Posts Tagged ‘extras casting’

Get Paid to Rub Shoulders with the Stars

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Having a job is a fact of life and for many people, their work is simply something that pays the bills. Indeed, a significant number of individuals are indifferent towards their roles or actively dislike them. They are simply a necessary means to an end.

But it does not have to be like this. For example, you can get paid to rub shoulders with the stars by becoming an extra. Almost all films, TV dramas and soaps need additional people to appear in the background of shots and the people selected to do this get paid.

There is something exciting about being on camera and extras often get to don fun outfits so they look the part.

And of course they get the chance to be in the presence of some of the biggest stars around and see them in action away from the glare of the cameras. Very few jobs offer such diversity and interest.

However, it is not easy to get yourself roles like this. After all, many people want to take advantage of these opportunities. In order to enhance your chances, you might want to take advantage of our auditions and casting text alerts for extras here at Audition Now. This can help ensure you are in the right place at the right time, which is vital in this industry.

It is only by being present at such events that you stand a chance of being selected.

To be eligible for these extras auditions and extras casting services, you must be 18 or over. £1.50 per text, with a maximum of 3 texts per week.

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Being an Extra can be Fun and Rewarding Work

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Extras are vital in virtually all TV programmes and films. They are used to help build up the world in which the story being shot unfolds. Indeed, sometimes such people feature prominently in important scenes.

It is not uncommon for both film and TV extras to get the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities and this can be a thrilling experience. And it is also fascinating to get an insight into the world of filming and what goes on behind the scenes. Very few people get to witness such activity and so many extras consider themselves lucky. And the pay rates can be good too, which is always a bonus!

Meanwhile, for those who like dressing up in different clothes and assuming new identities, such work can sometimes feel more like play than hard graft. It is no surprise therefore that there are many people out there keen to make it to extras casting sessions.

The profile of such people may have risen a little over recent years thanks to the Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant BBC comedy series Extras. It featured a range of high-profile celebrities, including Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart and Ben Stiller.

If you are eager to get involved in such work, you might want to consider making use of us here at Audition Now. Our auditions text messaging service can ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities.

In order to take advantage of these texts, you must be 18 or over. It costs £1.50 per text and you will be sent a maximum of 3 texts per week.

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Have you Got the “Extra” Factor?

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Not many of use were aspiring “extras” when we where younger, however there is a lot to be said about being a TV or film extra, and not only will it give you a flavour of what acting involves, but it could also help you get your foot in the door and be spotted by directors or TV executives.

Unlike “proper” acting, it is actually not to difficult to be an extra. Whereas production companies will only cast for a couple of actors, often they will need a cast of hundreds of extras, so therefore the chances of getting work are a lot greater.

The money’s not bad either, and whilst you wont be earning film-star bucks, you can earn as much as £130 a day working as an extra – which is not to bad considering that many people would happily pay to be on TV!

For film lovers and aspiring actors, it really does pay to be an extra, as depending on what production you are working on, you may get the chance to work with some real stars and experience just what it’s like working on a TV set.

With Audition Now, as long as you are 18 or over, we can let you know about extras casting oppourtunities for as little as £1.50 per text with a max of 3 texts per week. And the best thing is that as long as you fit the look of the role, unlike other acting roles you stand a real chance of becoming an extra, no matter what your experience.

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What Does An Extra Do?

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

We’ve all heard of extra work, but not everyone is sure exactly what an extra does, how long they are needed for and what qualifications are needed to be an extra. Usually, an extra will just be a regular person hired to be in the background of a TV programme or a film. As for what they actually do, the truth is not an awful lot.

Most of the time that is involved in recording any on screen action is the set-up, and therefore for all this time an extra will simply be standing around waiting. When the lights go up and action is shouted, they will then need to perform anything from simply standing around, to walking past the camera to full on battle scenes. The role an extra takes will depend heavily on the production, as well as their physique and gender. Occasionally, there may even be a line or two to say.

