The Background Performers

Do I blame the extra agency or the show?

Extras — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:27:00 +0000

It’s surreal when you’re an extra without a superb look. By superb I mean you can pass for any age, look etc. and there’s nothing they can’t include you in. You’re not too ethnic, or have red hair or whatnot… That’s what it seems casting directors cannot stand, “Those damned redheads” – well, the males anyway.

Either way, I’m living hand to mouth, cheque to cheque, whatever it may be. I need the money I’m owed, and whilst waiting on my girlfriend to pick it up, I get the phone call. “Babe?” “Yes…” “They don’t have it.”

Now they’re claiming I’ve picked it up, which I haven’t. So right now I’m livid and worrying what I’m to do.

I love being an extra. How many days have I been on set this month? Oh yes, none.

ACTRA Members say YES to Modernized Membership Rules

Extras — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 04:33:16 +0000

ACTRA Members say YES to Modernized Membership Rules

Apprentice members will now need three credits to become Full Members

Full ACTRA members across Canada have voted overwhelmingly (82.1% in favour) to modernize and renew ACTRA’s membership rules by allowing Apprentice Members to become Full Members with three credits.

This new entry requirement, together with By-law amendments recently approved by your National Council, will encourage young performers, people working in digital media, and those just entering our industry, to join our union sooner. Welcoming these professionals into our tent will make us stronger, increase our bargaining power, and grow work opportunities for professional performers by reducing non-union production.

The new membership rules will come into effect on Wednesday, December 15, 2010.

BECOMING AN APPRENTICE MEMBER:

Under the new rules, performers can become Apprentice Members in the following ways:

1. By landing a professional engagement as a performer. A non-member can become an Apprentice when working under an ACTRA collective agreement in a “residual” role after paying a permit fee (a sum charged to non-members in lieu of union dues).

2. By graduating with a post-secondary acting degree. Graduation from a post-secondary school, college, or university with an undergraduate or graduate degree in acting as a major may be used to earn a first credit, provided it is applied for within 60 days of graduation. ACTRA Branches will decide which post-secondary institutions count for the credit, the criteria being: accreditation as a post-secondary institution by the appropriate provincial body; being publicly-owned or strictly non-profit; and providing at least 1000 hours of instruction in acting in a post-secondary level.

3. By working 200 days or 1600 hours. This is applicable to card-carrying ACTRA Additional Background Performers who have been in good standing for four years.

The initiation fee to become an Apprentice Member is $75 (this will also serve as the AM’s first year annual fee).

Apprentice members don’t pay union dues other than this annual fee, so they also continue to pay for permits when they get additional engagements (the cost varies depending on the ACTRA Agreement under which the work is performed).

BECOMING A FULL MEMBER:

An Apprentice Member can become a Full member in the following ways:

1. By earning a total of three professional credits and taking a prescribed ACTRA Branch membership course (where offered).

2. Through a reciprocal agreement with a sister union. For example, if you are already a full member of Canadian Actors’ Equity, the Screen Actors’ Guild or AFTRA, you can apply to your ACTRA Branch to become a Full Member of ACTRA.

The Full Member initiation fee will be set at $1600 (the total cost of your qualifying permit fees and any applicable course fees will be subtracted; you will just pay any difference). Capping the fee at $1600, the average rate members have been paying, makes it more equitable and ensures that everyone who joins ACTRA pays the same amount no matter what contract they join under.

Pay Non-Union Extras More and we’ll act accordingly

Extras — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:37:29 +0000

It’s funny, every time you’re on set you’re told to do this and do that and follow instruction. It’s not complicated and I’ve never insinuated that it is, but the issue arises when you look at what we get paid. Extra work is not secure, and there are no raises. In the five years that I’ve been doing it, I haven’t received close to one increase and I don’t complain. Not until I’m spoken down to like a child.

I only start whining though, actually that’s a lie, I’m a “background artist,” so whining is my forte… Anyway, back to the point, I only start really bending people’s ears when I’m met with a condescending rant by an AD or wrangler. That’s how most react. Non-Union wages are below minimum wage once you deduct agency fees. Amusing as it isn’t, people still perceive being an extra as having some power in the film industry. Um….

That Infamous Casting Director

Extras — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:19:28 +0000

So today I’m working for that infamous casting director. This guy happens to be the one that all extras fear, the one that requires that you show up extra early (if you’ll excuse the pun), not be paid, bring more than anyone else and inevitably only be there for a short four hour call. Now four hours at non-union rate ($10/hr) is $40, minus agency fees of 15% plus tax, you’ve had a pretty shitty work day. You leave yourself open to an infinitely long day, that’s where the small amount of money is and then you rapidly realize that you’ve been screwed.

Always good to be aware that you’re wasting your time beforehand, isn’t it?

The Acting Credit-Money Myth

Extras — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:34:43 +0000

If there’s one thing that background performers continually talk about, it’s credits. Nope, not the plastic cards with fantasy money that you can swipe at will and sign your future life away to, the credit for being recognized as relevant to something on camera.

The Acting Credit-Money Myth

Every extra is guilty of talking about it too much. Now if you’re a proper actor, fully unionized etc. it’s irrelevant, you already make as much money as you can doing extra work. If you’re an apprentice, or an extras union member, or you’re just a “normal extra,” the acting credit is your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The problem is though, there are hundreds if not thousands of other background performers in the same boat. Once an “extra” gets a credit, he/she is entitled to join the union and stand in a new line up designed for those a little ahead of the rest of the curve. It is not guaranteed though, I repeat, not guaranteed. Apprentice union members have nothing to hold on aside from the knowledge that they in some part acted (or equivalently participated) in something union approved and they were labelled as being credit worthy.

