Extra

Extras are usually silent characters who, alone or with others, help give life and credibility to a scene in a television, film, commercial or theater production. Extras do not act or are obviously integrated into a plot, but they reinforce the main action in a scene in the background. Extras are not to be confused with the role of silent actors, because actors tell the story from the leading perspective.

In a professional production, extras are cast, booked, supervised, fitted and directed by the assistant director or, in larger productions, by the 2nd assistant director. The director usually has little to no contact with extras, he/she concentrates on the actors.

Extras often have long waits in a sometimes not-too-comfortable environment

An example of a task for extras would be a scene in a square where a dialogue takes place between two main characters in the film. The focus is on the dialogue, of course, but in the background we see a market full of life and movement, visitors at stalls, people shopping, vendors selling flowers and vegetables, someone walking a dog and someone passing by on a bicycle. All of this requires good preparation, timing, and the ability to not "overact." In addition, the assistant director or 2nd assistant director has to make sure that the background works accurately, that the connections fit in the edit so that, for example, the same cyclist doesn't ride through the frame twice from left to right.

What does it mean to be an extra?

Extras often have long waits in sometimes not too comfortable environments. Scenes may have to be shot several times, or they may have to wait for certain weather conditions, shooting in the middle of the night, in the middle of winter, or in the rain. So extras need to be patient and understand that a scene in a television or film production or a rehearsal for a play can take many hours. Of course, there are breaks, meaning opportunities to drink, eat or warm up. What you can do is show up in a good mood and on time, focus on the task at hand, and be disciplined. Pack a pair of comfortable shoes, a book, or a favorite snack so you can relax, stay busy, and treat yourself during breaks!

Extra, actor or in between?

Unfortunately, some casting directors use the term "advanced extra" when applying for smaller acting roles, in order to circumvent the Theater Association's collective agreement with the industry, and thus avoid paying actors' salaries. StagePool distances itself from the term "advanced extra" in that we discourage casting directors and employers from using the expression in their advertisements and that the term does not exist as a profession in our system. However, we do not want to prohibit these advertisements in our system as it must be up to both clients and employees to decide which conditions are acceptable and which are not. The Theatre Union has a responsibility to close the loopholes in the collective agreement.

Source: StagePool, Nationalencyklopedin, Wikipedia.