[Recruiting] [Hollywood] [Modern] [LGBT Friendly] Lights! Camera! Action!

[Dotley]

Premise

Lights! Camera! Action! is a freeform group game. It's player-driven and character focused with the GMs supporting rather than controlling the story-line. The game revolves around the personal and professional lives of the cast and crew members of a television show as the third season begins shooting and writing starts for the fourth season. Los Angeles, California will be the primary setting of the story though there will be plenty of opportunities for characters to travel out of the city for both work and play.

The Television Show

The Show (frequently stylized as THE SHOW) is an American anthology television series created and produced by Ben and Russ Bellson. It debuted during the fall line-up of 2013. While each episode within its respective season tells a self-contained story with different characters and unique plot-lines they all contribute to a central theme that ties every episode of that season together. THE SHOW is not confined to a particular genre though it is considered a drama and episodes continually feature elements of fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism. It has received both industry and public praise for its unorthodox and progressive casting choices. Roles are often written colorblind and genderblind and casting is ultimately decided on ability over appearance. Reception to THE SHOW has been overwhelmingly​ positive and it has received numerous awards and accolades.

It went on a hiatus that started in 2015, but is making its comeback for the fall line-up of 2017. The newest season is one of the most highly anticipated returns to television in recent years.

Important Information

• All Who Apply May Not Be Accepted: This isn't a first come first served story. Character sheets may be declined if the proposed character and/or player wouldn't mesh well the current setup.
• Ladies/Lieges/Legates/Lords Are All Welcome: The gender and/or sex of the characters you play doesn't need to match whatever you have in the real world. That's irrelevant. "Cross-gender" writing and writers are more than welcome here.
• LGBT Friendly: Very much so! M/M, F/F, and M/F pairing options are all allowed and characters may identify as any orientation under the rainbow. Trans, genderqueer, genderfluid, etc characters are also all welcome.
• Polyamory Friendly: Players are more than welcome to write characters that are poly-amorous and write character relationships that are non-monogamous.
• Board Category: To be on the safe side the story will be placed in NC Human Freeform. However any posts that contain NC content will be appropriately tagged as such and will only occur if the players involved in the scene OOCly agree to it.
• Smut VS Plot: This is a slice of story that focuses on the character's lives. Sex and love are a natural part of life. Sex scenes are probably going to happen at some point. Whether they are written in explicit detail or fade to black is entirely up to you, but don't pressure your fellow writers to write anything they are uncomfortable with or aren't interested in. Characters can date each other, hook up, or even get married. They can fall in love or fall out of love. Or not. Smut scenes and romantic subplots are merely an option and never a requirement. With that said this isn't intended to be a sex driven story either. The central plot-line that anchors the entire game and gives every character a reason to interact with each other is the THE SHOW's production. There are plenty of plots that will have nothing to do with smut.
• No Experience Required: So you've never worked on a television show? Well neither have we! While we're aiming for a realistic tone to the story we don't require anyone to be an expert on how to produce a television show. We encourage everyone to at the very least read the Wikipedia article on their character's job, but we don't expect you to spend a week researching it. We won't let reality get in the way of fun. This is fiction so certain details about television production will be tweaked to better suit our story.

Rules

• Use Your Words: Let us know what's going on. On vacation and won't be posting? No worries - have fun and let us know when you're back. Having muse problems and need some help figuring out what to do with your character? Don't stew in silence - let us know so we can help! Got plot ideas for the game or a desire to write a particular scene? Please do share them with us! Have a concern over how the game is being run? Feel free to poke us about it so we can be better GMs. Going to be dropping out of the game? We're sorry to hear that, but thanks for letting us know. You left and now you want back in? That's fine too - welcome back! In short - talk to us. We're listening.
• IC Drama is Good. OOC Drama Is Not: We're all adults here and we expect everyone to behave with civility and not to confuse our characters with ourselves. If characters are fighting or arguing it should be because the writers behind them are on good terms with each other and are both enjoying the antagonistic exchange. Any OOC disagreements should be settled OOCly and kept there. If you're having an issue with another player let a GM know and we can solve it together. However instances of harassment or anything that blatantly breaks Elliquiy's civility rule should be reported to the moderation staff.
• Posting Rate Expectations: Real life always comes first. The ultimate goal here is just to have fun. Because of that we don't demand a strict posting rate from everyone. Just be considerate of your fellow writers. Try to post at least once a weekish, but don't sweat it if it takes longer than that. Group scenes are optional and when they do occur we'll utilize a "turn skipping" option. If you don't feel you have anything for your character to actively contribute during that particular round of posting you're more than welcome to speak up and have your turn to post skipped so the scene can carry onward.
• Writing Style & Length Expectations: Regular posts should be done in the third person viewpoint and in past tense. Posts done in the IC Communications thread may be done in first person and in present tense. We don't impose a maximum or minimum word count for posts. Just give people something enjoyable to read and that there's a hook to it or has enough content for someone to form a response to.
• Tag Appropriately. Please make use of our tagging system to warn readers of anything particularly explicit within your posts, but don't feel like you have to tag for everything. Just use your best judgment and common sense. Example: Your character accidentally stubs their toe on the coffee table? That's an injury that really doesn't need a tag. Your character takes a razorblade to their wrist? That's an injury that could use a self-harm tag.

OOC Links
Accepted Characters
OOC Chat & Plot

IC Links
IC Communication & Social Media
Los Angeles: Daylife
Los Angeles: Nightlife
Los Angeles: Homes & Hotels
the Studio: Pre-Production
the Studio: Production

[Dotley]

Character Roles

"Actors, writers, directors – that triumvirate of creativity.
We have to rely and trust each other to be able to get the final product."

– Bryan Cranston

the Crew

• Showrunners (the Executive Producers) || Role Fulfilled


• The Showrunners have control over all of the creative content, oversee every financial aspect, and hold ultimate management responsibility of the television show. They possess hiring and firing power over both cast and crew. The showrunners are the big boss and are beholden only to the network.


• Producers || Role Open


• Producers are involved in every step of the project's process from its first concept to final product. They follow it from pre-production, to production, into post-production. They're involved with the marketing of the project and in securing its distribution. Producers also help negotiate contracts for both the cast and the crew. While producers are primarily concerned with the practical and business side of the show they also contribute creatively as well through their frequent meetings with the showrunners, directors, and staff writers. They help secure funding for the show, allocate the resources, and ensure the budget is being followed. Producers also make sure everyone is adhering to schedule and that all legal procedures are being followed.


