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Following the success of Ricky Gervais’ TV series “Extras,” there has been a lot of interest in becoming a “background artiste.” But how do you do it? What’s involved? Who do you contact? Most importantly, how much does being an Extra pay?
We have all watched films and TV dramas where leading actors play to camera with a well-rehearsed script. However, on many occasions our eyes wander away from the characters and we occasionally glance at people moving around in the background. They usually don’t say anything that we can hear – but they are still there, adding a touch of realism to a scene shot in a studio set made to look like a busy street or a restaurant or a hospital and so on.
They are known as Extras, a role that can be just as important to the film or TV drama as the leading actors and the characters they portray. Unlike the leading actors, they have no script to rehearse and little in the way of work to do to camera. They simply have to be there and look like real people in a fictional setting. So how do you become one?
The first step is to join an agency. There are a lot of agencies available and not all of them are reputable, so make sure you look into the agency thoroughly before joining. Agencies often recruit potential extras at certain times of the year and do so for a small fee. However, an extra can earn many times more than the fee.
There is usually no qualifications needed to become an extra and no drama experience is required. Some agency rolls include school-leavers, students, people in full-time employment or people who are unemployed. Young people, old people, disabled people, people of ethnicity – it doesn’t matter. Most agencies will recruit enthusiastic people of all kinds, as movie and program makers try to replicate society on screen. The only requirements to be an extra are that you are punctual and have a lot of patience – because being in a movie or TV set could mean that you are spending a lot of time hanging around. Some agencies also ask that people who wish to be extras also have good people skills, are flexible and are easy to deal and get on with. The last thing directors want is for extras who are grumpy or won’t take direction.
So what does an extra do? An extra is someone who helps to provide background within a scene that is being shot for a film, an advert, TV drama or even a photo shoot. It can involve 12 – 15 hour long days, starting very early in the morning until very late at night, depending on what is required for the particular scene. You may only be given 12 hours-notice of a shoot, so you need to be flexible and able to travel. If you are willing it can be a fun, pleasant and worthwhile experience. It can be reasonably well paid too, with some companies offering several hundred pounds a day for work. However, you should not expect it be a full-time job – or even part-time. Consider it more as a hobby that can earn you some money to help pay a bill or go towards a holiday, perhaps.
Written by A.G.G. and D.W (28/09/24)
Written by: david wilson
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