The British Model Alliance:
Who hasn’t thought about being on the big screen! Unlike you may think you need NO professional training to be a TV or film extra. All you need is some well lit photos of yourself and a rough idea of your measurements and you are good to go! Extra work is fun, flexible and friendly and gives you some amazing opportunities.
Being an ‘extra’ essentially means that you are a background artist. It could be doing simple things like sitting in a cafe sipping on a coffee. Maybe being a royal guard in a castle. We can’t promise that you will be the next James Bond but it certainly doesn’t mean you won’t have the chance to be in it!
If you have always wanted to see behind the scenes what better way to do that than be in them! Its a fascinating experience watching how your favourite things can really come to life. You will learn how they all come together and hopefully be able to meet some incredible people.
Is it right for you?
The great thing about extra work is that you are able to fit it around yourself and your work. Its an amazing way to earn some extra money on the side.
Its a simple thing to be able to put yourself forward for. You do not need any professional training or previous knowledge about the industry. Anyone can become an extra and the great thing is you don’t even need to audition! You will simply be asked if it is something that you want to be involved in and your in!
Opportunities like these are available to everyone. You do not need to be perfect or a model to be an extra. When casting extras, producers are looking for real people to make their scenes more realistic. So race, age, gender, looks, disability, ETC, play no part in whether you will be casted or not.
Remember, working on a film set can be long hours, early starts and late finishes. If this is something you want to throw yourself into, go in with patience and a positive perspective.
Using Casting Agencies for extra work
If you want as many placements as you can the best, and easiest option, is to go through an agency.
Although some do take a signup fee and a percentage of commission, they do all the hard work for you, meaning you don’t have to worry about constantly looking for jobs!
If you see below, these are some of the best agencies in the business:
Uni-versalExtras – Their annual sign up fee is £30, or if you are a student it is free. On top of this they take 16% commission on every job.
Casting Collective – Their annual admin fee is around £65, depending on the location you choose to sign up for. They charge 15% commission +VAT
Extra People – They are free to joint but take a much higher percentage of 20% from every job.
Mad Dog Casting – A one off fee of £32.50 (£61.25 in London) + VAT is deducted from your first job with them. On top of that they take a 15% commission from every booking.
Other Options
Even though you have many options for agencies, you are also able to look for extra work yourself. The reason agencies charge membership fees and commission is because they have the right connections. They also have production knowledge and do most of the admin work for you.
When looking for extra work yourself, the best places to start are Casting Call Pro and StarNow. They regularly have positions that you are able to apply for directly. There is also a company called Movie Insider. This will let you have an up to date list of all current productions for movies and TV shows.
You can also find placements on social media and local publications. Always keep an eye out when reading the paper or scrolling on the web, there could be opportunities everywhere!
How To Get Started And Find Work
Always make sure that when applying for agencies you have taken the time to research them. Make sure to find out all the necessary information that you need. Many extra agencies work like temping agencies. This means that you are able to join as many as you like. Just be careful of who you trust and make sure they are the right fit for you. There are however plenty of agencies that will only want to scam you with charges after charges.
The four agencies we recommended previously are trusted, well known and respected agencies in the industry. Also, Equity is a British actors union who also have an excellent reputation so any castings from them will also be great.
Get Your Face Out There
When creating profiles for agencies you will need to fill in details about your appearance, including your measurements. You will need to include a full body shot of yourself and also include an headshot. You can take these photos yourself so make sure you have some great lighting and great angles to make them as best quality as you can.
Because you will be uploading photos of yourself, there is no point in lying as when you turn up to the job they will be able to find out instantly, and you don’t want your first impression to be a lie!
The great thing about it all is that you don’t have to be a model to become a movie or TV extra! You can be scruffy, over weight, a bit unusual or different and can still have the chance to land some amazing roles! Producers are looking for normal, everyday people who are not going to take the attention away from the main cast.
Show Off Your Talent
If you have any other talents behind you like sporting ability, dancing, sining or even some quirkier things like rollerblading, show them off! This will give you another little boost and hopefully will be able to get you some more positions.
Sometimes extras can get upgraded to ‘Day Performers’ which means you may be able to deliver lines of dialogue or perform more complex directs or acts. When becoming a day performer you can expect a higher wage or extra money!
Be A Stand In
Stand-ins are used to substitute actors so the crew can focus shots and lighting between takes. This saves a huge amount of time for the lead actors to do other things in-between until you are finished and the crew are ready to have them back on set.
Again, being a stand in also means that you will be receiving a higher pay and could be booked for a longer period of time rather than a day to day basis.
Being Chosen for extra work
When receiving jobs, you may not always know what to completely expect as the day before you are usual contacted so you are able to receive the full information that you will need, including location, date and time, what to wear and the role you will be portraying.
Assistant Directors are usually in charge of extras, so make sure that when you arrive you make it know to the right people. Make sure that you do exactly what they say and listen carefully, even if is a simple task like walking into a restaurant or sitting at a bar. Being an extra you should be able to blend with ease into the background again letting the lead actor take centre stage.
As mentioned before, the days can be long and you could be finishing late so make sure you bring something to keep you busy throughout the day. Good things to bring would be books, crosswords, or even knitting! But whatever you do, try to not to use your phone, especially on set! You want to maintain a professional appearance and be readily available.
You may find that when you attending some productions you might need to sign a confidentiality clause which means no photos or discussion about the production. But if you are ever in doubts whether you can or not, always ask.
Also try to refrain from asking actors for autographs as they, like you, are also there to do a job.
How Much Does Extra Work Pay
As you know, you might only be needed for a couple days a a time and work is booked on day to day requirements, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be needed for longer, it all depends on continuity reason.
There are 3 main union agreements used in and around London. Different parts of the UK use different rates so it is always worth having a research and checking this with the production before hand.
The FAA/ PACT Agreement– The rate is £92.69 for a 9 hour work period including a meal break, between the hours of 7am and 10pm.
The BBC Equity Agreement– This is slightly lower at £86.40 for a continuous 9 hour period, including up to 8 hours of work and a meal break of at least an hour. Or a 7 hour continuous period with out a meal break.
ITV Equity Agreement– £79.89. This consists of up to 10 hours, during which up to 8 hours of work may take place. Not required to give any individual characterisation or dialogue.
Use this as a rough guideline of what you can be expected to be paid.
Some things may boost your income as an extra such as :
Overtime, or being required to attend rehearsals
Working during the night
Being cast in multiple episodes
Being a walk-on, having a little dialogue or interaction with the main cast
Special Skills
Also take into consideration that agencies will always be able to take a percentage from each job as well as your membership fee.
So try to make sure it is going to be worth it for yourself and that you don’t get stung!