TV/Film extras work

[eastbank]

Anyone ever done this? If so how did you get in to it? Do you still do it? Did you pay fees?....................

 

 

done it a few times in the past couple of years, cass and four lions plus married,single,other....white van man playing ronnie betting shop minder...scott and baily out soon and eternal law....agency based in bradford...they take a cut...no upfront fee to join...most locations within about 45 miles....about £80/£100 for the day....enjoyable but sometimes tedious...

[adplastering]

i was a regualr extra in eastenders.

[Treatment]

I was nearly in a film in 1976, but my contact at Shepperton said that it was a stupid film which would go nowhere.

 

Wrong ! It was called Star Wars.

[ronthenekred]

Turned down the James Bond character, and let Sean what's his name have it. Had a gas cooker to fix the next day and wasn't prepared to let that little number pass me by.

[zakes]

TV / Film extras work. Part 1 of 3.

 

I had read in the Sheffield Star during the mid 90’s that people were wanted as extras (walk on parts) for a film in Sheffield and I went along to the ‘auditions’. There were plenty of studenty types there who all seemed to look alike with their Take That hairstyles. I looked different and so got a part pretty easily. Two lovely persons involved in things were Bekka and Leon, who I believe were from a film making company in Brown Street and we got on well and they later chose me to play parts in other films over the years. Being a level headed person I didn’t have any del-ill-usions of becoming a film star, I was just in it for the dosh. I have forgotten the dates so the list below isn’t in the correct order, sorry. I will then continue by giving in depth detail.

 

1. When Saturday Comes – 1 Day £35 in hand – meals

2. Navigators – 2 Days £70? Cheque – meals

3. Direct Line Insurance – 2 Days £90? In hand – meals

4. Film – Untitled – unreleased – 2 Days £100 in hand – meals

5. Short film – 1 night £75 in hand – meals

6. Film – don’t know title – 1 night £60? In hand – meals

 

1. When Saturday Comes.

The Fox House Hotel (Whitbread) at Ardmore St / Shirland Lane Darnall was the setting for my part in this film, it was a very cold day. Us extras were sat on a nearby bus and were furnished with bacon sarnies and cups of tea in the morning. The crew took extras to the pub at intervals during the morning, but some of us were’nt called. Lunch was a choice between two meals which is usual on set. After lunch I took it upon myself to go to the ‘shooting’ at the pub and let them know in no uncertain terms that I hadn’t come just to sit on a bleeding bus all day. Within ten minutes I was in the pub playing my part. The scene was two lads supping underage, and the father of one of them was also in the pub in the backroom. This is in the first few minutes of the film and I am sat in the background behind the father wearing a black coat supping a pint. I have shed a lot of weight since then though.

The pints were actually Bass Shandy - they had 2 transit vans parked outside full to the rafters with the stuff lol. I’m not sure if the pub had been already shut down by then, and that it had been reopened just for the film. This was about 1995 – 96.

 

2. Navigators Late 90’s. This is a Ken Loach film.

All the actors and walk-on-parters had to meet very early at a type of depot on Cricket Inn road. It was a bitterly cold morning and I managed to get there on foot from Nether Edge and at that time I was suffering big style with gout. At the depot one of the actors, a bloke with red hair was doing his best to attract attention to himself by his behavior and words. This actor was Tom Craig (Craig Thompson). I asked Tom what was the reason for the chain around his neck with an owl (not a live one, silly) hanging from it. He told me the owl depicted Sheffield Wednesday then asked me if I was a pig, I smiled. Round one to me.

About an hour later we were all packed onto coaches and driven to the Novotel in the city centre where the scenes were to be shot. This part of the film was about rail workers and can be seen after about 22 minutes into the film.

Each time Tom got near to me during the two days of filming he would call me a pig. I didn’t respond because I didn’t want to be kicked out of the filming. Anyway, my main concern was the chuffing gout. The two days of him calling me pig was attempted bullying (weakness of character) but I had the last laugh as usual because……

At meal times the ruling is that the actors and crew are served first then the extras come last. This rule is fine by me, but I decided to make a new Zakes rule, and that was that I get served before Tom Craig! At dinner time on the second day I was in the queue 3 places in front of him and I could hear him chuntering in the background. After I got served I turned around and smiled at him. After he had eaten he came to me and went on a rant about extras should wait until more important people have been served and pigs should be at the very back anyway. I played dumb by telling him I didn’t know the rule and that I was sorry. Round two to me. At the mid-afternoon break which is coffee (tea) and sandwiches time I ‘did’ him again but I instantly apologized and said I had forgotten about the rules. I could see he was getting worked up because his face was almost the same colour as his hair. He was speechless for the first time in two long days. Round three to me.

When that second day was done and all the filming was finished I made my way to Tom and said goodbye and I was somewhat shocked when he smiled and said something like “Cheers mate, thart not bad thee, forra pig.”

Mid evening I phoned the Hallam Towers Hotel and asked to be put through to his room. He answered the phone and I told him who I was and he asked me “What thar want nah”?, I told him it had been great working on the same film as him, then I went on to tell him that I wasn’t a Blade but a Wolves supporter. There was along silence at his end of the phone, then after he had (I presume) composed himself he burst out laughing and said if we ever met again we should have some beer and a chat about football. Round 4 drawn.

