In other words, pursue extra work on a continual basis? Not if you want to act. Too time-consuming, for one thing. The hours spent registering with the casting agencies, calling them for work, etc., are time taken away from your acting career. Even days spent on a set are wasted except for the paycheck and general knowledge. Networking is difficult and probably not too smart, because, in contrast to New York, where actors go back and forth from acting to extra work with little career damage, in L.A. you're in danger of getting labeled as an extra. That'll do for your career what a heavyweight boxer can do for your stomach.
"When you do extra work, stay in the background," suggests one actor. "Don't be in too much of a hurry to get your face on the screen or to meet the director. If so, they'll think, 'Why should I hire and pay him as an actor if I can get him for what I pay an extra? And, if he's a serious actor, why isn't he pursuing his acting career?'"
Still want to do it? Okay, if you're a paid-up member of AFTRA, send or drop off your photo and resume to their extra file. Producers and casting directors of AFTRA shows constantly call AFTRA looking for extras. Next, register with any or all of the union casting agencies (union work pays more) that handle extra work. You don't have to be a member of the Screen Extras Guild (SEG) or any union, and these casting agencies won't charge you to register.
Provided you're not a member of any union and are really hot to do extra work, proceed on to the non-union agencies. Some will charge you a registration fee, others won't. Only you can decide if paying their fee is worth it. You're not going to be buying lobster thermador on what you make on a union job, and you're pushing it buying hamburgers on non-union wages.
Whether any casting agency will want you to bring or mail a photo and resume depends on the agency. Some say to call first, but you'll have as much luck getting through as you do calling a cable company. Just go and tell them you've gotten nothing but busy signals.
"You'll see wives, girlfriends, fathers of everyone from the cameraman to the make-up artist being extras," says one extra. "There's a lot of politics involved. An electrician says, 'Hey, how about my brother?' to the assistant director, and bingo."
If you're asked to do something like rollerskate, ride a bike, play football, etc., that's a "special ability," and you'll get paid slightly more. If you're a bartender in the show and the star asks you to pour him a drink, that's a "silent bit," and you'll be paid even more. And if you're asked to shout, "Hang him!" you'll be upgraded to a "day player" on the spot.
Finally, we've already touched on the pecking order on any set, but we'd like to remind you again that extras are at the bottom. As television stage manager James Hamilton observes, though, "It's too negative to say extras are always treated like dirt. It depends on the stage manager/assistant director. If he's smart he'll treat extras with respect if for no other reason than they'll be more likely to give him what he wants."
But if you're thinking extra work is an easy way to make a living, listen to what Roy Wallack, past president of the Screen Extras Guild, has to say: "Working as an extra is very tough. Actors have agents, but extras don't. It's work getting work. I would say, of 100 people who start out doing extra work, at the end of a year you'll probably have ten or fifteen left. It's really a rough, rough type of business."
MODELING
Kinds of modeling-work:
- High-fashion/runway: Better be a knockout who's very photogenic. With the "greying of America," age for women has become slightly more flexible, with some models still working at the ripe old age of 45. Still, the bulk of the work goes to young women (16 to 21). For men there is now virtually no age restriction, but, again, more jobs go to the young (18 to 22). Women also need to be at least 5'9" and wear a size 6 or 8 dress. Men must be about 6' and wear a size 40 regular suit. "A good barometer," says actress Donna Allen, who models and teaches modeling, "is the cover of Cosmopolitan. You'll notice there's a healthy, athletic look - anorexic is out. Today females are permitted to have breasts and hips - as long as they're in proportion."
- Print: Includes anything printed for advertising purposes - billboards, magazine ads, etc. The bulk of the work goes to high-fashion models, but you can possibly make a few dollars regardless of your "look," size, weight or age.
- Commercial: Non-speaking modeling "roles" on commercials. You can be anything from cute to pretty. Even older and more "real" types occasionally get work.
- Parts of the body: Got luscious legs? Handsome hands? Fantastic feet? Totally titillating teeth? Lush, languorous lips?
- Industrial: Includes demonstrating products at trade shows, fairs, department stores, supermarkets, and so forth. If you can be cheery, perky, and get along well with people you'll have a shot. If you're a young, beautiful, sexy lady to boot, your chances are better. There's little work for men. None for grumps.
Wherever you are, the way to start is to send your headshot or composite - even a snapshot will do in this case - to agencies that do modeling and/or print work. Here are only a few to get you started:
- Nina Blanchard
- East-West Model Management
- Elite Model Management
- L.A. Model Agency
- Alese Marshall Modeling & Commercial Agency
- M.A.X.
- Joan Mangum Agency
- Pacific Artists
- Privilege Talent Agency
- Wilhelmina Artists' Representatives
Enrolling in a modeling school isn't a requirement either. If you're model material you'll get a lot of "on-the-job" training.
Obviously, the kind of money you'll make will depend on the kind of work you do and how well you become known. For a "star model," the sky's the limit.
In the end though, modeling is still a young person's game. And, as Karen DiCenzo puts it, "In most cases, models turn into actors. Actors rarely turn into models."
