Posts Tagged ‘extras’

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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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Extras Work: Some Do’s and Don’ts

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Extras work can offer many interesting opportunities to the incurably stage-struck, and even the chance to advance your career prospects in television or film.

Remember first and foremost that you are engaged as an extra and that means being part of a credible backdrop to the main events in any (usually public) scene. Whatever training or experience you have as a performer you need to unlearn, so that your involvement in a scene doesn’t ‘pull focus’. You have to be as natural as possible: the way people are in a public situation, minding their own business, and not wanting to be noticed.

It is important that you respect the leading actors off-camera as much as you do on set. There is no harm in chatting to them, but don’t be pushy, or ask for their autograph. Principals and extras are often kept apart, for example at mealtimes, and you should respect this.

It is important to adhere to instructions, and to cooperate as much as you can. Always turn up to a day’s shoot a little early, and make a point of keeping out of people’s way. Time-wasting is expensive, and you will not be asked back if you become known as unreliable in any way.

Here at Audition Now, we send you details of extras work direct to your mobile phone, keeping you up to date with all the latest opportunities for you to advance your career in the television and film business.

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Preparing for the Unprepared at Acting Auditions

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

No matter how ready you make yourself for acting auditions, your audition panel will almost certainly want to see how you respond to the unprepared. This is a test of your basic instinct as an actor to ‘keep the curtain up.’ Most staged performances suffer glitches, even if it is just the audience reacting in an unexpected way, and the good actor knows how to respond to that in a positive, non-alarmist way. Auditionees also need to show that they have an active imagination, because often that is a source of inspiration to both theatre and film director.

It is not easy to practise the unexpected, but at least you can get used to a degree of improvising by taking a part as an extra. One good way is to watch how other performers manage it, whether by studying them at work over a run of performances, or reading about their work. Stand-up comics, if you can ignore the jokes, are useful for this: they are constantly on a knife-edge with their audience, and it is possible to see where they succeed and fail, and learn strategies for yourself from that.

The more you acclimatise yourself to performance of the unknown and unexpected, the more you will have to offer when you go into auditions or casting calls. The side-benefit is that you will gain in self-confidence, and look forward to your next auditions.

At Audition Now we maximise your opportunities for theatre and TV auditions, with all the latest possibilities sent via text direct to your mobile phone.

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Extras Work in the Quiet Times

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Actors doing extras work in their ‘resting periods’ is generally frowned upon in the profession. On the other hand, extras film or television work can be quite well paid and many out-of-work actors would be glad of the income, particularly in these recessionary times. After all, there is not much call for Santa in his grotto at this time of year.

A lot of theatre (and film) work goes to actors who know other actors or directors, so if you are starting out on your career, you need to build up your contacts in the business. No amount of college or vocational training can help you as much as building good working relationships with others in the profession. You shouldn’t let your pride hold you back from taking every opportunity to expand your work horizons, and going for extras auditions reflects this attitude on your CV.

The only issue is time.  If you are to make yourself available for extras work, then you may find yourself being called at times when you want to be auditioning. This is down to you being organised with your diary, so that you don’t find yourself letting others down. That could adversely affect your working relationships for the future.

At Audition Now we text you all the latest work opportunities direct to your mobile phone, so you will be amongst the first to know what is available. With our formidable array of professional theatre, television and film contacts, we offer an excellent support service to both actors and extras. So, if you want to be an extra to keep work going during dry spells, make use of our service.

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Checklist for Casting Calls

Friday, April 30th, 2010

You have the date, time and venue confirmed for your next casting calls. What should you do before you meet the audition panel?

First, you need to feel really sure of your prepared pieces – not just in memorising them, but in how you deliver them. You also need to be ready to be asked to perform a bit again, perhaps in a completely different way.

Secondly, you need to do some background research into whom and what you are auditioning for. What other projects have your audition panel worked on? What is the current project about? What role or roles are they hoping to cast at the audition?

Next, you need to check that your CV and 10×8 headshot are up-to-date: are there particular skills that would be relevant to the auditions which you should perhaps highlight in your CV?

If you have a script for your audition, you should make sure that you have read all of it, not just the part of it they want you to do in the audition; you may have an opportunity to discuss the whole script and ask questions.

Lastly, decide well in advance what you are going to wear.  It should ideally be something comfortable that doesn’t impede movement. Remember that your panel will not want to see you dressed up.

At Audition Now we offer the perfect complement to your acting career. We notify you of all the latest casting calls or modelling opportunities, and help you find the acting work that best suits you.

