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Jamey -> RE: the casting call (Dec. 21 2004 3:59:42)
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I've been in a few movies, it can really suck, especially if they use you as an extra.
Sometimes it can be fun but the hours can be insane. One time my wife and I were dancing extras in a movie shot for some specialty cable channel (I think). We were in wardrobe and makeup at 5:30am and did jive and east coast swing until 11:30 at night (the movie was supposed to take place in '53). Much of that was in sock feet because the boom mics were picking up the shoes from all of the people dancing. That whole episode was my definition of exhaustion, but then of course my colicy baby came [;)] now I have a new one.
My parents were dancing extras in that terrible American remake of Shall We Dance (my wife and I declined since she was pregnant and showing at the time of shooting). I warned them but they wouldn't listen. They put in the same hours. In fact, most of the dancers in that lousy flick are acquaintances and friends.
(in a previous life and 20 pounds ago, my wife and I were amateur competitive ballroom dancers.......I have no idea why, it just sort of happened).
Mike, often the production assistants treat you like dirt if you are not the main feature, but the gophers etc. will wait on you hand and foot. It's a real caste system (haha, get it? [&:]). Also, up here we have ACTRA which is the actors' union, I think it's akin to the screen actors guild. If you get into the film industry as an extra and/or small bit parts, get into your local equivalent because they will have to pay you the rates (which are better than if you don't).
Your first go at it is fun, your second is still fun but less so, third starts to be more of a chore, fourth you question what the hell you're doing there, fifth you know the drill and the casting director knows you by name (and you start to see a lot of familliar production faces), sixth you know the "secret handshake" and things don't seem to suck so much but it isn't exciting like the first one, after that, it's whatever you want to make of it.
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