Pen Prick Casting Call

TITLE: Pen Prick
PROJECT TYPE: Independent Feature
PRODUCTION DATES: Winter of 2026
GENRE: Psychological Drama
LOCATION: Twin Cities, MN
RATE: $200/day as local hire

FILM LOGLINE: Under a crucial deadline, a comic artist’s reliance on AI to complete his masterpiece spirals into reality-warping delusions and his own psychological unraveling.

CHARACTER(S) LOGLINE: A comic artist, haunted by the ghost of his first success, spirals into obsession and self-doubt while his closest friend fights to save his sanity and his art.

ROLES:

  • LEAD: 22-30. Any Ethnicity. Intense, scruffy, brilliant. He is a perfectionist drowning in the "sophomore slump." He is a role for an actor who can handle long takes and heavy emotional transitions.

·       Think Black Swan meets Adaptation. He is a "prodigy" currently paralyzed by his own ghost. Character Notes: He is a brilliant comic artist who peaked early with a previously hit project. Now, he is drowning in the "Sophomore Slump." He isn't just "tired"; he’s vibrating with the fear that he’s a fraud. We are looking for an actor who can play stillness and manic obsession equally well. Key Performance Requirement: Must be able to portray "The Spiral"—the moment where a creative block turns into a mental breakdown. Physicality is key; he should look like he forgets to eat when he’s drawing. Requires comfort with mature themes and intimacy.

 

  • MAIN SUPPORTING: 22-30. Any Ethnicity. Sharp, grounded, "Geek-Chic." She is the leader’s intellectual equal and his only tether to reality. She is playful until she isn't.

·       She has the soulful, magnetic mystery of Sofia in Vanilla Sky, but the grounded, 'working-artist' ambition of Mia in La La Land. Character Notes: She is an illustrator who is "the lead’s original fan," but she’s evolved past being just a supporter. She is his only bridge to the real world. She’s not a pixie; she is a serious artist who is watching her mentor/friend self-destruct and is starting to lose her patience. Key Performance Requirement: She needs to be able to go from playful to "dead serious" in a second. The actress must have enough presence to stand up to the lead’s intensity without being swallowed by it. Requires comfort with mature themes and intimacy.

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Please submit a headshot, resume, monologue, and reel (if applicable) to one of the following emails ddmosley.penprick@gmail.com or ccooper.penprick@gmail.com.

Or choose (a short snippet) from one of the following scenes to perform:

(Lead Only) Adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woB4fOxJOhs
(Lead/Main Supporting) La La Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSeVtEL0N14
(Main Supporting Only) Vanilla Sky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDAQApIaYfs

 

Submissions without a headshot or video monologue will not be considered.