How to Be an Extra

Hi Background friends! I have had some people ask me how to be an extra. Really, it’s not that difficult because they need to have normal looking people to fill in the background.

How to Be an Extra (or a background actor as we like to call it).

Back when I was beginning this blog, I wrote this post on how I began and this post on how to find more work. Now that I have a whole year under my belt, I have an even better understanding of the business, although I still need to know more. First of all, take a look at this backstage article on why being a background actor is a good thing.

So Where Do I Start?

You’re going to need Facebook if you want to work in the background because that is how I find most of my jobs. Not all, but most. You will follow the casting agencies and submit when they post a casting call.

How to be an extra me on Med — Don’t take pictures on set! That’s an important rule. But someone was sneaky and caught me on camera. So here I am at my nurse’s station on Chicago Med for the 2019 season opener.

My favorite is 4 Star Casting. Click here for their website. You can click on “extras registration” or access them through their Facebook account. With 4 Star, you set up an entire profile. You also have a calendar that you can mark when you’re available and when you’re not. If they have something and you fit the look and demographic, they will send you an availability check through your email. You need to respond ASAP because you want to say yes before everyone else. Once you respond positively, you wait and see if you receive a booking email. You may be booked or you may receive a notice that says “You have been released for…” which always makes me just a little sad.

Sometimes 4 Star will post casting calls on Facebook and be sure to follow the exact directions on how to submit for that role. Joan Philo is the casting agent for Chicago Med background and Chicago Fire background. Follow Chicago Fire Extras or Chicago Med Extras on Facebook. You will also want to follow Chicago PD Extras Casting and Extraordinary Casting. For these four, there are no availability checks. If you see a role, submit right away because they go fast, really fast. And make sure to follow the exact directions for them too. You don’t want to not be chosen just because you didn’t put down the right information. Chicago Fire and Med will call you if they want you and Chicago PD and Extraordinary Casting will send you an email.

On this post I briefly discuss how you can see their Facebook posts first and this is

how to be an extra late night in holding — Do we look tired? That’s because it was 2:00 in the morning! We’re in holding for Chicago PD’s 2019 season opener. I played a pedestrian onlooker.

important. These jobs go very quickly and if you see one, you need to submit right away. I also use backstage.com to find some work. You have to pay to use this service but it is reasonable. It is about $100 for the first year. I haven’t found a ton of work but I have found some, at least more than I paid for the service. Also, I do like the work because it is always something different than your regular Chicago shows. For example, if you remember my American Greed post, that is a job I found through backstage.

I hope this post on how to be an extra helps you begin. I will warn you, however, it can be addicting. Once you start, you want to keep going. And I’m not sure why because it isn’t always fun and games. But you’ll be hooked just like me which is why I now write about my life in the background.

Hang in There

It’s time to be honest background friends. Life is hard. If you’ve read my “about” tab, you know that the whole reason I became interested in being an extra is due to the fact that I left my teaching career over a very upsetting incident. I don’t want to dwell on that incident, because it has totally taken over my life for the past year, but I will just say that I was accused of throwing something at a student. She, with her parent, pressed charges and I spent a long ten months going through the court process. And I was found not guilty. Want to know why? Because I didn’t do it, that’s why.

brown gift box beside thread — Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

My whole point in bringing this up today is that life can sometimes seem to present insurmountable odds. Over the past year I have lost my job and had my name ruined with the accusation, my husband had been out of work, and our most valued asset, our home, is not selling. We’ve had it on the market for slightly over a year and we’re still here. We really want to take the proceeds from the sale of our home and start again somewhere new. But we can’t do that until we sell. And not only that, our home has dropped so much in value that we will lose a ton of money. These are all first world problems, I know. Not the worst I’ve had in life but definitely not the best.

So why am I writing about this and what does it have to do with my life in the background? In truth, being an extra has been my saving grace this past year. It has given me something to look forward to and get excited about; because there is not a lot of excitement for me lately. And I was starting to be pretty down about everything. I’ve started looking for a teaching job and I’m finding it difficult. Even though I was found not guilty, the accusation is out there and I think employers are leery. I am at a point

affection appreciation decoration design — Photo by Carl Attard on Pexels.com

where I think my teaching career might be over for good. If you know me, you know that teaching is my calling. I am really, really good at it. I love what I do (or did) and love my students. So, all in all, I was feeling pretty down.

Then, I prayed and asked God to give me something to hang on to. I told Him that I will continue to do my best and trust that He has a plan, but that I could really use something to help out while I wait to discover what that plan might be. With no extra jobs lined up, I was beginning to feel a little dejected. I didn’t have any bookings. My house won’t sell. I am finding that securing a teaching job is going to be much more difficult than I had thought. So I just prayed.

And guess what, within one minute of that prayer I received a call from Joan Philo Casting with a booking for Chicago Med. I thought, “Wow! That was awful quick. Thank you Lord.” I even told my husband that the timing was just perfect because I wanted something and I got something. Maybe it wasn’t a teaching job, a buyer for my home, or a literary agent to represent my novel, but it was something.

