Fame and Fortune: Hollywood on the Vltava

This week I received an interesting email about casting for an English language film being shot by a Korean director and based on a French graphic novel*.  Then by a “coincidence” I happened to see an ad on Craig’s List for casting a shoot in Columbus, Ohio, USA as well as a Squidoo lens about being an extra in Atlanta, GA, USA, all within the course of two days.

Prague and its Barrandov Studios has long been the center of central European film making.  That and its old time beauty have led to many Hollywood style films being shot all or in part in Prague.  In the widget below I listed just a few of the more well known; the older are better in my opinion.  Conspicuously missing is Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol shot in 2011 and not on DVD yet.  See update below.

My point today is not to watch these movies for the few background scenes of Prague and the Czech Republic but to suggest that appearing in film and commercial video is another arrow in the quiver for supporting the expat lifestyle.  A little networking and a little schmoozing can get your name and number in front of the right people for when a project comes up in your city or country.

Children, especially with stage presence, are frequently needed for filming.  Here in Prague we have expat James Bridekirk and his StageStars  They teach theater at several English language schools as well as open Saturday sessions as well as act as agents for casting.  They also produced the Christmas Pantomime that Karin and I greatly enjoyed.  Hopefully I will get around to writing about it.

So whatever your skill or talent there is a way to earn an exciting experience, if not a living.  What ideas do you have?  Please comment.

*Feature Film: Snow Piercer; Writer/Director: Bong Joon-ho

Prague shoot dates: Jan- June, 2012

Update:  Here is a link for Amazon USA.  You can also get the above films from there.  That is, please use my Amazon U.K link for Europe and Amazon.com for USA.  Cheers.