Hi there! My name is Kat, and I started User Based Casting on June 19th, 2009. What drove me to create this website is that I was seeing people post pictures and videos of themselves on James Patterson's (now-defunct) fan site in the hopes of playing Max, the main character of the Maximum Ride series, in a potential film adaptation. I thought they'd have a better chance of being noticed if there were a dedicated website used exclusively to share Maximum Ride audition videos, so I did what I could to make it happen. (I had no knowledge of HTML/CSS or how to run a website—I was a sixteen-year-old novice!) Six years later, I've learned more than I ever could have asked for about managing a community and learning what it takes to run a website. Although I myself am not an actor, I am continually inspired by the talent and dedication of our members. (Did I mention that they're incredibly awesome?)
Formerly known as "Maximum Ride User-Based Casting," the site first focused exclusively on the upcoming film adaptation of James Patterson's Maximum Ride series before adopting the name "User Based Casting" in 2011. We went on to feature GONE, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, Uglies, Witch & Wizard, Graceling, Legend, and Monument 14. (Daniel X and The Hunger Games also made brief appearances in 2010.) It was our hope that at least one member will be offered an audition for one of our featured Book to Film Adaptations ("BTFAs") in the coming years.
I took User Based Casting offline for a brief period during February and March of 2014 to implement major changes to our schedule, guidelines, and Voting Cycles. In the process, User Based Casting would gain five new adaptations: The Infernal Devices, Elusion, Panic, The Fifth Wave, and These Broken Stars.
Ultimately, I reconsidered the viability of User Based Casting and decided to shut the site down after a great 4.5-year run.
As of 2/22/14, User Based Casting (userbasedcasting.com) will remain offline indefinitely. I want to thank you all for supporting UBC's wonderful 4.5 years online. I hope the experience was unforgettable!
In August 2015, I re-created the old Ning-hosted site on Blogspot so that UBC can once again help young actors and actresses improve at their craft through peer feedback. (If you're a returning member and would like an overview of what's changed, please visit the FAQ page.)
Thank you so much for visiting the "new" User Based Casting!