How Do I Become a Movie Extra or Actor/actress?
Question by Megan: How do I become a movie extra or actor/actress?
I try to look up and see auditions for TV shows/movies, but I don’t really trust them. I have no idea where to start, and I’ve been interested in this type of career for a long time. I want to know how actors find actual TV shows/movies to audition for. (I live in Florida if that helps.)
Should I start off as an extra? What do you have to do in order to be one?
For the actor/actress part, where do I get an agent? And how do people find a ‘type’ of role they want? (For example, Jonah Hill, is best at funny characters in comedy films.)
I think I’m excellent at being ‘disturbed’ or ‘messed up’ characters. I want to find roles similar to the show “In Treatment”. Examples like an introvert, bad-mouthed, drug addict, or people with mental disorders.
Best answer:
Answer by Cogito
Extras are NOT actors – just human props. Being an extra won’t help you get in to acting in any way – it doesn’t count as experience and you can’t add it to a resume.
To get invited to any real auditions, you have to be signed with a good agent.
To get an agent, you’d have to have a fantastic resume – showing several years of training at an accredited acting school – ideally at degree level – and also several years of experience with a reputable community theatre.
No-one is ever interested in auditioning a beginner.
The other thing is that you should never try to limit yourself – versatility is vital. A good actor can play hundreds of different characters. Getting typecast is likely to really hinder your career. It works for only a few top actors.
Good luck!
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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Generally speaking, actors find auditions for TV shows and the like through their talent agent. It’s called show BUSINESS. Companies invest a lot of money in their productions and they trust that investment to trained and experienced professionals They’re looking to make money, not discover new talent. So there are not a bunch of open auditions that any wannabe actor can show up at – it’s just not a cost effective or efficient way to cast a show. For most professional work, you have to be invited to audition – usually through a talent agent.
And you can’t just hire a talent agent. Legitimate agents are paid on commission which means they earn a percentage of what the actor makes . Since they are paid only if the actor books a professional job, they’re picky about who they take on as clients. And they can be picky because there are a lot more people wanting to be actors than there are roles. So most agents are no interested in beginners – they want actors who are “marketable” and who can book professional jobs right away so they can make money.
Extra work gives you an idea of what happens behind the camera and you can learn some acting terms and on-set etiquette – but it’s not considered acting experience in the industry. You wouldn’t include extra work as experience on a professional acting resume. It’s more like being moving scenery or a human prop. So you don’t audition for acting and it doesn’t require any acting training or experience. Basically you just have to look like what the director wants to create the atmosphere for the scene. You have to live near where they do the filming and be available on short notice. It’s not unusual for extras to be called the night before to be on set the next day. You’re not going to be “discovered” as an extra. If the lead is sick, no one is going to turn to the group of extras and point to you and ask you to fill in for them or anything like that. So just understand that extra work doesn’t lead to an acting career any more than waiting tables does.
The easiest way to be an extra is probably to register with a local casting company. Casting companies are NOT talent agencies. They do not represent actors like an agent would. They’re more of a job brokers. Production companies contact them to provide bodies for a shoot and that’s what they do. You’ll need a picture and your measurements. Do some research to make sure the casting company is legitimate (be wary of ones that charge you an up-front fee to register). You can also check the website of your local film commission and see what opportunities are there – they may list calls for extras.
The best way to get an agent is through networking. If you can impress an acting teacher/coach, director, fellow actor or someone else in the industry enough they may be willing to refer you to an agent. Agents do attend showcases at well respected acting programs and you could get an agent’s attention that way. Some people like to try the blind-submission approach where they send their professional head shot and acting resume to a list of legitimate agents in the area and hope that someone might be interested in them. You can get a list of agents from the SAG-AFTRA website or backstage.com (which also has helpful advice and articles for actors). You submit to the agents and if they’re interested in you, they’ll contact you about an audition/interview. If you don’t hear anything back, then they’re not interested in you at this time.
But you only need an agent if you’re going to try to work professionally and like I said before, professional acting is a business. It involves A LOT more than just getting an agent. There are industry contracts, unions, knowing how to market yourself and your skills, how to network and make connections in the industry. If you think you can just get an agent and sit back and wait for auditions to come – then you’re not going to be that successful. And if you’re a minor – your parents have to be very actively involved. There are legal restrictions/requirements for minors in the industry.
So honestly – your best bet would be to focus on getting some good quality acting training and audition for what you can – school plays, community theater, student films and the like. Make sure that you’re actually enjoy the acting process (auditioning, analyzing a script, building a character, memorizing lines and blocking, taking direction, interacting with other actors, performing, etc.) and make sure you’re actually good at it. Then you can do the research to learn the business end of things better. If you were expecting that actors just show up at open auditions and be “discovered” or something – you’re going to be disappointed. That’s just not how the industry works.
Good luck.