h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons."

I've mentioned in journals before about my paid hobby as a film extra. More usually referred to as either a Background Artiste (BA) or Supporting Artiste (SA), we are the people you see sitting in cafes, looking in shops, waiting for trains etc completely ignoring the well know actors right next to us. If you've ever wondered why the passers-by in a shot don't pay attention to someone instantly recognisable, or notice the cameras, it's because they're being paid not to notice. And if you think they can't possibly be extras and must be ordinary people, then you're wrong, but they're doing an excellent job.

This half-term week for example, I spent one happy day pretending to sit in a pub with about 30 others while the main characters held animated conversations, received distressing phone calls or got cross with each other. We filmed 3 scenes in one day, in a real pub, changing jumpers and seats each time. The first scene took several rehearsals and 12 takes until the Director was happy, the second, and shorter, scene took about 8 takes and the final scene about 5. Coming to Channel 4 next year.

Film sets are incredibly disciplined places, every crew member is extremely efficient and organised. I've done both films and TV but never heard anyone say "Lights, Camera...Action". The usual sequence is to announce that the camera is "Running" or "Rolling", then "Sound" then a clapperboard "Scene 206, Take 11" then "Background......and..... Action!". Our cue is "Background", so that by the time the main actor begins on "Action" we're already started on conversations, tea drinking, nodding or walking. All mimed, sound is added in Post Production. When the scene is done there is a shout of "Cut" but everyone stays where they are until told to go "Back to First (position)", "Back to One" or just "Reset".

BAs have their own director, it depends on the size of the production whether is this is a 1st Assistant Director (AD) a 2nd AD or even a 3rd AD. The bigger the production the more ADs. The ADs work very hard indeed and all the ones I've experienced have been incredible patient and good humoured. The AD will choose which people to place where, what the background sequence will look like, and decide on a chain of events. For example, in a street scene two people might be instructed to wait and count to 5 after hearing "Background", then walk to a shop and look in the window. Another 2 will be told to begin walking when they see the first pair get to the shop, but to cross the road, when there might be someone pushing a buggy who will have been told to cross in the opposite direction - and so on. The AD has to choreograph a dance, whilst making sure that it all looks so ordinary that no one notices. The extras have to look natural and also remember not to stare at the stars, not to look at their feet while stepping over cables and not to try and deliberately get in shot. That's why no one moves on "Cut", because the ADs need to look around and see what the scene looks like at the end as well as the beginning.

There's a huge amount of improvisation involved, not just the background but with the main action too sometimes. If something's not quite right then there are discussions, people are moved, or told to do something else or walk in a different direction. Camera hoggers are discretely placed out of shot. Persistent camera hoggers don't get booked again for that production.

Film set language is relatively constant since crews are freelance and need to be able to work as part of a team without needing to learn how. One phrase not heard so much is "Check the Gates". It used to mean that as far as it seemed the scene was done. People held their breath while the lens was checked for any dirt, hairs, dust etc. If it was clean then the shot was done and "Moving On" was called, or if it was the last scene of the day "Wrap". Modern cameras are digital, the lenses are sealed, and they are kept scrupulously clean. But it was reassuring to still hear the cry of "Check the Gates" on Hugo. Scorsese has a team of people who have worked with him for years so even though they were using the most cutting edge cameras, it was a reassuring nod to cinematic history - as indeed the whole film was.

The days are long, the starts are early and there's a lot of waiting between scenes. One of the best bits is the fascinating people who do Background. Pretty much the first topic of conversation is which other productions you've done, and which agency you've been booked through, but people are from all walks of life so the chat soon moves on. I've met students hoping to be spotted, retired people who had it on their bucket list, part time musicians, magicians, inventors, and comedians, and quite a lot of teachers. And since you never know who you're going to be told to hold hands with or pretend to be related to, it's best to be on good terms with everyone!

Absolutely fascinating to read coelacanth. And very well written. I would love to recommend this as a piece for the Post.



Also jealous, as this sounds such fun hobby to have, and paid too!

Thank you! I could spice it up with a list of things I've been in, and there are several other journals hanging round with other details and personal reflections, especially from Hugo, which was amazing.
F33494?thread=7653458
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/

You're welcome, I mentioned this journal to Dmitri.

What an absolutely wonderful hobby

I would never have known this could be a hobby.

as a youngster I was part of the extras in 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' cos it had a bit filmed at a restored historical railway station near my home, and my Mum thought it sounded like a grand day out. I remember getting all dressed up in a starched prickly dress and walking down the station platform, several times.

years later I watched the film, and have no idea if I was one of the kept extras or one that ended up on a cutting room floor somewhere

but still, how loverly to actually get to see how this stuff is made, and get to see actors.......acting

This is fascinating. I wondered how you got into it.

