Posts Tagged ‘tips for extras acting’

Patience is an Extra Virtue

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Some people think extras – the background supporting cast – aren’t really so important on a set; surely it’s all about the principal stars? In a word, ‘no’. As an extra you hold more power than you realise. Of course, it’s easy for production staff to replace one or two difficult or badly behaved extras, but in terms of the bigger picture, the extras hold a great amount of responsibility.

Extras are trusted to be on-set responsibly. For example, to be an extra probably means at least a glimpse of a few celebrities. Flinging yourself into their path, monopolising their time or bugging them for hints/autographs/photos is seriously frowned upon and could cost you a job. You’re both in your workplace, so behave accordingly!

•    If you come across an on-set parameter or boundary, use a little common sense rather than stepping over the line. Being an extra doesn’t necessarily give you 100% freedom to roam on-set.
•    If you’re to provide your own wardrobe for the likes of filming everyday London street scenes, remember to avoid bold colours and logos unless advised.
•    Be quiet. We all know that when a sign says “Please Turn Off Your Mobile Phone” most folks head straight for the silent setting instead. Fine. Just remember to use your discretion and never interrupt a casting or scene with a mobile, media player, or jingling keys.

As an extra, the production staff are relying on you to bring a set to life, to add context and feeling. Your job is an important one, so do it well!
Even the most proficient extras can only use our auditions service if they’re 18 or over (£1.50 per text, maximum of three texts per week).

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Extras Work and Improving your Prospects

Monday, October 4th, 2010

It is surprising how many actors will seriously consider extras work when they are ‘resting’ between shows or auditions. A common view is that you will damage your standing as a serious performer if you are seen to be offering your services as a ‘background artiste’.

This is not necessarily the case, and indeed, in these financially uncertain times, you may be glad of the reasonable earnings. Sometimes, with overtime, these can amount to £150 a day. Of course it is not easy to swallow your pride and let yourself be herded about with non-actors in a crowd scene. Remember, however, that much of the time you are sitting around waiting – since you are only there because your work prospects are currently not great, it is gratifying to know that as an extra you are actually being paid to sit around waiting and observe how the filming process works.

You should certainly not miss out on any acting auditions, but during the hours of waiting as an extra, you may actually have the chance to prepare yourself for upcoming auditions. You can always turn extras work down if you have got a clash with an audition. Generally, you get to hear about extras work at the last minute, so you should be able to prioritise easily enough.

Here at Audition Now, we offer many possibilities for extras work, as well as keeping you up to date with all the latest acting casting opportunities. In this way, we can become for you a ‘one-stop’ shop for your acting career.

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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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