Pie Town Productions are moving forward with plans to shoot Chicago versions of two successful Home and Garden Television series.
The North Hollywood-based company is currently seeking local on-camera talent for the home remodeling shows “Design on a Dime” and “Designed to Sell.”
In “Designed to Sell,” designers work on a maximum budget of $2,000 to fix up a home for sale. In “Design on a Dime” designers redo one room in a house on a maximum budget of $1,000.
“Casting is the unknown entity,” said executive producer Jennifer Davidson, one of three Pie Town principals and a Northwestern University alum.
“Casting could take four weeks or longer,” she said. “We’ll open up our production office right after we’re through with casting.”
Davidson expected to start preproduction on the two 26-week series in early June and begin shooting by the end of the month. Production would continue for a full year, with the first episodes possibly airing on HGTV before the end of 2005.
O’Connor Casting is looking for a designer/host and two design coordinators for “Design on a Dime,” and a host, a designer, a real estate expert and two carpenters for “Designed to Sell.”
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| Pietown’s Tara Sandler |
Production supervisor Samantha Leonard is hiring 15 crew for the series, including a supervising producer and directors, producers, camera, sound, production and office staff.
“All of those positions are expected to be local hires, unless somebody here surprises us,” Davidson said. “We have a couple people here from Chicago, so that is a possibility.”
Leonard will oversee the two series from North Hollywood, and post-production will also be handled in-house there.
Davidson said she expected to work with additional local production companies and vendors, but she wasn’t ready to say whom.
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| Scott Templeton of Pietown |
Davidson founded Pie Town with Tara Sandler in 1995. Third partner Scott Templeton joined in 1997. Pie Town has produced more than 1600 episodes for 19 series, 21 specials and one feature doc, for HGTV, VH1, Country Music Television, MTV, A&E, The Food Network and Paramount Domestic Television.
Prospective cast contact O’Connor, 1017 W. Washington, Suite 2A, Chicago, Ill. 60607; 312/226-9112; office@oconnorcasting.tv. Crew applicants email Leonard at chicago@pietown.tv.
