Who Plays Who?

Alyson Michalka Vanessa Hudgens Gaelan Connell Scott Porter Ryan Donowho Charlie Saxton Lisa Kudrow Tim Jo Elvy Yost Lisa Chung Casey Williams Farah White

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Charlotte Banks Sa5m Will Burton Ben Wheatly Basher Martin Bug Karen Burton Omar Irene Lerman Kim Lee Ms Wittenberg Sa5m's Mom

The Inside Story Producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas says Tod Graff's new film "Bandslam" is, "an inspiring story about music appreciation for a generation of fans who are more likely to discover 'their' music on the internet than on the radio. It’s about a time in life when you are in between who you are and who you are going to be. The movie celebrates music as an inspiration for change, the catalyst for the characters to grow and get to the next place in their lives." The major focus of the film is on three young people: Sa5m, Charlotte and Will. When it came time to cast Bandslam’s three leads, the filmmakers knew they needed players who possessed both extraordinary acting ability and musical chops. For the character of Sa5m ("the 5 is silent"), a quirky outsider who eventually finds her voice in the coming of age story, the filmmakers needed an actress with the skills to make the slightly odd, introverted character likeable and, the musical ability to rock the house in the film’s climactic scene. It was a tall order, but one perfectly filled by actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens, known to millions of adoring fans for her role as Gabriella Montez in the mega-hit High School Musical franchise. In addition to her acting experience on stage and in films, Hudgens has recorded two hit albums. "I met Vanessa very early on in the casting process while she was in New York doing press for "High School Musical", and really liked her," Goldsmith-Thomas ("Maid in Manhattan") recalls. "She’s a cool, very honest, sweet person." After gaining worldwide recognition for playing the brainy, popular Gabriella in the phenomenally successful "High School Musical" trilogy, Hudgens was thrilled to have the opportunity to stretch as an actress. "Sa5m’s very moody and standoffish; kind of the outcast of the crowd," Hudgens (the Voice of Tintin in "Thunderbirds") says. "I’ve been playing the sweet, nice girl for a while. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great character to play, but it’s a lot like me; I really wanted to play a different character. Going out of my comfort zone to play the opposite of me was really exciting to me as an actor. I got to have a lot of fun with it." Hudgens enjoyed working with director Todd Graff ("Camp"), who is himself a former actor. "Todd gave us notes we would actually understand. He would just tell it to us like it was and explore all the options we had in a scene. Todd also has an amazing voice; he’s a great singer. His knowledge of music definitely sets this movie apart. All the references in the movie: like writing letters to David Bowie; are really neat because that’s something he really knows about." Pop recording artist and actress Aly Michalka (half of the pop duo Aly & AJ) was cast to portray high school 'it' girl Charlotte Banks. An accomplished musician and songwriter in real-life, Michalka was drawn to the script’s combination of humor and pathos. "It’s a very funny and witty script," Michalka ("Super Sweet 16: The Movie") observes. "But at the same time it’s not so light and funny that it can’t be real life. There are heartbreaks and struggles. This is a really rare type of movie and I wanted to be a part of it. I never thought that I would be doing a movie with music in it, because I usually keep my music and my acting separate. But, I had to do this because it is so different and I really respect the way that Todd envisioned it. The singer-actress was also attracted to the role of Charlotte. "She’s a very cool character. She definitely is a tough girl who fronts this band, but she has a sensitive side to her, and you see the arc in her character over the course of the film, which is great. She’s really funny and witty and is always on her toes and has something to say." Michalka says she identifies with the character on several levels: "She definitely is stubborn and so am I. She also has a lot of confidence, but sometimes doubts herself." Goldsmith-Thomas sees Michalka as the perfect choice for the role of Charlotte. "Aly is gorgeous, strong, funny and goofy. She’s beautiful like Bridgette Bardot in the ‘60s. Aly is the woman every guy wants to meet." Gaelan Connell ("Chocolat") stars as music savant Will Burton, who transfers at the beginning of his junior year to a New Jersey high school where the students are obsessed with a local tri-state battle of the bands competition called Bandslam. Used to being a misfit, Will is thrilled to find that for the first time in his life he is uniquely suited not only to participate in something, but to truly make a difference. "Will is this pretty awkward teenage boy who, although he can’t really play any musical instruments, knows a great deal about music," Connell explained. "He’s got this encyclopedic knowledge of all the classics, what makes a great song, and that’s why he makes it his mission to form this rock band at his new school." Director Graff offers his own description of Connell’s character: "When the movie starts, Will has retreated entirely into his own world. All he does is sit in his room and obsess about music. He doesn’t even deal with music in any real world kind of way. He doesn’t go to clubs or shows, doesn’t join a band, doesn’t play anything. For him, music is not about contact and community. It’s about escape and solace. During the course of the movie, however, he is forced; kicking and screaming by Charlotte, into interacting with other people. By managing the band and turning it into the vision he has in his head, he learns how to connect." Graff was extremely impressed by Connell’s ability to portray the uncomfortable, introverted Will. "It’s complicated to play a character who’s all about self-protection and just wants to disappear, particularly for a young actor because kids usually wear their emotions on their sleeves. But as openhearted as Gaelan is as a person and as an actor, there was something he was able to access that felt like somebody trying, not entirely successfully, to hide what they’re feeling. That was a real important nuance for the character." Although Connell is an accomplished musician who plays cello and guitar and sings in a band, Graff took it upon himself to expand the actor’s musical knowledge. Connell recalls, "My first day in Austin there were five rock ‘n’ roll books in my room. I’m not talking about little books, I’m talking