California casting crews from the Disney motion picture company will travel to Freeport next week to hire hundreds of Grand Bahamians in paid acting roles for Pirates of the Caribbean II and III.
The temporary job opportunities come months after thousands of people were left jobless from last year´s hurricanes, and as many more say they are struggling to find employment on the island.
“We´re hoping for two to three thousand persons to show up at the casting calls and there will be several hundred roles that persons will be selected for,’ Cornelius McKinney, production assistant for the films, told the Bahama Journal Thursday.
“These are all paid roles and [the pay] will more than likely be somewhere in the area of $75 per day. Some who are selected may only be needed for one shot, some may be asked to come back a few times and some, like sailors, for example, could be needed for up to three months, so that´s three months of continuous employment.’
The casting crews, he said, are looking for background roles portraying sailors, soldiers, pirates and seamen.
Mr. McKinney said casting crews are looking for all types of people to try out for the parts, including children, whose parents would be required to sign a release should their child be chosen to take part in the film shoots.
He said the crews are also looking for a number of Asian residents for a variety of background roles.
Scenes for both films will be shot at the Bahamas Films Studios site at Gold Rock Creek beginning late May to early June, and will also be shot at locations in Exuma, Mr. McKinney said.
Paul Quigley, chief operating officer for the studios, recently told the Journal that the Disney deals were the beginning of major film and television opportunities for The Bahamas and residents on Grand Bahama in particular.
Prime Minister Perry Christie, while at a recent event in Freeport, announced that the Disney film deals were expected to translate into $30 million being pumped into the island´s economy, and said Disney has committed to at least 16,000 room nights for its work crews who will travel here for the productions.
Mr. McKinney pointed out that those hired as background actors could expect to work as many as six days per week, 12 hours per day.
But he indicated that acting jobs aren´t the only employment opportunities that will come along with production work for the motion pictures.
“Once the production begins over the summer, the production will generally look for additional workers as well [such as] secretaries, accountants, drivers, carpenters and electricians and things of that nature,’ he said.
The casting call is scheduled for February 19 at the Westin at Our Lucaya´s Lighthouse Point lobby.
Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