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Making the Best of Extras Work

Monday, April 26th, 2010

If you get work as an extra in a film or a TV series, you need to get used to the conventional working practice.

First of all, don’t be surprised by the anti-social hours.  Often you can be given a call-time of 7am or 8am, and you may find that you are wanted beyond the standard 9-hour call (in which case, you should make sure that you receive your entitlement to overtime pay). You may also find yourself having to get to some out-of-town locations for many extras roles, so be prepared to do your homework on transport services. Whatever happens, make a point of getting to the location at least fifteen minutes before your call-time; lateness creates delay, and delay means extra expense and inconvenience for the production company – as well as a fast-earned poor reputation on your part.

Another anti-social aspect is the notice, as you will often not hear about extras work opportunities till the afternoon of the day before you are needed. You must be ready for this; if you make a habit of turning down work because of too short notice, you may not be offered work again.

Extras work is popular, particularly amongst people who lack formal drama training. It’s a unique kind of involvement in a film or TV project, and the pay can be good.

At Audition Now we search out numerous projects involving extras work, and text you with all the latest information on available work opportunities.  If you have the time and interest, you could make quite a career for yourself as a ‘background artiste’.

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The Ups and Downs of Acting Auditions

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

It can be hard to cope with a series of rejections at acting auditions. However difficult it may feel at the time, you should never let rejection affect your hunger for work, or for further auditions. You have to remember that if you don’t get offered the part, it is probably because the part isn’t right for you.

It is important to keep putting yourself up for auditions, whether you aim to be on TV as a soap star or simply get an extras part in theatre auditions. It may be that you need to find new material to perform, or to perform your existing audition pieces in new and challenging ways. Always remember that if you have talent, you will find an outlet for that talent if you persevere. In the process, you may discover creative resources in yourself that you didn’t know you had.

The great American actor Montgomery Clift, whose career was effectively blighted by a car accident, once said ‘Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.’ When he said ‘artist’, he might as well have said ‘actor.’ If you are going through a period when the work doesn’t seem to be coming your way, then you would do well to bear Clift’s words in mind and grow determined or use these new found emotions in audition pieces.

Here at Audition Now, we offer a comprehensive acting auditions information service direct to your mobile phone. We also offer access to career guidance and support. This means that you have regular opportunities to promote your talent, and the security of knowing that all the latest work opportunities will be brought to you.

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Tricks for Succeeding in Extras Work

Monday, April 19th, 2010

If you fancy the prospect of finding extras work, there are certain tricks to learn that will help you do well.

For example, it is important never to look directly at the camera. Be aware, however, that there may be times when you need to look in the direction of the camera – simply because that is where the action is going on. Also, it is important that you follow your instructions very closely; you don’t want to earn yourself a reputation for not taking direction.

You may also be asked to engage in ‘silent’ conversation with fellow extras.  This can be tricky, trying to think of something that it looks as though you are saying something when in fact you are merely mouthing something. This is the kind of thing that can make you ‘corpse’, so it may be worth having a piece of text you know beforehand, like a jingle, catchphrase, or song, which you can silently mouth in the background to your fellow extras.

You should try to act as naturally as possible.  Do nothing which might draw attention to yourself. You are the backdrop to the scene, like a piece of moving scenery in a stage play. You can be seen, but you shouldn’t make yourself actively noticeable.

At Audition Now we offer plenty of opportunities for extras work, sending you updates about them direct to your mobile phone. It’s a great chance to play your part in the background of an upcoming TV show, or even a movie blockbuster.

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An Agent for Extras Work

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

People often wonder if it is worth having an agent if the work you want is extras roles. The answer depends on how much work you want to do as an extra. If you are happy with an occasional call, and perhaps two or three days of work a month, then you probably don’t need to have an agent. However, if you are looking for regular work then you should consider signing up with not just one agent, but with several.

The minimum equity rate for extras work for a nine-hour day is £65, but often you will be required for longer, and that can improve the pay considerably. Extras work for independent production companies may pay you on a non-equity contract, but the amount usually works out the same. You should avoid working for companies that do not pay at all.

There are retired people who do extras work as a supplement to their pension, and students who do it to have additional income. It suits people of all ages, backgrounds and looks.

It is also worth thinking about how you can generate work for yourself. Remember, all work through an agency will require you to pay commission.

At Audition Now we offer a comprehensive information service on the latest available extras work, sent through direct to you on your mobile phone. You couldn’t find a better way to keep abreast of the latest opportunities for doing extras work, whether you have an agent or not.

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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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