Be in the Movies as a Movie Extras!

If you have wanted to be in the movies and you don’t have a specific talent like singing or dancing, you can still be a part of the entertainment industry by being a movie extra.

Almost every movie ever made has used movie extras. If you are not familiar with the movie industry, you probably don’t even realize that hundreds, sometimes thousands of movie extras work on every film.

Movie extras are people who are used for background scenes. If you are a movie extra you may be asked to be part of a crowd scene or to be a specific character for a specific scene.

Being a movie extra is not as glamorous as it may seem. Most movie extras work from 8-12 hours shifts and spend most of the time waiting for the movie director or producer to set up a scene. Often times scenes that play for 30 seconds in the movie take an hour or two to shoot.

Movie extras are usually asked to wait in a holding area until a scene is ready to shoot, so there is a lot of down time. If you land a role as a movie extra, you will want to bring reading material with you to pass the time.

You won’t get rich being a movie extra. The average pay for a movie extra who is not in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is about $100 per day. If you are a SAG member, your rate is higher and if you have a speaking role as a movie extra, your pay goes up considerably.

Casting directors get movie extras from talent agencies. If you are interested in becoming a movie extra, you should find a reputable talent agency who will let you know about upcoming casting calls for movie extras.

Many famous stars began their careers as movie extras, including Eva Longoria who was an extra in several movies before she even got a speaking role. Being a movie extra requires no specific talent and movies extras are needed for all age groups and ethnicities.

Being a movie extra is just one way to break into the entertainment industry. Talent agencies also have thousands of casting calls for actors, singers, dancers and musicians. To find out more about becoming a movie extra, click on the link below.