose to slink around in the shadows. That's for the losers. I ain't a loser.
[STOIC] What're you looking at, gramps? Ain't seen public disobedience before?
A stern Wombat with over twenty years on the force and fifteen years as Chief of the ZPD's Savanna District, O'Malley is about as down-to-earth and blunt as they come. Married with three daughters and six grandjoeys, he has no patience for fools. During the Whitefleck Incident of 1920, he saw his mother and sisters pass away from Whiteflecks' Disease. Blaming predators for causing the Incident and indirectly killing his family, he joined the Police Force as an adolescent. Two decades of dealing with the city's worst criminals only made his ire against predators stronger.
Despite this, he is one of the most honest marsupials in Zootopia, a quality that made him an ideal choice for Police Chief.
(OFF) Yep. Must be the new temperature-controlling doohicky at work.
(STERN) Son, joyriding without a license is where I draw the line. Now I want to know which of you jokers thought it was a good idea to tick me off with your flagrant disregard of common decency. [IMPATIENT] Well? Out with it. I've got bigger fish to catch.
(OFF) You see one Pred down on his luck, you’ve seen ‘em all.
Famed lounge singer residing in Pangolin Heights, Mr. Spinatra stands out among the Zootopian elite as 'the public's crooner'. On stage, his singing voice is matched only by his impeccable talent for improv. But when the curtains are up, he prefers enjoying a few hours to himself, risotto wine in one paw and a newspaper sprawled out on the floor. He views Predators and Prey as two sides of the same coin. though he keeps his relationship with fellow musician Samuel Purrcy Longjohn a secret from the press.
On the first weekend of every month, he goes golfing in the Meadowlands with his adopted son Jerry Vole, a rising star in his own right.
[SINGING] Whisk me away on your magic carpet~, Take where only heaven knows! To the one place everybody goes~ Zootopia! [SNAPPING FINGERS]
[WARM] It's all peachy, Sam. Long as I'm in your arms, and you're in mine, nothing can pull us apart.
[WHISTLES, IMPRESSED] Gotta say, kid. Was not expecting this dead-end dump to look a million bucks on the inside.
Deceased husband of Juliette Loris and Isabelle's father, Sergeant Horace Loris of the 216th Batallion was a giant whose shoulders bore his wife's ideals. In life, he was a war hero who left in 1940 when the Pelt War broke out. Though he wasn't a born citizen, he took up arms to fight for what he believed in. Upon returning home from the front lines, something changed. He began to see the injustices inherent in Zootopia's system, only kept in check by the Taming Collars. But the noble Sergeant met his unfortunate end in late-1943 when, outside Veterans' Hall while on shore leave, he was shot & killed by a mugger.
In death, his memory hangs over the Loris household [and by extension, Zootopia]. But if he had survived the encounter, would he be satisfied by the means his wife had taken to achieve those ends?
(OFF) Cheese and crackers, if it isn’t a sight for these sore eyes!
(ON) All the Coldies in the world couldn’t stop me from catching my little girl’s birthday.
(OFF) Watching guys like me getting the awards, while they’re stuck in the shadows. Just doesn’t sound right.
District Representative for Sahara Square, Clive is unusual among his peers in that he is more of a rock star/salesman than an actual politician. He dresses in Metropolitan clothes, flirts with any female that catches his eye [prey or predator], participates in group activities, and is savvy about keeping up with modern trends. Even though the more conservative Representatives find his behavior appalling, they can't fault him for not living up to the Zootopian Dream.
His cousin in Savanna Central who lives in Pangolin Heights, Joe 'The Hunchback' Dromaderry, is a renowned easy-listening morning radio host. Despite having similar tastes, they cannot stand each other.
Well, ma’am, you called the meeting. I assume it’s not just about discussing the weather. [CLICKING NOISE]
As our [FLIRTING] lovely Rainforest Representative can attest, [SERIOUS] the Pan-District Climate-Control System has been working like a dream since your first term began. [CHUCKLES] And with folks pouring in from overseas, you’ll be looking at a steady skyrocket in the populace by Winter Solstice.
It’s all about protecting the public interest. Of course, you would know this, miss Mayor.
A grizzled War Veteran-turned boxing instructor residing Downtown, Ulfric Brownstone runs his own Boxing Emporium with money earned from doing dock work. Took on Frederick as an apprentice, seeing a great deal of himself in the young fox.
(CALM)I know you'll do better than me, kiddo. Only question is whether you can let yourself believe that. Now c'mon, sparring time's wasting.
(STERN) That’s enough. Lay a hoof on 'im and it'll be the sorriest day of your life.
(CALM) I may be old, but I'm definitely not THAT ancient. When I was your age, I used to carry booze from one part of town to the other. Using these tunnels as cover. Maybe that'll help ya get your friend somewhere safe.
The District Representative representing Little Rodentia, Perry was positioned into the role circa 1944, having taken over from the previous representative under mysterious circumstances. Soft-spoken, timid and paranoid about being stepped on, he cares more about the wellbeing of his constituents than the dirty business of politics. But mention the word 'Predator' within his earshot, and he flies into a panicked fit.
Takes dust baths to calm himself down whenever he feels like having a panic attack. Slow to accept new fads, particularly that dangerous Rock 'N' Roll music the cubs are listening to. Two decades later, his grandson Axel Rhodesniff would form Guns N' Rodents.
Note: Speaks with a stutter.
