How To Become a TV Extra
Working as an extra can be rather boring and you will often be standing around for long periods of time.
However it is a great 'extra' income if you are looking to either supplement your income or if you are currently unemployed.
Your first step in finding extras work is to find an agent who can give you plenty of work.
Most agents will call up on their extras once they have been given a job so don't expect continuous work.
Jobs can be very sporadic and you might find you will only get called up for the odd day or two here and there.
If you always take the work you are offered by your agent, chances are your name will move up the list and you are more likely to get called first when the jobs come in.
If you have other work and are trying to juggle the extras work around it, you are likely to find the work comes in at short notice and this can be a problem if you are working for someone else in your 'regular' job.
Most extras have another job or several part time jobs and working full time as an extra can be difficult simply because the work is quite hard to find.
You would need to sign up to many agents to work full time and some of them don't like you doing this.
Background artists, as they are sometimes called, are used in a scene in film or television where people are seen in the background of a shot.
Sometimes you might just be walking past a shop window or you can be eating in a restaurant, depending on the scene.
Finding an agent does not necessarily mean you will immediately find work with that agent.
Some agents are unavailable to new members as they might be already at their capacity and often they may close their 'books' until new spaces become available.
Once you have found an agent you will need to provide them with a CV and photographs - usually an 8 X 10 inch black and white head-shot and a full body photograph.
The more effort you put into the application process the more likely you are to be accepted.
Extras come in all shapes and sizes and you don't need to be model perfect to join an agency or get extras work.
Depending on the scene, a production might need artists who are old, young, fat, thin beautiful or ugly! Tall and short extras can all find work and for crowd scenes a variety of shapes and sizes is usually needed.
Often extras have other work and are either doing it simply for interest, to make some extra money or to break into the industry in some way.
Would-be actors and models often start off by gaining some experience in the industry through extras work.
However it is a great 'extra' income if you are looking to either supplement your income or if you are currently unemployed.
Your first step in finding extras work is to find an agent who can give you plenty of work.
Most agents will call up on their extras once they have been given a job so don't expect continuous work.
Jobs can be very sporadic and you might find you will only get called up for the odd day or two here and there.
If you always take the work you are offered by your agent, chances are your name will move up the list and you are more likely to get called first when the jobs come in.
If you have other work and are trying to juggle the extras work around it, you are likely to find the work comes in at short notice and this can be a problem if you are working for someone else in your 'regular' job.
Most extras have another job or several part time jobs and working full time as an extra can be difficult simply because the work is quite hard to find.
You would need to sign up to many agents to work full time and some of them don't like you doing this.
Background artists, as they are sometimes called, are used in a scene in film or television where people are seen in the background of a shot.
Sometimes you might just be walking past a shop window or you can be eating in a restaurant, depending on the scene.
Finding an agent does not necessarily mean you will immediately find work with that agent.
Some agents are unavailable to new members as they might be already at their capacity and often they may close their 'books' until new spaces become available.
Once you have found an agent you will need to provide them with a CV and photographs - usually an 8 X 10 inch black and white head-shot and a full body photograph.
The more effort you put into the application process the more likely you are to be accepted.
Extras come in all shapes and sizes and you don't need to be model perfect to join an agency or get extras work.
Depending on the scene, a production might need artists who are old, young, fat, thin beautiful or ugly! Tall and short extras can all find work and for crowd scenes a variety of shapes and sizes is usually needed.
Often extras have other work and are either doing it simply for interest, to make some extra money or to break into the industry in some way.
Would-be actors and models often start off by gaining some experience in the industry through extras work.