• Directors || Role Open


• A television director is responsible for directing the performances of the actors and handles all of the filmed aspects of the show's production. The role differs from that of a film director because creative control belongs to the showrunners. Due to time constraints it is uncommon for a television production to be limited to only one singular director. Television shows frequently cycle between directors - while one director is in production for an episode another director will be going through post-production for a different episode. The director helps decide on locations and creates a shooting plan. During shooting the director supervises the overall project, manages shots, and keeps the assignment on budget and to schedule. They manage technical details such as the positioning of cameras and the use of lighting. Though on set directors hold much power they are second in command after the producers (unless the director is also a producer) and must stay faithful to the creative vision of the showrunners.


• Assistant Director || Role Open


• The assistant director assists the director. They oversee day-to-day management of the cast and crew schedules, equipment, script, and the set. It is their responsibility that the sets, props, and technical equipment are safe, ready to use, and positioned correctly before filming begins. An assistant director keeps the production on schedule throughout the day and maintains the safety and security of the staff and shot itself.  They keep order on set.


• Story Editor || Role Open


• In the writer's room the story editor is only outranked by the head writer (aka the showrunners). Their job isn't restricted to editing as the story editor is required to contribute their own scripts and story ideas. They write scripts for the show, develop stories with the staff writers, and ensure all scripts are suitable for production. The story editor works closely with the writers on each draft of their script. They provide feedback on the quality of their work and suggest improvements. They also ensure that practical issues like continuity and running time are adhered to. The story editor is the one that wade through "the slush-pile" of scripts so only the gems are presented to the head writer for consideration. When the head writer is absent the story editor will take lead in the writer's room.


• Staff Writers || Role Open


• The stage is where actors rule supreme and film is controlled by the directors. Television is for writers. Writers are responsible for creating all plot lines, dialogue, characters, and situations. They provide the initial story and work on its inevitable rewrites. Writing for television is very different from writing for film or stage. Television writers must be able to write to order. They must write to appeal to the show's audience and fill a specific time slot. They write as part of a team though the Head Writer ultimately has final say over the creative decisions. Writing what the show calls for under a strict timetable is often more important than artistic expression.


• Casting Director || Role Open


• The casting director is in charge of casting the actors on the television show. While they don't have final say on casting decisions they are the one that handle the day to day work involved in the casting process. The casting director works closely with the showrunners and producers to understand their requirements and expectations of the cast and what roles are available. They arrange interviews and conduct the auditions of the actors and ultimately provide an acceptable lineup of actors for the showrunners and producers to choose from.


• Publicist || Role Open


• The publicist is tasked with raising public awareness of the television show. Their goal is to increase viewership for the show and create profit off its associated merchandise. They are the foremost liaison between the show and the media. The publicist is the one that arranges the advanced screenings and sneak peaks of the show to critics and fans alike. They issue the press releases to the public about the show and arrange the interviews with any members of the cast or crew.


• Location Manager || Role Open


• The location manager is responsible for finding and securing locations to be used for the production and coordinating the travel logistics, permits, and costs involved. They are also the face of the production to the local community.
  


• Cinematographer || Role Open


• The cinematographer regulates lighting for every scene, frames shots, chooses lenses, decides on film stock, and strives to match the project's visual appearance all in accordance to the director's vision. They are the head of the camera team and lighting department. The relationship between the cinematographer and director varies. Some directors will allow the cinematographer complete independence. Other directors allow the cinematographer little to no control and will dictate everything.


• Sound Editors || Role Open


• Sound editors see to all of the sound requirements during post-production of the show. Dialogue, sound effects, and music - they're all the domain of the sound editor. They work closely with the director and showrunners to figure out how the show's overall sound should "feel". They create and record all of the sound effects and will even fabricate sound if something wasn't recorded correctly during filming.


• Costume Designer || Role Open


• The costume designer is responsible for all the clothing and costumes worn by the cast. They greatly contribute to the appearance of the production and set a particular mood, time, feeling, or genre through their choice of clothing for the actors.


• Make-up Artists || Role Open


• Make-up artists apply makeup to anyone who appears on screen. They utilize cosmetics, hair, prosthetics, and other special effects to turn an actor into their character.


• Runners || Role Open


• Runners are the most junior members of the television crew. It's an entry level position so the pay is crap, but it allows one to learn every aspect of the industry and offers plenty of networking opportunities. Runners act as general assistants and assist wherever help is needed though some runners may be unofficially "claimed" by certain departments. They mostly fetch and carry though experienced runners may be given additional responsibilities. Runners do general administrative work (answering or making phone calls, making photocopies, handling bookings, etc) and do all the drudgery odd-jobs. They take the lunch orders every day and make sure the coffee pot is always full. In the writer's room they do basic research and ensure the office is kept stocked. On set they rely messages between departments, usher the cast into make-up, handle the transportation of crew members between locations, and look after any guests.
  


• . . . And Many More! || Role Open


• The full list of the crew behind a television show is vast and varied. The above roles are just a small sample of all the jobs offered in the industry. If you'd like your character to fulfill a role that isn't listed here feel free to pitch it to us!

the Cast

• Returning Talent || Role Open


• The Returning Talent are actors that have previously had a role on the show. They may be series regulars or have only guest starred for a single episode. Either way they're a familiar face on set and someone important on the crew liked them enough to get them invited back on the show.


• New Talent || Role Open


• The New Talent are actors that have never before appeared on the show. Somehow they managed to impress someone important and landed a role here. Only time will tell if they'll be invited back for another episode.

the Network

• the Network Executives || GM Only


• The Network Executives are meant to act as a plot device and will be utilized by the GMs as needed to spur on storylines. They aren't real characters and will never show up in person. Within the game itself they act as a sort of background boogeyman as they could decide to cancel the show at any time. They exist only in the form of vaguely worded emails, cryptic meeting minutes, and brief one-sided phone conversations.

Research Credits!

Your GM Team have never actually worked on a television set in real life, but we sure did google it.
Much of the information on jobs here has been snagged and edited from these sources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_crew
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/executive-producer4.htm
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/runner-broadcasting-film-video
http://www.media-match.com/usa/media/jobtypes/television-writer-jobs-402802.php
http://www.listeninglistening.com/uploads/6/4/4/8/6448263/crew-roles-and-departments-guide.pdf
https://www.fastcompany.com/1682957/bryan-cranston-on-how-to-collaborate-the-breaking-bad-way
http://www.scriptmag.com/features/writers-room-101-first-writers-room
https://buchnotes.com/2014/02/06/anatomy-of-a-tv-writers-room/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/popcandy/2014/08/21/showrunners-excerpt/14390059/

[Dotley]

