CASTING CALL NOTICE:

Talented Actors Needed for Independent Film.  This is a Non-Union Production

Film Name: Speedsuit Powers (An adaptation of the young adult novel, Speedsuit Powers)
Logline: Two fatherless boys trying to find their way in the world.
Filming Schedule: 24 day shoot beginning Monday July 25, 2011
Filming locations: Bronx, New Rochelle, Middletown, NY
Writer/Producer/Director: Allen Paul Weaver III
Casting Director: Monique Lisa

Audition Date/Time: Tuesday May 24, 2011, 4pm-8pm

Auditions held at: Reel Creative Studios, 146 West 29th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10001

*Please email headshot
resume & questions to: castingcall@speedsuitpowers.com

You will be contacted to RSVP.

Pay Rate: TBD based on experience
Call Back Dates: TBD

All Actors Please Bring:

Headshot and resume, 30 second monologue (No profanity please)
**Actors for Kelly Washington please come prepared to demonstrate dancing ability
***Under 18 please be accompanied by parent or legal guardian

Principal Characters:
Curtis Powers, African American, 14-15yrs, 5’9-5’11, slender/lanky build, incredibly smart (Protagonist)

Treyshawn Jinkins, African American, 15-16 yrs, 5’11-6’1, slender/muscular, bully (Antagonist)

Kelly Washington, African American, 14-15 yrs, 5’6-5’7, slender/ Ballet dancer, tough-yet-compassionate

Omar Powers, African American, 20-21 yrs, 6’3-6’5, muscular, Curtis’ older brother, U.S. Navy

Miranda Powers, African American, early-mid 40’s, 5’7-5’9, slender, Curtis’ mother, studying for business degree, works as waitress.

Malcolm Powers, African American, mid 40’s, 6’-6’2, medium build, Curtis’ father, Architect, Dies from cancer

Jim Grabowski, Caucasian, early 50’s, 5’9-6’, medium build, slightly overweight, physics teacher

Secondary Characters
Kevin & Kelvin Washington, African American, 18-19 yrs, 6’3-6’5, medium build muscular, Kelly’s Brothers, MVP’s in high school basketball and football. (Looking for twins or brothers who are close in age)

Mr. Andre, African American, mid 30’s, 6’-6’4, medium muscular, head of security at high school

Shakira Rollins, mid 30’s, 5’5-5’7, slender, Treyshawn’s mother – on welfare, lost singing career

Hakiim, African American/Hispanic, 15-16 yrs, 5’8-6’0, slender/muscular, Treyshawn’s right hand man

Mrs. Fuller, African American, mid 50’s, 5’5-5’8, regal in her attire, High School Guidance Counselor

Jack Riley, Ethnicity is open, mid 40’s, commanding presence, High School Principal

Melvin, African American/Hispanic, late 30’s, 6′-6′2, muscular, Shakira Rollins’ abusive boyfriend

Movie Synopsis
Imagine moving from the suburbs to the inner city and colliding with a school bully who’s BIGGER, STRONGER, and FASTER than you.   What do you do?  Curtis Powers is living this life!  Ninth grade, at a new school, is hard enough, without Treyshawn Jinkins making his days miserable.  Curtis just wants to pursue his dreams—now he’s got to avoid his nemesis, too!

Some call Curtis a geek; but his smarts won’t stop the inevitable.  Treyshawn is coming fast and Curtis must do something or face the worst beat-down of his life!  With help from his family, his best friend Kelly, and others, he’ll put a hi-tech plan into action that will do more than anyone thought possible.  And in the process he’ll learn that ‘when you can’t outrun your problems, you have to face them head on.’

Hey everyone. It’s been a while since there’s been a Speedsuit Powers update. Just wanted to let you know what’s been going on in March. First, let me say that God is good. Stepping forward and taking risks everyday, even while being unsure of the outcomes, has been a struggle. I keep thinking about Dr. Ben Carson’s book, Take the Risk. In it he encourages readers to face their fears. Two of his questions  come to mind - “What’s the worst thing that can happen if I take this risk? What’s the best thing that can happen if I take this risk?” Each day I pray and God provides strength to take another step.

SPREADING THE WORD

We’re working hard to spread the word about Speedsuit Powers and how it’s impacting readers. We’re using social media, word of mouth and having one-on-one conversations whenever the opportunity arises. As part of our efforts, we even sent copies to the White House for the First Family.

Today, we received a thank you card - encouraging us to stay active and involved in making a difference in the lives of others. The growing bullying epidemic is surely one such issue that affects us all. And if we don’t do something our kids will continue to lose hope.

With everything going on around the world, we don’t know if President and First Lady Obama (or Sasha and Malia) have had the opportunity to read the book yet; but receiving it is a good first step - especially since they have made addressing school bullying one of their priorities. You can watch their school bullying prevention video below.

