Making Movies with Mark Johnson - Best Friends Forever #indiefilm

Mark Johnson stars in my short film, Abyss, as Eric’s best friend, Manny -- a carefree ladies’ man who tried to help create a winning reality TV contest entry.

I cast Mark for this role because he delivered strong performances at his auditions -- on and off camera. Mark also seemed like he could think quick on his feet if a scene took a different turn than what was laid out in the script, regardless of who he shares his screen time with. His swag, however, gave him an advantage among my casting team and was, ultimately, the defining factor in him being chosen as Manny. 

While watching the audition footage, one of the casting team members said she felt like Mark was hitting on her; someone else agreed while adding that his swag was not only about how he delivered Manny’s lines but also what he did while in character....

“I would go with Mark because he fit the role with deceptively smooth facial expressions that spoke just as much as the words”

During the pre-production and production stages, Mark’s good rapport with castmates including Mike Gaudioso and Rodney Benson brought more realistic depictions of his character’s relationships with people, on screen.

Making Movies with Mike Gaudioso - On Active Duty #indiefilm

I cast Mike Gaudioso for the role of Dr. Montgomery in my short film, Abyss, because he has natural talent that cannot be missed. Gaudioso became the character during his audition, rather than “acting” like a medical professional. Members of my casting team who reviewed his audition footage agree with this observation, making the selection process much easier -- thanks to a unanimous vote in his favor. Here are some of the things they said.

“This role was made for him” and “I forgot that I was watching an audition”

Needless to say, his chemistry with Rodney Benson worked for the scenes they had together, based on the script!

Making Movies with Rodney Benson – The Greatest Proposal Ever #indiefilm

All of the months spent on writing a screenplay, hiring actors, finding crew and shooting my latest work, I figured it’s time for you all to meet the cast members of “Abyss.” The movie -- about a guy who gets stranded at a bus stop in Philadelphia -- is currently in post-production and prepping for its film festival debut.

Rodney Benson plays Eric, an Armor officer who attempts to propose to his girlfriend, in the short film, “Abyss.” Benson was cast in this role because he illustrated great chemistry with the actresses I paired him to read with during the auditions. Further observation indicated that he would not only be focused, but also give 100% of his talents and energy to this role.

There were a few traits about Benson that gave me a feeling he is a professional who stands by his word, shows up to work and gets things done. I liked him as Eric and believed that he could pull off the image of someone who appears to have their life in order. I also liked how well Benson showcased an ability to improv a scene, adapting his behavior to suit the nature of various relationships and circumstances, when necessary.

Here is what one of the members of my casting team said about Rodney.

“I think he is the perfect mix of rough and sweet”

Each of us had different reasons why we wanted him for this movie during the casting process but one thing's for sure, there is no one else who could have pulled the role of Eric off the way he does.

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