Character Creation Guidelines

• PM your completed character sheet to Dotley & Ouroboros! Please send it to both us (note the spelling of Ouroboros). Don't post it anywhere until you've been given the green-light to do so.
• Use real life photographs for your FaceClaim/PlayBy. No artwork please.
• All characters must be at least eighteen years old. Do try to be realistic about age and work experience. An eighteen year old actor? That's believable. An eighteen year old producer? Not so much.
• We aren't writing real person fiction here. If you submit a character that is a director named Steven Spielberg they will be declined entry into the game. Characters should be entirely fictional.
• For now you're allowed to play three characters. You can play any combination of cast or crew that you prefer. The character limit may be increased later on. Characters may also be freely retired or reactivated as players like. The anthology angle to the television show means it's easy to explain away any character's departure or reappearance - they're hired per episode rather than per season.
• At this time only the cast and crew members are available for play. Entourages, members of the press, fans of the show, celebrities from other entertainment fields, etc will not be accepted. Those roles may open up later on if there is player desire for it.
• If you're creating an actor please keep in mind THE SHOW's reputation for its unorthodox and progressive casting choices. They're well known for eschewing the typical Hollywood preference for blandly beautiful twenty-somethings with limited acting ranges. The show loves to introduce brand new talent to the world, portray members of minority groups that are often poorly misrepresented or outright ignored, highlight the invaluable skill set and seasoned experience of older actors, and avoids typecasting. The showrunners have also prioritized diversity when it comes to hiring the employees behind the camera as well.
• Remember that THE SHOW premiered in 2013 and went on a two year hiatus that started in 2015. Two seasons have aired on television. The game will begin on March 1, 2017 with production beginning on season three and pre-production starting on season four.

Character Submission Sheet

Code Select Expand

[float=left][img height=300 padding=5][/img][/float][b]Name[/b]: The character's name.
[b]Nicknames/Aliases/Stage Names[/b]: Any nicknames, pet-names, or monikers that the character has. Likewise any aliases, stages names, or other assumed names that they may have used or been credited as.
[b]Age[/b]: How old are they?
[b]Date of Birth[/b]: The month and day of their birth.
[b]Bloodtype[/b]: What's their blood-type?
[b]Gender[/b]: What gender they identify as.
[b]Occupation[/b]: What they do for a living.

[b]Height[/b]: How tall are they?
[b]Hair[/b]: Color? Length? Style?
[b]Eyes[/b]: Color? Shape?
[b]Body Type[/b]: Describe their weight, proportions, build, etc.
[b]Distinguishing Features[/b]: Anything that makes them unique. Piercings or tattoos? Scars? A large nose, freckles, or pencil thin eyebrows? Anything of immediate notice goes here.

[b]Role on THE SHOW[/b]: Their job as part of the cast and crew of the television show.
[b]Filmography[/b]: [list]
[li]Your character's work history.[/li]
[li]List the films, shows, etc that they have appeared in or worked on.[/li][/list]

[b]Personality[/b]: Your character's personality. Provide at least one paragraph describing it. Try to think of both good and bad traits to round it out.

[b]Hobbies & Interests[/b]:[list]
[li]What does your character enjoy?[/li]
[li]What do they do in their free time?[/li][/list]

[b]Background[/b]: Their personal history. Where was your character born? How did they grow up? What have they done with their life so far? Give us at least two paragraphs explaining how they ended up where they are today.

[b]Gossip[/b]:[list]
[li]Rumors![/li]
[li]Slander![/li]
[li]Lie![/li]
[li]Truth![/li]
[li]List a few tidbits of gossip about your character.[/li][/list]

[b]Relationship Status[/b]: Single? Divorced? In A Relationship? It's Complicated? Describe it here.
[b]Sexuality[/b]: If it tickles your fancy you this is where you can write about your character's sexual nature. You can describe their sexual orientation, role preferences, their kinks, their turn offs, etc. Write as little or as much as you feel comfortable writing.

[b]Developed Relationships[/b]: Use this space in the future to keep track of the connections your character establishes with other characters.

[center][b]Player Name[/b]: Your Elliquiy username goes here.
[b]Face Claim[/b]: Put the name of the person's face you're borrowing for the character here.[/center]

[center][spoiler=Additional Images][center]Feel free to include any additional images of your character here.[/center][/spoiler][/center]

Sample Character Sheet

Name: Ben Bellson
Nicknames/Aliases/Stage Names: Benny, Benny-wafer, Benny-boo, Ben-kins. Big Ben, Beanie Ben. The Nice Boss. Was known as "Ben Bell" prior to his marriage and legal name change.
Age: 38
Date of Birth: February 14th
Bloodtype: O Negative
Gender: Male
Occupation: Screenwriter/Producer/Script Doctor/Editor/Voice Actor

Height: 6'1"
Hair: Light Brown
Eyes: Dirty Blue
Body Type: Very Thin
Distinguishing Features: Ben looks like he was born to play the role of comic relief to someone’s hero. He has a long, pointed nose and big dumbo-like ears. He’s super tall and super-duper thin at who-knows-how-many pounds because Ben refuses to step on a scale to weigh himself. Ben might not be attractive in the traditional sense and he doesn't exactly ooze sex appeal, but there is a certain nerdy charm to him. When he wears the right clothes and smiles he can turn into a real cutie.

He loves to show off his wedding ring and wears it every single day. It took him years to butter Russ up to the idea of marriage. Ben earned that ring. He literally almost had to die to get it so he's never taking it off his finger. Never ever. He’s got another ring too, but Ben hides that one underneath his clothes. It’s a nipple ring.

Role on THE SHOW: Showrunner - Executive Producer & Head Writer
Filmography:

• THE SHOW (2017-) || Executive Producer/Head Writer/Editor
• THE SHOW (2013 - 2015) || Executive Producer/Head Writer/Editor
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Won)
• He's My Partner (2010) || Screenwriter
• Château de Bonbons (2010) || Animation Consultant/Voice Actor
• Supper on Sunday (2009) || Screenwriter
• Doggie Gone Daycare (2009) || Screenwriter
• Sally at the Seashore (2008) || Screenwriter/Animation Consultant
• Birthday Boys (2008) || Screenwriter
• Forest Friends (2008) || Producer/Screenwriter
• Hiro the Hero (2007) || Script Consultant
• Pongo & Pogo (2007) || Producer/Screenwriter
• Holly in Holidaytown, the animated television series (2005 - 2008) || Executive Producer/Writer/Voice Actor
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation (Won)
• Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (Won)
• Holly in Holidaytown, the animated feature film (2004) || Executive Producer/Screenwriter/Animator/Voice Actor
• Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (Won) for "Feelin' Festive"
• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (Nominated)
• Saturday Super Shorties (2001-2003) || Animator

Personality: Ben has a soft soul. He's acutely sensitive to other people's moods and easily influenced by their opinions. Ben has a few childlike qualities - an eagerness to please, a constant need to be liked, and shameless delight for the small things in life. He's easy to embarrass and easy to surprise. It doesn't take much to make Ben happy. Ben is frequently mistaken for shy, but that isn't quite true. He's just an introvert. He likes to meet new people and really get to know everything about them. Ben can be quite the social butterfly at the right party and he understands the power of networking. He's never met a stranger and making friends comes naturally to him.

