Kristian Knutsen
The queue was indeed quite long when the day started, with hundreds of hopefuls arriving early and ringing the hall for their shot in front of the cameras in Public Enemies.
The line in the Exhibition Hall at Monona Terrace was already hundreds strong when I arrived there at the 10 a.m. start time of an extras casting call for As requested in the announcement for the call, Haskins was dressed in a simulacrum of 1930s fashion in a dress and overcoat, along with medium-heeled shoes and brushed-out curls in her hair. "I think there are going to be a lot of people there," she speculated about the casting call, "so we would be lucky to get cast." She was right on the turnout. The Exhibition Hall at Monona Terrace, which was two nights hence to host a pre-primary rally for Hillary Clinton, was partitioned into two sections for the casting call. One basically served as a holding area for the line of candidates, while the other was used for a pair of brief photography set-ups that were at the heart of the process. Upon arriving at the call, the first thing one did was to fill out a card with a gamut of personal details -- contact info, clothing sizes, acting experience, and so on -- before or while getting in line. This queue was indeed quite long when the day started, with hundreds of hopefuls arriving early and ringing the hall for their shot in front of the cameras. In an online announcement about the extras casting calls for Public Enemies, Philo emphasizes that the experience of an extra in a holding area or on set can be "mind-numbingly boring," and that patience is an essential virtue. She also suggests talking to others waiting with you. "I said hello to the person on my right, and I said hello to the person on my left," notes Philo about one of her experiences as an extra. "And then I laughed my head off for two straight days -- see, life is what you make it. Make a friend, or be miserable. Your choice. But sometimes, you're constantly on set with very little time in the holding area. You never know!" Realizing this advice was already useful while waiting in line at Saturday's casting call, I started talking with the other hopefuls immediately around me. As it turns out, I was surrounded by actual actors.
Standing in line just behind me was a pair of brothers from Appleton. Both Jon Parker and Greg Parker learned about this casting call from Hunter Adams, the director of the independent film The Hungry Bull. The movie -- there's a trailer here -- is the latest work from the Neenah-based Both brothers sported beards, but said they would certainly shave them per the casting call guidelines if they were hired as extras. "This is pretty cool," noted Parker. "There are so many people from different walks of life, sizes, and ages. It's pretty incredible." Like others waiting we discussed the scene at the call, what we might expect with the casting process in the next room over, and what being an extra entails. During this time, the line moved forward in several large bursts, as groups with several scores of people were brought into the adjoining portion of the Exhibition Hall for the actual casting process. It also turned out that the wait wasn't too long, with only about an hour passing before we made it to the front of the line, in the forefront of the next group to be ushered into the casting call. The primary portion of the call was very brief, starting with a brief speech from Philo about the basics of the process, the physical requirements for extras in this film, and her expectations of those persons actually hired. Most of it covered ground detailed in her casting call guidelines, but she emphasized the need for this film's extras to really look as if they were from the early 1930s, specifically no close-cropped hair, no facial hair, and especially no tanning salons. This is doubly the case given the fact that Mann is helming the production, the director well-known for his fastidious approach to filmmaking. From there, everybody separated into three more lines, each ending with a table and camera where the movie hopeful handed over their casting card, received an ID number (like a mugshot!), and stood against a white background for a close-up photograph. From there, everybody was directed to turn in their numbers and exit via a single door. What this actually served to do, though, was filter each aspirant through another casting process, in which some were tapped to stand for another photograph, this one capturing one's entire body. Those tapped included a higher proportion of children and senior citizens, though this was largely due to their lesser numbers as a whole amongst everybody turning out for the call. "The line moved quickly enough and everyone was very friendly," said Ryan Wisniewski of Madison, who attended the casting call with his wife and sister-in-law, and noted the size and efficiency of the staff running the show. "We chatted the entire time with those in line around us, and everyone was equally excited," he continued. "We only had to wait about an hour, and the heartbeat just kept speeding up until that photo was taken. Immediately afterward, there was that infamous second photo."
Other hopefuls had similar comments about the process, including an aspiring actress at her first of two auditions that day, and a photographer who Persons who do get cast as extras for Public Enemies may not learn about it for some time still, though. Philo informed each group of people at the call that those selected would get a phone call informing them of their status some days before the scheduled shoot, and would be asked to make a commitment if hired. Given that the production schedule is set to run from March through June, though, and with only a portion of this time to be spent in Wisconsin, this will likely be only the next in a series of long waits for extras. Meanwhile, the casting process continues. On Monday, Philo issued an announcement seeking knowledgeable photographers from Madison who would be able to convincingly handle a period camera as an extra in the film. As detailed in this casting call:
In order to recreate the look, the feel, the accuracy of the time, we want to gets a hands up finding men (20s to 60s) that know how to operate older cameras or today's cameras that require a photographer's ability to operate. I'm not talking the "point and shoot digital cameras" I'm talking camera lens, focusing, all knowledge and ability of a camera-person in the know. These are non-speaking roles needing the special abilities of real photographers. We won't be having you actually taking the pictures. You will be cast as a photographer.
Those getting these extras parts might have the best shot of anybody to be in the thick of the action and close to the starring cast, if one can imagine those kinds of iconic film scenes in which a scrum of photographers snaps pics of a central character, and in this case, possibly public enemy number one.
Philo has also announced that other casting calls may be held in Chicago and in Wisconsin. These may come quickly, though, as the gears of production for Public Enemies are rapidly starting to roll. A pair of script reviews have been published online -- by Latino Review last month and CHUD yesterday -- with each glowing about the film's storyline and Mann's involvement. Vanity Fair contributing editor Bryan Burrough, who authored the book Public Enemies on which the film is based, has also commented on the movie. Noting his peripheral role in the production, Burrough focused on the high level of interest among Wisconsinites and in the state's media -- Hi Bryan! -- and his hope for a cameo.
And though the State of Wisconsin has yet to publicly announce any deal with the film's backing studio or location specifics, Universal, about the particulars of a tax incentives deal for the production, the process is clearly moving forward. Business owners in Richland Center and Manitowish Waters have announced that shoots are scheduled in those towns, and last Saturday's casting call for extras follows others around the state that were held for vintage autos. It won't be long before more details get released.
"All-in-all, it was a really cool and rare experience for a Madisonian, being a part, albeit a very small one, of a major Hollywood production," concluded Wisniewski. "If we're not chosen, oh well. At least we can say we tried. Either way, it'll be a blast looking for familiar faces and locations while watching what is sure to be an awesome film."