Q&A: Behind the scenes with Wayne Bucknor

HUNTSVILLE — Once again, the cameras are rolling on a talented young artist and entertainer from North Alabama.

Madison native Wayne Bucknor Jr., a student at Savannah College of Art and Design, has been cast in the university sitcom, “Tours & Attractions.” Bucknor plays a character named Tyler.

Bucknor, a performing arts major, is learning about preparing for and earning roles through live performances, sitcoms, dramatic series, music videos and commercials.

He is also a student of the cello and said he enjoys his music with the same passion as acting.

Created by dramatic writing students in collaboration with the School of Film and Acting, “Tours & Attractions” follows Sweet T Tours, a group of college students who put their own unique spins on tours of Savannah, while they make the most of their last summer before graduation.

The show premiered last week at the SCAD TVfest in Atlanta. The festival recognizes the latest in design, creativity, and innovation on television, streaming, and digital media.

At the college, Bucknor accesses resources that rival Hollywood studios with award-winning professors, stunning locations, a professionally run casting office, and stellar film and television festivals such as the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and SCAD TVfest.

256 Today had an opportunity to interview Bucknor and find out what it is like to be a featured player in a real television sitcom.

First, do you ever come back home to Madison for visits?

Yes!

On breaks I come home to my family and friends in Madison.

Sometimes I’m called back to perform as a musician (cellist) as well. It’s always good to get back and just chill and get away from things for a moment.

A big thank you to 256 Today for your interest in me and “Tours & Attractions,” and to all my Huntsville-based friends and family for support.

I’ll see you guys soon!

Is “Tours & Attractions” your first television gig or have you performed for TV, stage and film before?

I’ve had the opportunity to be on sets for features and shorts as a SCAD student, plus I’ve acted in a couple of commercials and music videos. I also did some theater acting in high school.

That being said, this experience on “Tours & Attractions” was very new, but very exciting. Multi-camera sitcom acting and production is a very specific format we all had to learn.

I’m so fortunate that SCAD has the resources that allow me and my peers the chance to learn and experience from start to finish how a multi-camera sitcom is produced, and the pace of production is just like in professional industry.

Things move quickly, the script gets edited every day, and you have to be ‘on it’, but it’s a fun roller coaster ride!

What is it like being on a television sitcom set?

It’s really electric.

There were about 90 SCAD students working on the set. Directing, lighting, sound, camera operators, wardrobe, writers, and set design were all spearheaded by students.

Our professors all have extensive experience in the industry, and many are still working actors themselves, so they could expertly guide us through the process and all the different collaborative components that go into making a sitcom – in front and behind the camera.

Are sitcoms different from other shows and films?

Sitcoms are interesting.

At SCAD, we like to describe it as the middle ground between stage and film acting.

It’s comedy, so there’s a certain rhythm you need to be aware of, then there are specific sitcom shots that work if the actor is in specific places on the set. Hitting those places was something we had to get into the habit and rhythm of doing.

It’s multi-cam, and you’re performing in front of a live audience. It can be challenging, but once you understand the formula, you’re golden.

How much time did you spend on developing your character?

It was a big workshop session for a couple of months.

We were fortunate to have this sitcom registered as a class, so we got to come in and work together multiple times a week, which I think is super important.

Knowing how your character fits within the world you create makes for a good transition into actually putting the work on its feet.

Did you have to audition?

I auditioned for the role through the SCAD Casting Office, which is in fact the only professionally run casting office at any university. It not only casts students for roles on SCAD projects, but for roles on real television shows and films.

I heard about this sitcom project, and I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to learn the ins and outs of sitcom acting and expand my university experience.

I made the decision to audition and set up a self-tape to submit. I sent it into the casting office and heard at the end of the summer break that I was cast.

It seems so weird that it’s been only a few months since I met my castmates. It feels like I’ve known them for longer, we’ve become such a family.

Tell me about your journey to the role of Tyler.

When I got the first script I thought, ‘Tyler is actually very similar to me,’ so I felt comfortable working from a place closer to myself, and then working out the pieces that didn’t really fit.

In a sitcom, or any comedy, there are usually certain shoes to fill, certain roles to play, like a straight man and foil, or the goofy dad, et cetera.

Finding my fit was difficult. Tyler has a very grounded type of goofiness. But the energy of a sitcom still has to be evident in all of the characters, so finding that middle ground was important.

I also think that having a solid ensemble is vital. Our bonds grew stronger as the production progressed, and so did our creativity.

We would frequently be called over to the writers’ room to discuss if our characters would say something a specific way. I think our connection was instrumental to our creativity.

Will the show ever be released for mass viewership?

“Tours & Attractions” premiered the pilot episode … in front of the industry in early February.

It was standing-room only and a thrilling experience to hear the audience react and laugh throughout the episode.

We’ll shoot the second episode in our spring quarter.

Eventually, SCAD will submit the series for a Student Emmy Award, and when that process is done, we’ll learn about distribution.

SCAD’s previous sitcom, “G.R.I.T.S.”, was shown as in-flight entertainment on Delta Airlines.

What are your future plans in regard to acting and television?

I’m looking to work much more with SCAD as an actor and a cellist/composer.

Eventually I want to branch out to big companies in Atlanta for work and representation, and maybe I’ll live there.

It’s my dream to work on a big action set, and to compose music for films, as well as have my own major performances as a virtuosic cellist.