BEING AN EXTRA! ARE YOU SERIOUS?

IN MY OPINION;

WILLIAM REYNOLDS;

BEING AN EXTRA! ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Yes, dead serious:>>  So you receive a casting notice for a film or tv show. You've done this before right. Then late that night you get a text or email from a casting director

that tells you you have been selected for a background role on 'perhaps' one of your favorite shows.

First tip: Show up! In fact, out of all of the non-union actors called for a shoot, about “20% don’t show up” according to casting directors that we know well and have to deal with on a daily basis. And casting background actors can be a more complex process than most people realize. Oftentimes, in order to increase your background booking ratio, you need a headshot that accurately shows what you look like, an array of special skills (Do NOT lie on your resume!), different looks on your disc that you can show when needed. and availability for an entire day (or even multiple days at a time). And once you get the job, it’s a whole new ballgame. “What I have come to notice is that some extras are really committed to being a character, and being a persona, were exactly the ones that ended up actually being pulled into the frame more, being talked to more, and being utilized more, “I know you’re not necessarily supposed to stand out as a background actor" , but if you’re doing something that is unique, then all of the sudden the director or the AD [assistant director] would be like, ‘This guy is really funny. He knows what he’s doing. Let’s put him over hear so that he’ll actually get in the shot.’”AND SOMETIMES GET UPGRADED TO A SPEAKING ROLE"  And the on-set experience will also end up being a lot more fun this way! “Really take it seriously. I know people get complacent when they’re doing extra work because they’re just an extra, and you don’t know if you’ll get in it, but half the time you’re there to help create the whole ambiance and the whole atmosphere. And if you’re really committed to it, it gets noticed. 

So, what does that mean for you? Submit for the roles that interest you and, from there, be sure to show up prepared — with all of your required costumes, be on-time, and don’t be in the way of production too much. Even though you’re in the background, you still are there to do a job and to play a character — no matter how small it may be. Have fun! Connect with others! And be ready to do the best you can! Because isn’t that what working on a movie set is supposed to be all about anyway? AND THEN OF COURSE THERE ARE THOSE (USUALLY BEGINNERS) THAT SAY ' I ONLY WANT SPEAKING ROLES, I'M TIRED OF BEING AN EXTRA'. WELL THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT ENTERTAIN THOUGHTS OF READING UP ON SAG RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR GETTING A SPEAKING ROLE.. MOST ACTORS THAT MANAGE TO ACHIEVE THAT HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER STATUS HAVE PLAYED MANY BACKGROUND ROLES WITHOUT GETTING WAY AHEAD OF THEMSELVES IN THE PROCESS.