These are the final snaps I’m showing; any more and I’ll give away too much of the story and, well, that’s not what I want to do. These shots feature Branden Goodman (high school senior RALPH) and Jordan Frank (high school freshman SCOTT) trying to get along with each other in the midst of a crisis. Remember, these are screengrabs from raw footage with no effects or color correction.
SNAPS are screengrabs I’ve pulled from raw footage. Today I’m featuring the work of 14-year-old Jordan Frank, an actor who resides in Beaumont, Texas, but has been flying out regularly to Los Angeles with his mom and sister to build his career.
When I first auditioned Jordan for the role of SCOTT, I remember privately asking the guy auditioning with him (an older guy going for the role of RALPH) what he thought of Jordan’s performance. The older guy said, “oh, I remember being like that.” And I realized, that was exactly what I was looking for… an energetic combination of youth + vulnerability + courage + “old-soul-ness.” A guy who knows what being 14 is like because he’s in the middle of it, yet has the acting chops to express sincere emotion on cue and show the changes his character has to undergo in only 8 minutes of screentime. I can tell you already, Jordan delivered, and you can see it even in snaps from the raw footage.
It’s been a grueling few days, but I have cast the leading roles for “Zombies Take The Schoolyard.” I saw 90 teenagers and young men over the last three days. Although many of the older-playing-younger actors did a fantastic job, I decided to cast Branden Goodman (19) as RALPH and Jordan
Frank (14) as SCOTT. These guys don’t act like teenagers—they are teenagers. Both Branden and Jordan have lots of theatrical experience— and since this story all takes place in one room, it’s a lot like a play that needs non-subtle energy from the actors to keep things moving. The talent, experience and chemistry all added up where I know we can create something fun that still makes an impact. Congratulations to both Branden and Jordan for their hard work, and thanks to all the other guys who came in to read. This Just In: Jordan’s uncle Michael Frank is directing a feature-length zombie film– check it out here.
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