about five hundred page books of everything I’d ever need to know about rock 'n' roll." Graff saw actor Scott Porter performing off-Broadway a few years before the film began production, and kept him in mind to play Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend Ben Wheatley; leader of Bandslam favorites "Ben Wheatley and The Glory Dogs". Porter says he was interested in the project for a number of reasons, including the director’s sensibilities, the smart script, original characters and the chance to perform music on screen. "What sets Todd aside is his attention to detail," Porter ("Prom Night") states. "He makes sure that we rehearse, so we know strictly where we’re coming from, before we start shooting. But then, once we’re filming, he’s able to lay back and see what happens. Let’s make it organic and let’s really go for it. He made sure that there wasn’t an ounce of corniness or anything. He wanted everything to be really genuine." Porter believes teens are hungry for an intelligent story with heart. "This is a breakthrough, a fresh approach. These characters have so many layers and Todd really fleshed out Ben in the revisions." Emmy ® Award winning actress Lisa Kudrow ("Friends") brings her unique comic gifts to the role of Karen Burton, Will’s protective mother, whose new job moves them to New Jersey. She also becomes the object of a schoolboy crush of the drummer in her son’s band. "Lisa plays this character with great pathos and humor," says Goldsmith-Thomas. "You believe she’s a great mom, you believe her guilt and you believe she’s doing the best she can for her son." "What I really loved about this story and the character of Will is, that as poorly as he’s being treated, he does have a certain amount of inner strength and maturity to understand that it’s temporary and he’s just going to get through it," says Kudrow ("Hotel For Dogs"). "High school is not the happiest time for most people, but it’s four years. You just have to know it’ll be over at some point." Kudrow especially enjoyed the youthful exuberance of newcomer Connell. "He’s just so excited to be here and he’s like, 'I’m the lead in a movie!' The first day he said, 'They keep yelling for first team. Is that us?' I said 'Yeah, first team’s us.' It just makes it all a little more exciting. It makes you remember how exciting it was when you were starting out." To ensure authenticity in the band performances, Graff insisted that every member of the young leading and supporting cast had to pass a musical audition before moving on to an acting audition. "If the music didn’t smell credible, I knew the center wouldn’t hold for the movie. Both my parents are musicians. I’m a musician and I’ve played in bands forever. It’s a world that I feel I know, and I didn’t want to get it wrong." Graff cast kids who actually played instruments: or were willing and able to learn. "That way I never had to worry about cutting to somebody and seeing that the fingering didn’t match. They’re also really good actors and they had to be right for the parts and have great chemistry. But musically, they had to really be phenomenal, and they are." Graff describes Charlotte’s band, "I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On", as "an energized, three-piece garage rock band who blossom, under Will's tutelage, into a nine-piece, Arcade Fire-style band, complete with horns, cello and keyboards, that embraces ska and reggae." Graff, who listened to dozens of acts before choosing the five that appear in the film says: "I love that we have all these cool Austin bands in our movie. I also find it cool that we have two actress: Vanessa and Aly, known for their work on Disney Channel; thrown into a movie with David Bowie, rock songs produced by the guy who recorded the band "Clap your Hands Say Yeah", and being shot by the DP who did "Juno". The material is really outside of what most of our cast has done and sort of subverts everyone’s expectations." Principal photography on "Bandslam" began February 9 th 2008 in Austin, Texas. After a year of script development, the actual production went from green light to wrap party in a lightening-fast fourteen weeks. Although the film is set in New Jersey, Graff felt strongly that it was important to shoot in a place with a wide array of great live music to choose from. "I’m a big believer in local scenes," he says. "I think it’s the lifeblood of music. Austin is renowned as a music town, and rightly so. They have a ton of really great bands just trying to get their music out there. So, it’s great we had an opportunity to use several unsigned local Texas bands." The climactic 'Battle Of The Bands' was shot over four days, covering six different bands in front of as many as one thousand two hundred extras in Hogg Auditorium at the University of Texas. Music director Adam Lasus produced the competing bands, recording their tracks at Bismeaux Recording Studio. The Verdict "In 2003, "American Splendor" took out the Grand Jury Dramatic Pize at the Sundance Film Festival. Amongst the nominees that year were some very memorable films indeed: "Pieces of April", "The Station Agent", "The United States of Leland", "Thirteen", "All the Real Girls", "The Cooler" and, Tod Graff's "Camp". It's very interesting to look back at both the cast list and, some of the awards a number of these films went on to receive. Both "American Splendor" and "Pieces Of April" earned Oscar nominations. "American Splendor" for Best Adapted Screenplay, "Pieces of April" for Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Clarkson) and "The Cooler" for Best Supporting Actor (Alec Baldwin). From time to time (in my reviews) I've recommended some of the films in that list: in particular, "Pieces of April", "The Cooler" and, Tod Graff's "Camp". All three make for exceptional viewing; showcasing some very talented actors and actresses eg: Katie Holmes, Derek Luke, William H Macy, Maria Bella and Alec Baldwin. Graff's "Camp" still sticks in my mind. Misfit kids sent to Summer Camp are, by drawing on their hidden talents, transformed into accomplished performers who must give their all at an end of camp concert in front of an audience made up of their disbelieving parents. Now Graff is back with another film, "Bandslam". It has familiar elements: youth, music and a concert finale. Like "Camp", his second feature film has its misfits: Charlotte, Will and SA5M. "Bandslam" is a joy to watch thanks to its three youthful stars (Michalka, Hudgens and Connell) and the bands who perform including "I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On". "Bandslam" hits all the right chords, finishing on a high note with the annual "Bandslam" competition. Cinemagoers should get a kick out of this. 4 STARS." Synopsis

