A voiceover artist is isolated in a booth. Then all hell breaks loose outside. | Call Casting

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Call Casting is used with permission from Dylan Bruno. Learn more at http://omele.to/42Aqgpk.

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A voiceover artist is working on a commercial, trying to nail just the right intonation with a picky remote client. He's working in his booth, isolated from his engineer, and delivers a few takes in his attempts to make a sale on pickles sound exciting. But when he requests their input and feedback, he gets... silence.

Wondering if he did okay, he checks to see if his clients are still connected, only to discover his engineer has disappeared. Investigating further, he discovers that the world has fallen into chaos outside. Seeking refuge and a place to hide from the terror and violence, he goes back to his studio -- and back to the thing he does best.

Directed by Dylan Bruno and Kasper Vejlo Kristensen from a script by Bruno (who also appears in the lead role), this short dark comedy is a wry commentary on the neurotic artist in all of us, aiming for perfection and maybe even approval, no matter what else is going on. With its combination of tense dystopian atmosphere with flourishes of quirky comedy, it speaks to not just one voiceover artist's dedication to the craft but the way that pressure and crisis bring out the sometimes odder parts of our characters.

The film begins in the studio, as the voice actor attempts to make adjustments to his work and to do it in half the time. As he crams his script and intonations in a quick rush of words, there's an absurdity to the client's request, a sensibility that carries through the storytelling, even when the film shifts register into something more ominous. Visually, the film is notable for its long continuous take, weaving through the cramped darkness of the studio to a glimpse of the outdoors and a suggestive hint at the violence and chaos that has sprung up.

The "oner" is a creative choice that amps up the tension and suspense in many action and thriller films, and certainly, it works here to pull viewers into the sense of a world turned upside down. Our focus is less on the world outside than on the man watching it all and trying to stay out of its way, hilariously armed with only a plastic knife for protection. Bruno gets at both the adrenaline and fears that his character experiences when faced with the crisis and disaster happening outside. He retreats into his studio, going back to the one thing he knows how to do best.

"Call Casting" ends on a zinger, punctuating both the portrait of a creative who can't quite let go of his work, even when the world is ending. But it also works universally as a darkly funny look at how we can be in denial, even when directly confronted with disaster, emergency and mayhem. For many, such portents are simply too overwhelming to process at the moment -- we want to be heroic, or brave, but we just don't have the inner resources for it. Instead, we knuckle down on the few things we can exert control over, as we wait for things to settle and hope for the best as it all falls apart.

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A voiceover artist is isolated in a booth. Then all hell breaks loose outside. | Call Casting
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