Extras in the background of movies
I’ve noticed that they can be hilariously bad sometimes, particularly in older, less ‘polished’ films. I have a habit of staring at them instead of the actual cast because they’re so distractingly animated. 😂
shareI like to watch the extras as well😃
Some of them will make eye contact with the lens which is a big 'no-no' in movie-making
I had a very dear work friend, long since retired who would show up on various shoots to be an extra
He told me they got a very good free lunch and sometimes a few 'shekels' (He was a big husky Jewish fellow, I called him my 'Work Rabbi' even though I'm Irish lol)
Welcome to MC👍
Sometimes you get good food. Sometimes you don't get anything because a temperamental actor ruins the schedule. Haha
shareOh jeez, I can just imagine being an extra on a Christian Bale picture and me messing up and then he's cussing me and breaking stuff😣
shareSometimes you get good food, but...
A local landmark building was being used as a movie set. I walked past on my way to somewhere else, and saw a food truck. It had signs on it saying "MOVIE PERSONEL ONLY, NO PUBLIC SALES", and more significantly... "NO BACKGROUND".
The latter meant that everyone on the production got food from the food truck, except the extras.
Yeah, I think on films with a scene with like 100s of extras it would take too long to feed the extras. I don't think we got fed on Santa's Slay. I used to take my own food anyway because you never knew if you would get food or not.
shareI've seen behind the scenes stuff on many movies, and sometimes they set up huge mess tents, like they use in the military, just to get all the crew and extras fed on schedule. Or on another production, lunch break was called, and caterers just walked in with huge baskets of sandwiches or drinks, and everyone just grabbed a sandwich as they walked past.
Food trucks are also hired by the day, week, or month for large productions, which seems odd, as food trucks can only feed a few people at a time.
Thanks for the welcome. ☺️ I just had to mention the subject as I was watching a film earlier and there was an extra in amongst a group of two other extras at a bar. He was chatting enthusiastically to the guy he was sitting with whilst the other guy (ignoring him completely), was seemingly deep into conversation with the other guy working at the bar. 😂
I liked your anecdote as well. Did your friend work on any big projects?
Most welcome, love your handle
Yeah, he extra'd on big and small stuff in Yonkers, The Bronx and Manhattan where they shoot a bunch of movie scenes but he never knew the titles and was oddly shy about his little hobby
Funny dude, taught me 'the ropes' on the job and then retired...I should call him!
Get on that phone now! Tell him I want an audition as an extra so I can become infamously horrendous in the next big franchise 😂
In all seriousness that sounds like a pretty fun work life. I bet he had a lot of interesting stories to tell (when he wasn’t being shy on the subject)
He shared an apartment with Richard Dreyfuss a long time ago and said that Dreyfuss was a huge bitchy pain in the ass to live with 😁
shareThat doesn’t surprise me at all 😂 I think even Dreyfuss himself admitted to being a huge pain in the ass when he was younger.
shareI have a lot of respect for people that can admit to being a big pain in the ass 40 years ago
Good on them
Dreyfuss is pretty great in everything,
I'm not chucking rocks at the guy lol