Should I do Extra Work ?
There are many different opinions on this subject. First of all, an extra in a movie is traditionally the most thankless job that you will ever do in the film industry. Some actors begin their careers by doing a few days of background on a movie, primarily to satisfy their ultimate curiosity. There is nothing wrong with working for a few gigs as an extra or a background performer to get the feel of a set. Some people will say that if you work in this position you will damage yourself for future acting roles because the casting directors and agents will see you as a background , not a principle actor. I can assure you that Casting Agents have allot more to do with their time than to be looking and matching the background performers. In fact some actors start their careers getting bumped up for lines while doing feature extra work. This is very common. The reason why this happens is because while the Director is blocking a scene he is about to shoot he decides that the
featured extra in the scene needs to respond verbally and not what was originally in the script. One of the largest extras agency in Los Angeles is Central Casting. You can sign up as a non-union performer and with luck will get your Union status in SAG after a bump up or two.
If you plan on doing extra work know what you are signing up for. Most large productions hire wranglers to keep the extras in tow on large sets. You will not be treated like an actor so don't expect that to happen. Depending on the production and whether you are a SAG extra or not will depend on the food you will be served. Extras do not get screen credits so do not use those roles on your acting resume.
actor. professional actor, acting business, acting agents, casting directors, acting schools, acting teachers, actor tips, how to become an actor, movie actor, film actor , -- First of all, an extra in a movie is traditionally the most thankless job that you will ever do in the film industry
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