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Update: Extras needed for Birmingham film, “Garden of the Gods”
ByIrene Richardson
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UPDATE 2/4: All roles for extras have currently been filled. If you’d like to reach out about another project, feel free to use the same contact information provided.
If you’ve never made it on the big screen, now is your chance! A Birmingham film is on the hunt for extras to be in a party scene on February 8. Find out more about “Garden of the Gods,” a movie produced by a local Birmingham production company.
What’s the short film about?
Set in present-day Birmingham, exterior scenes for the film are shot in and around the Crestwood neighborhood. It focuses on the relationship between two drug dealers—Mike and Felix.
Mike uses an exotic strain of marijuana called “Garden of the Gods” to entrap Felix and lures him away from a crowded Day of the Dead celebration (*cue extras*) to an empty home where Felix meets his fate. Intriguing, right?
This short film is a modern-day retelling of “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of psychological deception about a man who takes deadly revenge on a friend who, he believes, has insulted him.
“I’ve always liked reading Poe, and ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ was interesting to me because the protagonist is so clearly bent on revenge, but there’s not a lot of explanation for why.
Kate Boyer, co-owner of Screen Door Pictures
Who’s behind the company producing it?
Kate Boyer and her husband, Kyle Sullivan, own Screen Door Pictures. In addition to writing, directing and producing their own films, they also run the popular Trekspertise YouTube Channel—which has over 94,000 subscribers.
You can check out a reel of Screen Door Pictures’ work on the website. My favorites, however, are their “Postcard:” series. If you’re a fan of the BBC Earth series, you’ll love these.
“We’re a small video production service company, and we’ve worked for local nonprofits and supported other projects. This is our second short film, but we couldn’t do it without the help of a lot of our professional friends in the industry.”
Kate Boyer, co-owner of Screen Door Pictures
While the team creates a large variety of films, I want to include this one since the majority of our readers are southerners.
Screen Door does everything from music videos to interviews with Birmingham influencers and behind the scenes restaurant shoots. With this short film, they aim to premiere it at a Birmingham favorite, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.
The bulk of the funding for principal photography of Garden of the Gods came from Sidewalk’s 10K Party. If you’re not familiar, the 10K party is one of Sidewalk’s biggest fundraisers. Guests purchase tickets for $150 a piece and get the chance to win $10,000.
“After a few years of buying tickets and coming up empty, Kyle won the jackpot in 2019. We had decided before we even bought a ticket that any winnings would go into a film project. We’re thrilled that this funding will make our short film possible.”
Kate Boyer, co-owner of Screen Door Pictures
How can I apply?
No acting reels or resumes required, all you need to do is email contact@screendoorpictures.com and include “Day Of The Dead Extra” in the subject line. You can also send a DM to filmmaker Kyle Sullivan.
Before you apply, make sure you have a Day of the Dead costume handy—it’s a MUST. While you do need to provide your own duds, the production can hook you up with some face painting or other accessories.
You’ll want to look good too, because a handful of the extras will be front and center. The Day of the Dead scene is integral to the rest of the film.
“It will be the movie’s opening scene and very important in setting the tone. Scenes in the house where the, ahem, revenge takes place will be shot at a friend’s home in Mountain Brook.”
Katie Boyer, co-owner of Screen Door Pictures
Does the Birmingham film pay?
The term “starving artist” exists for a reason, but in this case, food will be provided. Not to mention, if you’re serious about the film industry think of all the connections you could make! Everyone has to have an origin story.
Did you know artists like Megan Fox, Lady Gaga, Sylvester Stallone, Milo Ventimiglia and Viola Davis were all once extras? Yep, even Leonardo DiCaprio made a quick appearance in Roseanne.
Birmingham’s film scene is always growing so if you aren’t able to make this shooting, don’t worry chances are they’ll be plenty more opportunities.
You can check out more work from Screen Door Pictures on its website and Vimeo.
Who’s ready to be on the big screen? Tag us in your picture on social @bhamnow!
