Apparently Larry the Cable Guy is filming a movie in my town, and they want the local HS marching band to be in a scene. When I mentioned it to my 2 kids who are in the band, I was surprised that they were very unenthusiastic about it, and expressed a preference not to participate. They said things like, “I’m not giving up my 1st day of summer vacation” and “I don’t even know who this guy is.”
I don’t care if the kids do this or not, but it struck me as a little odd, as I imagined that when I was a teenager I’d probably do quite a bit to have a chance of being in a movie - any movie. (Heck, I’d probably do it today if it were in the least bit convenient!)
How about you? How eager would you be to be an extra in a movie, and how choosey would you be as far as the subject matter/stars/etc?
I’ve been on movie sets and participated in “extra” crowd scenes a couple of times. Devoting a day (or more) to such an enterprise is fine if you don’t mind waiting around for hours at a time with little to do (sometimes in very uncomfortable circumstances) and if the details of the filmmaking process (and I mean the real minutae) fascinate you. I think for most people, the novelty factor is enough to satisfy people’s curiosity once, though I think most people would prefer if it’s a movie that (a) they can brag about, and (b) if they have a decent shot at being on film (which is impossible to predict and not very common after the final edit). Ultimately, if you don’t have a lot of patience, aren’t very social, or not particularly curious about “behind-the-scenes” business, you’re probably better off not participating.
If your kids are in the band, it probably means they’re going to be in uniform all day (and I know from my marching experience what torture that can be) and they’re unlikely to see themselves in the final product anyway. Also, since “band” is just an extension of school to most kids, it’ll probably feel like just another band event (football game, community parade, etc.) and not something unique or special.
I guess I had less going on when I was in HS, because I’d imagine goofing around with my friends on a movie set would be a fine way to while away a summer day.
I’ll mention the technical aspect to my son, as he has often expressed (entirely unrealistic) interest in play- and screenwriting, and filming material he writes.
I was offered a chance to be an extra in a Hollywood film once. Begged, even. Since it was a movie supposedly of one of my favorite books, I gave it serious thought. But the dates conflicted with the start of school, so I turned it down. Now I’m glad, because if I had had anything to do with Starship Troopers I would have been unable to show my face in polite company ever again!
I guess I’d be wary of this, too. If your kids are in the band, then it’s likely that they’ll have to stay in general formation most of the time. Other extras might have some freedom to wander around, ask questions (usually to security people also just waiting around), and circulate with other extras, some of whom might have been on other sets (there are some people who love doing this sort of thing whenever a production’s anywhere nearby). But if they’re in uniform and carrying an instrument, their mobility will be severely restricted and they’ll probably get less exposure to what’s going on with the crew (though the plus side is that they will probably be with their friends through most of the shoot). I should note one of the films I was an extra in had my HS marching band (though I wasn’t in the band myself anymore), so this is some firsthand observation.
I’ve been on enough sets so my answer is no. Sets are boring. My daughter was a principal, so we got to be bored in a dressing room, but the extras got crappy food and crappy accomodations. Forget about the technical aspects - the crew on a real production are true professionals, and they don’t have time to explain the details - plus they are so efficient that you are not going to see much.
If someone wants to hear discussions on how it is done, I’d suggest trying to act in a student film. My daughter did 3 NYU student films, and the kids both spent a lot of time discussing lighting and camera placement, and were willing to explain what was going on to her.
As for me, I got my 15 minutes of fame on Jeopardy.
Yeah, sure, I probably would. I had no idea they were filming any movies around here (with the exception of Batman and some Angelina Jolie movie downtown), so that’s kinda cool. Even if it’s a lame movie, if they have nothing else to do that day, why not? It would at least be an anecdote to later mention.
I wouldn’t mind, but it is extremely boring work. They shot “The Way We Were” on campus when I was in college, and I remembered how dull filmmaking is: a lot of wait and wait and wait and wait before everything is ready. I remember they spent an hour or two setting up a brief scene (maybe 30 seconds) with Streisand and Redford, with several takes.
If I could have a book with me for the down times (or a bag full of them, if filming ran really long), yeah, I’d do it. My brother-in-law was in a crowd scene in the first Spider-Man movie, and some reenactor friends of mine were in Gettysburg, and they’ve got some mildly interesting stories to tell for the rest of their lives.
I worked as an extra on The Right Stuff and a few other films that AFAIK never got released. And I’ve been on camera in addition to crew duties on independent films. (Usually I get killed quickly.) ArchiveGuy got it in the first post.
I’ve been an extra. It is, as others have said, plenty of standing around–either standing waiting to be used in a shot; or standing in a shot itself, often for hours at a time, while the scene is shot from different angles. Depending on the production and location, costumes can be uncomfortable and temps can be uncomfortably hot or cold if the shot is being done outdoors. Days are long too–IME, generally from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
But I’d do it again. For just standing around where you were told to, the money was pretty good. Lunch was provided, and snacks and drinks were always available to those extras not in a scene. The “extra wranglers” were nice folks, the other extras were generally nice people, and the principal actors were at least gracious and polite when dealing with the extras. It was interesting also to watch the crew do their thing. All in all, not a bad way to spend a few days and earn some money.
Dude…me and Kid Kalhoun are in Ferris Buehler’s Day Off (though I’ve never spotted us, but he’s convinced he saw us). It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We had a blast! I recommend it to everyone on Earth. It took most of the day to shoot the parade scene and I loved every second of it. You should tell your kids to re-visit the idea. It’s too cool.
Kid Kalhoun was also in another movie. It was a big production, but I forget the name of it. He was a spectator at a basketball game. He said that was a blast, too.
I was an extra in The Long Walk Home and at the time I needed the money (about $45 per day as I recall), then again for The Grass Harp. I think I can see the back of my head in the latter, I’ve yet to see myself in the other.
I wouldn’t do it again. It’s boring, long, pointless, the “Hollywoodsmen” are obnoxious pricks (who among other things screwed several extras by way underpaying them- I was only there for one day and got whatever it was I was supposed to make- $50 or so for a few hours work), and there’s absolutely no interacting with the actors and the food they served was slop.
On The Right Stuff the actors were accessable. And the food was great. I recall filet mignon for lunch. And after they wrapped at Edwards they had a wrap party in Lancaster to which even the extras were invited.
OTOH, every other shoot I’ve been on (as crew, and occasionally in front of the camera) was not so lavish. My friend’s first feature, Cut Up, was catered by The Psyche Deli in New Orleans, and they put out a good spread. On other, smaller shoots we had pizza or sandwiches. What you eat depends on the films budget and the attitude of the filmmakers as regards to feeding people. (It is customary and expected that people will be fed. Extras are sometimes called ‘props that eat’.)
I’d probably do it, just for the fun of it. My dad actually spent a week as an extra during the production of Ali when they were filming in Toronto. (He was in the crowd for the opening fight scenes.) He got a real kick out of it; they paid him a nominal amount (like $20 a day or something) and he got to partake of craft services and everything. I don’t think he met any of the stars, but he had a lot of fun doing it all the same. I’d enjoy just being there, being part of the scene.
I was an extra in “Sidekicks”. Not credited, just a face in the crowd. It was pretty cool.
That was part of the reason that I have taken two acting roles in the last two years. “The Legend of Dirty Bum” is in post-production, and we are currently shooting “Zombie Ninjas”. Yes, they are both indy production, cheezy martial-arts movies. And yes, I have had a total blast doing them.
