An Extra’s Story: Are you able to Really Make Money Being a Film and TV Extra?

Vicky


tenth Oct 2023

Reading Time: 7 minutes

When MoneyMagpie founder Jasmine Birtles suggested recently that there was work to be made as an Extra in film and TV, she was met by numerous very unbelieving comments. Some outright said, “yeah because that’s a thing” and others asked truthfully how this might be done. We’ve covered this previously on MoneyMagpie here. But we asked filmmaker Miles Watts concerning the experience.

“You might have seen the show Extras and thought, do all these people within the backgrounds of TV and movies receives a commission to be there? The reply is yes they do. Then you definately might wonder, is the cash adequate for me to contemplate trying this? 

Now, personally I’ve done a bit of additional work, and this was partly because I had nothing higher to do one week a number of years back, and likewise because I used to be interested – filmmaker that I’m – to see what it was like from the opposite side of the camera: being changed into a period film extra. The indisputable fact that the TV show and film I signed as much as extra in were about, respectively, a serial killer (I’d just made a movie about one) and the opposite one starred Alan Rickman, I believed why not? For me, being on a few film sets can be a useful experience.”

WHAT DO EXTRAS DO? 

Put simply, extras or SAs (Supporting Artists) are paid to fill out the backgrounds in TV shows or movies that need crowd scenes, passers-by, pub regulars and so forth. Generally an SA won’t have a featured or speaking role: their job is to mix in and appear to be they’re a part of the scene unfolding within the foreground. That said, you possibly can (and I actually have) gained the odd extra role with a speaking line, for which you receives a commission more – and more on that in a bit. 

MY EXPERIENCE 

Keep in mind I did each the extras jobs for a little bit of fun, not because I particularly needed the cash or wish to be an expert SA or anything. I have to say though, the respect I garnered for extras after being one skyrocketed immeasurably. 

For the primary job, the TV one concerning the serial killer, I used to be required for a funeral scene in a graveyard in a pleasing Yorkshire field, so I used to be driven by my long-suffering partner (I don’t drive… yet) to set very early within the morning, where I used to be stuffed into the period suit I’d been fitted for per week earlier (you receives a commission for that, too). That was a pleasing enough day, a bit boring, with numerous standing around while the crew arrange shots (something I’m greater than conversant in, so I watched and waited patiently). 

The scene involved me ushering mourners out of the church, nodding on the actor playing the vicar, who’d worked with Johnny Depp and on nearly every TV show and film I’d ever seen, and shutting the door. I did that about ten times. The shot didn’t make it into the movie, presumably not because I used to be so awful in it but probably since the scene was too long. The camera crew will get numerous what they call ‘coverage’, most of which they don’t need but which covers them within the edit. Come to think about it, that’s probably one in every of the explanations it’s called coverage. 

THE FILM 

My second extras job, with the identical agency, was not as nice since it was in a dank, dark, cold, crumbling constructing, and I used to be a semi-featured extra (I didn’t have a speaking role but I needed to tip my hat at the one other extra within the scene.) The essential actor within the scene was a now-very famous British actor from TV and film (including a Spielberg movie) and he or she was nothing but friendly and courteous as we blocked out the scene and he or she ran her lines many times.  

After a number of goes through the blocking – which is where the actors and extras work out who’s standing and walking where – it was relayed to me that I wasn’t moving fast enough through the scene, then too fast, then not tipping my hat appropriately, after which they gave up the concept of me doing any of the above, and made me sit in a quiet room in the dead of night next to a heat lamp, presumably to take into consideration what I’d done. Or hadn’t done.

It then took about five hours for them to escort me from the set (you possibly can’t just leave once you want), remove my itchy fake beard and set me free into the wild, where I met with my partner to enjoy a pleasant cold beer. Oh and Alan Rickman didn’t show up, after which later I discovered the rationale was that sadly, he’d succumbed to cancer. But, it was an experience, I’ll say that. 

THE PAY 

I did in fact receives a commission for the entire above: for my costume fittings and for my beyond regular time on set, and it was paid after they said it might be. But I wouldn’t say it was a straightforward couple of days: early starts, random locations, uncomfortable clothes… nonetheless, we did get some nice food and drinks through the breaks. 

