How do movies get background people?

How to become a movie extra

• Research talent agencies. Visit casting websites to vet various talent agencies.
• Take a high-quality headshot.
• Sign with a casting agency.
• Submit your work authorization documentation.
• Begin work as a non-union extra.
• Become a SAG-AFTRA member.

How much do background people get paid in movies?

How much do background actors get paid? The national average salary for a background actor is $40,698 per year, and a common rate for a day of work is between $100 and $200.

Are people in the background of movies actors?

These people are called “extras” and they’re generally actors just like the stars of the film. Depending on the film and the budget, they get a stipend for the day. It can be anywhere from US$100 to $500 a day, but no one gets rich off it or makes a living that way.

How much do background characters get paid?

According to SAG’s rate sheet, background actors for television typically get paid $167 for eight hours and $177 a day for those with a “special ability.” If background actors are asked to wear multiple costumes then they could get a pay bump.

What is a background actor in a movie?

Movies or TV shows can include scenes in bars, offices or street corners, and there are all kinds of places that normally require people in the background to make the scene believable. Studio production companies hire people as background actors. A background actor is another word for a stand-in actor or an “extra.”

Do people actually work in the background of movies and TV?

Most of the people you see in the background of a film or TV show have other jobs and are just doing extra work for fun. “I didn’t do it because I saw it as some backdoor into acting or anything,” says Jason Feifer, who was an extra in a scene of the 2004 film Jersey Girl. “But there are definitely people who do that.”

When did they start calling actors background actors?

From the beginnings of the film industry until the early 1990s, background talent were most often referred to as extras. In 1992, when the primary extras union merged with the Screen Actors Guild, extras began to prefer the term Background Actor.

How hard is it to become a background actor/actress?

Earning a living as a background actor/actress is extremely hard, although not impossible. Most companies pay something close to minimum wage for non-union background actors/actresses. Background actors/actresses who are members of a union get paid on a higher scale which is set by the unions.