Will is sick of being the odd-one out and a constant target for bullies at his current high school. The sensitive young kid with a solid knowlege of music, returns home after another bad trip on the school bus, to hear some good news from his mom, Karen: she's been offered a job and roof over their heads in New York. Will has reservations but he hopes the change will bring better times. At his new school he meets SA5M, a goth girl, who like him, is a loner. Later the two are teamed up for class project. Then Will meets gifted singer-songwriter and school senior Charlotte. She discovers his music connection and asks him to assess her band. Charlotte has just one goal in mind: to go head to head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend, Ben, at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands called, Bandslam. Will agrees to take on the job as manager. He instigates changes to the lineup that help the band develop a sound of its own. With romance brewing between himself and SA5M, suddenly everything's looking up. Then disaster strikes. It's forces the band to make a choice: either admit defeat, or stand up for what they believe in.

What Do The Critics Say

"In a goofily endearing performance reminiscent of the young John Cusack, Connell is charming and relatable. Likewise, Kudrow, as the overprotective mother who both fears and wants more independence for her son." Carrie Rickey PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "Bandslam consistently exceeds current teen-flick standards thanks to its snarky humour, its strong musical sequences and its ability to convey the excitement the characters feel both about performing and forming new friendships." Jason Anderson TORONTO STAR "High school, Vanessa Hudgens, kids making music. We know what you're thinking, but you're wrong." JAM! MOVIES "A terrific family film that showcases the importance of constructive teenage friendship." Jolene Mendez ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "This savvy, music-fueled high school comedy really rocks." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Graff has wonderfully captured not just the emotional havoc of adolescence but its passionate belief in music as a life-changing force." Anthony Quinn INDEPENDENT "An enjoyable teen comedy with likeable characters, a witty script, strong performances and some great tunes – this is the film the High School Musical movies should have been. The witty script is superb, with sharply drawn, likeable characters that, crucially, actually listen to the sort of music kids genuinely like rather than the bland, studio-dictated rubbish you normally get. Similarly, the band themselves are also pretty good and the climactic musical numbers are very catchy." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON

"Bandslam belongs to Connell. He has the unruly 'fro and endearing shamblingness of a young Daniel Stern, and he ably brings to life that rarest of cinematic qualities: decency. Bandslam plays like a spiritual companion to last year’s Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist: goofier, flabbier, and less artful, but possessing the same joie de vivre of youth reveling in rock." Kimberly Jones AUSTEN CHRONICLE "A little edgier than "High School Musical" and a little smarter than the usual tween fare, "Bandslam" is a refreshing treat for tweens, teens, and their families." Nell Minow BELIEF NET "With its combination of high energy music, a terrific young cast (with the relatively youthful Lisa Kudrow as a mum) and its well structured screenplay, Bandslam is an above average coming of age dramatic comedy. Todd Graff orchestrates the plot elements with skill and brings the emotional and musical climax together in synch with the story climax, so the payoff comes as a multiple hit." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "An utterly charming work of pure pop exuberance, Bandslam is full of unexpected pleasures set to a surprisingly retro soundtrack." Tom Keogh SEATTLE TIMES "A teen movie that strikes all the right chords." Tim Evans SKY MOVIES "Thanks to co-writer/director Todd Graff, who made the quite terrific Camp a few years back, Bandslam avoids being as clichéd as it sounds, and actually adds some real emotion and realistic drama." Sara Klein EMPIRE MAGAZINE

The Production Team

Director Screenplay Story Producers Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration by Ernesto Martinez

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Todd Graff Josh A Cagan and Todd Graff Josh A Cagan Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas/Ron Schmidt/Marisa Yeres Eric Steelberg John Gilbert Nancy Nayor Battino Jeff Knipp John Frick Carla Curry Ernesto Martinez

Run Time 111 minutes Rated PG [AUST] ©2009 - Summit Entertainment - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.