Archive for the ‘extras’ Category

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On-set Terminology and Etiquette

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

For those embarking on an assault of the TV industry in the guise of TV extras, here are a few bits of lingo you’re likely to hear as you amble about the set, stand in the queue for sandwiches and generally try not to be in the way until you’re needed.

TV extras are handed the difficult job of being adaptable, invisible, and also visible. It’s really quite confusing at times, and tends to vary from job to job. To be an extra you’ll need to be able to respond quickly and perfectly to a barrage of instructions, be ready at a moment’s notice, patient and basically provide as little stress as possible for the rest of the staff on-set.

Star struck? Keep it to yourself. The stars you’re surrounded by are working, as are you. The importance of networking cannot be underestimated, but use your head to decide when a situation is a little closer to harassment or irritation than it is to furthering your career through charismatic and well-judged banter.

On-set nobody wants to explain a thousand terms to you, so here are a few to help you out.

Shot – One run of the camera
Scene – Made up of several shots
Sequence – Several scenes
AD – Assistant Director
PA – Production Assistant
AC – Assistant Camera
Dolly (Tracking) Shot – A shot filmed from a moving dolly.

To be an extra is to be stealthy; invisible until needed.

We can only provide a service to you if you’re 18 or over (£1.50 per text, no more than three per week).

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Extras Work And The Opportunities

Friday, August 27th, 2010

It would be a mistake to think that by doing extras work you will get your big break in the film industry. Long gone are the days when you could fill in as an extra and hope to become a star that way. As an extra you have very little contact with the movers and shakers in a production company; and the work won’t give you much opportunity to shine in front of the camera.

However, if your ambitions are more realistic then there are opportunities for you in doing extras work. For a start, there is the reasonable pay. It is true that you are expected to be on call all day on a shoot, and the day itself may start as early as six in the morning, and not finish till well into the evening; but you will be remunerated correspondingly, and at a basic rate of over £100 a day, enough regular work as an extra can see you through the lean times.

Also, though you may not be discovered as the next big star, conversations happen that can lead to more work, and not just as an extra. All acting work is temporary, and actors as well as directors are on the look-out for future possible colleagues. Take along your CV just in case the opportunity comes up.

Great opportunities for extras work come up with us at Audition Now, and we can text all the latest of them direct to your mobile phone so you don’t miss out.

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Extras Work For The Trained Actor

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

When you are starting out as an actor, it can be an eye-opener, as well as a money-spinner, to do a bit of extras work.

Very often this is work that film and TV companies are happy to have untrained people do: as ‘background artistes’ the last thing that is wanted is for the real-life backdrop to a scene to pull focus from the main action in the foreground. Often non-actors are as adept as actors at being invisible.

Sometimes, however, it can be advantageous to have specialised skills. Not only does it help out the production company, but it can also bring you some extra money. This may be where a car needs to be driven in shot, or a small piece of dialogue has to be said. These are the most basic examples, but it can happen that particular stage skills that you have acquired in your training as an actor turn out to be useful on set.

Some actors make it a rule for themselves never to take on extras work. Others are less ‘hardline’. It can however be worth your while if you are starting out on your career, if only because it is an insight into the basics of working onscreen. At £100 or more a day, it is also one way to ‘keep the wolf from the door.’

At Audition Now we offer you access to all the latest opportunities to work as an extra, texting you direct to your mobile phone.

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Opportunities For Extras Work

Friday, August 6th, 2010

If you want to break into doing extras work for film or television, the end of the summer is a good time to find out what opportunities there are for you.

No specialist skills are required for extras work, but there are important rules of working practice to bear in mind. Experience teaches you, for example, the value of allowing plenty of time to get to a day’s shooting. Often the day starts early, and it may well involve getting to out-of-the-way locations. You should plan your transport arrangements in advance, and make allowances for heavy traffic or adverse weather.

You will need to get used to sitting around not doing very much. Individual scenes (‘takes’) may not last more than thirty seconds, but a lot of preparation work goes into deciding camera angles, or supplementing the lighting, so recording to camera actually accounts for a small percentage of time use. For the rest of the time, you may be glad of an engrossing book.

When you are finally required to be filmed, don’t be disappointed if your appearance is for the briefest possible time. You must also remember to keep your contribution as unobtrusive as you can. Unless directed otherwise, your aim is to be seen but not noticed. Any ‘acting’ that pulls focus from the main characters in the scene should be avoided.

Finding extras work can be greatly facilitated for you by us at Audition Now. We seek out all the latest opportunities and text them direct to your mobile phone.

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An Agent For Extras Work?

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

There are no particular advantages to having an agent if you are looking for extras work. Some people do, and some don’t: some even sign up with several agencies, in the hopes of making a career out of being an extra.

Usually agencies have a continuing working relationship with the major production companies, so they will have access to a lot of work opportunities: this is not unique to London, because other major cities in the UK have active production companies that need extras. Of course, London offers the widest choice.

An occasional problem is when agencies demand a fee to ‘represent’ you with a photo in their directory. There are plenty of dishonest operators who just want your money, so you need to check who it is you are dealing with. You could for example look up their entry in Contacts, to see how established the agency really is.

Even if the agency is established, you can still not be sure that they will look after you more than anyone else. Nor that they are the agency best placed for landing the next contract with a production company – to avoid the same bunch of extras on screen, production companies ring the changes on who they deal with.

If you want to work as an extra, here at Audition Now we offer you an excellent information service on the latest acting casting calls and work opportunities, without any of the complications you might come across through trying to set yourself up with an agent.