SCREENPLAY ADAPTATION

We are also very excited about preparing to produce Speedsuit Powers as an independent movie! This has been the number one suggestion from readers. The script is done and arrangements are being made for production. If you’ve already read the book, then you know this will be a movie you won’t want to miss! Look for a 2012 release. More info coming soon!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Finally, we each must do our part. What are your solutions for bully prevention and other negative issues our youth are facing? How can you make a difference where you are?  Without positive involvement our kids’ lives will continue to spiral out of control.

You can make a difference! Keep Pressing Forward!

For more information about bullying, visit StopBullying.gov.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

BRAND NEW YEAR

It’s 2o11: a brand new year filled with brand new opportunities. This should be your year to do great things! Whether you are a child, teenager or an adult - this is your year to grow, to develop your gifts and talents and to try new things… like writing your own book!

2010 BIG QUESTIONS

2010 was great for Speedsuit Powers. We had several book signings and are building some momentum as we’ve begun to make an impact on the lives of youth and adults as word spreads across the country! We’ve also been getting great feedback from readers! The two most asked questions of 201o were 1. When does Book 2 come out?  2. Will there be a movie for Book 1? So, to answer your questions…

1.  I’m working hard on Book 2! Hopefully, it will be ready by the end of 2011.

2. I have decided to move forward with preparing to produce Speedsuit Powers as an independent film. We’re finishing up the screenplay (which is an adaptation of the novel), working on storyboard illustrations, and a ton of other things! And as we get closer to production, we’ll be able to provide more updates!

DOING NEW THINGS?

You know, doing new things can be scary. You’ve never done it before. You’re not sure how things will turn out. But, that’s a part of this adventure called life! It’s also a theme in Speedsuit Powers: we all have to make a decision about the kind of life we want to live.  As you continue your journey through 2011, try to face your fears and move forward in new areas. Grow! Develop! Impact! Imagine the possibilities!

What do you want to accomplish in 2011?

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

October is National Bullying Prevention and Awareness month and we must use this time to raise awareness about what happens all year long—every year—in our schools.  Asher Brown and Phoebe Prince lost their lives to bullying. Because of the increased frequency of this type of tragic outcome, the official term is bullycide: when a person commits suicide because of bullying.

WAKE UP!
I’m sure Asher and Phoebe are not the only youth to die within the past year, but their stories were covered by national media. So in a sense, they are the “faces” of a growing epidemic in our country. And their deaths beg the question: How many children have to die before we take bullying seriously?

Bullying is defined as: to hurt, frighten, browbeat, and or to tyrannize over someone. Bullying is a way to dominate another person through behavior. It is usually defined as ongoing physical or verbal harassment between two people that have an imbalance of power. Those who bully use physical, verbal, and emotional or psychological methods to humiliate, embarrass, or overpower someone.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice report, “Bullying in Schools” by Rana Sampson:

Bullying is widespread and perhaps the most underreported safety problem on American school campuses… Once thought of as simply a rite of passage or relatively harmless behavior that helps build young people’s character, bullying is now known to have long-lasting harmful effects, for both the victim and the bully…  In two-thirds of the recent school shootings (for which the shooter was still alive to report), the attackers had previously been bullied. In those cases, the experience of bullying appeared to play a major role in motivating the attacker.

The type of bullying that happens today is very different from my experiences as a kid.

REALITY CHECK
This is a crisis that our kids are facing (seemingly alone), and here are five things I know:

1. No child or teen should EVER feel that bullycide is the only way out of a negative situation. They need to know that other alternatives, resources and help are available.

2. Our response to bullying, as parents, educators and community leaders can no longer be merely a reactive one. We need to find ways to get “in front” of this instead of finding ourselves behind trying to catch up.

3. Kids aren’t always going to tell adults about bullying issues. They fear retribution from the bully and/or a lack of genuine help from adults. We need to press the issue with them to be sure that we are aware of any situations that need to be addressed.

4. If we do nothing, then nothing changes. We can no longer be bystanders. We can’t think, “It’s not my problem” or “It’s not my child.” As much as we like to isolate ourselves from others and from danger, the fact is that we are all connected. We are a community. We must get involved and be a part of the solution.

5. Making a positive impact in the lives of the bullied as well as the bully is paramount. There are always reasons behind the actions of both—family trauma, low self-esteem, anger issues, a general disregard for life, learning difficulties, etc—and we must get at those reasons in order to provide remedies.

SOLUTION BASED THINKING
The contextual intricacies of the situation are complex and answers may not be easily available.  I remember reading somewhere that if you want to change a person, you have to change the structure in which they operate. One such structural change would be to focus on developing the gifts, talents and dreams of ALL our young people: the bully, bullied and bystanders. When they have a sense of who they are, what they can do and where they are going in life—the possibilities that are available and the ways for them to overcome their obstacles—they won’t have a desire to bully, nor the patience to stand by and allow it to happen.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-
Author, Speedsuit Powers
www.speedsuitpowers.com

Here is the first Speedsuit Powers “Back to School” public service announcement video. It’s called “Back to School Bullies”. Bully prevention and conflict resolution are two themes that are addressed in this epic urban adventure story.