Here are 10 things every background extra should know before going to set.
We recently had the amazing opportunity to talk with Baywatch the movie casting director about extra work. And one of the most common question we often receive is what it’s like to work on set as a background extra. Well, we asked Casting TaylorMade’s head casting director Heather Taylor what are some questions background actor should ask before they go on set and this is what she had to say:
Do you believe background extras should ask casting directors questions before going on set?
If so, what are some questions a background extra should ask before saying yes?
If a Background Performer has any questions I highly recommend that they ask these questions before confirming to a booking, not right before going to set.
I do not feel that there is any right or wrong questions to ask.
“I do not feel that there is any right or wrong questions to ask.”
For some people it might be there first time working so they might have a lot more questions to ask compared to someone who works regularly as a Background Performer.
When my Associate, Kalas, and I book our Performers we reach out to them personally via text / phone or email and we certainly get several questions which we are always extremely happy to answer- we want everyone to be as informed as they possibly can be- as it makes the whole process smoother for everyone involved from Directors to our BG Performers and everyone else in between.
The most commonly asked question– virtually impossible for us Casting Directors to answer is “What time will I start / finish work?”
Exact start times are not even something our Directors know until the day before, and that is not until the prelim goes out- which depending on the day, could be anywhere as early as first thing in the morning or as late as an last hour before wrap (the end of the day).
End times are always impossible to determine. There is no way to know how long or short a scene could last, as unexpected things can / will always arise and we never want to make a promise to our talent that we cannot keep.
Also, do stay away from asking obvious questions. If the date / rate is written clearly in a post it is a little unpolished looking when someone asks those obvious question, as they have already been stated somewhere.