It's said that the greatest act of cleverness is being able to conceal your cleverness. Ben doesn't come across as all that clever. Most people are likely to write him off as "simple" upon being introduced to him if they aren't familiar with his work. But the truth is Ben is smart. Graduated high school at sixteen with a 4.0 GPA smart. Perfect SAT score smart. Mensa qualifying IQ score smart. While he has that type of intelligence Ben would rather be seen by others as a nice guy rather than the smart guy. He actively downplays his own intelligence and rarely reveals just how bright he really is.

Ben is a good southern boy and he’s got the polite manners that prove it. Though he has a weakness for participating in whispered gossip when people’s backs are turned. He's not intentionally malicious about it, but he loves being up to date on the juiciest drama in his social circles. For the most part Ben is a good guy, but Ben isn’t all sugar and fluff. There’s spice there too. He’s got a vicious streak to him and an inner darkness that he tries to hide. At times Ben’s emotional nature can get the better of him and he can get downright petty. During fights he tends to avoid direct confrontation and opts for passive-aggressiveness instead.

He’s also prone to addiction issues. In his early twenties Ben had a big cocaine problem. Now that he’s in his thirties he’s switched to wine. And when Ben drinks enough he loses that squeaky clean attitude of his real quick.

Hobbies & Interests:

• Art
• Animals
• Chess
• Cooking
• Dancing
• Drawing
• Fishing
• Music
• Painting
• Puzzles
• Reading
• Sailing
• Show Tunes
• Writing

Background: Ben was born on Valentine’s Day - the day devoted to love. Love wasn't what birthed Ben. He wasn't unwanted, but he hadn't been planned either. His parents had only been married for three months when he was born and hadn't even been dating when he'd been conceived. Ben had been an accident. An oopsies made by two drunk and careless teenagers. They got married because they were Catholic and they lived somewhere in the the middle of nowhere - Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. That's what was expected of them so that's what they did. It was a bad decision.

The lifelong feud between his parents started the day he was born and never stopped. It started with a fight over what to name him. His dad won that argument, but his mom won the next one over who would help them with their baby. Ben was raised underneath his maternal grandpa’s roof. And Pépé Felix was the one that really raised him. While his parents were out trying to lap up the last of their youth before parenthood threatened to take it all away his pépé was the one that taught him to walk and read. And it was his pépé that noticed Ben was different from the rest of the family. Ben was smart. Awfully smart. And he knew what that meant. From the time Ben was only five years old his pépé told him every day how important it was that he didn't waste himself. He had to keep his smarts and use them to get the hell out of their little town nowhere.

Ben was meant for better things. And as Ben got older his pépé wasn't the only one that said it. His teachers and the preacher said it too. That he had potential. Ben was going to do something with his life. Something important. Something cool. But he didn't let it go to his head. Ben was born smart, remember? He got along well with his peers even as it grated on his nerves to watch people struggle to understand concepts or solve problems that were so obvious to Ben. He was born double lucky. Because while a stroke of genetic luck had made him smart it was only his grandpa's influence that made Ben kind. His pépé died when he was ten years old. Ben gladly inherited all of his kindness while the family squabbled over the contents of the old man's meager savings account and fought over who got to keep the house.

Ben grew up smart and kind. Because Ben was born a bit of an ugly duckling and puberty didn't turn him into a swan. It just transformed him into a really tall duck.

That was alright with Ben. Girls didn't swoon over his looks, but they still liked him. As a friend. Ben liked that because he liked them too. He liked their voices and how they sounded when they laughed. He liked their clothes and their hair. He liked chatting with them and dancing with them. But that was just about it. Ben discovered he didn't really like girls beyond that. They didn't make butterflies bloom in his stomach or show up in the sort of dreams that made him wake up sweaty. Only boys made him feel that way. Ben kept that to himself for as long as he could. But one day he just couldn't do it anymore. When Ben was sixteen he came out. He came out of the closet loud and proud and refused to apologize for it. Ben's family promptly disowned him and he was kicked out of the house. The preacher only had a sermon about hell for him. His friends wouldn't talk to him.

Ben got out. He left home years earlier than he had planned, but there wasn't any other option for him. Ben bought a one way bus ticket and headed west. He didn't have enough to ride all the way to Los Angeles, but it got him out of his home state. Ben hitchhiked the rest of the way there. He doesn't like to talk about his first two years in LA. But Ben loves to talk about the third year. It was his third year in LA that he turned eighteen and got his acceptance letter to the California Institute of the Arts. Ben went to college. He had to apply to every scholarship he qualified for, take every dime of financial aid he could get, and even then he had work on the weekends during the school year and work full-time over the summers to afford it. But he did it. Ben went to college and he graduated from college with honors.

It was during his college years that Ben picked up his coke addiction. And his perpetual need to always be in a relationship.

After CalArts he jumped straight into the workforce. With all the networking he'd done at college and his golden work ethic it was fairly easy for him to land a job. Ben was hired to work on Saturday Super Shorties as an animator and that was it. Ben had achieved his childhood dream. He made cartoons. Though not his own cartoons. He had to draw what his boss told him to draw, but Ben was officially part of the industry he had exalted since childhood.  For a while Ben was content with that. He worked and he partied. He cycled through different boyfriends as he desperately tried to find the perfect boyfriend. He smoked a lot of cigarettes and he did a lot of coke.

That was how he met Russ.

Ben doesn't like to admit that particular detail, but the truth is that they met at a coke party. Their mutual friend/dealer/old flame introduced them. They hit it off immediately. Ben had been dating someone else at the time, but it hadn't mattered. Russ was so handsome and very charming. Wickedly funny and sharp-witted. Full of self-confidence. Russ was the total package and Ben was smitten within hours of meeting him. They got together shortly after that and they've been a couple ever since. Ben and Russ made a life together.  It was just meant to be.

Once Ben had Russ in his life everything else just seemed to fall into place. With Russ' love, support, encouragement, and helpful criticisms Ben was able to branch out at work and make some serious career moves. Ben took a risk and it paid off. Holly in Holidaytown came out in 2004. It was a labor of love. Ben poured everything he had into that project. He wrote the script for it, he helped produce it, he was one of the animators, and he even voiced the titular character - Holly Holiday. While Holly in Holidaytown initially had a limited release it became a sleeper hit and quickly received a wide release. As one of the creators of Holly in Holidaytown Ben received a generous cut from the DVD sales that followed and from the toy licensing deals. Holly made Ben his first million. Time Warner and Disney both courted him for the rights to Holly, but Ben refused. Mostly. Eventually he relented and signed some contracts with Time Warner. Ben vowed he would never do a proper sequel and he never has, but Holly In Holidaytown did become a television series on Cartoon Network.

