CASTING CALL: Sarasota Residents Sought For Web Movie

[Vidiette]

CASTING CALL: Sarasota Residents Sought For Web Movie

October 21, 2006

by Rod Harmon

On television, the public can make stars of reality-show contestants. On the Web, the public can make stars of MySpace and YouTube users.

In a couple of months, the public may be making movie stars.

"Pink Bus," which is being hyped by its creators as "the world's first interactive movie," will follow the exploits of real people as they travel from Sarasota to Los Angeles in search of ... well, whatever online users tell them to search for.

"There is no, quote unquote, acting," said Jae Choe, vice president of Los Angeles-based Omni Virtual Arts, the company behind the film. "Along the journey, the cast will meet people online ... users can go online every day via blog or e-mail and determine what happens next.

"The audience interacts completely and helps dictate the story and the plotline."

Choe and his partners/co-producers, Jan Caston Weatherby and James Zinkand, will be casting for the movie from 8 to 11 p.m. Oct 28 at Tavern on Main, 1528 Main St., Sarasota.

They're looking for both males and females ages 18 to 24.

The idea to cast in Sarasota came from Zinkand, a 2004 graduate of Sarasota High School who's spent the past two years doing everything from dressing mannequins for Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills to hitchhiking through Bolivia and crossing the country on a Huffy girl's bike with only $100 in his pocket.

"The plot has to do a lot with Sarasota and kind of how it grows the youth there," Zinkand said.

"The youth in Sarasota is a little bit different in that they're cultured in a different way. Everybody's looking to get out. This gives them an opportunity to travel the country."

Filming is scheduled to begin in Sarasota Dec. 22 and wrap in L.A. about a week later. Snippets will be posted online along the way; the creators hope to show the finished product at the Sarasota Film Festival next spring.

For more information on "Pink Bus," access myspace.com/pinkbusthemovie or omnivirtualarts.com. You can also e-mail .

Times they are a-changin'

Be sure to pick up next Friday's Herald-Tribune for a new, improved Ticket. (Hint: So far, we've only been serving the appetizer. Get ready for the main course.)

SOURCE: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida)