Chad darnell casting
CURRentlY CASTING:
DOWN IN THE DIRT
About the project:
This is a short film, written and directed by Susan G. Reid.
This is currently a non-union project, seeking talent local to Atlanta. No travel provided. The rates are $175/ day. Shoot dates are May 1-3, 2026 with one rehearsal/ fit day for 4 total compensated dates.
We are only seeking talent who fit the following roles. Please do not submit if you do not fit one of these roles. We are open to all ethnicities on all of the roles.
[MAGGIE] 70s - Maggie is a feral, funny, sharp-tongued old punk with nothing left to lose—and she knows it. Ripped fishnets, Doc Martens, weed in her pocket, death on the calendar. She’s crude, fearless, deeply alive, and disarming in her honesty. Maggie weaponizes humor to avoid sentimentality, but underneath the bravado is a woman confronting mortality with clarity and defiance. Aging rebel meets unexpected wisdom, never sweet, never quaint. NOTE: Seeking talent who smoke.
LEAD. $175/ day (4 days total: 3 shoot, 1 rehearsal day/ fitting)
[LILA] 18-20 (Playing teens) Lila is guarded wound tight—an overachiever trying desperately to stay in control. She presents as studious and rule-following, but beneath the surface is rage, loyalty, and a moral fire she doesn’t quite know how to contain yet. Acted when no one else would, and now carries both pride and fear about it. Young, sharp, and grounded.
LEAD. $175/ day (4 days total: 3 shoot, 1 rehearsal day/ fitting)
[ARI BOOKER] (40s) Ari is a self-appointed authority figure barely holding the line. Overworked, rigid, and clinging to structure as a way to survive chaos, Ari initially presents as officious and humorless—but cracks quickly. Beneath the clipboard is exhaustion, grief, and a desperate need for relief. Strong comedic timing. Power that softens without disappearing.
LEAD. $175/ day (4 days total: 3 shoot, 1 rehearsal day/ fitting)
Storyline: DOWN IN THE DIRT throws together Maggie, a foul-mouthed, punk-rock 75-year-old with nothing left to lose, and Lila, a tightly wound teenager trying to survive the system, as they knock out court-ordered hours at a community garden. At first, they clash: Maggie pushes buttons, Lila plays it straight, and Ari, their rule-obsessed supervisor, keeps them on a short leash. But as the day drags on, the inhibitions drop. Over weeds, joints, and stolen lunch breaks, Maggie and Lila swap stories about why they’re really there—terminal illness, violence, rage, and loyalty—and realize they’re not so different after all. When Ari’s own bad day finally cracks him open, the three ditch the rules and end up chasing a small, messy moment of joy, proving that even in the dirt, something honest and human can grow.
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