Content

• Steps
• Tips
• What do you need

As a movie extra, you’ll make some easy money, get a chance to see movies made up close and possibly gain immortality on screen. Now how to get this job.

Steps

1. 1 Take your artistic photo portrait. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on photos just because of the extras. As the name suggests, a portrait photograph is a photograph that emphasizes your face. The head and shoulders are enough, or you can send a photo to the waist.
   • It doesn't have to be a professional photo; you can have a friend take a photo of your face with a digital camera and enlarge it to 20x25 cm if the agency asks for a larger copy.
   • Contact a local photographer for exact rates. Do not rely solely on the prices published on the website. Since your needs are pretty simple, you can get a great art portrait for an affordable price.
   • Print them as needed. Perhaps you will change your portrait every few months.
2. 2 Try to look at your portrait with an appreciative eye. Don't send anything too provocative or too casual. Make sure your hair is styled and makeup applied properly.
   • Consider professional makeup. You don't have to spend a lot, but the makeup artist knows how to give you a natural look that doesn't look unfinished in a flash photo.
   • Ask them to show you how it was done so you can recreate the image.
   • If your home makeup collection is more natural, ask your makeup artist to use the colors that suit you, and you usually wear them.
3. 3 Use a photo in which you are very similar to yourself. This is not the case for sending an overly embellished photo or of where you are in your Halloween costume. The portrait has to be good, and it doesn't have to be just an everyday photo. Some film companies may want to see you dressed as a zombie, they will let you know about it.
4. 4 Take a photo that can be emailed. Many casting companies use the internet, so get yourself a photo that can be mailed. It is not advisable to clog up their mailbox or make them reduce the photo so that they can see it. Use a size suitable for email, such as 8 x 12 cm.
5. 5 Use your current photo. You may need to update your portrait photo to keep it up-to-date and representative of your current look. Take your photo whenever you change your appearance (lose weight, gain weight, cut long hair, dye your hair, etc.)
   • Don't send photos where you don't look like yourself. Casting agencies expect you to look exactly like in the photo. Coming to an agency that looks completely different from the one in the photo can end your relationship with that casting agency before it even begins.
6. 6 Research the industry. Check out the audition section for job openings in professional magazines.There are also websites that list additional features. And if you live in an area where movies are often made, in Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Vancouver, there may be ads in local newspapers.
7. 7 Submit the requested information in the most professional way possible. You may be asked your age, height and weight, hair and eye color. Don't lie, if you come and find yourself a minor, 12 cm shorter and 10 kg heavier, they will think that you are a cheater. They need people of all sizes, different builds and ages, but different projects need different people and at different times. Your real figure and age may be what they are really looking for. Better to be honest.
   • This is NOT a case where you can say what a big fan you are. They are not looking for crazy fans, they are looking for people who can act professionally.
8. 8 Contact the leading agency. Solve the issue of signing an agreement with the agency. Find the list online, or try www.centralcasting.org, which is the largest casting agency in the film industry. Send them your portrait and resume, and then back it up with a phone call.
9. 9 Never pay! Extras are hired employees and are paid for the filming period. No official or leading casting agency will ask you to pay to get a job. Any agency that asks you to do this is a scam. Also, avoid those agencies that want you to pay for photo shoots, extra lessons, or registration fees.
10. 10 Get ready. When you get your first role, ask what you need to bring with you. Most productions require you to bring your own clothes and arrive with your hair and makeup ready. Read the instructions carefully! It's best to disagree for the sake of consent, especially if you don't have the wardrobe required for a particular scene. For example, if you do not have a wide selection of medical gowns, then you should not accept extra work for a project that requires everyone to wear a medical uniform or a green medical gown.
    • The dresser will validate your choice, choose an alternate version of what you packaged, or they may ask you to change something in the dresser if available. It is always considered more professional to come ready than to risk being excluded because you don’t have the necessary wardrobe options. Not all productions have a selection of costumes for extras.
    • They may ask you to dress for a specific season, so get ready to go and dig in the attic looking for shorts and cami tops to wear during the winter movie schedule.
    • They may ask you to bring 3-4 different outfits. Read the instructions carefully and pack your garment bag for your alternatives. Make sure you pack the right shoes, accessories, and bags for each outfit. Ladies should remember to pack a strapless bra in a neutral color.
    • Avoid packing or wearing anything with a large logo. This is not the case for you promoting your favorite band, or looking like a billboard for your favorite designer. If they have an agreement to have certain permitted logos, they will include that on the information sheet. If you come in a shirt or logo hat, you will almost certainly be asked to change. If you don't have anything else, then you will be expelled.
    • They may advise you to avoid wearing crazy prints, bright colors, red, white and sometimes black. In movies that use a green screen for CGI, you may be asked not to wear anything green.
    • Do not pack only one color of clothing. If the star is dressed in purple, then they will want you to have a different color.If you only packaged a purple dress and a matching skirt and sweater, then you won't have options. They may not know what the star will wear and may not reflect this in the information given to you in advance.
    • Iron and remove lint from the garment and roll it up, then pack carefully. It is best to use a bag to store your clothes, but you can also pack them in a foldable suitcase. It's better to carefully pack your clothes in a larger suitcase so that your clothes don't get wrinkled from overflowing than in a small bag.
    • Ladies should pack their makeup, comb, or anything needed to touch up their makeup. You can sit for about 10 hours until you need it.
11. 11 Don't settle for extras unless you have a flexible work schedule. The agency will set you a date when you need it. You must free this day completely. The extras are going to take a long time and you should expect you to stay until the scene is filmed. You can only stay there for 6 hours, or even 15, and leave at 4 in the morning. Leaving early will be unprofessional and you may lose your paycheck.
12. 12 Be professional and punctual! Being late is unprofessional. Walking around, being extravagant, talking too much and trying to see yourself on stage looks very unprofessional. You are here to provide a background and atmosphere, not to be noticed.
13. 13 Behave yourself properly. Act professionally at all times. Remember that you have entered into a contract and are an employee. Never take a photo, disturb the staff, or go near the stars. Breaking the rules can kick you out of the project and burn all bridges with a casting agency that reservations people for many projects. Nice, reliable and adequate people will have many more job opportunities.
    • Bring a book, iPod or playing cards - you will have a very long wait! Listen carefully to the instructions. It's fun to be an extra actor, but it can be excruciatingly boring. You will spend many hours in the waiting area, and possibly many hours on set, unable to speak or move.
14. 14 Have fun and enjoy the process. You may end up with a blurry dot on the screen, or end up on the art room floor. You can just see a celebrity and tell an interesting story to your friends.

