After my backup plan on my rescue plan crashed and burned, I found myself in “Extra Land”. I became a substantive actor – no required experience. I played everything, from a frightening nun to a hassidic Jew in John early (although from behind, with a bald stain in my head). It was a cheap film school. I observed the production process closely and took many notes. In no case is my 13 commandments to be a background player. Study them judiciously before you even try to walk in my additional shoes.
Never speak to the main actors In other words, unless they treat you first. Production cannot have, uh, the types of adjacent bob wiley disturbing the actors who are preparing. That said, it is not uncommon for directors to speak to the extras. The interaction that I will cherish the most? A few moments before “the action” in Strand Books in the West Village, Amanda Peet turned to me and released a strange noise – not a catch -up. I guess it was part of the Amanda process. (For the record, I will gladly accept a Burp Amanda Peet at any time. It is a wonderful goofball, in the best possible way.) With regard to speech to another year, it is authorized. However, walk with caution. Some people lean more to Travis Bickle than Bob Wiley.
When the camera rolls, don’t speak! You are paid not to. Any conversation is pantomime. If you whisper something in the context of a crowd, it is considered to be “omni” – abbreviation of “omnidirectional sound” – and that will not bring you the status of the day player and an upgrade of remuneration. It is extremely rare that the history is raised to a speaking part, but it happens. Quite memorable, Donnie Wahlberg, an ally of the bottom actor, was ecstatic when a background actor received lines Blue Bloods.
You are a number, not a name. When you save yourself, you have a number. It’s impersonal, but it’s nothing personal. This digital system maintains order in a stressful situation sensitive to time. However, Pete Holmes, blesses his heart, told us during a Brooklyn sound scene that he wanted there to be a more human way. Pete is a mensch. After the shots, not surprisingly, I immediately forget my number, but there is a number that I will not forget any soon. For 13 hours and more, The remains The crew knew me as “69.”
Be patient. Because you are probably waiting for a lot, so bring a phone charger and a lot of reading. For QuanticoPilot episode, I spent most of a Sunday in Hold, a church, where I listened to the whole first season of Series. When I was finally ordered to get, which was just adjacent to the New York public library in Midtown Manhattan, my cohorts and I had a wonderful and warm welcome from Priyanka Chopra. She smiled widely and held out her arms as if we had been lost for a long time, well, Munchkins.
Avoid bread. Avoid calories in general. The camera loves thin, even for the background, which are often blurred. Of course, avoiding the painting of craft services is easier to say than to do, especially on a shoot by Adam Sandler. Sandman is a connoisseur of cookies and likes ice cream as much as he likes to say “Timothee sha-la-Mayyyy!”
Kiss Beauty Sleep Goodbye. The call time is often at dawn, at least at the start of the week. Thursdays and Fridays generally start later. I had a time of declaration of 4 h 45 for The wonderful Mme Maisel. For period parts, production needs bright and early for wardrobe and hair and makeup.
Do not make plans after work. Because you will never know when your day will end. Generally, the days last about 12 hours. Procedures tend to have shorter days. Law and order: SVU can make television in their sleep. More artistic productions with healthy budgets like Lecturer had a few epic days. One of my Lecturer The days spent 16 hours; Another has run over 18 years. If production is only a second over 16 years, the members of Screen Actors Guild (SAG) have struck Golden Hour, which means an additional salary. (For my 18 hour day, I received three hours of gold.) Unsurprisingly, the golden hour is not easy to reach. If the productions believe that it is a possibility, they will try to end the day with a non-unionized background, which does not qualify for the golden hour.
Bad haircuts will occur. Vintage pieces like Irishman I will style your hair to adapt to time. SAG members receive a small pay bump for this. Sometimes productions require more than a haircut – much more. I was recruited to be a double bald for John early. No, I didn’t want to have a bald place. I don’t have the beautiful silver dome of John Slattery, but I have hair, and I didn’t want to play with it. After the casting made some promises – which, no surprise, was not kept – I had the bald stain on the other hand. “You are doing noble work!” I said to myself early in the trailer for hair and makeup.
Do not take the toilets for acquired. When you are there, relief can be a chore. Almost always, productions have “honey wagons” – the production speaker for portable toilets – on the set. But sometimes you have to work like Matthew McConaughey Real detective To locate these mobile sanctuaries. Regarding relief, metro shoots can be particularly difficult. When I worked as a metro passenger on JokerWe were not given the mandated breaks, so some history would have relieved between cars. A few years later, after an investigation and numerous complaints on subsidence, I received an additional salary from the day of Joker For, well, hold it.
Prepare to know nothing. About everything is on a need to know, including, sometimes the name of the real show. Production is known to use a false name. In addition, the context is not given a script or “sides” and a calendar (“breakdown”) for the day. (You might be able to find a pinned ventilation on a wall, but the crew, for any reason, does not seem to love the background to see it). The steps are often also the times, so they do not know the spectacle. When it is on site and production provides history to pay via a bus, we have often been told to the destination. We go where we will react or not react on the signal.
Nap at your perils. If you want to sleep during part of the wait, expect it to be on the floor in clothes or elsewhere uncomfortable. During one night for Big cityI tried to sleep sitting in a mobile metro, which was used as “satellite detention”. For a three brutal days Billion Shot (3 p.m. and more days), a colleague found a hall sofa in a neighboring hotel and crashed rather than supporting three hours. (She was finally thrown.)
Avoid cascade people. They can feel good after winning the recognition of the academy, but do not expect to mix and mingle with stuntmen, the self-proclaimed “cowboys” of production. With an exception, according to my experience, they are Wicked girls-The click-ish level. A stuntman on New Amsterdam was directed to pantomime with me but refused.
Be professional, even if you don’t feel like it. You are paid. Be punctual. Follow the instructions. Do not look at the camera, unless, of course, directed. Wear fittings specific to the fittings. The wardrobe prefers men to wear strings. If you provide your own wardrobe, make sure it is not sobin, without wrinkles and a mute color. You are in the background and you are supposed to stay like this. Finally, you could consider bringing a toothbrush and a toothpaste to be adjusted, so any pantomime comes out of clean mint.
Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available, The unwanted suite of Man against ball: an ordinary guy and his extraordinary sports adventures.