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The Talent Needed For Extras Work

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

If you’re starting out in extras work, you may wonder what particular talents are required.

First, there is no need for any training. If you are needed to do anything that requires a particular skill, then it may be that you are contracted in a different way, and you are not simply classed as an extra.

On most occasions, people will not expect you to have distinguishing looks; you are a background artiste, which means that you are needed in the background of the shot, like wallpaper or scenery, so features that mark you out will be to your disadvantage. In period pieces, some particular facial features may appear anachronistic, although make-up can usually help looks blend with the period.

This means that your greatest value to the scene is your anonymity and the more you melt into the background, in both your looks and your movements, then the more you are likely to be wanted. In addition, film and TV companies want their extras to be responsive, cooperative, and polite to the others on set. Willingness counts for much; you will be remembered if you are someone who can help out in an unforeseen difficulty.

Reliability and punctuality are other key characteristics of the ‘talented’ extra – and patience, of course. Hanging around waiting is a large part of the job!

At Audition Now we can line you up for plenty of extras work, texting you opportunities direct to your mobile phone. Do you want to be an extra?

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All About Extras Work

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

There are many opportunities for those wanting to do extras work, and it particularly suits those who can be flexible about their time. Many extras become regulars for particular TV production companies: although there is no training required for doing extras work, experience is an advantage in the eyes of the production companies because they can be confident of achieving results easily if their ‘background artistes’ know what they are doing.

Extras are often called early in the morning to a shoot, particularly if they are required to wear costume and make-up, but often a large part of the day is spent sitting around and waiting. It can be quite a social occasion, and you may even get to meet members of the cast, although generally the extras are kept apart from the rest of the cast. A good tip is to bring a book – you will have plenty of time to read. Refreshments and meals are provided, and often the shoot runs over. This could take your basic pay packet up to £150 for the day.

There are no particular skills required if you want to be an extra, although sometimes, for example, they need a driver for a scene and this can earn you extra money. The main requirement is that you follow your instructions, and that you keep in the background. The last thing they want is someone to ‘pull focus’ from the main action of the scene.

Here at Audition Now, we keep you informed of all the latest extras work opportunities, texting you direct to your mobile phone.

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Some Important Vocabulary For Extras Work

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

If you are new to extras work, there are some important aspects of the work that you have to get used to. For example, make sure you don’t get caught out by the expressions the crew use during a shoot. It would be worth your while to know some of the jargon before you next go on set.

You probably know already that when you hear ‘Action’ the scene is being acted and filmed, but usually you know this is coming up when you hear ‘Rolling’, which announces that the cameras are running. When you have finished a ‘rehearsal’, which is mostly to prepare the cameraman for the moves within the action, you may hear the call ‘Reset’ which means that everyone goes back to the start of that particular scene to prepare for an actual take; often they say ‘Checks’ to ensure that continuity is right (make-up, hair, costume etc) before the take begins.

Everyone knows that ‘Cut’ announces to everyone on set that the filming is stopping. When it is followed by ‘Relax’ you know that you can leave the set for a bit, but don’t go too far away because extras may be needed back at any moment.

Extras work is a great way to see inside the workings of how a film or television programme is made. Here at Audition Now we help you become an extra, texting you all the latest opportunities direct to your mobile phone.

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Casting Calls For Extras Work

Friday, June 25th, 2010

If you are hoping to get plenty of work as an extra, then you should consider having an agent. You need to be careful about this, because some so-called agencies may actually charge you and leave you with no guarantee of work. Most extras get work without having to pay for representation, but since the work can be irregular and limited some people question whether agencies help them that much.

The more experience you have with extras auditions, the more you get to see that a lot depends on your availability and your reliability. The work doesn’t call on any specialised training, and the more ordinary you look, the more likely you are to be chosen. Since you are there in the background, it is important that you don’t pull focus: a striking appearance may, for that reason, be a disadvantage.

It helps if you are prepared to travel. Since the going rate can be around £100 per day (more if you have to work longer hours) for extras, it can be worth your while taking on projects that are further afield. Having said that, the bulk of available work is in the London area.

If you have no previous experience of extras casting, and you think that it might suit you, then there is an easy way for you to try it out. Here at Audition Now we can keep you posted about the latest casting calls and extras work opportunities by texting you direct to your mobile phone.

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Extras Work – How To Prepare

Friday, June 18th, 2010

If you take a part in extras roles, there are very few demands made of you on the set. What is expected of you is that you blend into the background, and make the main action of the scene look as though it is happening in the real world. It will make a considerable difference, however, if you turn up to the shoot as prepared as possible.

In the interests of the production company, if you are to be filmed in your own clothes, do not wear items with obvious logos, avoid bright or fluorescent colours, and steer clear of close stripes and checks – especially if you are going to be on TV. Some extras turn up with a spare set of clothes so that the costume department has a choice. Obviously if you are appearing as an extra in a period costume drama, then your clothes will be provided by the costume department.

For your own sake, remember that you may be outdoors for most of the day – particularly if your fortay are film or TV auditions. Much of your time will be spent sitting around waiting while the crew set up the next shot, so come prepared to withstand the weather. Also, be ready to fill the time. It may be literally hours between takes, so having a book to read, or music to listen to is a good idea. Most importantly, check where you are meant to go, and when. Turning up late could cost you dearly.

Here at Audition Now we can get you all the latest extras work opportunities, and text them direct to your mobile phone.

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