Casting concluded last week on the film and I have to tell you, this is often the hardest part of the job. There are a lot of talented people in this business and when you get into the casting phase, you have to let go of your expectations. You have to allow the actors to bring in something new, to surprise you, to take your sides and your script and take it in a direction you hadn't intended. This is part of the collaborative process. Otherwise you have to get really good and digital trickery and play all the parts yourself.

This time around, we had an embarrassment of riches. We had so many great people to see and their performances were really inspiring. Still, as hard as you try to let go of your preconceptions about a role, I knew who I was looking for when I set out to cast this piece. The hardest role to cast has always been the female lead, Rebecca. It's a very meaty part and there's a lot to do with it; a lot of nuances in the script that need an intuitive understanding of the character. Most of all, she needs to be both accessible and obsessible. No small order. We got very lucky when we cast Carolina Fernandez in this role.

Finding someone to play opposite her turned out to be much easier than we thought. The right actor walked in, they read the scene together and I cast him on the spot. The chemistry, that all-important "It" factor, was right where it needed to be.

Forgive me if I'm counting my chickens before they're hatched, but this is going to be an amazing production.

Stay tuned!

Frank Fradella
Writer/Director, Ghost and the Machine