 

True story this!!

 

P.S. It never occurred to me to tell him I possess several signed pictures of Tommy Craig the ex Wednesday player from my days of football autograph collecting. I still have these amongst many others.

[zakes]

TV/ Film Extras Work. Part 2 of 3.

 

3. Direct Line Insurance Advertisement.

 

The very steep Hunter House Road was the setting for 2 days for this television ad. The weather was scorching. We extras were to run up the top part of the hill and try to catch paper mooney (fake) that was raining down from the sky (somebody was throwing it out from a caged platform hanging from a crane). This we had to keep repeating until we got it right, it was hot tiring work.

At lunch time on the second day I couldn’t decide which meal to have (Lasagne or the Haddock) so I ordered both. I was told I could only have one of the two, but I explained that another extra had gone over on his ankle and I had come to collect his meal. I was served both meals. Some minutes later Bekka and Leon walked by and noticed my extra meal and they both rolled their eyes lol. During the afternoon two of us slipped away to the Psalter Tavern for an hour for a few pints. When we got back we hadn’t been missed and we mingled back into the crowd of extras.

We all received our money at the end of the day, plus a mini model of the famous Direct Line Insurance red phone on wheels.

 

4. Film – Untitled – Unreleased.

 

The setting for this film was the Washington pub (ex-Tetley) on Fitzwilliam St. . The scenes were about some blokes in a card school who fall out and end up scrapping with each other. There was also 3 strippers as well during the two days of filming and us blokes got to know every nook and cranny of the girls, looking only mind. Lol. After the second and final days filming we fellows managed to put our eyes back into their sockets.

Due to several extras not turning up on the first day Bekka did ask me if I knew of anyone I could bring on the second day. I told her I could. At that time I was a redler at the Fox and Duck pub in Broomhill. I told a load of students I knew there that they could earn 50 notes just for hanging about on a film set and also with meals, and the possibility of being seen on the big screen. Many of them thought it was too good to be true and thought I was crackers. Anyway 6 turned up next day and were glad they did. The others later regretted not believing me. Tuff Bobbar.

[zakes]

TV / Film Extras Work Part 3 of 3.

 

5. Short film – Channel 4.

 

I think Bekka had passed my phone number on because I received a call whilst I was reclining at home. I was offered a part in a film that very evening at the former hospital in Lodge Moor. I accepted then was told I would be picked up at 18.00 outside my home and taken to the set. On our way to filming we called in a the Hallam Towers Hotel to pick up the main actress (who now plays Dev’s wife in Corrie, this was before she had her nose job done years later).

My part was to play a heart attack casualty just brought into hospital. 2 nurses and a doc were tending to me and I had several instruments inserted into my mouth down to me throat for part of the scene. I also had those orange pads stuck on my chest, and they were trying to revive me using those jump lead type things.

Afterwards, one of the nurses (they were real ones) told me she was surprised I hadn’t gagged on the instruments because most patients do in real life. I would like to have known if she would have gagged doing the stuff I would have liked to do with her! She really did look like Linda Lovelace.

After filming I was driven back home with 75 notes in my back pocket.

 

6. Film – Don’t know title.

 

Frank is a friend and fellow extra, and we both received a call to appear in a film some days later. Frank and I made our way to the carpark at Owlerton Stadium to be there for 16.00. We dined in a double decked bus specially kitted out for dining. We were told by some film crew that we would be playing as football thugs along with another bloke in a scene. The scene would be filmed after MIDNIGHT! 7 or so hours later. Come late evening we were driven to the canal near the Holiday Inn (ex Royal Victoria Hotel). All I know is the film director was a Swede from Sweden and the main actress was a young up and coming star from Mexborough way. Her name I think was (is) Harrison.

At the setting we met the other bloke (football thug) and we were kitted out with Arsenal football shirts and a can of Foster’s Lager apiece. Our part was to act drunkenly and chase after this gorgeous bird. We repeated this scene loads of times until the film director was satisfied.

Afterwards we got a good feed comprising massive baguettes with king sized sausages as the filling to be washed down with more Foster’s (shame they didn’t have bitter). We also received a lift home from one of the crew at 3 in the morning.

 

If any of you ever get extras (walk on parts) work, make sure to take a book or newspaper with you because there’s loads of hanging about which will make you tired. Don’t moan, always be polite and don’t be pushy, then they will take you again.

 

Zakes.

[AbdullaJones]

You into old slappers then ?

 

Really?

I mean look at him

http://wiki-images.enotes.com/thumb/a/ae/EarlyChasDingle.jpg/150px-EarlyChasDingle.jpg

Are you telling me you wouldnt?

[MC Spyda]

Nice write up Zakes, looks like you've done it all. Haven't you ever thought about taking it further and audtioning for full parts?

[Leah-Lacie]

I know a couple of people who live in Liverpool and are extras in Hollyoaks. They do get paid, not sure how much, but they were telling me last week they're not getting enough work any more to be able to call it a 'job', maybe once a month, when it used to be a lot more often and actually paid the bills.