What a fascinating read! I reckon, expanded, this would make an interesting Guide entry - how you get it to it, how to do a good job, that sort of thing. I'd certainly read it.

Deb

a hobby that pays has to be good.

Hey, coelacanth, can I steal this for the 12 November issue of ? I'd like people to see what cool Stuff we're getting.

[Amy P]

Heleloo, I think of it as a hobby because I have a job, but I do meet people who do extras work as their main source of income, or combine it with other associated work such as being a chaperone. I think you'd need to have plenty of savings to fall back on though as the work is very erratic.

minorvogonpoet, the first film I was in advertised in my local paper as they were doing some of the filming in the Garden of England. My daughter Moonlight was on a gap year and they needed 200 female students so she was one of them. One day she came home and said they needed adults to be parents in one scene, so I did a week as well, and then we registered with one of the agencies that the film was using. I wouldn't like to recommend any agency, but I would say that if there's a film you liked, read the credits at the end carefully. Look for: "Crowd Casting by..." "Background Artistes supplied by..." "Supporting Artistes from..." or similar and note down the agencies used. Some have open books, others are closed until they need people. In some countries eg UK you can join several agencies if you like, in other countries, eg Australia, you can only join one, although there are a few to choose from.

deb, there already is a Guide Entry, "Being a Movie Extra in the USA" A430066. I have thought about putting something in about the UK, but Peer Review is a scary place and I try and avoid it.

Dmitri, go for it! It's been a long time since I had anything in the Post.

Thanks!

[WM]

Such a cheery welcome at the top of your page.
That was a great peek into your hobby.

I hope there is more to come.

"Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story."

I chose my h2g2 researcher name in the pre BBC days when I signed up, realising very early on that I was going to be a lurker rather than a very high profile contributor. I needed a name which reflected the fact that I would be reading all over the site, but hidden from sight, perhaps popping up to join a conversation when least expected. Before joining up I'd already lurked for about 3 months, getting the feel of the place and secretly exploring somewhere that was quite unlike anywhere else online. This was 1999 into 2000.

Coelacanths are ancient. They have large eyes and small mouths. Fossils date the coelacanth to 390 million years ago. They were thought to have become extinct 65 million years ago, but in 1938 a live specimen was identified in South Africa. The species had been quietly going about its business all that time, without anyone knowing.

So my name choice was easy to make. A quiet old fossil who remained hidden but saw lots. I "listen" to all kinds of threads and rarely join in, but one thing about lurkers is that we probably *have* read the backlog. I neither start flame wars nor join them, and I know that everyone has a story worth hearing.

[Amy P]

"Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit."

Sunshine and Moonlight don't live with me anymore, both stayed in their respective university towns and are making their own lives, but they remain a constant presence in my life. There is contact from one or other every day - texts, emails, phone calls and so on. They tell me their news, text me funny stories about people they see on trains, tell tales on each other or let me know when they get home safely after a night out - even though they are more than 200 miles away from me, and also from each other.

I am tremendously lucky. They are fabulous adults and if I wasn't related to them I very much doubt I would dare to speak to them, I would be too much in awe. And to all those who knock single parents. I've brought them up alone since they were 5 and 8, they both have degrees, jobs and prospects.

This weekend I did a round trip with an overnight stay to collect Sunshine from her house. She took out her own mortgage aged 23 - and who does that these days? She's now 25 and doing a part-time teacher training course. When she has saved enough to pay her bills for a few weeks she takes unpaid leave and does a teaching placement. For the next 5 weeks she's doing one in a school near me and has moved back in.

It's strange to have her all to myself. As I explained to someone recently, this is the most time we've had together since she was almost 3, because as soon as Moonlight was born, as any parent will tell you, you don't get time alone with the first born. Even after 24 hours the mess is awful, the kitchen looks like there's been an explosion, there are clothes everywhere, wet towels in the bathroom and all sorts of things "appeared" in the shopping trolley when went round the supermarket. Just like the old days!

When Sunshine went to uni I had the teenage Moonlight with me for 3 years and she pined so much for her best friend and sister that we had to get a cat for company. And then Moonlight went to uni and her very elegant and beautiful ginger cat stayed with me. Sometimes I get a text to say she's coming to visit the cat, which means she is feeling low and needs to take a break before she crashes completely. She's getting much better at recognising the signs, although Sunshine and I have always seen them.

In a few weeks time Sunshine's boyfriend will come to collect her, and Moonlight will bring her boyfriend for the weekend too, so I'll have a house full. I didn't grow up in a close family myself, and I'm really looking forward to it!

It sounds like you did a wonderful job with them, and you seem rightly proud of them. Enjoy your full house!

Deb

[Amy P]

"Coelacanths are ancient."

I wached a special on the National Geographic channel.
Good special!

Good choice for a hootoo name of one who lurks