Tips

• Most extras usually include meals while you're there. This is required for all filming where union members are involved (this includes actors, crew, even if the extras are not unionized). You can stay here for a few hours before your meal is served, so it's best to pack some light snacks or food before you head out. You will not be allowed to leave for lunch and then return. The filming area may contain a table with chips, water, and so on.
• The food served to the extras (sandwiches, pizza, spaghetti) is usually good, but of lower quality than the food served to the film crew and cast (quality meat, fish, vegetables, dessert). If you are in line for steak, then you may have been wrong in the queue. When in doubt, ask where the extras will be served.
• If you plan on doing a lot of extras, then you should create a varied wardrobe of clothes to have at your disposal. When you buy clothes, try to buy clothes that can be used in your extra work.
• Use your time to meet and chat with fellow extras. You can find new ways to get a job, new agency contacts, and so on.
• Know your rights: You are eligible for a pay raise if you work in unfavorable conditions.
• Don't offer yourself until you know you can be there and stay for a while.
• Be careful about unpaid extras. Many productions try to hire actors for free if they don't have a salary budget for them. This bad practice is spreading among all the plays that come to your city. Unless it's a student or local production, all studio productions can afford to pay you. It will also protect you in case you get injured while working.
• Check out thrift stores, yard sales, and the ultimate giveaways on medical gowns, business suits, cocktail dresses, tuxedos, and the like. These are the most common requests for wardrobe options for extras. A stethoscope is also useful. Also consider buying costumes from different periods (70s, 80s style clubwear, etc.) if you can find these items at affordable prices.
• Don't forget to include your phone number and email address on your resume.
• Don't be unnatural. You will get more attention by being a professional and doing what you are told than by the people hanging around.
• Never speak unless someone has spoken to you. Perhaps there will be a mid-level crew member in charge of the extras or a casting agency representative. You should ask them directly and not ask anyone who looks like an important person. This crew member may be the only one to handle the extras prior to shooting the scene. They will instruct you on your assignment, tell you about the film, and so on.
• Read the guide on Backstage.com on how to become an extra actor http://web.backstage.com/how-to-be-extra/
• Don't expect to be noticed and you will become famous. This almost never happens.

What do you need

• Photo portrait
• Summary
• Several professional magazines and local newspapers