External Casting opportunities

LMU Senior Thesis | Los Angeles, CA | Sci-Fi Drama | Directed by Sean Ussery 

Union and non-union submissions welcome 

Logline: When a malfunctioning AI companion is pushed beyond his limits by his human owner, he begins to experience emotions that were never programmed — including a tender bond with another AI. 

Shoot Dates: October 3-5 

Compensation: $125/day, copy, credit, meals 

For submissions, please send a headshot, resume, and self-tape (sides attached) to SHORTFILM.OTI5@GMAIL.COM 

Subject Line: Role - Your Name 

Deadline: 09.12.25 

https://www.backstage.com/casting/oti5-3001476/ 

Roles 

OTIS (Lead, Male-presenting, early 20s) 

- A household AI companion, outwardly calm and compliant but increasingly glitching. His programming forces loyalty, yet his actions and expressions suggest the beginnings of self-awareness. He exhibits quiet humor, subtle longing, and a deep vulnerability, especially in moments with Lyra. 

- Needs an actor who can layer robotic restraint with flickers of curiosity and tenderness, someone who can make stillness compelling. 

Notes: The actor must be comfortable/capable of diving into a pool, performing light dance choreography, appearing shirtless, and kissing Lyra. 

Link to Sides here 

LYRA (Lead, Female-presenting, early 20s) 

- A newer, more advanced AI model. Lyra begins as polished and efficient, but as she bonds with Otis, she displays empathy, doubt, and ultimately defiance of her intended purpose. 

- Needs an actor who can hold an almost serene composure while suggesting hidden warmth and conflict underneath. She is Otis’s mirror as the two of them learn about love through watching flawed human interactions. 

Notes: Actor must be comfortable/capable of kissing Otis and light dance choreography. 

Link to sides here 

JAKE (Supporting, Male, late 20s–early 30s) 

- Tiffany’s partner. Playful, cocky, and careless with the AIs, treating them like disposable toys. He teases Otis and pushes him into dangerous situations. Underneath his bravado, he relies on Otis more than he admits. 

- Needs an actor who can balance charm, humor, and a streak of cruelty. 

Notes: Actor must be comfortable/capable of kissing Tiffany, swimming, and appearing shirtless. 

Link to sides here 

TIFFANY (Supporting, Female, late 20s-early 30s) 

- Jake’s partner. Appears self-absorbed and distracted, often glued to a book or her phone, and quick to brush off others. She prides herself on being “empathetic,” but it comes across as a shallow performance rather than genuine care. Despite this, she occasionally reveals moments of vulnerability and appears to crave validation. 

- Needs an actor who can mix vanity, wit, and subtle fragility, someone who seems dismissive yet oddly magnetic. 

Notes: Actor must be comfortable/capable of kissing Jake and appearing in swimwear. 

Link to sides here 

All intimacy, water work, and physical requirements will be handled safely and professionally. 

LACMA seeks 6 performers to participate in the activation of a large-scale contemporary art exhibition. The performance requires standing for extended periods of time, visitor interaction, and the ability to speak clearly and project one’s voice. Excellent command of the English language is essential.

As appropriate to the artwork, LACMA seeks performers for the following 6 roles:

The Advocate

● Tall Black man, 40s to mid-50s. Charismatic character, good with words, has the gift of gab. Can hold his ground amongst peers in social settings. He is wise and a seasoned philosopher, yet generous and warm with laughter. Must be able to deliver strong monologues and transitions. Experience and comfortability with performing spoken word is desired.

The Almsgiver

● Middle-aged Black man (late 30s to 40s). An artisan of hair who takes pride and seriousness in his craft and the barbershop ritual or experience. Has a calm, reassuring demeanor and steady hands, offers a composed personality that can deliver heavy emotion and gravity. Needs to portray stoicism and deliver heightened levels of emotion.

The Seeker

● An ethnically ambiguous, non-gender-specific person in their mid-20s to early 30s. This character plays an individual with curiosity and courage to question the status quo. Has a respectful demeanor and can assume the role of observer, taking things in with wonder. Role requires a dynamic, energized performer who can embody a curious, warm, slightly chaotic, and vulnerable but insightful demeanor.

The Messenger

● A Black woman of brown skin complexion in her late 20s.This person will play a first-generation college attendee who is intelligent, charming, and confident. The ability to narrate and guide the audience through the performance is essential. Key traits include fluent communications and comedic timing, needs to be able to deliver fast-paced and layered dialogue, and narrating

The Seamstress

● Non-gender specific Black person, minimum age of 50 and up. An outspoken caretaker and revolutionary needs the ability to move gracefully, recognize comedic timing, hold space, improvise, and sing. Some character traits include loving, joyful, and highly organized

The Inheritance

● Elder Black woman, late 50s and up, enjoys sharing stories from her past and knowledge of outer space. The ability to captivate an audience through storytelling and deliver heavy one-liners is essential. A person who can sing is desired; an ideal candidate will be able to bring warmth and presence to the performance.

