Northwest Florida is a global biological hot spot, one worth protecting. The Paper Bear is a feature film produced by 30A locals Arix Zalace and Sean Couch. Here, director Arix Zalace tells the story of assembling its cast.
“Is that him?” I asked my partner Jen.
“I think so,” she replied.
It was early morning, and we had just arrived in Trilith, a neighborhood in Fayetteville, Georgia, directly across from the movie studios that shared the same name.
“Jason?” I asked.
“Yep, that's me.”
Jason Burkey, a native of West Chicago, met us in front of Woodstone Bakery. We had driven up from Florida to conduct a series of final auditions for the feature film The Paper Bear. Jason was already cast to play the role of the “father” in the movie and now the question was who would play his son. After months, we had narrowed the field from over 2,000 auditions to just Jason and three boys, one of which would be “Max.”
Cowriter and executive producer Sean Couch felt strongly that Max Ivutin was the perfect fit for the role. It was sheer coincidence that Max the actor had the same name as “Max” the character, or perhaps it was serendipitous. Though I shared Sean's excitement about Max, as the director, I wanted to be certain the chemistry between Jason and Max would be believable. I knew Max was a very strong comedic actor, but I also had to be certain he could perform a strong dramatic scene. I needed both actors in the same room.
Casting is one of the most important aspects of creating a successful film. It is a complex and subjective process. As an example, even though we knew Max was an excellent actor and fit the “look” we needed, if he didn't jell with Jason, we would have to go a different route. It's that simple.
“The chemistry has to work, or the film doesn't work.”
Of the three boys at the final audition that day, Max went last. The first two auditions were strong, but once Max began, we all knew that he was the one. His quick wit and comfortability with Jason and the other adults in the room had us laughing instantly. He owned the audition and the room. There was still the question of drama. Could he bring it? After calling “action” on the final scene, the room went silent, and we found ourselves lost in Jason and Max's performance, so much so that I forgot to call cut. It was at that moment that I knew we had our cast.
Since wrapping the live action filming in May of 2023, I have gotten to know both Jason and Max on a personal level and consider them both friends. Part of that friendship has been learning about their journeys as actors.
Jason's mother was a passionate actress who taught and directed high school drama and performed in local theater companies. As Jason puts it, “Acting was in my blood.” While his brothers went into sports, he chose acting over baseball. And he and his best friend realized early on that “all the cute girls” were in theater. His ah-ha moment came in seventh grade during his first performance in front of a live audience. A light bulb went off when he made the entire audience laugh. There was an electricity in that moment as well as a healthy dose of adrenaline. Later, in college, he majored in film and media production, where he spent his time behind the camera.
After graduating, he continued on this path until one day he found an email from one of his former teachers. She expressed how talented he was and how she hoped no matter what he did in life it would include acting in some way.
That was the catalyst Jason needed. He made up his mind to act full-time. Moving to Nashville, he started taking any acting gig he could get his hands on, including a lot of free work, or as he puts it, “work I pretty much paid to do.” It's the classic actor's journey, even getting his groceries from a nonprofit at one point because he couldn't afford them on his own. This was all an education while he honed his craft and it began to pay off. He started landing larger roles and eventually moved to Atlanta to be closer to the location where many of these roles were being cast and filmed. Once you meet Jason you realize, “Wait, I've seen you on Netflix,” or, “I just saw you in a commercial the other day.” His love of acting is evident by how prolific his work is.
Max, on the other hand, started his professional career at a much younger age. His parents knew he was an actor when he and his brother starred in a school club called Odyssey of the Mind. They had to come up with skits and then perform them. Their undeniable flair for the dramatic propelled them to the world finals, a feat Max achieved at the tender age of eight. Recalling this pivotal moment, his mother shared, “That's when we realized Max was destined to be an actor.” Things started taking shape when he was cast in Clint Eastwood's The 15:17 to Paris, Comedy Central's Robbie, and Disney's Home Sweet Home Alone.
Then COVID happened. Some projects Max was cast in were put on hold while others were eventually dropped altogether. It wasn't just coincidence that the timing was right for casting of The Paper Bear. The unexpected break in Max's schedule left the perfect opening for him to join our team. After searching nationally, we had found our two lead actors, both from the same talent agency, Houghton Talent, located in Atlanta, Georgia.
The premise of the film The Paper Bear and the non-profit that has grown from it is this: the Panhandle of Florida is a global biological hot spot, one worth protecting. Biodiversity is the key to adapting to and surviving on an ever-changing planet, and these key global “hotspots” contain the most biodiversity and some of the rarest. Many of the plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects located within these hotspots can only be found there.
The Paper Bear will take viewers on a journey, one with adventure, drama, comedy, and suspense. You will be entertained. You'll laugh, you'll cheer, and you might even cry, but most importantly, we hope you will come away from the film with a newfound appreciation and respect for the importance of wild spaces and the role they play in our lives. This is a tall order for a film, one that could only be accomplished with the right cast.
The journey through an acting career is akin to a rollercoaster, filled with its highs and lows. Yet, as Jason and I concur, the key lies in relentless perseverance. Show up, day in and day out, for when talent is in the mix, it's only a matter of time before it reaps its rewards. That is how Jason and Max ended up being the stars of this upcoming feature film. Not only do they have world-class talent, but they kept showing up for their passion, even during a global pandemic. As I sit in the editing booth every day working through the final edit with The Paper Bear team, it is clear that our stars showed up for this project, and they showed up in a major way.
The Paper Bear is going to be an incredibly powerful film, and we can't wait to share it with you.
Follow the film's journey at thepaperbear.org and stay connected with @ThePaperBearFilm on social media.
Story by Arix Zalace. Photos courtesy of The Paper Bear. Beach Happy Magazine, Spring 2024.
