When San Franciscans learned of a casting call for a TV pilot called 94110 that would tell "the story of six leading technology executives living, learning, and loving together in San Francisco’s Mission District,” many wondered if it was a prank. Producers, who are still financing the project, insist it is not, and certainly it would be a rather long con, with Mission Local reporting that around 100 actors of varying backgrounds including an American Idol finalist auditioned this past weekend at an SFAQ space.
We had previously heard of the roles being cast, which were more character types than descriptors like age or even gender. But now, for those auditions, character monologues for screen testing have been posted online. In the spirit of reserving judgment, here they are with no comment.
Lead A
Spazzy, neurotic. Riding a wave of luck and success from five years ago. Tries to get out of commitments. Things always go their way even though they may not be deserving.
“Move fast and break stuff. I think if you’re not like breaking anything, you might not be moving at a good speed, you know? It’s not about winning and losing though. It’s about doing something valuable. I’m not really here to manage day-to-day; I’m more into strategy. People really undervalue that kind of flexibility, exploring what you want before committing all the way. I want to shop around first.”
Lead B
Ambitious, smart, overbearing behind closed doors, in a box. Just left another large company due to the lack of upward mobility and is looking to be their own boss as they regroup. Has government connections.
“What’s work-life balance? Uh, no such thing. Well, there’s no balance, but there sure is work and life. You have to figure out your own type of ambition and progress. That’s why I’m pragmatic. It’s not always easy. For instance, I think, if you’re a woman, you have to be more careful. Like, you have to say, well, “yes” a lot more than men do. But once there’s enough women around, that can change. Of course I have faith in the system. You have to.”
Lead C
Engineer, “kinda.” Socially awkward, but well regarded. Likes punk rock, addicted to vaping.
“Uh, I wanna simplify complexity. Strip things down to the essentials and start again. Building stuff that like, really, simplifies our basic social interactions. Like, take money — that touches everyone in the world. And like, you’re taught to feel bad about money — because maybe it is bad, who knows? So uh, it feels dirty to hold onto — but great when it goes away. Real great. You’re being taken care of, like the world is finally working the way it’s supposed to. Yeah, I guess that is what I look for or want, y’know, when something simple can make a deep impression on you. Like the raw denim thing? It’s cool — all the designs or whatever — pressed into your jeans from the way your life moves.”
Lead D
Timorous, a lil “weird” but driven to be successful. Hard working, programmer at heart, putting in all nighters. Social life on hold.
“It was awkward— going from engineer to entrepreneur, having to get people behind your dreams and ideas. But it’s not a bad thing to get people to trade their time for some cash, right? And so, I wanna believe I’m a people person, but at the of the day, actually, I’m just such a dog person. (All those apps in the dogspace are so inspiring, by the way. Like, wow, I gotta get over there one day.) Okay, okay, I gotta stay on topic, though. It’s important to stay level when you’re responsible for others, even though I’m a really binary, black and white person. Maybe that’s why I’m so obsessed with dogs. [giggles] Cats get out of here.”
Lead E
Alternates between bubbly and sharp as fuck. One of the gang and has alcohol-fueled bro-downs for brainstorming sessions.
“I always did something I was a little not ready to do, you know. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of “Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this”’ and you push through those moments regardless. That’s how you’re certain you’ve had a breakthrough. A lot of people criticize what the culture is like out here. But I really had just been very blind to gender. And I still am. You gotta do it that way; like, you just have to ruthlessly prioritize. What’s number 1: the idea or the execution? But yeah, I really love color. [funny laugh] Maybe color comes first.”
Lead F
B R O in lifestyle and mindset. Body workouts and charm stand in for lack of ideas and ability. Super fun to hang with. Likeable but not trustworthy.
“When something’s fun, it’s obvious. That’s when you just need to do more of it. And that’s why as an entrepreneur, I try to push the limits. Pedal to the metal, bitch. I’m a competitor - and I’m screwed if I’m sleeping. If I catch the other guy sleeping, you bet I’m gonna tear him a new one. It’s hard to be a disrupter and not be an asshole. I’m the same guy I always was, success or not. They just don’t like your guts and effort anymore when you got baller status in this town.”
Supporting A:
VC with lots of likes and followers, puts out good vibes and gets good returns. Knows that they have what people want, and uses that for leverage. Willing to pay more for quality.
“Yeah, everyone is different. I’m not even talking about backgrounds or your place in society. That’s why I love this neighborhood— all the changing faces and good energy. These new waves of, uh, new people, uh, is a huge thing. The area can always regenerate. There is a fresh rate of money coming in, fresh ways of support, fresh food— isn’t that a great thing? Look, if I’m willing and ready to pay more for a coffee in the morning, then by all means, charge more for your coffee. I’m not alone in this. Don’t act like this is a radical idea. This is what pays the bills.”
Supporting B:
Working several task based jobs in the 94110 and hustles to make the monthly cut. Gets the attention of others without effort. Is curious, but jaded and opinionated.
“It’s more like, what job have I not had to cover rent over here? When have I only had one job? Never. This is 2015. I guess this is what is normal now. Of course, I fucking love the freedom of the 1099 economy. Probably as free as all my clients out on the Playa, bro. But twelve bucks an hour isn’t so great if you’re spending all day running around dropping off socks for software engineers. Hell, I’ll ride some of them on my handlebars to the vape shop. I can’t always see the changes coming, but I’m figuring out a way to maintain, and I wouldn’t be around here if I couldn’t. There is a real community here, if you can stick around. Something’s gotta give.”
Supporting C:
Out of the Box confidence, using guerrilla strategies for native applications. Existential crisis-prone; self-help book enthusiast.
“Just like what my granddad said— I’m probably only as smart as the people I surround myself with. That said, I went to school. I can process abstractions, and I’m super into high risk play, maximizing the payouts. I’ll find a way to hedge those bets in the end. You gotta be careful at some point. If you introduce progress or innovation into any community, how does the community react? Not always the best. So, test that shit. Don’t fear the pivot.”
Previously: TV Pilot '94110' Posts Mission Casting Call, Knee-Jerk Haters Gonna Hate