For years Ben didn't do much else but work. His career skyrocketed - the money kept pouring in and the jobs offers kept on coming. He said yes to almost everything. He won awards. Ben started to appear on all those "Thirty Under Thirty In Hollywood" lists. Ben found success early on in his career. Maybe a bit too early. Eventually Ben started to get burned out with the animation industry. He was just so happy with his life that he found it difficult to mirror that happiness in his scripts and drawings. In private Ben started working on serious scripts with mature content. Some of them were pretty dark. He kept them a secret at first, but Russ found them. And Russ loved them. Ben had never seriously intended on doing anything with them; Russ convinced him otherwise. Ben started to shop the scripts around, but it was hard for people to take them seriously. The name Ben Bell at that point was glued to the success of Holly in Holidaytown and practically synonymous with cartoons. Ben persisted. Eventually someone bought his script for a live action film - Supper on Sunday.

The movie flopped. The director mangled Ben's script and made a clear series of poor film-making choices. Ben made a hasty vow to never hand over his scripts for live action ever again and that it was best for him to stay in animation forever. But Russ thought otherwise. Russ had a lot of thoughts and ideas about Ben's scripts and how they should be directed. So Ben told Russ that he should just go ahead and direct it himself then. Russ agreed. Ben sold his boyfriend the script to He's My Partner for the price of one kiss and then Russ made it into a film.

That was when Russ' career picked up. He snowballed toward success upon the first screening of He's My Partner. It was Ben's turn to support Russ and he did it with his whole heart. Ben gave Russ whatever script of his he wanted and watched eagerly as Russ turned them into great movies. Ben soon left the animation field entirely and stared exclusively writing movie scripts. It didn't take them long to start officially working together. Russ and Ben became a team - Ben wrote the script, they both helped produce the film, and Russ directed it. Ben and Russ became one of Hollywood's most prominent power couples. They made a few movies before they decided they needed a change of pace. With all the success attached to their names it wasn't that hard to get a television show of their very own the greenlight. Even if they did have to do a little schmoozing and some flirting. And had to go to some...special parties. Russ handled most of that though and Ben just went along with it. Russ seemed to know what he was doing and he's always known what's best for Ben.

Ben loved being back on television and he loved working with Russ. He loved his whole life by that point. Everything was perfect until it wasn't. Ben was diagnosed with lung cancer smack-dab in the middle of the second season of THE SHOW. They managed to make it through the end of the season, but after that Ben was done. For the first time in his life Ben took a break from work. THE SHOW couldn't go on without its head writer so it went on hiatus. For a while things didn't look so good. He and Russ got married shortly before Ben started chemotherapy and lost all his hair. For a long while things weren't good. But it got better - eventually. It took two long years, but Ben beat the cancer. Mostly.

Once it was clear Ben wasn't going to die the Network started to put on the pressure. They wanted the third season now or never. Fearing that THE SHOW's hiatus would turn into a cancellation Ben agreed to go back to work. Everything is lined up and everyone's all ready to go. Production for season three is now underway and it's time for pre-production to start for season four. There's just one little problem that Ben hasn't talked to anyone about. Not even Russ. Especially not Russ.

He really, truly, honestly doesn't have any story or character ideas for the fourth season. None. At all. Not even one.

Gossip:

• "You want to interview Ben? Ha! Good luck with that - you'll need it. He's a total hermit."
• Mostly True. Ben has never been one to bask in the limelight, but he's become a bit of a media recluse over the past few years. He won't pose for pictures, he doesn't grant interview requests, and even when he does appear at public events he'll arrive with discretion and won't make any speeches.
• "Look at him! He’s so skinny. It makes sense though, right? Cause he’s totally dying."
  
  • False. Ben is extremely thin and might not look like he's in the best health of his life, but he's not actually dying. His cancer is in partial remission.
• "What do you mean you didn't know? How could you not know? Have you been living under a rock? Ben and Russ are so gay for each other it's adorable."
  
  • True-ish. Ben has been out of the closet since the first day he arrived in LA. He and Russ are also legally married to each other and very much in love. Though they might not be the gold star gay couple they appear to be.

Relationship Status: Married to Russ. They’re monogamous-ish.
Sexuality: Bisexual, but he’s not open about that. Ben came out loud and proud as gay when he was sixteen and it cost him everything. He's terrified of repeating that ordeal all over again and he's paranoid about the possibility of losing Russ over it. He clings to his identity as a gay man despite his semi-recent realization that he's attracted to women.

Ben looks innocuous and has a wholesome demeanor, but he's not as vanilla as he seems. He’s into all kinds of kink even if he feigns naivete about it. Ben has been in a lot of threesomes and attended quite a few orgies, though he insists those were all Russ’ idea. He’s got an exhibitionist streak and is interested in exploring all the letters of BDSM. Role wise he tends to end up as the submissive one and bottoming, but only because that’s what his husband wants from him. He’s actually the switchiest switch that ever switched and is as vers as versatile can get. His sex life with Russ stagnated due to the whole cancer thing, but now that Ben is doing better they're trying to find their groove again.

Developed Relationships:

Russ Bellson || His husband. They've been married for almost two years now, but they've been together for much longer than that. Ben loves Russ with his whole heart and they're typically a sickeningly sweet lovey-dovey couple, but things between them aren't as picture perfect as they make it seem.

Awanita Kaskaloe || One of his staff writers, but she's more than that. She's also a drinking buddy and something of a protégé . One of her spec scripts showed up on his desk and Ben read the whole thing in one-sitting. He spent a day thinking about it and then bought it. Shortly after that she joined the writing team. Ben keeps promising Awanita he's going to do something with her script - he's going to polish it up with just a little bit of script doctoring and then shop it around to a few different directors so it can be brought to life. But he hasn't done any of that. Not yet. Things at work got so busy and then there was that whole cancer thing. But he keeps promising.

Player Name: Dotley
Face Claim: DJ Qualls

Additional Images

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

Taken FaceClaims

• DJ Qualls
• Burn Gorman
• Sung Jin Park
• Kelsey Chow
• Imogen Poots
• Lucy Liu
• Trace Lysette
• Karolina Wydra
• Olivia Wilde
• Stephen James
• Nicholas Hoult

Reserved FaceClaims

• Chadwick Boseman
• Yoon Shi Yoon
• Michaela Coel
• Michael B. Jordan
• Raúl Esparza

[Dotley]

Reserved.