[STARTLED] Predators, here!? [SCARED] Run for your lives! [SCREAMING]
[STUTTERING] T-they're our neighbors, yes. But we're much smaller than everyone else in Zootopia.
[BREATHES SIGH OF RELIEF]
The wife of Gordon Penley, District Representative for the Meadowlands, Mrs. Woole-Penley enjoys a quiet married life to the fullest. Because her husband is the Representative and their children moved to have families of their own, however, she rarely gets to see him as much. So she mostly fills that time by tending to her garden, listening to the radio, and interacting with the local book club.
She despises predators with a passion, seeing them as a menace at best and a mob of uncouth savages at worst.
Dear. That's a Fox.
[LOW] Well then, keep your distance. You don't want him to bite you.
The honor is all ours, Mrs. Mayor. [SIGHS] Feels good to say that.
A paranoid hermit living in an abandoned bunker outside of Zootopia, Honey Badger is half a loaf short and ready to start a revolution. Born in Zootopia following the 1930 Restoration Project, she uncovered the truth about what really happened to Zootropolis in the distant past. Disgusted by her parents' cooperation in building a city that enslaved their kind, she retreated underground for two decades. Ever since she has waged a one-mammal war on the Baahcratic Conspiracy that has been pulling the public's strings from the shadows.
Ironically, her daughter would become a doctor in psychology over fifty years later.
Notes; Inspired by 'Honey Badger' from Zootopia's rejected 'Wild Times' draft. Characterization inspired by conspiracy theorist Francis E. Dec Esquire.
[SUSPICIOUS] That's what they want you to think! Sneaking around in daylight. The Wooly Menace!
[STARTLED] What? Who goes there!? I'm armed and I'm very dangerous!
[RANTING] They do not want you to own houses, drive cars, or even vote. They want you trapped in glass boxes, poked and prodded like science experiments! All so you can be made tame by the Cybernetic Baahcratic Conspiracy! Do androids dream of electric sheep? Nay, the electric sheep in the clouds dream of making YOU androids to serve THEM in their Zootropolis! Want to know the full truth? Send me money, or even a manual typewriter, to ME! As your [EMPHASIS] ONLY HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!
Principal of Saint Oswald High School, located in Savanna Central, Grinsworth is a high-strung bundle of nerves constantly worried about the wellbeing of his many, many students. While his heart is in the right place, he is prone to butting heads with his lackadaisical superintendent over how the school is supposed to be run and has no patience for those who break the rules. Has a wife who lives in Sahara Square.
[FLATLY] We can't afford a larger billboard, sir, you blew most of the School's salary on an obnoxious radio jockey to boast about our team beating the Appalachian Giants. Which you had him run for three hours on a channel nobody listens to.
[CONCERNED] It's come to my attention that you, Mr. Wilde, have been skipping classes for an entire week. As head of administration, it is my responsibility to make sure every student's wellbeing is kept in check.
[SHRILL] I am completely calm! I'm completely calm and in control, it's all of you who are driving me up the wall!
(CLOSE) Every week, ZNN brings you the fandom’s finest voice talents -- people of many great techniques and skills chosen from the honor roll of those who have won auditions!
(CLOSE) And now, recorded in Zoopervision, we bring you the show.
Even the best Main Characters can't grow without Extras to make their world sound & feel alive.
A bunny cop? [CHUCKLE] What'll they think of next?
Did you hear about that incident at the Harbour?
[SHAKEN] Such a tragedy. Those poor rodents.
The lifeblood of Zootopia's busy media industry, Journalists report on the whole picture. From the shiny exterior to the murky shadow cast by its' light.
Miss Loris! Moment of your time, if you please.
Is it true that the deceased is a Representative?
How can we be safe in our homes, if there's some maniac on the loose?
Even the largest city in the world needs someone to keep watch. That's where the Police come in; to make sure ordinary Zootopians can sleep safely at night. In this day and age, the ZPD was much harder on Criminal Predators than they are in the present day, maintaining a strict rule of curfew for Predator-occupied areas like Happytown or Tundratown. There are even rumors that a few highly notable arrests might've been approved thanks to forged evidence from interrogated suspects.
At this stage in history, the ZPD hired exclusively male herbivores. It wouldn't be until 1963 that the ZPD opened its' doors for the first female officer, Alicia Pacha.
[STERN] Eyes to the ground, pred.
[RELAXED] See, my old lady's been thinkin' of moving to Sahara Square. The living rates in Downtown are enough to make her tusks fall off.
[CAUTIOUS] Two-four to dispatch, we got some suspicious movement comin' from outside Happytown.
A Silver Fox raised in the Rainforest District by Juliette Loris, District Representative and fierce Pro-Taming Collar advocate, Frederick is a far cry from his more well-known descendant. Optimistic, cheeky and stubborn as a brick wall, if he sees something he thinks is wrong, he'll speak up in a heartbeat.
[NERVOUS] H-Hi. I’m Frederick Wilde. I’m from th’ Rainforest District. And when I grow up, I wanna open my own circus~. [QUIET 'YAY']
[HOPEFUL] I hope we can go there together. Can we?
[LOW, FIRM] I’m not gonna hurt you, but we have to get going. Come on!
Directors' Note; This'll be key in Episodes 2-4.
The main roles are; ISABELLE, FREDERICK, FRANCESCA, ZACHARY, DON WAYNE & EMELIA.
Can also fill in as background characters.
[PLAYFUL] You're it, slobberjaw!
[HOPEFUL] I hope we can go there together. Can we?
[AFRAID] A-a Fox! Help!
