Western Mail
They're the unsung stars of the showbiz world, but there's more to being a "supporting artist" than meets the eye. Lucy Corry learns why
IT'S rare that a big-name actor turns their back on a starring role in favour of a supporting part. But Ricky Gervais is doing just that in his new comedy series Extras, which looks at the grim tedium of life as a "supporting artist".
The days are long, the pay can be average and the recognition minimal, but the experience of hanging out on set is enough to lure hundreds of other hopefuls to sign up with casting agents.
n 15 MINUTES OF FAME
While Gervais's character Andy Millman is confident that being an extra will lead to his big break, Paul Booth from casting agency Envenio says the reality is very different.
"There is a misconception that being an extra will lead to being an actor. In reality, that rarely happens. If you want to be an actor, this is good experience, but you should still get proper training."
Booth says while some "professional extras" get disappointed when their careers don't progress, a new breed of extras are making the most of the opportunity.
"They view it as what it is. People want to be somewhere in the media - that's why people turn up to auditions for Pop Idol even though they can't even sing a note. It doesn't have to be TV - it can be modelling, pop videos, films."
He says being on a casting agent's books can be a stepping stone to reality TV, which can in turn lead to other work.
Makosi Musambasi, now second-favourite to win the current series of Big Brother, is just one of the hopefuls on Envenio's books.
"It isn't glamorous, but if you love the idea of doing it, you will want to be involved," Booth says. "The reward comes from the experience."
n THE REWARDS
Mega movie stars and supermodels might command big sums for standing around on sets all day, but the basic rate for an extra is £80 a day. Booth says the fee rises if you are featured more prominently or graduate to a speaking role.
"People tend to have regular jobs and do this sort of work part-time," he says. "Don't expect this to pay your mortgage."
The unpredictable nature of the industry means flexibility is essential. Extras appearing in a commercial may only be needed for one day, but big movies can require their extras to be available for a week or two.
Booth says film extras can be called back to work up to a year after they were first used.
"We supplied people for the film Wimbledon and they were used for a couple of days, but then they got called back a year later because some scenes were being re-shot."
Registering with a web-based casting agency costs about £50-£100 a year. Your photo, contact details and a brief CV are then put in a searchable database, and casting directors will contact you directly if they want to use you.
n FOUR LEGGED FILM STARS
It's not only humans who can break into the world of film . Evan Wilde, director of castingfiles.com, says animals are always in demand for commercials, TV and film work.
Pets with the right 'look' and temperament can earn their owners a tidy sum - an animal extra earns about £350 a day, plus a chaperone fee of about £100-150 for its owner.
If your pet has more of a starring role - like Lassie or a Whiskas cat - the fee rises substantially. It could earn £1,000 to £10,000.
In general terms, the more placid and calm your pet, the more suited it will be to long hours of waiting around on set.
There's room for larger animals, such as cows or horses, too.
"If the animal looks right and is well-behaved, it'll get picked," Wilde says.
n LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Even if you're the shy retiring type, you can get a taste of the silver screen by listing your home with a casting agency.
Booth says producers are interested in all sorts of properties, from stately piles to humble bungalows.
"They're equally interested in everyday houses as they are in palatial country estates.
"If you want to film a Persil commercial, for example, you want a normal house or a normal garden.
"It's much cheaper for producers to go to a real property than create one in the studio."
Turning your home over to a photographic shoot or a film crew needn't mean moving out completely. Sometimes location scouts may only want to use one or two rooms.
"They might decide to film using your kitchen and sitting room, but the front of the house could be filmed somewhere else entirely," Booth says.
The benchmark rate for using a private home as a location is about £2,000 a day. This varies according to how much of the house is used and the length of the shoot.
n NO ROOM FOR PRIMA DONNAS
Sadly being an extra doesn't entitle you to staff, a five-star trailer or any diva-like behaviour. Envenio has a list of dos and don'ts:
DO
n Be on time. There are often hundreds of people involved in a shoot, and they cannot afford to be kept waiting. Every minute that an extra is late costs the producers money.
n Be willing to use your own clothes. Not all productions will have a wardrobe department.
n Remember what you are told to do. Sometimes the same scene must be repeated many times until they get a perfect take.
n Keep quiet when filming is taking place.
DON'T
n Wander off. You must not leave the set until you are told you can do so. You may be required at a moment's notice, so be alert and available.
n Bother crew members. They are not there to listen to your life story!
n Take photographs. You might be on set with big movie stars, and their privacy is important.
n Look at the camera during filming, unless you're told to.
DON'T BLINK!
Hilda Braid, Nanna Moon in Eastenders, played a murder victim in 1991 on Crimewatch. Other actors who appeared on the show before making the big time are Kate McGregor(Emily Dingle in Emmerdale), and John Lyons (Sergeant Toolan in A Touch of Frost)
