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Seeking a spot on TV show

No chase scenes or explosions planned for local filming effort.
26780parksvilleWeb-CastingCall
Extra hopefuls Jennifer McNevin and Paul Wunderlich sign up for a chance to star as extras in a made-for-T.V. Christmas movie

Mid-Island residents looking for 15 minutes of fame on network television lined up in Parksville Wednesday afternoon to take a shot. Even if it does turn out to be more like 15 seconds.

Casting director Travis Doering was in Parksville seeking extras to fill the background of a movie that will be filmed in and around the community from Dec. 6-20.

“We were originally looking for 200 extras, but it looks like I’m going to get more than that, which is great,” said Doering, from Vancouver-based Odyssey Media. “The more, the merrier.”

The film, titled Family Court, is a family-friendly, Hallmark-style film about rekindling lost romance. And about basketball.

Casting calls were held Wednesday morning in Nanaimo and later in the afternoon in Parksville, at the Beach Club Resort. Doering said he was seeking about 120 people for the film’s basketball scenes, and others to appear as waiters and caterers.

As of 4:30 p.m., Doering had seen 136 hopefuls and was confident he would reach the goal of 200 applicants.

There was no audition involved. The casting call basically allowed Doering to collect contact information and get a current photo of each applicant.

“If you ask people to send in a photo online, they tend to send their most flattering shot,” said Doering, who said the directors want “regular people” populating the background of the shots.

The casting call invited potential extras from ages 18 to 70 and offered $10.45 an hour for those who are called in to work.

Not everyone who applied will be called to work in the film, but each successful applicant is expected to be needed for only a day or two during the run of film production in Parksville.

During filming, Doering said, Parksville residents won’t be seeing any big explosions or chase scenes.

“It is a non-action movie,” he said. “But they will see crews filming around town.”

Family Court will air as a movie of the week on the U.S.-based Up TV Network, formerly Gospel Music Television or GMT. No release date has been scheduled.