A lot of people could be Background Performers also known as Extras but not a lot of people could handle the job. This is what I mean.
For one, the hours vary all the time. Call times also known as start times are generally known the night before. And that is usually after waiting for an email which could arrive as late as 11pm. And yes, that really does happen. Not a lot of people can get an email late at night telling them they are starting in less than 7 hours. Sleep is secondary when it takes you about an hour to get to work and you still have to get your wardrobe, clothes ready. The only time Background Performers do not bring their own clothes to set is when the show needs very specific costumes, like a period piece and they have been fitted one or more days in advance. You get minimum two hours pay for that.
Once you get to Background Holding, the place where everyone who is working as an Extra meet you need to sign in and find a place to sit. Hopefully you will sit with people you like, but if you are one of the first people to start and one of the first people at the table, it will be a crap-shot. If your call time is later than everyone else’s, because production has to stagger them, then you could be sitting with people you don’t know or worse, don’t like.
After you are signed in, have found a spot to put your belongings, and it is time for you to start working, you need to start getting processed. It is when you go over to hair and make-up to have someone look you over and touch you up if they think you need it. Your next stop is going to wardrobe, have them look over what you are wearing and what you have brought if in case you have not already been fitted. Depending on what the scenes require you could be completely processed in less than 15 minutes or in two hours. After that it is a lot of hurry up and wait. This is the part that most people can’t handle.
Sitting around drives some people up the wall. I have seen it yet don’t really understand it. I always bring a book to read, a note book to write in, and a newspaper or magazine along with food even though there is always food to eat at the Craft Table. And the reason there is food, tea and coffee, even if it is usually instant, is to give us something to munch on since we never know how long it will be until we get lunch. And yes they feed us lunch.
That is always set for 6 hours after Crew Call, yet lunch which is docked from our pay if we work nine hours or more, can go late and Crew Call can be up to two hours after you start work. That means lunch may be eight hours after you sign in. If your scene is done before lunch then chances are you’re not eating. Bring food because no one ever knows when they will finish work. You could be in one scene and get wrapped, finish after two and half hours or less or you could be in every scene and get wrapped 10-15 or more hours from the time you signed in. That is another part that most people can’t handle. Film is not 9-5, or eight hours. Here are a few more things that keep people complaining or from set.
Since there is a lot more to being a Background Performer, I am going to stop now.
Here is a link to my latest blog from A. Rebel’s Rant, called Nightmare Alley.
Thank you for reading, Behind The Blog! ;D