How do I become a movie extra?
Where are you based? I’m assuming on the West Coast of the USA. If so and you really want to be a movie extra (not a principal actor) then you need to move to LA or to Canada where a lot of the provinces have ever-increasing movie business (and, therefore, ever-increasing support industries such as movie extras). Also, (by the way) most people prefer the term ‘background’, rather than ‘extra’. If you’re coming to LA then there are many many background agencies who may take you on. Central casting is the biggest and casts probably 70-80% of all TV and movies. They have thousands of people working every day. Other agencies include Atmosphere, Extras Management, Vision & Networks (there are many others). These guys are what’s known as ‘call-in’ services. For a small monthly fee they will hold pictures and your details on file along with your availability (you can let them know when you can and can’t work) ready for the many productions companies who use these services to cast their projec
There are agencies in L.A. that allow anyone to register with them for a fee and they supply movie extras to studios. The largest agency is Central Casting in Burbank. I registered with them once and paid a small one-time fee. They took my photo and created a mini-file on me. They have tens of thousands of people registered with them and to get work you have to call into their hotline to see what work is available. If you have plenty of free time and don’t have to worry about a steady income, then working as an extra is fun. But there were some 18-hour days and a lot of time working as an extra means simply waiting around a lot. I worked as a movie extra on “National Security,” “The Majestic,” “Women vs. Men,” and “Scary Movie 2.
There are agencies in dallas,tx that allow anyone to register with them for a fee and they supply movie extras to studios. The largest agency is Central Casting in Burbank. I registered with them once and paid a small one-time fee. They took my photo and created a mini-file on me. They have tens of thousands of people registered with them and to get work you have to call into their hotline to see what work is available. If you have plenty of free time and don’t have to worry about a steady income, then working as an extra is fun. But there were some 18-hour days and a lot of time working as an extra means simply waiting around a lot. I worked as a movie extra on “National Security,” “The Majestic,” “Women vs. Men,” and “Scary Movie 2.
I was an extra in a lot of TV shows – just for kicks. Movies are the same way. If you can’t get to an open casting call, you really need to know someone in the biz (usually anyone connected with the production can get you on in some capacity) to help you along. If possible, try to get on with a union voucher…if you get three you are eligible for membership in the S.A.G.
