Movie xtras any good?

Leilak

As a budding young actor lm thinking of joining movie xtras but before l do l would just like to know if its any good ? do people get alot of work from them ? it would be great to hear from existing members and hear your stories good and bad

Monkeybonkers

When I was a member I used to get a good bit of work from them but there are others I know who were members and never got any. Depends what they're looking for I suppose

unreggd

Monkeybonkers wrote: »

When I was a member I used to get a good bit of work from them but there are others I know who were members and never got any. Depends what they're looking for I suppose

+1

I personally knew one guy on it durin college and got a good few calls

Takes a bit of luck to, as usually you'll get one new call, then if they like ye they'll keep ye on

Actin class/course would benefit too

I've a new direct approach to gettin xtras work im gna try, so ill keep ye posted!

celestial

unreggd wrote: »

+1

I personally knew one guy on it durin college and got a good few calls

Takes a bit of luck to, as usually you'll get one new call, then if they like ye they'll keep ye on

Actin class/course would benefit too

I've a new direct approach to gettin xtras work im gna try, so ill keep ye posted!

When you say keep you on if they like you, how do ya mean - if you get a speaking line and they think you're good they might ask you back for other stuff?

Leilak

lve heard bad reports about them, people signing up and hearing no more from them, l dont want to waste 90 euros when it could be better spent elsewhere, they seem to have the monopoly on the whole extras market

Monkeybonkers

I was doing some extras work just before Christmas and one of the lads there said that he applied directly to Ardmore studios for extras work so maybe this could be a route you could follow if you don't want to pay out any money to Movie Extras.

Leilak

thanks a mil for that think l will go directly to ardmore thats grand

inisboffin

If you are serious about pursuing acting as a career, I wouldn't necessarily recommend going the route of an extra as the ONLY way in.
Yes, try it for a bit, but consider doing some weekend acting courses, and then if it's for you, think about more extensive training.
The happiest extras I've seen on sets are the ones doing it for a bit of extra cash or for the craic. Yes you do get to observe a set, and that it one plus, but I don't (personally) agree that it is a great stepping stone for work as a professional actor.
Nothing sadder than a frustrated wannabe actor extra. That's why the series 'Extras' is so brilliant!

movieextras.ie seem to be fairly good if extras work is something you'd like to try though, and they are good about letting student directors advertise for low budget films there too, if you want to go for some experience. My 2c.

faceman

I agree with inisboffin, being an an extra is not the route to go to becoming an actor. Join an amateur group (Boards has its own group that meets weekly) and try get yourself involved there. Being an extra is for the most part, boring and unchallenging.

Monkeybonkers

+1 with inisboffin. In fact I would say that just being an extra will never get you in to acting, however I could be wrong. I just do it for the craic and for the bit of spare cash. It's also good for seeing how filming is done for TV (very, very, very boring!!).
If you're looking to be an actor then you will defo have to do something else other than just extras work. I wouldn't even think that you could make a living at it, not in this country anyway.
Good luck anyway.

Leilak

ok great advice on there thanks guys:)

Monkeybonkers

How come you're up so early? :eek:

Leilak

thanks everybody, ido have some training in theatre the extra work is just to tide me over for a bit however ive been recommended to backstage casting,ive heard good reports about them

MovieExtras.ie: Derek

Derek here from MovieExtras.ie

Going back to your original question, while I am biased, I would say that MovieExtras.ie does a a good job!

We supply all the extras (including featured) to Fair City. This is a fair number every week. Apart from this our members are involved with Crimecall, Primetime, Parked (starring Colm Meany), The Silence (BBC Production) and a lot of ads, corporate vids and low budget productions. Every month about 120 or so casting directors and production companies would logon to our directory viewing over 8,000 cv's.

Currently on TV - You can see our members on RAW, Seacht, Vodafone ad, Ulster Bank ad, Actimel ad, Scannall, Crimecall, Supervalue ad etc.

While there is some people who may not have been offered much, we do try and get as much work for our members as possible. On average if we need 30 people on set, we need to check over 200 people's availability!

Regarding doing extra work with the intention of becoming an actor - doing extra work won't do you any harm if you want to be an actor, but it is only a small part of what you should be doing. Having a basic training, being involved in zero / low budget productions, student productions, ie getting experience and attending appropriate events where you can meet people in the profession are all important. There are some notices for productions on our sister site www.CastingZone.ie

Good luck with it

Cheers
Derek

gussieg

At one time it was through actors equity in liberty hall and one scary man that had the monopoly on all extra work in this country. But I dont know if that is still a possible route, I too would like to get back into acting /performing as I had some experience with the world of stand up comedy, as its been a while, kind of lost the nerve . Last week got involved in a workshop in tallaght that was brilliant , part of the red rua on a friday afternoon, anyone interested in coming along ought to contact whoevers in charge there.

whiteflowers

Has anyone had any luck securing work on their own? I'm an actor and also have a communications degree so I've been trying to get onto film sets. <snip> I got an availability check for Fair City twice and haven't heard from them since last November so that's not working for me. I also tried backstage casting and got no response.

Anything else I can try?

unreggd

celestial wrote: »

When you say keep you on if they like you, how do ya mean - if you get a speaking line and they think you're good they might ask you back for other stuff?

Late reply!

