How can I become an extra in a tv show or film?

Question

I know of some people through friends that have been extras in movies...I would like to become an actress or singer someday and would love to get a chance to work in a real tv show or film...i'm only 14 and don't really have any acting experience but could someone please give me some info on where to start? P.S. I'm just starting voice lessons and maybe gonna start acting classes...

I can easily travel to NYC for auditions...

Answer 1

Unlike actors, extras do NOT have agents who take a 10 percent commission. You simply register with extras casting companies and call in each day on their casting lines to get work. Unless you hire a "booking Service" for about $30 -$50 a month to "call-in" and get you the work. Of course these "calling or booking services" really do not "call-in" to get you the work, they simply know people at the extras casting companies and get lists of what they need, and act as "sub-casting agents". Think about it, why would the extras casting company individually call each and every person, when they can just call a "booking service" and say, "we need 120 people for a party scene". Then the "booking service" does all the work and calls each of their clients themselves! SAG is trying to regulate these companies at some point, but the fact remains that these services can get you much more work than you can on your own just calling in on the casting lines all day trying to get through the busy signals.

The Screen Actors Guild does have jurisdiction over backround actors, however, the contracts only require a small number of union extras to be hired for a given union production, and the rest of the extras are non-union. This is part of the contract that production companies sign with the union. There is a publication called "Extra Work for Brain Surgeons". It truly is the Bible of Extra work. I am NOT one to try to sell books for anyone. But I am in the know about this subject.

Central Casting is the largest extras casting company in the world. (all of the info needed to register is on the site):

http://www.centralcasting.org/LA/actors/registration.html

followed by Bill Dance Casting. You simply register with these places, and then you work. There is a huge amount of work for non-union extras, and just a small amount of union extra work. As a matter of fact, one can work every day as a non-union extra, but if you are a SAG member, it is much harder to get union extra jobs. This is because a given TV show for example, only has to hire 10 union extras, and the rest can be non-union. If you sign up with a "booking service" or "calling service" as they like to call themselves, you can literally work every day. But the pay is not much more than minimum wage for non-union, although overtime is usually the norm as well as "wardrobe allowance" and sometimes "mileage allowance". You also can get paid extra for using your car, pet, or props in a scene. There are many SAG members secretly doing non-union extra work simply because there just is not enough union extra jobs to go around.

You must live in LA (or within driving distance) of course, get a "Thomas Guide" map book, and have a cell phone and a car. But if you do your homework, you literally can work every day, no matter your experience or looks. You can be young or old, tall or short, overweight or underweight, some one-armed dude, or whatever. There is plenty of work to go around, and Hollywood needs all types of people. You don't even need headshots or a resume, they take a digital photo when you register with all of those extras casting companies. Just stick with the legit companies. There is a nominal $25 or so fee to register. Even SAG member have to pay a "photo fee" to register.

So there it is.

Don't take bad advice. Just register with the big extras casting companies and follow the rules of working as a fim/tv extra. As I said, I am NOT out to sell that book, you can do some research and find out all you need, but be careful as there are tons of bottom-feeders scamming people who want to work in film/tv as extras.

If you are lucky, you can even become "SAG Eligible" from doing non-union extra work, but that is a whole other long story.

Here is a link to HollywoodOS (the company that publishes that book "Extra Work For Brain Surgeons").

http://hollywoodos.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=80

Peace Out,

Alan

PS AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has jurisdiction over Soaps and Sitcoms among other videotaped and radio broadcast productions. This is a whole different story, and anyone can walk into AFTRA and join for about $1,250

Answer 2

Get a portfoliio together.
Without this you can't even apply.
You have to have some pictures and get some local stage experience.
Just walkons and stuff in summer stock work is all you really need for extras postions. Just so they know you won't freeze up.
Then just send your portfolio to the adds in Variety magazine.
I did this starting out.
And a BIG deal... Be on time and be RELIABLE. This will get you more jobs than anything once you are in the mix.
Get some acting classes for sure! and get in everything locally you can.
Might be quite the wait for real parts but extras and walkons are pretty easy.

Answer 3

Find a place where movie filming will occur. When Forrest Gump was made, the people sitting on the park bench with Tom Hanks were extras from the local community. Also, an old college roommate of mine found a news article that a film was coming to town starring "Dr. McDreamy" (Patrick Dempsey) b4 he was famous in Greenville SC. They were told in the article that the crew were looking for extras to drive 1960s model cars and to dress appropriately. She and her mom went and were chosen to drive a car.
So, all you have to do is know where a movie is going to be filmed and show up for the extras casting call. Most easy role: person in the crowd. Generally films are made with settings in the "present", which means all you do is dress normally to go to the casting call for extras. Those are usually found in the Entertainment section of your local newspaper. If you live near a major city, you can subscribe to that newspaper in order to know if a film crew is coming to a town near you.

Good luck!

Answer 4

What city are you in? Makes a difference. If you are in NYC, LA, or Chicago, you can register with Central Casting. Otherwise, follow the above advice. But a portfolio is not necessary.

Answer 5

Work hard.