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Acting Extra WorkAn extra is an ordinary person, just like you or me, who has an interest in television and films and wants to appear on TV or on a film as a background support artist. There are many motivations for gaining work as an acting extra. There is the celebrity fame of watching the box or even being in a cinema and pointing to the screen and shouting "That's Me!" There is also the incentive of earning a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Equity rates for one day's work, about nine hours, is about £65. Some television and film companies like BBC, ITV, Cable and Satellite Channels may pay more and overtime and unsocial hour's rates are available for night and bank holiday work. Acting extra work that require you to perform certain skills like horse riding, skating, etc or have your hair cut really short will usually pay more. If you have to perform a specific action as an acting extra such as lying down then this work will pay more because it is considered a stunt, albeit a safe one. Details of casting agents, casting directors, voice coaches and television, stage and radio companies can be found in the book Contacts by Spotlight  .
One other way to get more money from extra work is to try and get some appearances in the same shot as a star or main principal character. Extras call this the money shot because they get an instant bonus payment, even if the shooting is only a few seconds of screen or filming time. The average payment for this form of extra work is an additional £20 on top of the daily wage. You will have to pay tax on this and may be liable for National Insurance Contributions. You can claim certain expenses though. For example mileage to drive to the location, or train or bus fares or joining websites that help you find TV, film or advertising work. If the work is far from home and over a few days and you need to stay late or arrive in the early morning you may be able to claim the Hotel or Bed and Breakfast accommodation charges - please don't stay in a 5 star Hotel in the Penthouse Suite though - I doubt the Tax Man will see this as a necessary expense! Who Can Be An Extra Drama students like to work as extras to gain valuable acting experience in front of the camera under an experienced director and to see first hand the production of a film or television programme whilst earning extra cash. Other people, like pensioners or house husbands/wives, may go with a group of friends to earn some extra money and meet their friends or new friends. Whatever your reason - have fun and enjoy the experience. Even animals and pets can appear on TV, films, music videos, catalogues, magazines and adverts as an extra. Agencies such as Animal Acting specialise in finding work for your pet dog, cat, rabbit, fish, snake, guinea pig, hamster etc. There are no barriers to being a film or television extra - you will be chosen because the directors want you to be as normal and casual as possible, to blend into the background and make the set appear natural. So no matter what your age, sex, race, height, weight, appearance or disability - there will be acting extra work available for you. There is normally no training needed to be an acting extra, you do not need to be a member of the acting union Equity and no qualifications are needed - just an ability to listen to information and follow directions. Some film and TV productions may ask their extras to provide their own clothing. This is a legitimate expense and should be claimed on your self assessment forms and get receipts. Though do check the extra work contract or ask your agent - some productions may provide the clothing to be worn. For example if the work is a Science Fiction or Middle Ages set then your day clothes are going to look out of place and you will be provided with a uniform or costume. If this page has not answered your questions or you need some more advice then please feel free to e-mail me. I would also welcome any advice to increase the information on this page to make it more useful to others. So feel free to e-mail me your thoughts. I would also appreciate it if you were to send the url of the www.findextrawork.co.uk to your friends, forums and websites. Automatically Add www.findextrawork.co.uk To Your Favourites Folder - Bookmark Us. The site is updated weekly with new earning opportunities. Perks Of Being An Extra You may have the added perk of a canteen or catering van with some fresh wholesome food. Unfortunately acting extras have to eat last - the stars, producers, directors, make up artists and other regular crew get to eat first because they are the most important people to the production and may be working long hours and be in constant demand. An extra is still important to the project - but remember you are not there to shine or be the next newly found star - you are there t o support the story's key players and blend into the background - who knows though, one day you may get your moment of fame and get to eat first! For the moment just be patient, listen to the director, play your part well and use the opportunity to learn and maybe do some discrete networking and work hard. Who knows - you are in charge of your acting career and being an extra is another role on your acting Curricula Vitae. Extras Etiquette Though you may be contracted to a day's filming and be on set for several hours at a time there can be a great deal of hanging around. Do resist the temptation to pester the actors - some may welcome chatting with you - others may like time to learn their lines, go to make up or just rest. Please do resist the temptation to ask for an autograph and don't take photographs. Spend this waiting time quietly networking or reading a book or newspaper. Go to wardrobe and makeup promptly because they work on a tight schedule and do return any props. You normally have these signed out on your release form and should get this signed before leaving the studio or location. This signature and form is needed for you to get your payment which generally can take a month or longer to get to you. Extras do not get trailers or rooms. If you find your job is a location shoot you should plan