It’s October, that can only mean one thing, Halloween! This year instead of looking at our favourite horror films, we are looking at the scariest part of being a Supporting Artist. So, lock all the doors, don’t watch any strange video cassettes or play with any board games you don’t remember owning and prepare to be chilled to the bone by Uni-versal Extras’ "Terrifying 5 Scariest Parts of Being an Extra!"
In this post, I'll be your guide to the ghoulish side of Extra work as we journey through the vault of uni-versal Extras' horror stories.
The Alarm Clock Rang at 3am!
As a Supporting Artist, you could find yourself being woken up by an ominous screeching in the middle of the night, it’s an alarm clock! Time to get up and face the day! Filming can start very early and this means you’ll have to be up and travelling at some very unsociable hours.
If I haven’t chilled your soul yet, let's press on.
The Dreaded 'Pencil'
After speaking to our lovely Casting Team, you may find yourself in the limbo state of the ‘Pencil’. While you wait for what sometimes may seem like a lifetime, our Casting Team has passed your details on to the Production for them to make their decision on who to book. During this time, avoid the temptation to agree to other commitments, be patient. If something else comes up, call us, don’t lose sleep over it, we don’t bite.
Oh, we have a brave reader, maybe the next instalment will be your undoing
The Text is coming from Uni-versal Extras!
Once the 'Pencil' status is over, you receive your judgement! Production’s decision is final - If you are booked, we will call you, if Production decides not to film with you, you will receive a text message to let you know. We know it can hurt when this text comes, but it’s most likely Production just didn’t need as many people as those we had available. Nothing sinister, we promise!
Reader, you are holding up well against the terrifying tales I’m telling you. Maybe the next one
Quiet! They’ll hear you!
When working as a Supporting Artist, you must be prepared to spend a lot of time being silent! You’ll be expected to act like everything is normal but without making any sound at all. No-one wants to be heard by the Sound Department, unless you have been given dialogue, of course!
You have fared well, Reader, but beware
Nothing is as it seems
The skilled people who make films and TV are well versed in the act of ‘Glamour’, the magical ability to make somewhere look completely different. So be warned, skilled wizards have created the illusion of the lovely sunny day on a tropical island. In reality, you could be standing in a car park in Slough! Remember to protect yourself with thermal underwear for winter and sunscreen and a bottle of water for the summer.
Well, it seems you have the nerves of steel required for the life of a Supporting Artist!
So that rounds up our count down of the scariest part of being an Extra or Supporting Artist. If you want to face these challenges, make sure you have logged into your profile and updated all your details so our Casting Team can find you suitable roles.
From all of us at Uni-versal Extras, Happy Halloween!