“How do I get a job as an Extra?”
Becoming an extra (sometimes referred to as a Background Artist) is fairly simple if you live in any city but it is much easier if you live in Los Angeles or New York.
All you do is contact an extras casting service or director, and sign up with their service. Most will be free, but some will charge a very nominal one-time fee to process your headshot and paperwork — it should be no more than $10–$20.
You may be required to submit a headshot; the more sophisticated casting services will take the picture for you.
You will need to provide work authorization documents for completing the required I-9 form. Samples of acceptable documents are:
- United States passport, OR
- Current driver’s license together with a Social Security card, OR
- Current driver’s license together with a birth certificate
Original documents only must be presented.
Work as an extra performer can be demanding — standing, sitting, repeating the same motion for hours, etc. Be prepared to work hard and long. A typical day for a crew is 10–12 hours, and if you have the displeasure of working on a music video, be prepared to work up to 16–18 hours.
You will start out as a non-union extra until you qualify to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild. The difference between being a union or non-union extra is significant. The largest difference is in pay. As a non-union extra you do not have the benefit of anyone fighting for you and can be paid anywhere from $0 to minimum wage. As a SAG member, you earn significantly more — the minimum daily rate for general background performers is approximately $216/day under the SAG-AFTRA 2023 TV/Theatrical Basic Agreement (effective July 2023; source: SAG-AFTRA).
How to Get Into the Screen Actors Guild
There are three ways to qualify for SAG membership:
- Option 1: Get hired as a principal performer in a SAG signatory show (not likely for most beginners).
- Option 2: Performers may join SAG if the applicant is a paid-up member of an affiliated performers’ union (AFTRA, AEA, AGVA, AGMA or ACTRA) for at least one year AND has worked at least once as a principal performer in that union’s jurisdiction.
- Option 3: Get hired as a SAG extra for three days. This is the most likely path for most people.
How Do I Get Hired as a SAG Extra When I’m Not a Member?
On the surface it appears to be a catch-22. Every production must hire a certain number of SAG extras for each day of filming. For example, on a feature film the first 30 extras must be SAG extras. After that, they hire non-union extras. Occasionally one of the SAG extras doesn’t show up or is considerably late. If there are more than 30 extras, the production needs to hand out 30 SAG “vouchers” — so one lucky non-union extra gets to fill the empty SAG slot. In addition to a major pay increase, that voucher counts toward the three you need to join SAG.
It is at the discretion of the Assistant Directors (ADs) to choose which non-union extra receives the SAG voucher. Stay out of their way while they work, be as helpful as possible without overdoing it. Everyone else who is non-union is trying to get the same thing, so be tactful and sincere. If you can build a relationship with an AD over multiple shoots, hopefully they will remember you. Learn and remember their names, do your job well, and the vouchers will come.
A Day in the Life of an Extra (Background Artist)
You will get a call time from your extras casting director. Keep in mind you’ll be driving to an unfamiliar location — give yourself extra time. Being late is not a good way to earn a SAG voucher. Bring reading materials for your time in the holding area (the “bull pen” for extras).
Sometimes you will be asked to bring your own wardrobe.
There will be a designated parking area for the film crew. When in doubt, ask a security officer in the parking lot — tell them you are an extra and ask where to park.
Look for an extras check-in area. If you are unsure, ask a member of the production staff (you’ll recognize them by their walkie-talkies, silver clipboards, and general air of doing five things at once). Note: asking a Grip or Craft Services person where to check in wastes everyone’s time. Also remember that most ADs listen to their walkie-talkies through a headset when you approach them.
At check-in you will fill out a form called a voucher. If it is not already specified, ask whether you are a general extra or have been cast for something specific. Then check in with the wardrobe department to approve your wardrobe or receive a costume.
If you have not eaten yet, grab something — but note there are often separate eating areas for union and non-union extras. Don’t assume; just ask. Take special care not to spill anything on your costume.
Go to the extras holding area and wait for instructions from the ADs. When you are placed in a scene, remember that you will have to repeat your action many, many times. Shots are not always filmed from beginning to end, so keep track of where you are in your “business” at each part of the scene.
When you break for lunch, extras eat last. Make sure all cast and crew have been through the lunch line before you approach the catering truck.
At the end of the day (or when excused by the ADs), find the person who checked you in and they will sign you out, keeping one copy of the voucher and giving you the other for your records.
After you collect three SAG vouchers you are eligible to join SAG. The initiation fee is approximately $3,000. The SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union offers a loan program to ease the financial burden for those who qualify.