TV/Film Extras?

moomin82

Hi All

Today I am looking at ways to supplement my full-time income.

I was reading about being a TV extras and was wondering if anyone here does this - and if it pays well??

I found an agency that looks like it has some good jobs on it but charge you £15 to sign up :eek:

loufie88

Sounds odd to me that there's a charge to join up. Surely as an extra they pay you, it sounds like one of those modelling scams!

Lazaruseifer

NEVER pay any modeling/acting/extra agency money up front, if they ask for it, it's a scam and i can GUAR(A)(U)NTEE, you that you will get NO work.

I am a dramatist from Livepool, no reputable agency will ask for money up front.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

MangoStan

Well, I got approached to join a casting agency for things like that - they said they'd pay for a photo shoot but I'd have to foot 'copryight' fees for the photos. If I suggest I get my own photographer they list all these expensive requirements. Scam, no?

Is there any way to do this sort of work *without* getting screwed over?!

lili2008

Bumping thread...

Anyone who wants to do this should use either Casting Collective, Mad Dog, Roger Knight, Guys and Dolls or Uglies (not 'ugly' as such, just 'normal looking).

I found a few days work on a big film through a very roundabout route and sheer luck, and picked everyones brains like mad to find ways to maximise chances. They were the agencies I heard repeatedly mentioned as reputable. But you will not get work regular enough to live on unless very very lucky, and they won't take you if you have a full-time job. Also, they DO take money, usually in the form of a percentage or flat fee from your first job.

Books open sporadically (check webstes) and competition is stiff. Many people seem to belong to 3 or 4 of the above mentioned. If you have additional skills like horseriding or a martial art or anything like that, all the better, and you can gets parts that pay extra. It's also very unionised so anything that involves an early call, nights or goes slightly into overtime incurs very nice additional payments, as do missed meals (they usually feed you very well:D but they have to pay if they don't). FAA payscales apply.

In short, it's not really an easy solution and you do have to be persistent/lucky to get work, capable of getting up VERY early in the morning (think 4am) and very reliable (if you turn work down or don't turn up when you've confirmed you will, they will drop you and you won't get work again), but it's great fun.