I will do whatever I can to succeed in this industry however it is hard with three kids and bills to pay. I have no money for courses as my kids activities come first, if we have no money for a holiday we certainly don't have it for me. I have to learn through experience alone and as I need money that comes in the form of SA work. Now I've read countless articles on how if you become an extra you will never be an actor and I think that's rather unfair. I soak up any information I pick up from these jobs and have seen what it really takes to make a film/tv series. It certainly hasn't put me off, in fact it's made me hungrier to make it work as an actress. I will do unpaid work if it comes along and gives me a chance to learn and get myself out there but good old extra work does indeed help pay the bills. So don't forget the struggling actors out there who don't want to be known as only extras as we will do anything close to acting until we get there.
Acting : Learning while paying bills by Fiona Edgington
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Thx Fiona. I actually did a video about this on my site not long ago. Here is my take on it http://actorbasics.com/nurture-should-you-work-as-an-extra-in-los-angeles/. Thx for the topic and sharing your thoughts!
Fiona, there is nothing wrong with doing extra work. I agree, it is an excellent learning experience. I come from a theatre background, so being on a film set was a new experience for me. I learned a lot about on camera acting and how a set runs in general. Totally different than stage. And I got my SAG eligibility from being an extra. (Luck of the draw.) There is no harm in doing extra work, I would just not put it on my resume unless featured and identifiable.
I used to work as an extra while I was attending acting school. As Suzanne stated there is nothing wrong with working as an extra. Do what you can to survive, and keep going with your dream.
Hi Fiona, keep doing extra work because you never know: maybe you'll talk to the right person and I might change your career. I do all the extra work I can do on the side. I love seeing how the big named actors work and I soak up everything I can and put it into my own acting. Keep chasing your dream! All you need is one Yes! ;)
Thanks guys. Nice to know I'm not the only one doing extra work until the "big break" comes. :)
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Extra work is definitely great for making money and paying the bills, and of course learning how it is to be on set, networking, meeting people etc. I did it for a couple years and have met some really good people on set that I'm now friends with. The danger with it, and I'm sure you've seen this in other extras, is they get too comfortable and get stuck in it. You don't sound like that type AT ALL. So as long as you keep yourself driven and motivated to go beyond being an extra, great! I will say that when I made the decision to stop doing extra work and get a day job that worked nights and weekends (which paid less but kept my days open for auditions) that's when things started to change. I've since booked 3 TV shows, 2 commercials, and a movie. So my advice is do make a plan to leave it behind at some point, especially when you're at a level when you're getting auditions for TV/film/commercials, because extra work DOES get in the way of those auditions.