[Dotley]

Reserved.

[Dotley]

Reserved.

[Dotley]

And set up of the thread complete!

So who's ready for their close-up?  8-)

[Cerevan]

YOU KNOW I AM READY.

[GnothiSeauton]

Sign me up

[Bibliophilia]

Yaaaas!!

[Dotley]

Yay! Glad to see interest from some of my favorite people  :-)

[mia h]

I have part of an idea for a character that needs work, but I'd like to stake a claim for Olivia Wilde's face if that's possible?

[Dotley]

I have part of an idea for a character that needs work, but I'd like to stake a claim for Olivia Wilde's face if that's possible?

Certainly! Olivia Wilde has been added to the reserved FCs list  :-)

[Cerevan]

Good to see some pretty faces in the interest thread. ;D If you'd be so kind, Dotley the Brotley, I would like to be put down for Chadwick Boseman and Kelsey Chow as FCs...

[Dotley]

Good to see some pretty faces in the interest thread. ;D If you'd be so kind, Dotley the Brotley, I would like to be put down for Chadwick Boseman and Kelsey Chow as FCs...

Done and done, Cerevan my Brovan!

[VioletPanda]

-heavy breathing- Oh My Gosh! YAAAASS! Hiya, Dot! Hiya everyone! It's always great to see an assembly of awesome writers! I'll definitely give my character some thought! I'll try and get it done straight away!
   I was thinking about doing an actress, which should be a fun change for me as I haven't played females in a good long while here on E. Considering the reputation the show has, how might one be discovered aside from a regular audition?

[GnothiSeauton]

I'm thinking about doing a staff writer with the face claim of Lucy Liu.

[Dotley]

-heavy breathing- Oh My Gosh! YAAAASS! Hiya, Dot! Hiya everyone! It's always great to see an assembly of awesome writers! I'll definitely give my character some thought! I'll try and get it done straight away!
   I was thinking about doing an actress, which should be a fun change for me as I haven't played females in a good long while here on E. Considering the reputation the show has, how might one be discovered aside from a regular audition?

Heya you! Good to see you round again  :-)

As for how an actor might get casted aside from the standard auditioning process...the SHOW doesn't really do open auditions or give away roles to contest winners or anything like that. While the SHOW does enjoy presenting actor newbies to the world they don't necessarily go out of their way to find unpolished talent. Their casting director isn't going to pop up at college theater productions looking for actors or anything like that. But they are often roles on the SHOW specifically written for someone whose "star power" is  low. The showrunners and producers may turn to the casting director and specifically tell them they want the audition line-up to include only names that they don't recognize.

It's also possible an actor snagged their role by playing the good old fashioned Who Do You Know game. If they have social/professional/familial connections to producers, directors, etc that were already working on the SHOW or somehow affiliated with the studio and/or network they might have charmed their way into a role that way. Or maybe they're blackmailing someone! Sometimes it isn't so much about who you know but what you might know about someone.

I'm thinking about doing a staff writer with the face claim of Lucy Liu.

Yay a writer! And wonderful - I'll add her to the reserved list for you.

[RedEve]

I know that real actors are forbidden, but can you loosely base your character on a faceclaim?

So like, if my face claim is say Marion Cottilard, can she then also still be a French actress (just not a French actress who has Marion Cotillard's exact career trajectory, obviously)?

[Dotley]

I know that real actors are forbidden, but can you loosely base your character on a faceclaim?

So like, if my face claim is say Marion Cottilard, can she then also still be a French actress (just not a French actress who has Marion Cotillard's exact career trajectory, obviously)?

A character sharing the same race and/or ethnicity as their FC is no problem at all  :-)

[RedEve]

A character sharing the same race and/or ethnicity as their FC is no problem at all  :-)

But also their nationality?

In terms of their filmography: I assume we can make up fake movies, but if they did TV, can we use real shows? e.g., if I want to say that one of my characters earliest roles as an actress was an episode of "Law & Order", would that be alright?

[Dotley]

But also their nationality?

In terms of their filmography: I assume we can make up fake movies, but if they did TV, can we use real shows? e.g., if I want to say that one of my characters earliest roles as an actress was an episode of "Law & Order", would that be alright?

That's fine too.

Real world shows and even movies can be used with one caveat - you can't credit your character's involvement if doing so directly erases someone else's credit. So it's perfectly acceptable to say that your actor was in an episode of Law & Order. However, you couldn't say that your character starred in Law & Order: SVU as Olivia Benson because they didn't. Mariska Hargitay did. Likewise a director character can't claim to have directed Jurassic Park and a writer can't claim they wrote the screenplay for Seven. That make sense?  :-)

[Bibliophilia]

I've got an inkling and would like to lay claim to Sung Jin Park and Imogen Poots.  (I love that name so much.)

[Dotley]

I've got an inkling and would like to lay claim to Sung Jin Park and Imogen Poots.  (I love that name so much.)

She does have a great name. And both FCs are reserved for you  :-)

[Bibliophilia]

Thank you, darling!

[la dame en noir]

I was hesitant to post my interest cause my muse has been rude. But I'm definitely interested, haven't figured out a face claim just yet though.

[RedPhoenix]

If you were to rate this game on a scale of Melodramatic to Realistic where do you think it would go?

[Ouroboros]

Hey hey! Your friendly neighborhood co-GM here.

Regarding the melodrama/realism split, I'm going to ballpark it at a 65/35 split. Melodrama makes things fun and slavish adherence to realism can be difficult to really write out, but the characters are still supposed to be functioning adults in a workplace. It's also going to depend on who you're writing with and what your characters are like, but don't expect 24/7 craziness and angsty dramaz. Just, you know... a healthy amount of it. 

[Dotley]

I was hesitant to post my interest cause my muse has been rude. But I'm definitely interested, haven't figured out a face claim just yet though.

Heya! Happy to see your interest. If you do decide on a FC just let us know  :-)

[Bibliophilia]

I suspected an Ouro lurked in the wings!  -grins.-

[Dotley]

I suspected an Ouro lurked in the wings!  -grins.-

I wouldn't have been able to assemble all this or pull it off without them  :D



Also a mini GM announcement: I've added a sample character sheet to the front page. Meet Ben Bellson! He's 1/2 of the couple that is the show-runner/executive producer for the show.

[Bibliophilia]

Yay!  I'm so glad you're doing DJ again, he's so adorable.

[Neo In Matrix]

Tentatively intereated in playing Costume Designer with Sasha Grey as face Claim.

[Dotley]

Yay!  I'm so glad you're doing DJ again, he's so adorable.

Aw thanks. I will seize any opportunity to use his unconventionally attractive adorkable face. And I'm hyped for your FCs too. Especially Sung Jin Park!