The benefits are numerous though. For the job you are doing it is usually surprisingly well paid. Plus you get to be on a real set usually not far from famous people. And finally you get to see yourself on the big, or little, screen.

There is no experience or training necessary, so all you need to do is turn up at an extras casting and hope you are just what they are looking for. Audition Now informs you of all the latest extras auditions so you can be sure you have the best chance to have a great fulfilling time and get a good bit of money for it in the process. Open to anyone 18 years and over, after you subscribe, a maximum of three texts per week will be sent to you with information on castings, charged at £1.50 per text.

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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 – Avoiding Some of the Pitfalls

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

With luck and persistence, it is possible to have quite a busy part-time career as film or television extras. Production companies are constantly on the look-out for ‘background artistes’, and although experience of this type of work is always an advantage, no particular training or skills are required to be successful at it.

One of the major difficulties is that extras work often comes up at very short notice, or may be available at only irregular intervals. This is why you should only consider this sort of work as a supplement to other forms of work. The difficulty then arises when you are called at short notice. If the timing is inconvenient then you face the problem of turning work down, which in turn will lead to your being offered less of it in future or of having to drop whatever else you do to be available.

You should also remember that, although you can find a number of agencies in the trade papers such as The Stage, through whom can get you work as production extras, there are also a number of operators out there who are simply trying to con money out of you, so be weary when it comes to who you’re dealing with.

At Audition Now, we help to send the work your way without your running these risks. We text information on shoots and casting calls direct to your mobile phone. In that way we help you make the best of opportunities to find extras auditions.

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Extras Work

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Actors who take work as extras are sometimes thought to be selling out. Some people even think that such work impacts adversely on an actor’s future prospects. Extras casting calls can draw large numbers of eager hopefuls with limited or no previous acting experience, and that too can make working as an extra seem the wrong choice for you.

There are some die-hard regular extras who have no ambition for more visible acting work, but who nonetheless get enough work to make a reasonable living, though usually they have to be prepared to travel a lot in order to keep working. There are also many amateurs who strike it lucky because their face just ‘fits’.

All of this makes it hard for the serious actor to find any value in turning up to casting calls for extras work.

If this is how you feel, you should perhaps reconsider. After all, no-one is suggesting that you should sacrifice fully professional theatre work in favour of doing tonnes of extras casting jobs. However, if you are finding it hard to get your next job, then working as an extra may offer a valuable additional income.

As an extra you will be working in your chosen profession: meeting and working with other performers may even lead to further, more visible work opportunities for you.

Here at Audition Now we can help you with all the latest information on acting auditions and casting calls; we can even line you up for some extras work.

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Are you a ‘Cardboard Cut-Out Character’?

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Extras work can sometimes feel a bit disheartening: you may think you are nothing more than part of the backdrop to a particular scene, and you may long to portray someone a little less two-dimensional.

At other times, extras work can be a considerable comfort to an actor. In a break from a long run of theatre performances it can be a lot less stressful than being ‘in the limelight’ and it usually offers reasonable pay and flexibility, so you can make yourself available for casting calls for other projects.

When it comes to acting auditions and casting calls, you need to switch into ‘solo’ mode. You are no longer part of the scenery you are ‘no. 1′. Hitchcock famously said that Disney had the best casting; ‘If he doesn’t like an actor, he just tears him up.’ It is therefore important that you don’t let yourself get ‘torn up’ at acting auditions by not being prepared.

Some actors say you should never do extras casting work: by compromising your talent for the money, you may make it difficult to be taken seriously as a real performer. On the other hand, especially when you are starting out in your career, it is a useful skill to learn.  To play a piece of walking scenery is an important discipline and may genuinely benefit an enthusiastic novice.

At Audition Now we can help you with planning your future career as an actor, as well as keeping you posted via your mobile about the very latest theatre auditions and casting calls.

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