So, when you fancy having a go at being an additional (and I’ve had many offers since), here’s what to look out for. 

TALENT AGENCIES 

First off, that you must enroll with an agency, who would require photos of you and a biography, with front, side and back pictures of you with no makeup, plain enough clothes and a transparent expression: form of like taking a passport photo. This fashion, the talent agency will find a way to see what you appear to be. Be honest along with your photos, because you could just have the precise look they’re going for depending on the project: being the dimensions and figure you’re with the hairstyle you might have (although sometimes you could be asked when you’re amenable to changing your appearance) might be exactly what they need, so don’t go changing.

Perform some research into the very best UK talent agencies. A few of these include: 

• Andrea Casting 
• The Casting Collective 
• The Casting Network 
• Catnap Casting 
• Euro Kids & Adults (EKA) 
• Extra People (that is the one I’m a member of) 
• The Extras Dept. 
• Greenlight Casting 

Google around and be certain that the agency you apply to is legit, and adheres to the laws of talent work within the UK. As an agency employee, you might have the identical rights as other employees and employees to: be paid not less than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, to not have any deductions out of your pay that will not be legal. To be paid on time and by the agreed method. 

When you’re signed as much as the agency, you’ll need to wait for opportunities to come back your way, which is the shaky a part of being an SA. I stayed signed on with my talent agency, mostly to maintain track of the productions happening in my area, and up to now six months for instance, I’ve had several emails per week asking me to check out for several big productions – we’re talking BIG Hollywood movies with huge stars, and latest TV shows for Netflix and the BBC.  

THE MONEY 

The cash is pretty good for a side job, as I say, but not as a essential profession, as you’re on the mercy of whatever productions are running. Covid was disastrous for the film and TV industry but it surely’s slowly coming back: as of late you’ll HAVE to be Covid-compliant on set, so which means masks and hand san in addition to social distancing: it’s the law! 

You could possibly make as much as £100 a day being an additional, but as mentioned before, half of that would potentially be spent in your travel costs. Plus, the schedules are sometimes mercilessly last-minute and inflexible, so if you might have a daily job or family commitments, it’s very hard to suit SA work into your monthly schedule. In case you fancy it though, and also you ideally have your personal automotive, you could wish to look into it.  

ESSENTIALS 

Ideally you’ll have to drive to the locations, which are frequently near-ish where you reside but continuously in the course of nowhere, and the beginning and finish times often leave so much to be desired. The longest extras day I did myself began at 5am and ended at 3am, for which I used to be paid extra time, but it surely was a protracted, uncomfortable day where I needed to wear a false beard and tight suit. You’re not allowed to have your phone on set so you possibly can’t sit around texting, and there’ll often be long periods of time where you’re sitting on set or in a trailer with nothing to do. So for God’s sake take a small book to have handy, or strike up chats with other SAs: that’ll get you thru the day. A lot of interesting people work as SAs!

You’ll be answerable to firstly the Costume and Makeup Departments, where you’ll be tousled and buttoned into your outfit, then to an Assistant Director who’ll spend numerous time speaking right into a radio and ushering you backwards and forwards from set to be certain that you don’t wander off. And you possibly can’t make numerous noise on set between takes either, otherwise you’ll incur the wrath of the 1st AD, who’re scary by nature as theirs is one in every of the toughest jobs on set. 

There may be the camaraderie of the opposite SAs nonetheless, and I made some good pals on set. I used to be nipped and tucked and combed and glued into my costume all day long, and my legs were killing me by the tip of the day – and all for sometimes not making it into the ultimate cut.  

And also you do receives a commission on time, more when you worked extra time, and it’s a reliable payment system, if not a reliable profession

Did you Get any Further Offers to be a Film or TV Extra?

“Yes, after a silent patch on account of the pandemic, I now get almost day by day offers of labor in the mean time, and over the past few months I’ve had multiple opportunities to change into involved at various levels of SA work on some major TV and film productions: not all of them fit around my other work, but every week my inbox buzzes with notifications about productions in or near where I live.”