Re: my comment, I think most of the time they'll be looking for the same kind of people

So if you do well on your first call, its handier for them to just invite you back, as opposed to going through newer profiles and call/texting etc

Apparently Backstage are gone bust, can anyone confirm this?

gussieg

Its true, the easier one is to get on with people and have what mr. cowell calls the likeability factor, should find it far easier to get called back for jobs, but then again people would hire you anywhere just to have your little ray of sunshine around the place surely. I dont know.
Try writing a few scripts for yourself and see how you get on . Thats what I keep meaning to do. In my head, theyre all done. On paper, theyre not.:)

Wuggectumondo

unreggd wrote: »

Apparently Backstage are gone bust, can anyone confirm this?

Backstage Casting are still in action (worked for them last week). They just don't have Fair City and the Clinic any more

whiteflowers

How did you get on board with backstage. I can't get any response from them at all.

<snip>

MovieExtras.ie: Derek

Hi

Derek here from MovieExtras.ie, in relation to the point that we have too many members, alas, we don't have too many members. We need to constantly keep our database up to date with people who are available. Currently to get 20 people available we need to contact 100 people!

Also, we don't know what's around the corner, for example last year, there was one quarter where we had about 6,000 days (excluding the directory service) and there can be days where we might need 500 people.

This is not to say that everyone will get out, it all depends on age, location, skin colour, availability and the production requirements. We do manage the database in particular areas, such as kids or babies, where there are very limited opportunities, thus there is no point in having 100 babies on the books, but we do need to have a certain amount in case an advert comes in or a production needs to do a maternity scene.

Mia2010 - I can mention it in the next mail out to our members if you wish, send me the details to derek@movieextras.ie.

Cheers
Derek

Eilishr

Hi. Did you join movieextras and how did it work out for you? Also, do you know (or anyone reading this) what the average rate of pay is for a day as a movie extra?
Thanks

lanyonwhites

yeah

MovieExtras.ie: Derek

The average rate is €84 for a ten hour day to include one hour lunch. Some dramas can be 9 hours while some films can be for 11 hours or more.

Adverts should be in the region of €110 to €150, though there are factors which could make it lower and higher.

The very minimum should be the minimum wage plus 8% holiday pay, though all productions should be encouraged to pay higher than this.

elleelle19

Derekme just wanted to ask you is it true that if that casting director likes certain people they will just be asked back over and over?

I have been signed up with you guys for a couple of months and have not heard a peep, but know a girl who has been called in for Fair City serveral times.

Thanks :-)

planeinthesky

Wuggectumondo wrote: »

Backstage Casting are still in action (worked for them last week). They just don't have Fair City and the Clinic any more

I have worked with backstage casting for years - they are still going strong, it is just Fair City they are not doing anymore. They are still doing The Clinic, I worked on the last series and I also worked this year on the film 'Knockout' with Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbinder and Ewan McGregor (but I didnt manage to get any sneaky photos ) which was filming here and there were hundreds of extras there and they all seemed to be from backstage. I paid to join ages ago but my cousin was thinking about registering a few weeks ago and was told it is free to join now - they also have a website they are launching soon - it doesnt seem to be live yet but the page that is up (www.backstagecasting.net) also says it will be free to register.

MovieExtras.ie: Derek

Hi elleelle19

Sorry about the late response. In some cases it can be true, especially for featured roles, special extras etc. Though we would try and rotate people as much as possible on different productions so as to give people the experience.

It will very much depend on the scene, thus if it is a contemporary street scene, potentially anyone could be selected, whereas, if it is a very specific look, the casting person may choose artists that they know will fit the bill.

We are used by lots of different production companies and some of them would have their favourites due to the nature of the work (ie crime reconstructions), while with others, the scene may just require 'bodies', so anyone has a reasonable chance to be selected.

If you are called for something, the most important thing to remember is to be on time, to listen to any direction and make sure that you give a good impression. Reliability and being easy to work with are the most important factors with an artist.

Drop me an email to Derek@MovieExtras.ie and I can ask Don to look at your account and see if there is some way to improve it or if there is anything left out.

Cheers
Derek

Director
MovieExtras.ie
Ardmore Studios

vibrant

I have been thinking about joining movie extras for a bit of extra income now and then but, to put it bluntly, could you explain what one would get for their registration fee?

Also are there any upcoming shoots that would potentially increase our chance for getting extra work? I know that the Tudors etc use the service for casting.

Also, lets say someone got a day's work at the going rate, would Movie Extras take a fee out of that as well?

Thanks in advance....

MovieExtras.ie: Derek

Hi

MovieExtras.ie provides a database of extras, models and actors to the film industry. We have around 500 production companies and casting directors who can access people's profiles, we also provide a casting and booking service for productions, such as Fair City and Primeval.

For your fee, you get membership to MovieExtras.ie for a year. There is no guarantee that you will work from being registered, it will depend on what is required by production companies and your own availability. It is bit like a Golden Pages for extras.

We have been involved in most of the big productions over the last couple of years from The Tudors, to Breakfast in Pluto, ONCE. You can see a bigger list of the productions on our site. We also provide artists for adverts, some of them can be high paying (two people last year received €7,000 for their involvement) and also actors for minor roles.

We do hold monthly photoshoots, where people can get professional photos taken. Though, you do not have to attend these shoots to register as you can register online and upload your own photos (they can be taken with a digital camera).


Regarding whether MoveiExtras.ie takes a fee out of the day rate, it depends. To give you an example:

• With most drama and films where we provide casting, booking and payroll services, the production company pays us a fee
• Where we send people along to auditions or castings for acting / modeling roles, we take a percentage of the fee to cover our costs of casting and payroll
• Where a production company uses the directory to recruit, then we do not take a fee

Hope this answers your questions

Cheers
Derek

Darragh

Hi folks

If you have any questions about MovieExtras.ie, feel free to start a new thread or PM Derek from MovieExtras on his account.

Closing this thread now.

Darragh