extras in films - online research or experiences wanted

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

i'm looking to hear about people who were extras in films - your experiences, what films, what was it like, observations, are wanted. i need to hear from you!

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Film extras

also, L was in the US video for the drowners, where the audience dance about in foam

we got asked to play Swedish mods about 2 years ago, but we didnt do it, i cant remember why

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Umm, why? You should ask Sarah Cracknell - her dad was an AD and she always used to fix up extra work for Lawrence and Mick Bund and all that lot. If you watch bad Brit costume dramas of the 1980s you can see Cherry Red and Creation indie folks cluttering up the scenery.

― suzy (suzy), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

oh i did post it. i didnt realise this was on both boards. ok, well my answer is on both posts now. apologies for the clutter!

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:16 (twenty-three years ago)

thanks gareth and suzy....

just looking for stories or recounts of being an extra in a film.

just things like: who did you have contact with. what was it like? did it suspend disbelief? not just a list of what movies you were in, but moreorless a story of what happened - nothing too taxing, hopefully etc. etc.

ps. had fun at yours, suzy. you and ed are hostesses supreme!

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:17 (twenty-three years ago)

i was an extra in aussie film 'garage days' when i was a backpacker in 2001. the film starred pia miranda who was toadies gf in neighbours some while ago and was directed by the man who did 'the crow', i forget his name. it was a warehouse rave type scene and a lot of the time was spent standing around outside in the cold dressed in the wardrobe departments weird approximation of club-wear. first shot was of a queue outside the club/warehouse. i had to walk up to a girl, give her a hug and join the back of the queue where we did a bit of a waiting-to-get-in dance to a muffled thump whilst smiling, nodding and mouthing non-words to the kids in front of us. we had to do this about 7 or 8 times. the second shot was of us running out of said club/warehouse and being sick off bad drugs. we had to store cold custard with carrots in our mouths before running out and finding somewhere to spew it. a policeman came to see if i was ok but i ignored him because i was fucked off the bad drugs. we did this around 11 or 12 times and then got changed and went home. oh, we also got our hair did but no make up unfortunately. altogether we were there for a few hours. a couple of days later a check for A$80 turned up.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:23 (twenty-three years ago)

so wardrobe, choose your clothes, etc for the shot or did you come dressed as you were....i.e. were you told specifically what to wear, michael?

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:25 (twenty-three years ago)

was it strange that something that you were doing was super amplified - i.e. vomitting - but this natural act was prepared in advance - i.e. what did it feel like? being part of background and doing "normal".

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:28 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm going to do some on-line research about this - if anybody knows of anything - maybe a blog of a struggling extra? that would be very much appreciated!

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:29 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, we were dressed by wardrobe. they asked you to come dressed as you would on a night out but i don't think any of us were sufficiently fluorescent. the hardest part wasn't the being sick, i managed to suspend disbelief for that, but the simple act of walking up to a queue. you know how sometimes you become conscious of yourself doing something perfectly natural and then it becomes difficult? well, it was like that, i felt like i was walking like mr. soft.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:33 (twenty-three years ago)

were you aware of the cameras? is that why you were conscious of your movements?

― DOOM-E, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

i was more aware that people were watching me, that i had to perform, than of the cameras themselves.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:36 (twenty-three years ago)

was it more the other extras than the crew?

how were the other extras? up for a laugh or bitchy?

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Rogan Whitenails, when not being a sound recordist, works as a background artist. And he even sometimes walks-on. He's written a poem about it on his Electromancer web page: www.electromancer.com - artist search ...

― Ham Goodge, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:42 (twenty-three years ago)

cheers on that...ham - if i can find an extras message board i would be in heaven. going to look for that tonight.

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:47 (twenty-three years ago)

it was the crew mainly but when i had to hug some strange girl and pretend banter it was the other extras. the other extras seemed quite shy actually but they were cool.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 10 January 2003 13:50 (twenty-three years ago)

cool. could you tell me everything you felt or remembered? feel free to ramble....cohesive freaks stay off my threads..

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

the above isnt a diss - just the more stories etc - the better...

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

nervous. self-conscious. gradually more at ease. bored. exhilarated. "hey! maybe i'm cut out for this lark". tired.

what's this for doom-e? just being nosey, like.

― michael wells (michael w.), Friday, 10 January 2003 14:04 (twenty-three years ago)

just general interest, really. i'm a friendless weirdo...! nah - it's for a project. i appreciate the help!

― doom-e, Friday, 10 January 2003 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

What project? If that's not being too nosey.

― Price, Friday, 10 January 2003 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never been an extra in a film, as far as I can remember. I tried out for extra work in Sid and Nancy, but I didn't look punk enough anymore.

I've been an extra in loads of (well 10-15) crappy TV commercials, though. I even got to join SAG because of my fab background work in crappy TV commercials. The union extras tend to be dismissive of the non-union extras, it's very high school. Extra wranglers are pretty ridiculous, too. Um, I can ramble on more later, if you like, doom-e, but it's really not that interesting.

There's an amusing mini-documentary about a driving extra (I forget the biz term for that type of extra) on the Being John Malkovich DVD. It captures the wacky side of extra work pretty well.

― Arthur (Arthur), Friday, 10 January 2003 21:35 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.