for wet and cold weather with waterproofs and warm clothing. In summer weather you should bring a hat to shade you from the sun. How To Be A Film And Television ExtraHelp your extra career by finding more work by looking in the yellow pages for local acting agencies or sign up for free at www.beonscreen.co.uk If you are prepared and able to travel then register with as many online actors or extra agency websites as you can. One such website is TheCastingSuite. There may be a small administrative charge for showing your CV and photo to casting directors casting agents. Do try and get some professional photographs taken. Many casting directors and agents will be looking for a certain person and some good quality pictures will help you get more extra work. Try and get photos that are 10" by 8" as this seems to be the size preferred by acting and extras agents. Do list your talents and abilities on your CV. For example a director may be looking for someone who can drive, play a piano, perform martial arts, juggle, dance, fly fish, etc. You will stand a better chance of more extra work if you state such a talent. Other information you should include on your extra acting CV should be your date of birth, age, statistics including height and weight, chest, waist, hat and feet sizes and any relevant skills and experience. Do consider websites and companies that will allow you to register your CV for free and be viewed by prospective employees such as media offices of television and radio. This office work could lead to acting extra work and may aid you in building up your contacts and knowledge. For more information read The Truth About Being an Extra: How to Become a Good Background Actor. It is tempting to write to write directly to productions, studios or directors in an attempt to find extra work. However in the world of acting extra work this is considered bad etiquette and most film and TV professionals would only consider extra applications and CVs through an acting, walk on or extra agency. Be prepared to travel. Most productions and acting extra work and extra agencies are based in London, England though there are some based in Scotland and Wales and other English counties. So if you live in say Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool, Aberdeen or Edinburgh you may have to fund your own travel costs and consider enrolling at an acting extra work agency in another town or city. Such travel costs are a legitimate income tax expense and can be claimed on your annual self assessment forms. Do remember to keep receipts as proof of costs. The Casting Suite The Casting Suite is one of the UK's biggest and most respected websites for talent search for those wanting to hire an extra. You can join and be seen by many producers, directors or agents looking for extras for television commercials, film adverts, pop videos, singing, modelling, reality TV programmes, voice overs, magazine photo shoots and even film extras. If you have a well trained or unusual pet, a vintage car or motorcycle you can register these as another way of getting work on the telly or in films. The Casting Suite have build a national database of people, pets, vehicles and teams that film, television and advertising producers, directors and casting agents can view. They have over 500 industry professionals looking though their site each day and they could be viewing your photograph, film clip and acting and talent CV. The Casting Suite will also film your showcase reel which can be added to your webpage so that producers, directors and other actors and singers can see and hear your talent. This can help you get paid extra work when they see your web page portfolio and photographs that The casting Suite help you to build and promote. In addition you can join their mailing list to receive the latest news of acting extra casting work opportunities. The Casting Suite has helped to find extra work for up to 10000 extras. Visit the Casting Suite website at www.thecastingsuite.co.uk for more information, register now or send off for an information pack. The Real Extras Readers with satellite television will be able to see examples of the work of The Casting Suite on Living TV each Tuesday at 8pm for eight weeks from the 6 March 2007. They appear in a documentary called The Real Extras which follows the real life experiences of people who have joined The casting Suite and found success in extra work. The Real Extras follows acting extras as they apply for extra work and those who successfully gained acting extra work. The programme will follow extras at work in Eastenders and during an advert. It will also show the life that extras Jodi, Caroline, Marcus, Barney and Apostolos lead including auditions for the new George Clooney film, the Lemar music video and the Boots toothpaste advert. The Real Extras also goes behind the scenes of acting extra work giving the viewer a real life look at life behind the camera and the show business scene. For example the first episode featured Steve Daly the Casting Director watching auditions for film extras and a model agency filming their models on a show reel to help them break through into acting. Other episodes featured Bernie Aberdeen Marcus from BAM Casting looking for musical extras for the latest Lemar music video and the audition process for a cover girl for the front cover photo of Totally Magazine by Bruno Brooks. One interesting episode of the Real Extras went behind the scenes of BBC Casualty and a day in the life of one of their extras. This was hospital porter Paul "Oscar" Anderson who has been an extra in casualty for many years. Another episode showed a day in the life of Craig Pocknall a serial extra for Heartbeat on ITV who usually appears drinking beer in the Aidensfield Arms - nice work if you can get it! Especialy as Hearbeat uses real ale! Later episodes showed auditions for a new British zombie comedy film that needed zombie victim extra and army extras. The Real Extras TV programme was narrated by Neil Morrissey. For us the best part of watching The Real Extra was the facial expressions and comedy wit of Paul Defreitas The Casting Suite Casting Director! |
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