[Bibliophilia]

I love Sung Jin.  I think he'll make a really interesting Runner and aspiring actor.  Imogen's gonna be a make-up artist, I think.

[RedPhoenix]

Okay...wanna face claim Trace Lysette. Thinking a-paranoid-she's-over-the-hill bad girl actress who is trying to not burn bridges while also steal every scene.

If that would work.

[Dotley]

Adding Sasha Grey and Trace Lysette to the FC list.

And that concept is certainly doable! Sounds like a great angle to play for an actress.

[Bibliophilia]

La On 'Laon' Choun is approved!  He's totally open for connections, guys.  So, if your character has a bit of a habit - or is just a recreational user- then he could totally be your dealer.  Maybe he's bumped into your character at multiple auditions?  Perhaps there's a bit of a rivalry?  Do they hate-fuck?  Has he bumped into your character at industry parties?  Maybe your character is in the closet, but Laon knows the truth?

Seriously, he's ripe for all sorts of connections.

[Dotley]

Another GM mini announcement: With our first few characters submitted and officially approved I've gone ahead and made an Accepted Characters thread. Remember to only post your character there if me and/or Ouroboros give you the greenlight to do so.

Recruitment is still open and no one should feel rushed to get a sheet done. There's no time limit or player cap here. If anyone has any questions or wants to muse over character concepts feel free to post here or send a PM.

[VioletPanda]

La On 'Laon' Choun is approved!  He's totally open for connections, guys.  So, if your character has a bit of a habit - or is just a recreational user- then he could totally be your dealer.  Maybe he's bumped into your character at multiple auditions?  Perhaps there's a bit of a rivalry?  Do they hate-fuck?  Has he bumped into your character at industry parties?  Maybe your character is in the closet, but Laon knows the truth?

Seriously, he's ripe for all sorts of connections.

  I just submitted a character who smokes pot quite a bit- Connection on approval? Could be a friend of her girlfriend or something? :)

[Bibliophilia]

  I just submitted a character who smokes pot quite a bit- Connection on approval? Could be a friend of her girlfriend or something? :)

I'm totally down!

[RedEve]

Since I have a character going through the approval process with her as a face claim, I would also like to claim Karolina Wydra as my face claim. :)

[Cerevan]

So many lovely new faces~ And in other news, my Disney-princess-with-an-edge-seriously-so-many-edges Awanita Kaskaloe has been approved! I'm looking for all sorts of connections. Specifically a (debatably) friendly rival, an (actual for realsies) friend/roommate, and maybe someone to help her (ahem) deal with her daddy issues. Also open for all kinds of sexy times, behind-the-scenes drama, and anyone who wants to go "Hey, aren't you Nina Lowe?" so she can give them the world's most long-suffering look.

[RedPhoenix]

And here I was toying with also making a former child star who was in movies about Ancient Egypt lol.

Cerevan would you be open to a PM to discuss weaving their backgrounds together or is that too close for comfort and should I just start over from scratch?

[Cerevan]

And here I was toying with also making a former child star who was in movies about Ancient Egypt lol.

Cerevan would you be open to a PM to discuss weaving their backgrounds together or is that too close for comfort and should I just start over from scratch?

Great minds think alike! Let's do some PM'ing. ;D

[Bibliophilia]

Astrid Blue is approved, now, too, guys!  She's a make-up artist and has worked in the industry for several years.  She's open to all sorts of connections, just like Laon.

[GnothiSeauton]

Just posted up my approved staff writer for any connections and stuff.

[Ouroboros]

Like a cat depositing a mangled mouse corpse in your slipper, I have posted the other executive director in the accepted characters thread. You're welcome?

But in all seriousness I'm totally willing to make connections if anyone is interested. :)

[Bibliophilia]

-grins wickedly.-  Oh, Ouro...I want Laon to have connections with both members of the power couple.  I wanna play with that genderplay fear eventually!  -makes grabby hands at it while trying to look innocent.-  Pleeeease!

[Dotley]

-grins wickedly.-  Oh, Ouro...I want Laon to have connections with both members of the power couple.  I wanna play with that genderplay fear eventually!  -makes grabby hands at it while trying to look innocent.-  Pleeeease!

I definitely support this idea  8-)

[RedPhoenix]

Victoria Lawrence, New Cast Member is up and open for new connections! :D

[Dotley]

GM Mini Announcement: We're going to put a temporary hold on accepting any new female actors. However we'll open up this particular role again once we have a few more crew and cast members up and about. We certainly don't mind if the majority of the Show's cast ends up being female (just means lots of awesome lady focused story-lines when it comes to the Show's episodes!), but we would like to see a male actor or two in the cast lineup. Or a gender-queer, bi-gender, non-binary, etc actor. That's all folks  :-)

[GnothiSeauton]

Thinking about doing a male character in addition to my staff writer. Intial thought was a relative unknown from stage productions.

[Dotley]

Thinking about doing a male character in addition to my staff writer. Intial thought was a relative unknown from stage productions.

I like the sound of him already! Let me and/or Ouro know if you'd like either Ben or Russ to perhaps be the one that "discovered" him and stole him away from the stage to put him on the Show.

[Neo In Matrix]

Sent my character in PM to @Dotley & @Ouroboros

[mia h]

THE SHOW's latest cast member has been announced to the press Lily Knight, I think there's a chance she might have crossed paths with Victoria and\or Awanita in the dim and distant past.

[VioletPanda]

I sent mine too, but I guess I messed up the formatting somehow? Trying to figure out what I did wrong.

[Juggtacular]

Reserving Michael B. Jordan please. :)

[la dame en noir]

Reserving Sonequa Martin-Green

[Bibliophilia]

Gnothi!!!!! -whines.-  You're playing one of my absolute favorite face claims ever!  We need connections.  -plots.-

[GnothiSeauton]

Gnothi!!!!! -whines.-  You're playing one of my absolute favorite face claims ever!  We need connections.  -plots.-

Feel free to send me a PM if I don't get to you first.

I'm seriously behind on plotting messages for here (totally not ignoring anyone), and I'm hoping to get to them tonight after I get a bunch of posts for other stories written up and posted.

[Dotley]

Reserving Michael B. Jordan please. :)

Reserved!  :-)

Reserving Sonequa Martin-Green

Also reserved!

[Ouroboros]

I'm seriously behind on plotting messages for here (totally not ignoring anyone), and I'm hoping to get to them tonight after I get a bunch of posts for other stories written up and posted.

You are not nearly as behind as I am. Because I haven't sent any. -_- But I will! Soon. Soooooon.

[Dotley]

You are not nearly as behind as I am. Because I haven't sent any. -_- But I will! Soon. Soooooon.