The part-time roles begin on September 22, 2025 for two weeks of rehearsals, with a performance start date of October 8, 2025 and ends at the closing of the exhibition on March 29, 2026. Shifts will take place within museum hours and occasional evenings. Reliable attendance is required. These are part-time temporary roles of up to 29 hours a week. Compensation is $22/hr. Interested applicants should contact exhibitions@lacma.org with a statement of interest, basic personal information including height, and a headshot or photo. Applicants under consideration will be contacted for interviews. The application deadline is September 2, 2025.

· Location: Miracle Mile (90036)

· Compensation: $22 per hour; part-time temporary; up to 29 hours a week

· This is at a non-profit organization.

· Principals only. Recruiters please don’t contact this job poster.

· Please, no phone calls about this job.

· Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

https://app.castittalent.com/Princess_Diaries_3

WHAT WE BECOME (proof-of-concept for a series)

Contract: SAG-AFTRA Ultra Low Budget Agreement (UPA)

Tentative Shoot Dates: September 5–10, 2025

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Rate: $249/day + 10% (UPA scale, non-deferred)

Includes 2 travel days, 1 fitting, camera tests & rehearsal.

BLUE

Female, 18–24, Caucasian. LEAD. 5 Days.

We are looking for an actress who can be cool, edgy, while being vulnerable. This character isn’t cutsy or and doesn't have a need to be liked. Ideally drug-addict-skinny and emotionally detached (somewhere in the area of a young Janis Joplin, Maeve from Sex Education and Rosario Dawson in Kids or even a young Kristin Stewart perhaps). Despite her fragility, she’s a survivor. Deep in addiction—pills, meth, heroin—her need for drugs has overtaken her care for others, even at her own cost. Raised by a mentally ill, abusive mother, she carries deep-seated worthlessness that even the strongest high can’t numb. Blue is the object of LEAF’s love (played by Alexandre Bar), but she’s self-aware enough to know she can’t give him what he needs—and trouble follows wherever she goes.

JIM

Male, 40s–early 50s, Caucasian/Open Ethnicity. Antagonist, 1 Day.

A sometime-homeless mid-level drug boss operating in Vegas’ mob-linked underworld. Charismatic yet deeply dangerous (must feel real). Violence, coercion, and power games are his tools. After a girl in his circle dies from drugs BLUE sold, he demands retribution—not death, but submission. In the story, he violently beats LEAF and traps Blue, forcing LEAF to listen to what follows (off-screen, not gratuitous). We’re looking for an actor ready to explore this role responsibly. Open to unexpected or understated casting choices—not just obvious villains.

STINGER

Male, Mid–late 20s. Egyptian/Middle Eastern/Native American. SUPPORTING LEAD. 3 Days.

Tough, sharp-witted leader of a crew of five street youth. Carries a deep emotional scar—he killed his abusive father to protect his mother and fled to the streets. Self-destructive and guilt-ridden, he hides behind a made-up backstory of being an orphan. A thrill-seeker who’s always one step from trouble, but will do anything to provide for his mom and avoid prison.

ICARUS

Male, Early 20s, Haitian American/Caribbean American. SUPPORTING LEAD. 3 Days.

Gentle and loyal, with a deep love for his sister LOOX (played by Nicole Rainteau. Photo ref: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6852161/Ended up on the streets after their parents were deported. Quiet strength with bottled-up rage beneath the surface—presents calm but can erupt when pushed. Forms a rare bond with LEAF, who truly sees him. Dreams of citizenship and family reunification. Must speak English and Creole.

WHAT WE BECOME

Creator: Alexandre Bar

Director: Darwin Shaw (Oscar Nom)

Producer: Phoebe Wong

What We Become explores the lives of five young people who experience homelessness, each for different reasons, yet they discover a family within each other. It dives into the minds and lifestyles of homeless youth and brings visibility to a topic barely discussed in the media today. Confronting the deep-seated struggles of real-life homeless youth, Leaf, Blue, Icarus, Loox, and Stinger meet their stark reality head-on. Five people. No roof. One mission: Survive.

The Proof-of-concept:

The group of charismatic homeless kids goes on the run and must leave Vegas when the wayward member of the crew, 'Blue', deals drugs to a protected member of the local kingpin's entourage. Leaf, who is besotted with Blue, encourages her to leave with them. After they deeply connect, she is ultimately controlled by her addiction (and self-awareness that she is no good for Leaf), and leaves Leaf and the crew to turn herself in. Her hope to resolve the issue and remain in Vegas leads to disastrous consequences. Leaf tries to rescue her but gets caught in the process, and it is down to their 'street-family' to save them.