CASTING
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Director and Producer Jade Chamberlain ran a 2 day casting session- auditioning over 52 actors during the session inorder to find the perfect actors to embody the characters of the story.
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Stephanie Chamberlain- casting assistant was a huge help in welcoming the actors and reading off the script to run through various scenes. Adult leads Charlotte Weber and David Partridge also attended some auditions to assist in reading opposite the lines to actors.
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After finding the top 3 actors for the roles of Grace and Emiline- a day of call backs lead to the decision to cast KEALA KERN in the role of GRACE and BELLA FREEMAN in the role of EMILINE.
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"Casting is such a crucial step in any film" Chamberlain says. "Finding the right actor for the role is a crucial element of pre production that can not be missed or rushed". Chamberlain continued onto say "What i look for in any audition is truthfulness and believability. Especially life in the eyes. Its crucial that an actor can genuinly tap into emotion to convey the character in the most realistic way possible- bringing them to life".
When asked how she came to her final casting decision Chamberlain stated "I think theres a moment during a good audition where you get lost in the performance of the actor- when i can become engrosed in my own scene that i've read hundreds of times- i know that audiences seeing the film will also feel engaged by the performance. All the actors who were cast brought honesty and naturalism to their roles on screen"
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LEFT: A screen shot from Keala Kerns first audition for My Name Is Grace.
LEFT: A screen shot from Bella freemans first audition for My Name Is Grace.
LEFT: Keala kern, Jade Chamberlain and Bella Freeman together after casting was completed.
Chamberlain continued to say that casting was definatey an area of interest and while she would continue writing and directing- she will also look into getting more work in the casting industry. Chamberlain has created her own casting business called "Build My Reel Casting"- under her production company Build My Reel. She is open to work for projects and states "If i feel connected to the script and moved by the story i am happy to get involved in the casting of any production".
Left: Charlotte Weber (Playing Karen Wycombe) and Jade Chamberlain outside of the casting room for My Name Is Grace.
Left: Script and lanyaurds on Casting day 1
