I have enjoyed being an extra for 12 years. Does that sound like a long time? maybe so, but I can tell all of you stuck up individuals out there that dont respect the background performer that i feel really sorry for you.. there is so much fun on the set, you gain such respect for moviemaking and television production.. There is , and has been nothing like it yet. It is a fabulous way to start a career, and a great way to enjoy what you do. I did not start this to be a star.. I have amazing credits and experiences and I get paid.
Too top it all off, these productions could not be made, if it were not for the hard work, (blisters and all), of myself and many great people that i have met, and maintain professional friendships with. I have been featured many times, production companies know my face and trust that I will take direction properly. They thank me constantly. Extra work feels great, except for my feet and negative comments..do you feel the same about some diner worker? because they're not the chef? we EXTRAS,, or rather, background performers make the world go round..Accept it.

That was funny! Thanks for the laugh!!!

"Extras make the world go round"? Priceless.

Enjoy your cardboard box- as I throw you loose change from my Jaguar.

quote:

Originally posted by lurker:


Only PrincipAL work goes on your acting resume'.

Jim, I feel your pain.

There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water. If they (extras) got paid for it, it is by definition a job, work. I was an extra at age 18 once and I was horrific at it. I could not keep the right expression and we extras had to try to keep this feel, this expression for about 12 hours, repeating it over and over again. Some were better than others and it may not have been as challenging as being a principal but to some of us, it was more. I agree with the poster that you need to put what you have when you are starting out. When you get "higher" credits you can take them off. If I were a CD I would like to see that a talent had been on set in any way than never have been on set.

quote:

Originally posted by boysboysboys:
There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water.

I was a career extra for several years.

We even had our own union called SEG, the Screen Extras Guild. I got my SAG card as a result. Doing background work is marginally tolerated in NY, and in LA it could get you thrown out of the office.

But recommending that listing extra work on your resume is a good career move tells me that you will be collecting frogs and drinking water for a long, long time.

quote:

Originally posted by boysboysboys:
There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water. If they (extras) got paid for it, it is by definition a job, work. I was an extra at age 18 once and I was horrific at it. I could not keep the right expression and we extras had to try to keep this feel, this expression for about 12 hours, repeating it over and over again. Some were better than others and it may not have been as challenging as being a principal but to some of us, it was more. I agree with the poster that you need to put what you have when you are starting out. When you get "higher" credits you can take them off. If I were a CD I would like to see that a talent had been on set in any way than never have been on set.

NOPE! You NEVER list extra work, PERIOD! DON'T even try to disguise it as Cop #! or whatever. They WILL find out!

Want to hear something funny?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2362302/

I heard rumors that this guy in NY was booking all of the jobs. A while back there was like twice as much listed on here than there is now- all the newest productions, all the "NY Tv shows" but suspiciously the credits were all Extra sounding, man on street man in bar and etc....

I come back to this guy's profile and bam! His "credits" are now either eliminated or rightfully renamed EXTRA.

I'm glad that IMDB did the right thing and exposed this douche as a FRAUD!

Also, what if you met with Junie Lowry-Johnson who is the casting director for True Blood and Desperate Housewives and you were an extra on both shows and listed it on your resume?

The conversation would go like this:
Junie: I don't believe that we've met before

You: Nope

Junie: How is that possible? It says that you worked on True Blood and Desperate Housewives before. I'm the casting director for the show, you had to have met me before.

You: Uhh..... I was just an extra....

Junie: GOOD BYE!

Stories like this have happened! So remove ALL extra work!

quote:

Originally posted by boysboysboys:
There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water. If they (extras) got paid for it, it is by definition a job, work. I was an extra at age 18 once and I was horrific at it. I could not keep the right expression and we extras had to try to keep this feel, this expression for about 12 hours, repeating it over and over again. Some were better than others and it may not have been as challenging as being a principal but to some of us, it was more. I agree with the poster that you need to put what you have when you are starting out. When you get "higher" credits you can take them off. If I were a CD I would like to see that a talent had been on set in any way than never have been on set.

ALL PLEASE DISREGARD THIS HORRENDOUS ADVICE.

Thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Kim Photography:

quote:

Originally posted by boysboysboys:
There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water.

I was a career extra for several years.

We even had our own union called SEG, the Screen Extras Guild. I got my SAG card as a result. Doing background work is marginally tolerated in NY, and in LA it could get you thrown out of the office.

But recommending that listing extra work on your resume is a good career move tells me that you will be collecting frogs and drinking water for a long, long time.

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

quote:

Only PrincipAL work goes on your acting resume'.