Following that, about two hours later, I received an email from Extraordinary Casting that stated, “Congrats! You were selected by Production and Director for one of just a few Civilian extras on…” I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say what the production is so I won’t but it’s not anything I have heard of. It is either a new show or a movie but they did say a lot of big names have signed on to this one. And it is a two day job! And I have never worked with Extraordinary Casting before. My mom has and I have met a lot of other extras that have, but not me. So then I was thinking how cool it was that I received one thing but now two. How lucky am I?

art business close up decor — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

But that’s not the end! I woke up this morning and looked at my Twitter feed and saw this man’s prayer. Click here to see it. Uhmm, could that have been more perfect for where I am right now? Wow! Someone is talking to me and telling me to hang in there. It’s not quite time but it will be. You can do this and God is with you every step of the way.

Keeping the faith that God has a plan for you can be difficult sometimes. But hang in there friends because if you do your part, that plan is already written for you. For now, I will keep doing my part. I will continue to query ten literary agents a day for my book, I Gave You a Boy. I will keep up with my little free lance writing gig for Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos. I will try my hardest to find the school that needs me most. And I’ll be out there looking for background work.

Sorry for the long post. It was just one of those things I needed to put out there in the world. I hope you’re hanging in there with whatever issues you might be having. Me, I’ll be hanging out in the background.

Booked to Work

Yeah! I have been booked to work this Friday on Chicago PD as a nurse. This will only be my second time on this show. I apply and apply and just when I thought they would never call again, they did!

Booked to Work

It’s time to get back to work. I have just returned from a long weekend cruise with my Bama mom friends. I never knew when my daughter chose the University of Alabama that I, also, would be having so much fun. But I have drunk the Crimson Kool Aid and am now a huge fan. There is actually a cruise for Bama moms. The only requirement is that you have a child who is a current or former student. It’s a great group of ladies and we have a riot. The picture at the top of this posting is of me and some of the other Bama moms. I have to admit, I was pretty tired after a weekend with these girls. But life can’t be all fun and games so it’s back to reality–or back to the background.

Since I was out of contact with very limited internet, I really wasn’t expecting to have a booking this week. You have to follow the postings quite closely and submit right away. Luckily, I was checking my Facebook today and the posting had just arrived. You have to submit right away if you want to be considered. So how do I keep up to date without spending every waking minute on Facebook? Well, hold down where it says “following.” When you do that, you will notice a “see first” selection. I choose this and also have FB notifications turned on so I can see when a posting comes across. For Chicago PD, you need to follow New Deal Casting. Click here for their Facebook page.

Booked to Work Chicago PD — New Deal Casting Facebook page

Booked to Work Chicago PD 2 — Click on “see first.”

This booking is for season 6, episode 17 so look for me if you’re a fan of the show. I love when I’m booked to work and excited to return to PD. That’s all for now. I’ll post an update after my booking. See you next time in the background.

How do I find more work?

I’ve been working steadily about once a week for the past couple of months. But how do I find more work? I would love to work at least 2 or 3 times a week and I know it can be done because I talk to people who do so. So this post is here to brainstorm ways of finding more work.

How do I find more work?

These are the top 5 ways that I have learned so far in finding work as an extra. Hopefully we’ll be able to increase this list when my blog goes public and will, hopefully, have some readers who know more than I do about the background artist industry.

1. Keep your profile up to date.

As I stated in the previous post, 4 Star Casting has an online POP Profile that you should complete as thoroughly as possible. This includes all of your sizes! Yes, get out that tape measure. You will need it. Be sure to update the availability calendar too. I’m not sure but I suspect it’s an algorithm that spits out who is available and generates availability checks. So marking yourself as available might be better than leaving the dates blank.

2. Keep your photos up to date and change often.

You need to have current photos of how you look now. I would love to provide pictures from ten years ago when I was younger and skinnier but they need to see what you look like right now. And don’t keep sending the same photos over and over. Give the casting agents various photos in various styles. You should have a business look, an evening wear look, a casual look, and any other look you can think of. I’ve seen posts looking for homeless types, so even a no-make-up, very sloppy dirty clothes look would be appropriate.

3. Bring along good wardrobe choices.

You should always have at least 3 choices of outfits for the wardrobe person to choose from. Don’t bring super bright colors or crazy patterns unless asked to. Pay attention to the wardrobe notes and bring appropriate choices. You wouldn’t want them not to hire you again because you are known for showing up with either bad choices or no choices.

4. Follow the casting agency’s social media and try and submit as quickly as possible to any listings.

Most of the agencies that I know of at this time post calls on their Facebook pages. You can set your FB to see those posts first or to have a notification if there is a post from them. I really wanted to take a social media break during this crazy political climate but that is the only way I can find jobs. Maybe I should have a Facebook account that I only use for following the casting agencies. What do you think?

5. Pay attention on the set and listen to all directions.

They’re not going to want to work with you if you are not going to listen to what they need from you and do it without complaining. You know you’re an extra, not the star of the show, so don’t expect to be treated like one. Of course we should all be treated fairly and in my experience, I have been. But I have seen some people who act like they’re doing the show a huge favor by being there. Remember, it’s a job. Do your job.

Let Me Know

Let me know what you think about the above 5 ways to find more background acting jobs. How do I find more work? has been my question since I began this journey and I hope to add to this list as I go along. Any additions would be greatly appreciated.