Echoing this! Well I have managed to send out a few at least. But I'm also behind on the plottage PMing. I'll be sending PMs out to all our peeps with accepted characters and offering plot ideas/connection possibilities to Ben. It just might take me a few days to get to everyone  :-)

[Neo In Matrix]

@GMs

I hope both of you received my PM for my character sheet. I was facing some network issues then and so not sure if it went through or not.

[Dotley]

@GMs

I hope both of you received my PM for my character sheet. I was facing some network issues then and so not sure if it went through or not.

No worries we received it. We're looking over a few different sheets at the moment so it might take us a day or two to respond.

[Neo In Matrix]

No worries we received it. We're looking over a few different sheets at the moment so it might take us a day or two to respond.

Sure. Not a problem. Just wanted to have received receipt. ,:-)

[Jason Hunter]

Good morning all. Just checking, before I fill out a character sheet, are you still recruiting?

[Dotley]

Good morning all. Just checking, before I fill out a character sheet, are you still recruiting?

Yep! Recruitment is open  :-)

[Jason Hunter]

Sweet, I will drop you both a character sheet by end of business today :P Tried to sound as business like as possible there lol

Face claim I am looking at is Nicholas Hoult. He would be a nerdy sarcastic character who surprises everyone when and if he ever cleans up and suits up.

[Dotley]

GM Announcement: We now have an OOC Chat & Plot thread! All writers with an accepted character are free to post over there  :-)

[Juggtacular]

Power went out...it ate my entire post. :(

[Dotley]

Power went out...it ate my entire post. :(

Aw shucks. Sorry to hear that. Always a downer when writing is lost. This is why I write my stuff over on Google drive. I've also heard a lot of good things about that Lazarus add-on.

[Bibliophilia]

Hey, Jason!  -grins.-  I love the face claim.  I can never see Nicolas without thinking of him as Tony on Skins.

[Aiden]

Any space for a returning (Veteran) Actor from Mexican/Latino TV trying to break into the American (assuming) demo so signed on/agreed to be this show for that exposure?

I can see him being annoying as he is used to either, much more money and/or way more production budget (unless this show is well budgeted, so I can find some other reason to be a diva).

If there is already a diva like character then I can shift it. I just thought it would be funny who speaks with a thick accent.

[Bibliophilia]

-waves.-  Yo, Aiden!

[Aiden]

yo!

[Dotley]

Any space for a returning (Veteran) Actor from Mexican/Latino TV trying to break into the American (assuming) demo so signed on/agreed to be this show for that exposure?

I can see him being annoying as he is used to either, much more money and/or way more production budget (unless this show is well budgeted, so I can find some other reason to be a diva).

If there is already a diva like character then I can shift it. I just thought it would be funny who speaks with a thick accent.

Hey Aiden! Definitely room for an actor like that. And yep the Show is an American production. It's studio is located in Los Angeles, California but it does lots of location shooting too. As for the Show's budget - each episode costs multi-millions to make. It's a cable show and it's critically acclaimed with lots of awards. So the Network is quite generous with their budget. Though there's always drama potential to be made with the characters trying to get the Network to increase the budget even more, delays in filming that cause budget mayhem, etc.

Actors are certainly welcome to have a flair for the dramatic and to have some diva moments (they are the Talent after all and it's a bit expected  ;) ), but just remember that the Show is an anthology series - every actor is replaceable. They'll have to maintain at least a decent working relationship with the crew or really endear themselves to the Showrunners and/or some producers or wow the writing staff to secure consistent casting on the Show. A really troublesome actor that causes too many headaches on set simply wouldn't be contracted to appear in another episode.

Work place conflicts are to be expected though since it makes for interesting character interaction. And it is Hollywood  :D

[Jason Hunter]

Hey, Jason!  -grins.-  I love the face claim.  I can never see Nicolas without thinking of him as Tony on Skins.

Hey Biblio, the second I though of a nerdy sound engineer, Tony from skins came to mind. I think he is perfect for the role I would like to achieve with him :)

He is open for connections now as well. If anyone has something in mind, pm me. I think he will have a few run ins with actors, hating the melodramatic in them.

[Aiden]

Hey Aiden! Definitely room for an actor like that. And yep the Show is an American production. It's studio is located in Los Angeles, California but it does lots of location shooting too. As for the Show's budget - each episode costs multi-millions to make. It's a cable show and it's critically acclaimed with lots of awards. So the Network is quite generous with their budget. Though there's always drama potential to be made with the characters trying to get the Network to increase the budget even more, delays in filming that cause budget mayhem, etc.

Actors are certainly welcome to have a flair for the dramatic and to have some diva moments (they are the Talent after all and it's a bit expected  ;) ), but just remember that the Show is an anthology series - every actor is replaceable. They'll have to maintain at least a decent working relationship with the crew or really endear themselves to the Showrunners and/or some producers or wow the writing staff to secure consistent casting on the Show. A really troublesome actor that causes too many headaches on set simply wouldn't be contracted to appear in another episode.

Work place conflicts are to be expected though since it makes for interesting character interaction. And it is Hollywood  :D

Awesome, I'll start working on a sheet, thanks!

[Dotley]

Awesome, I'll start working on a sheet, thanks!

You're welcome! Looking forward to your character  :-)

[la dame en noir]

I sent in my character sheet.

[VioletPanda]

I resubmitted mine too, as a runner. And altered the things you suggested.For example, she's now taking online classes part time.

[Ouroboros]

Sorry! I'm actually the source of the holdup - I will hopefully get a chance to look at things a little later today.

[Juggtacular]

Finally getting around to finishing my guy. He's a child actor who split off into tv/film as well, and has enjoyed success in both mediums due to a good work ethic and enjoying the lifestyle.

[VioletPanda]

Just submitted again with my face claim

[Dotley]

Mini GM Announcement: I've updated the Taken FC list and the Reserved FC list. Taken FCs are those that are in use by a player that has had their character officially accepted into the game. Reserved FCs are held as a courtesy for those that are in the process of making their sheet so they don't have to worry about someone snatching up their intended FC before they've had a chance to submit them.

Recruitment is still open for any and all crew members. So far we haven't had any directors or producers submitted though so we'd love to see them. Some more writers for the writing team would be fantastic too. As for the cast they're open as well, though we're still not accepting any more female actors at this time.

That's all for now folks!

[Dotley]

Recruitment still very much open! All cast and crew roles are now open, including female actors  :-)

[VioletPanda]

Did I miss some links at one point, because I don't know where the ooc and stuff is. Sorry for my absence. New job and everything is still really crazy.

[Ouroboros]

Hello!

The OOC is here. The first post of the thread also includes links to the IC threads.