&a critique of modeling extra work

By Michael Kelly


Known as background artists, movie extras play roles that do not require a lot of speaking but have to blend in with the rest of the other actors. Unlike actors or actresses, movie extras do not need any experience in acting. They can come from different backgrounds, different training, ethnicity and even of different age brackets. The only things extras need to do are to take direction as well as be reliable and arrive to the set on time.

Not many people know that extras also come from agencies. Most of the time, a film will require a certain look, and the director will have to cast an extra based on that look. Requirements like this will almost always include requiring an extra to have a specific skill such as dancing. These are discussions you'd have with your agency, so it's really important that you develop a good relationship with an honest agency, rather than one that is out to take your money. There are many of those out there, so do your research beforehand and get ready for some honest conversations.

With regard to wardrobe, there are times that movie extras will have to bring what they need to wear, and this happens when the production budget is tight. Movie extras are also hired for different time periods. This means that they are needed for just a day while others are needed throughout the filming.

There are also instances when movie extras are called in for filming but they just stand around all day waiting for the director's call. In cases like this, they basically wait. Sometimes, there are movie extras who gets the job, but eventually does not get called for filming, maybe because the part was removed from the script.

Sometimes, movie extras are hired for different periods. There are those needed for just a day while there are those who need to be on call throughout the filming process. In the United States, the Screen Actors Guild or the SAG do not require movie extras to be members. That is because most of the SAG's members are only actors with speaking roles.

Most movie extras will say that movie life requires waiting for long periods. There are also instances when extras are not needed for that scheduled day.

Extras occasionally get discovered. Being one does also not mean that the climb up the acting ladder will be guaranteed. Movie extras are also separated from the professional actors and there are even rules about talking and mingling with the more senior extras. However, the advantage of being an extra provides you with the experience as well as learning how the industry works, the set rules, the technical terms, and how everything goes inside a set.

The benefit, however, is that being a movie extra gives you the chance to take a peep into Hollywood life and what an acting career really is. By being an extra, you are given real insight into what it takes to make a movie. This is the reality movie extras face from time to time, and it's a sobering reality. It can be a lot of work to get to that point, but it's often a necessary step in the aspiring actor's career.




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