What to Expect as an Extra: An Actors Guide to Show Business

Video Transcript

"On behalf of expertvillage.com, my name is Paul Lewis and I'm Rodney Smith and we are here to talk to you about how to become an extra for TV, movies and commercials. Let's talk a little bit about what to expect when you work as an extra. Now there are sometimes very long hours that you work but again if you are a SAG member, you will make some overtime. However the long hours can be pretty grueling and you make work under some circumstances where you may be out in the cold, like today we are out in the cold or maybe out in the rain, maybe a very sunny day and maybe too hot. You can't expect to go home early sometimes because you work long hours a lot of times and people don't know when you are going to go home so you do have to expect to be patient and to work as long as you need to work that day. Also one of the things that you need to remember when you are working as an extra for a TV, commercials or film is that you may be asked to sit along for long periods of time while they are adjusting their cameras and talking amongst themselves, the production crew talking amongst themselves all related to the project. So you may be sitting around for a while, maybe standing in the same spot for a very long period of time or maybe walking from point A to point B over and over again doing the same thing. So it can be pretty hectic in that sense but again, it is still acting work, still something that you are doing that you have been trained in most of your life and something you are pursuing as a career. Again, you are paying some bills in the process. "