Features . . . Want to be in a movie? Have you ever wanted to be in a movie? Depending on where you live, it may be easier than you think to sit or walk near famous movie stars and appear on the big screen. I have worked as an extra on 50 different movies and TV shows. Following is a Q&A about how to be an extra and what it's like to work as one. Information is based only on my experiences as an extra in Chicago. Other cities may have different policies and procedures. What exactly is an extra? Extras, also called background or atmosphere, fill all kinds of non-speaking roles in movies, TV shows and commercials. I've been a wedding guest, shopper, bar or restaurant patron (many times), commuter on a train (five times), comedy club audience member, nurse (three times), homeless person, black tie event guest, neighbor, professor, secretary, courtroom spectator, tourist and concertgoer (twice), driver on the street (twice). My first (and only unpaid) experience was in the Ferris Bueller's Day Off parade. Extras never have lines, but may be called on as a group to cheer, or even sing. In Curly Sue (Jim Belushi), I was in a wedding scene. We sang "America the Beautiful," though the song never made it into the film. Extras do what they are told and usually work very long hours. Twelve-hour days are the norm. If you are given something to do, usually by an assistant director, you will probably do this thing many times. If you're going up stairs or walking a long distance, the repetition can get tiring. I've worked on movies where extras were ice skating or roller skating. Because of Chicago's great architecture and lakefront, many scenes are filmed outside. Sometimes you freeze, sometimes you broil. You can be on the set the entire time, in the midst of or close to the filming. Other times, you sit in a waiting area, called a holding room. The way I look at this: they are paying me to read and eat. Sometimes if you aren't called to the set, they'll call you back to work another day. Many times you'll only work one day. This is because if you're a shopper and established on camera, they won't repeat you the next day as something else. The most I've ever worked on one production is four days, but I know of many people who have worked more. What do you wear? Most often you are expected to 1) bring three wardrobe changes suitable for your role from your own closet. 2) not wear red, white, logos, neon or bright colors. If it's black tie, you'll get a $15 bump in pay. I have worked on two period movies, one set in the 1960's and one in the 40's. Wardrobe for those included a paid fitting for period clothing and a hair/makeup discussion. For both I had to set my hair in rollers and wear the rollers to the set where the style was combed out. How much do you get paid? Any other perks? In Chicago the rate is usually $65 for the first eight hours, then time and a half after that. On occasion, extras will be "upgraded" for certain things. This has never happened to me. You also get paid more if you have to be wet or in smoke. You get paid whether or not you are called to the set and actually work, whether or not you ever appear on screen. For a wardrobe fitting, you get an additional $15. If you use your car, you get either $15 or $20. You get paid the entire amount even if your shooting day is less than eight hours. You also get fed according to the union crew's schedule. You eat after the crew. The smaller the scene you're working on, the better the food and desserts. I've eaten rack of lamb, lobster supposedly flown in from Iceland, freshly grilled salmon. Occasionally in a small scene, I've been given permission to help myself to snacks from the "crew table". If you're not given specific permission, you're not allowed to touch their food. If you're doing a large scene, there will probably be a separate food line with still good but not as good food. Often extras get donuts or nothing for breakfast, while the crew enjoys an entire spread and can order hot dishes from Craft Services. Several times during shooting, the cast and crew were served snacks on set but nothing was offered to the extras. I've also been as a stand-in, called "second team". This means you fill a first team star's shoes during camera and lighting set up. You watch what they do during rehearsal, and are expected to repeat EXACTLY what they do. Once I used my left hand to open a door, they told me the star had used her right. You make more money and eat with the crew. To be a stand-in, you need to be very close in height, body shape and coloring to the star. You also need to have an amazingly flexible schedule, because you'll probably be expected to work every day that your star is on set. So have you met lots of stars? Yes and no. Extras can be sent home if they initiate a conversation with a star. Or if they take pictures on set (except for FBDO, where cameras were allowed because it was a parade. I have some amazing close-ups of Matthew Broderick!) That said, some stars, such as Dustin Hoffman, are amazingly friendly and go out of their way to talk. Others, not so much. Sometimes I've been positioned so close to a star that conversation began organically, because as shooting went on it became uncomfortable not to speak. I have seen dozens of stars close up and have seen how they work. Often I've been so close to the filming I can hear everything the director says to the actors. How do I get to be an extra? Keep your eyes open. In Chicago, "casting calls" are often listed in one of the newspapers. Note: these calls do not mean you'll be auditioning. All you'll do is show up in person, bring a current color picture and a pen and fill out a form with your contact information and sizes. Other times you can simply send in a picture. You do not need a headshot, just a recent, color snapshot that looks like you. Once you've worked as a reliable extra a few times, you may get a call out of the blue for that casting agency's next project. Last year, I worked as an extra on six different productions, a total of 15 days. The most fun in Chicago were in movies that haven't been released yet: as a professor a small scene with Dustin Hoffman & Will Ferrell walking by in Stranger than Fiction and being on Vince Vaughn's tour bus in the The Break Up. I also had the opportunity to go to Lithuania, be a featured extra and spend four nights on the set of Highlander: The Source (read about this on Highlander Worldwide!). So far in 2006, opportunities have been slim. Some shows, like ER and Prison Break I've worked on more than once. Parts of me can be glimpsed about twenty-five percent of the time. My "biggest" appearance to date: sitting next to Joe Mantegna in Uncle Nino. I even made the trailer! Still interested? Maybe some day we'll meet on set. Read the next article: Perfect Pitch: Tips for editor/agent appointments