Yes, us extras are bitter and whiney. I need another coffee.

Bitterness towards agents

Extras — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:18:15 +0000

Yeah, being an extra sometimes is fantastic. Sometimes I’m in love with being able to be on movie sets and TV shows; the prestige of seeing the $250,000 cameras and hearing the 1st AD yell “Background!” before the Director calls “Action!”

But sometimes it’s extremely frustrating, and who do we blame? Well of course we blame the agents. Mainly because it always seems our friends, or co-workers (fellow blurred spots on the screen) seem to be getting more work than us and I’m always curious why. Why is my look not being chosen? My mind jumps towards it being my agent’s fault. My agent’s responsibility that he or she didn’t submit me and that’s why I’m not getting enough work.

I’m being repeatedly reminded that it’s a business, and I know it is but the truth behind my feelings is that although it’s a business, I have such a good relationship with them that I wonder how much of it is sincere and how much is faked.

So yeah, I’ve got plenty of bitterness towards my agents. Quite rightly so!

Union vs Non-Union Background Performers

Extras — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:51:09 +0000

Union vs Non-Union Background Performers

Ah, the tried and true rivalry between union and non-union background performers remains strong to this day. Especially in British Columbia, Canada, one of Hollywood’s major film producing meccas.

For those that don’t know, almost every aspect of the major film industry is unionized. The transport workers (truck/van drivers), the hair and make up, actors, director, crew… Even the extras (the better paid, better treated background performers).

What separates a union background performer from a non-union background performer? Well, apart from money, this differs from province to province in Canada, and is even more different on a worldwide basis.

Being familiar with British Columbia, we’ll explain how it works here. Firstly, a union extra requires credits.

What are credits? Well, that area remains slightly grey, but in essence they tend to be speaking roles, or prominent featured roles which make you essential to scenes. Musicians and other performers (such as theatre actors) can have their achievements/experience/history applied to their potential credit status, but the idea is to make actors union extras under the sometimes misguided pretense that they know what they’re doing.

In BC, to achieve full union status as an extra or more profoundly, a “background performer” you require six credits, or the equivalent. You can become an apprentice member with five credits or less, or the equivalent thereof.

Or, you can become an extras union member with 24 or more days on set. As an apprentice you get the chance to get a union voucher (an upgrade to more pay/better food for the day) if there aren’t enough union members working that day, and the second tier of people (the extras union people) get the next stab (if there aren’t enough apprentice members, or full union background) to get a leg up.

The last selection of people are the non-union background, they rarely get permit, but sometimes get the opportunity if they remove a little clothing or do something the production deems worthy. More often than not, the production won’t upgrade the lowly extras though.

As a non-union extra, you’re typically segregated. You have your own crafty tent (craft services – snacks while on set) which usually contain lesser items than the union/actor/crew craft tent. Your food tends not to be as name brand, there’s typically a lesser selection… I mean you haven’t yet accomplished anything in film or media, have you? Why would you deserve the same food and drink items?

The same applies for the catered lunches, with many sets now offering packed lunches as opposed to the typical union deal of catered food off of a talented cook’s catering truck.

Not to mention if you’re a union member, if they don’t feed you every six hours, the union members get a meal penalty for however long after the six hour increment they’re not fed, their daily paycheck rises more and more.

Union members also get paid for multiple clothing changes (non-union don’t) and travel time if it takes them a long while to reach the set (again, non-union extras do not).

The best feature though, above all else, is that union members get paid for eight hours of work regardless of whether they work one minute, or the full eight hours. Non-union extras do not. Point blank.

Untitled Comedy filming in Vancouver with Seth Rogen

Extras — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:11:52 +0000

Untitled Comedy filming in Vancouver with Seth Rogen and the guy from 500 Days of Summer/3rd Rock From The Sun

So we gathered for another day of fun, and proof that movies really have a ton of money to spend on short scenes. As background, nearly 70 of us, we waited in a warm tent near the Waldorf on Hastings street in Vancouver, BC. For two evenings, they called us in (well, a lot of people began the day earlier to participate in the office scene) just for the office party scene.

Not a bad little set, a few familiar faces helped the time go by well. And although the non-union crafty tent wasn’t as equipped as well as the union’s (it never is), it was actually a nice spread.

Another Day on Set – 30 Days of Night 2 (Dark Days)

Extras — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:11:46 +0000

Another Day on Set – 30 Days of Night 2 (Dark Days)

Life as an extra can be fun, amusing, thrilling etc. Especially when there’s a little variety involved. Last week, I had the privilege of being a non-union extra on 30 Days of Night 2. Unlike most sets, there was a clear separation of union and non-union extras. This time though, it was made clearer than usual as we were separated into completely different tents. After all, you wouldn’t want to integrate both non-union scum and union darlings, would you?

This wasn’t a move made by the casting director, or the union members themselves. No, this was a production move, a choice by someone within the ranks of the 30 Days of Night 2 crew who thought that having non-union members who were entitled to one set of food, and union members, who were entitled to the “better” food (and breakfast) would best be handled separately. Segregate ‘em, don’t let those non-unioners acquire delusions of grandeur.