Haha Jim. I had the wrong spelling for YEARS until a Casting Director pointed it out to me. I was sooooooo embarrassed...

But I agree with what Roz said... We all start some where. For actors who are just starting out... I think (again, personal opinion) it is okay to list 1 or 2 background jobs on the resumes. Replace them when they book more Non-Extra roles.

NO! If you have no credits, then be honest and at least show the people that you're serious by having training from the best and bringing it at the audition.

Sometimes, the Best Training cost a lot of money. And not all of us can afford that.

Besides, I think actor who lists Extra works on the resume, and specified it as "Extra" - is being honest. (Don't just filled the resume with Extra work. I think 1 or 2 is fine - again, personal opinion)

Someone in my class asked the same question about listing Extra on the Resume (for a starting actor), and here is the quote taken from Kimberly Hope, the Casting Director of Law and Order: CI

"Sure. Of Course. It tells me that you have some knowledge of the set. So you are not going to make a fool out of yourself."

But like many other comments on this forum, she suggested that we replace them as we book more projects.

We all start some where, and not all of us are in at the same level in our career.

That's what a casting director told us to do at a workshop (replaceing stuff w/bigger parts).

Wayne, you ever seen that IMDB guy? Never heard of him.

quote:

Originally posted by wonderfulcow:
Sometimes, the Best Training cost a lot of money. And not all of us can afford that.

Besides, I think actor who lists Extra works on the resume, and specified it as "Extra" - is being honest. (Don't just filled the resume with Extra work. I think 1 or 2 is fine - again, personal opinion)

Someone in my class asked the same question about listing Extra on the Resume (for a starting actor), and here is the quote taken from Kimberly Hope, the Casting Director of Law and Order: CI

"Sure. Of Course. It tells me that you have some knowledge of the set. So you are not going to make a fool out of yourself."

But like many other comments on this forum, she suggested that we replace them as we book more projects.

We all start some where, and not all of us are in at the same level in our career.

You can't even afford training? Then you CAN't AFFORD TO ACT and are wasting your time competing with the thousands who can afford to put the right time and money into their craft by whatever means necessary.

Seriously. People, this is exactly what I am talking about in many threads. If you can't even pay for the most basic tools of the trade then there is no point as too many people CAN out there and that is who you are up against.

Take time off and reboot financially if this is the case and always remember you can succeed at any age IF YOU GIVE YOURSELF A FAIR CHANCE.

Not even able to train is not a fair chance.

Good training on the resume is crucial, especially for those with little to no credits. It says you are serious about the business and have put some effort in.

You can ALWAYS find a way. I guarantee you 99 % of the people on this board have some sort of soical/party plans for the week. Why not put that on the backburner for a while and get some good classes with the cash instead? Work some more, get a second job.

It's a question of priorities.

And to clarify, training from the best does NOT necessarily mean to blow more than $500 on some "Guru School" where you won't get to work every class. Sometimes it's the low key schools that rock.

quote:

Originally posted by transfergirl:
Wayne, you ever seen that IMDB guy? Never heard of him.

transfergirl

What is an IMDB guy?

quote:

Originally posted by lurker:

quote:

Originally posted by transfergirl:
Wayne, you ever seen that IMDB guy? Never heard of him.

transfergirl

What is an IMDB guy?

I think she's talking about this guy:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2362302/

I heard rumors that this guy in NY was booking all of the jobs. A while back there was like twice as much listed on here than there is now- all the newest productions, all the "NY Tv shows" but suspiciously the credits were all Extra sounding, man on street man in bar and etc....

I come back to this guy's profile a few months later and bam! His "credits" are now either eliminated or rightfully renamed EXTRA.

I'm glad that IMDB did the right thing and exposed this douche as a FRAUD!

I thought imdb did not allow extra work to be listed. hm....

quote:

Originally posted by Morgin Felicia:
I thought imdb did not allow extra work to be listed. hm....

I guess they changed it to extra to teach him a lesson. Now he's stuck with that stigma for lying.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Kim Photography:

quote:

Originally posted by boysboysboys:
There are no laws or rules about resumes. One can put anything they wish to put on their resume including that they collect frogs or love the taste of water.

I was a career extra for several years.
We even had our own union called SEG, the Screen Extras Guild. I got my SAG card as a result. Doing background work is marginally tolerated in NY, and in LA it could get you thrown out of the office.
But recommending that listing extra work on your resume is a good career move tells me that you will be collecting frogs and drinking water for a long, long time.

What happened to this extra player is exactly why I wrote this.

This guy won't be collecting frogs, he'll be RAISING them.