The principal introduced the composition of the Performing Arts High School, which is divided into three departments: performance, music, and dance. This public high school recruits students from all over New York State. If one of the three directions passes the admission interview, you can enter the high school.
This gives children from lower-class families who have artistic talents a chance to succeed. If there were no performing arts high schools, children from economically poor families would only be able to fight for art scholarships in private schools like Meg Tilly.
Then their upward path would be much narrower.
Director Alan Parker mainly introduced the plot of the movie Hot Lunch: "This is a film that reflects the students of a public art high school. Eight students with different personalities, backgrounds, and majors have grown up in the performing arts high school."
"We hope to do a large-scale audition at the performing arts high school. The eight protagonists, sixteen minor roles, and 600 extras in the movie are all selected from your school."
"Our performing arts high school is the largest and most comprehensive public art high school in New York. It is exactly where such a movie should come from. I am still a fan of your last movie, Midnight Train. "The principal said.
"We also hope to film in your school. In addition, there are some scenes of teachers and the principal in the movie, and we also hope that your teachers and you can play in them."
The principal smiled even more happily.
The parties have reached an agreement. A large-scale audition will be held at the performing arts college on the weekend.
The audition will be held in the school's auditorium. The two casting companies will each send out three casting directors to select candidates for the eight leading roles. Students they think are suitable will be recommended to the director's classroom for the second round of interviews.
Ronald's job is to take audition photos of each selected student in the classroom for the second round of auditions and then print two copies and give them to the two casting companies for filing.
After inspecting the venue, Ronald had a clear idea in his mind. Just as he was about to leave, producer Da Silva found him again.
"Are you familiar with the script?"
Ronald nodded.
"What is the background of the student Doris?"
"Jewish, good at singing, average looking, a young version of Barbara Streisand."
"Very good, keep it up." Da Silva pointed to his ears, indicating that if there is any situation, he should report it immediately.
"If I may, may I ask why you do this?" Ronald asked, seeing that Da Silva was in a good mood. It was uncomfortable to be sandwiched between the producer and the director like this.
David Da Silva stopped and looked at Ronald:
"You know, Alan is a very good director, but he is English. He doesn't understand the mentality of Americans. We are born to win. In our movies, the hero always defeats the villain in the end and gets the beauty."
No, right? Our President Jimmy admitted on TV that America no longer has the moral advantage needed to lead the allies.
But perhaps most people still think so. Ronald knows that many people hate the President's statement.
"Remember to notify me as soon as there is any unusual movement." Producer Da Silva left first.
Ronald returned to the conference room and waited to give Alan a ride back to the casting studio.
Alan Parker was still chattering, discussing his script with the teachers of the High School.
"My philosophy is to truly reflect social reality. For example, racial issues and class issues, so I created the character of Leroy. He is from Harlem, has a gang background, is illiterate, but has a great talent for dancing."
"The issue of underage pregnancy in high school campuses is a hot topic worth discussing. A white female student is pregnant with a black child, what should she do?"
"Bullying problems in campus, gang problems..."
The acting teacher is also a black man, wearing black-framed glasses and nodding frequently. He is very satisfied with the plot that Alan Parker set up about blacks and the poor, and he deeply agrees with it.
"But won't this cause misunderstandings about the performing arts schools? Most of our students are mainstream, good kids. If all the characters are set up like this, our school will seem like a very dark place."
Another white female teacher muttered.
Ronald felt that if Alan continued to talk, something would go wrong. He stepped forward to interrupt the conversation and dragged Alan to the exit. Then, he drove to the casting studio.
When he arrived at the casting studio, there were already dozens of boys and girls waiting at the front desk with their agents. Ronald saw Michelle, who they discussed before, also waiting in the queue.
"Okay, we can start," Da Silva ordered the audition.
One by one, the actors were called into the audition room. Ronald was responsible for taking a Polaroid snapshot of them and recording the director's comments for archiving.
Then, the director would give each actor a two-page script and ask her to perform on the spot.
This is the benefit of operating through a casting company. The casting studio is very familiar with the actors and can quickly screen out suitable candidates. If there is no casting director, it would only waste a lot of time if it can only be auditioned at large.
The script given by the director first has Hillary doing a series of ballet moves in the practice room, and then a dialogue scene.
Ronald is responsible for calling the candidate's number. The actress will first change into a ballet practice dress and do a few simple rotations and positioning movements.
Then, the casting director Howard Fair will play a cameo role and have a few dialogues with Hillary.
Ronald doesn't quite understand why it is set up like this.
He wrote down the director's comments and found a chance to ask Margaret from the casting studio.
Margaret told him that the audition invitation stated that Hillary's role must be able to dance ballet and at least have a semi-professional level.
However, many actors often lie about having the required skills to audition and then practice intensively after being selected. Today, such an audition is set up to screen out those who lied about being able to dance ballet.
Sure enough, a few simple movements screened out an actress who couldn't dance ballet. She couldn't even stand on one leg and fell to the ground. Margaret was so angry that she wrote "liar" on her resume.
Ronald helped her out and called the next number.
"Michelle... Michelle Pfeiffer... that's not right; Puff... that's not right either."
He didn't know how to pronounce this German-style spelling with two consonants together.
"It's Michelle Pfeiffer, the P is silent," the cat-like girl laughed at him.
"Sorry," Ronald also smiled, "Michelle, it's your turn. Please go to the dressing room and change into your training clothes, then come in."
Michelle changed into lavender training clothes, white ballet stockings, and light pink dance shoes. Her long golden hair, which was originally draped on both sides of her cheeks, was tied up into a loose bun at the back of her head. This further highlighted her facial features.
Ronald took a Polaroid snapshot of her and pasted it on the audition form. Michelle Pfeiffer, blue eyes, 5 feet 7 (1.70 meters), 21 years old this year.
Her face looked very childish, and her voice was still high-pitched. If he hadn't looked at her resume, Ronald would have thought she was less than 18 years old and she would have no problem playing a high school student.
"Ready, start, double-leg spin, one circle, two circles, arabesque." Margaret pressed the play button on the recorder and started shouting commands at the same time.
"Okay, that's it."