Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Applying for and accepting jobs
- Travel logistics
- Tracking income and expenses
- Clothing/costumes
- Personal appearance
- Photography
- But one exception!
- Conclusion
Introduction
I’ve been a part-time background actor, also known as an extra, on TV shows and movies for the past couple of years, working on about 40 projects so far (sometimes in multiple roles per show). There are many things I like about it, and it’s a good source of extra income. But one of the things I don’t like, and why I think it could never constitute a full-time job, is the large amount of time spent relating to each job, or to background acting in general, but on my own time and therefore unpaid. I searched a bit online but haven’t found much written about this, so decided to write this list of all the unpaid work I’ve encountered. Because non-union actors are usually paid only minimum wage, the salary is actually less than minimum wage if you take into account the unpaid work listed below.
One could argue that some of these tasks aren’t specific to background acting, and therefore needn’t be listed. This is true, up to a point, and certainly there are people who arrive to their regular jobs early every day, looking camera-ready. But I’m including these tasks anyway for the sake of completeness.
In a nutshell, even though you’re a W-2 employee for each production company, the time commitment seems more like being an independent contractor with numerous short-term clients. Each day’s work comes with its own location, work schedule, dress code, income, and expenses, all of which need to be kept track of. That time adds up.
Applying for and accepting jobs
Unless you’re lucky enough to get cast as “core” background on a show (working multiple days in a recurring role), most background acting jobs last only one day, or a few days at most. This means that if you want to keep working, you need to keep applying ー and no one gets cast in all the roles they apply for.
Even though online services like Casting Networks have made it quick and easy to peruse and apply to roles, time spent on this can add up over the course of a day. On weekdays (when most new listings appear), I usually spend about 15 minutes to an hour just reading and applying to casting listings. This is over multiple sessions, as it’s best to watch for new listings as they’re posted, because most roles get cast quickly.
When you do get offered a role, there are a few phone calls, texts, and/or emails between you and the casting agency, as they confirm your availability and provide information about the job. It’s important to review and note this information carefully.
After I book a job, of course I mark it on my calendar. I also like to go back into Casting Networks (or whatever other service I used), and un-apply to other jobs for that day, if I had applied to any. Hopefully this will keep other agencies from contacting me about a day I’m already booked, saving time for both of us.
Travel logistics
Imagine you’re starting a new (traditional) job in an unfamiliar place. You’d check the location, carefully figure out how to get there (possibly using unfamiliar trains, roads, etc.), and plan your schedule to get there bright and early (leaving extra time in case you get lost or encounter delays). After that first day, you’d already know the route and wouldn’t need to re-do this planning. But in background acting, every day is your first day at a new job, so you need to do this trip-planning repeatedly.
On the one hand, this is an element I love about background acting: it gives me a reason and opportunity to see parts of New York City and the surrounding areas which I’ve never seen before; often locations chosen for their beauty or interest. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time figuring out transportation logistics. Early call times and late wrap times make this more difficult, because some train and bus lines run infrequently or not at all during these hours.
Some productions provide a courtesy van or bus from a central location to the holding area, which is convenient, especially if holding is in an out-of-the-way place. But non-union actors are not paid for time on the van/bus.
Income and expenses: tracking and processing
One annoyance of background acting is that every single day’s work is paid on a separate check, even if you worked multiple days on one show. It gets time-consuming to deposit so many checks, even if you’re using a phone app that lets you deposit checks by taking a photo.
Having this many employers and checks also increases the possibility that a check will go missing or an employer won’t pay. It’s occurred a couple of times that I didn’t receive a check when I was expecting it. One company did pay after I mailed them an invoice, and the other paid late (after I’d prepared an invoice but not yet mailed it) ー so I did get paid, but had to expend more time on it than I would at a job with a regular salary.
This also means that come tax time, you’ll have W-2s from multiple companies, adding a bit of extra time to your tax filing.
Speaking of taxes, you should be tracking deductible business expenses which can be used to offset your income. I like to note these on a spreadsheet no more than a day or two after each gig or purchase, so I don’t forget. Check tax laws/regulations for your specific situation, but you may be able to deduct expenses for travel, online services, professional services (photographers, agents), and costumes you bought for acting that aren’t suitable for everyday wear.
Clothing/costumes/wardrobe: researching, buying, caring for, packing and unpacking
Photo by Hannah Morgan on Unsplash.
Background acting sometimes entails wearing two or even three different outfits over the course of a work day, which are provided by the actor and/or the wardrobe department. Also, actors are often asked to bring clothing options, so the wardrobe department can see things in person to decide what would look best for the role. It always seems to take longer than I expect to select, pack, and unpack clothing for each gig: gathering what was requested (with sometimes vague instructions) while taking into account weather and travel conditions for the commute and work.
Deciding on clothes for roles like “pedestrian” is easy enough, but some productions rely on actors to provide less common wardrobe items. Many actors buy role-specific costumes/uniforms to increase their chances of getting this type of work. Common requests include police uniforms, medical scrubs, clothing for specific eras, construction worker clothing/boots, formal attire, etc. Even if a production offers to provide wardrobe items, sometimes it’s nicer to have your own, because you know it fits well and is comfortable.
It takes time to research which clothing would be most likely to pay for itself with roles (“Is there a difference between ‘LAPD navy’ and ‘NYPD navy’?” “What is the most common color for medical scrubs, and what shoes are worn with them?”), determine your size in different brands, watch for sales, try things on, and ultimately buy them.
Once you have the necessary wardrobe, it takes time and effort to keep it looking nice, which could include bringing it to the dry cleaner, ironing it, polishing shoes, etc. Because it’s TV/movies, background actors are expected to look more perfectly put-together than people in everyday life.
Personal appearance
The same goes for one’s personal appearance: hair, makeup, and grooming. The expectations for background acting are higher than they are for non-performer jobs. Unless you’re one of those people who won’t even go grocery shopping without perfect hair, a full face of makeup, a nice manicure, etc., you’ll probably need to spend more time on your appearance as a background actor than you would in other jobs.
Photography
Perhaps this is less of an issue for younger actors: judging by social media, young people are constantly taking selfies no matter what else they’re doing. But for those of us who aren’t in the habit of taking frequent selfies, this is an additional task that needs to be done for background acting. Casting agencies like to see recent photos, and sometimes even request brand-new selfies on top of whatever other recent photos you’ve already sent them. Taking photos, selecting the best ones, cropping them if necessary, etc., and then sending them to casting agencies is another unpaid task.
Actors may also spend time having others take photos of them, whether it’s a professional photographer, a friend or significant other, or going up to Central Casting’s office and having them take photos for their files.
But one times savings: food
I should mention one time advantage to background acting over most other jobs: the production company usually provides lunch, and often also breakfast and snacks. This means less time grocery shopping and cooking.
Conclusion
None of the above should prevent you from seeking or enjoying background acting ー and I’ve certainly enjoyed my time in it so far ー but these time factors should be taken into account in planning your schedule and career, both short- and long-term. Otherwise you may get frustrated by unrealistic expectations about the time commitment.
I hope this article has been helpful. If you’re a background actor who’s encountered any unpaid work I left out of my list, please feel free to let me know in the comments.