Chatgris Press

Movie Extra 101—Your Shortcut to Stardom. 2006, ISBN-13: 978-1-930554-05-4 (ISBN-10: 1-930554-05-2), 228 pages, 6" x 9", trade paperback, $14.95

Gary Michael Smith

Movie Extra 101 provides a wealth of hard-to-come-by information on working in the film industry. Besides the most obvious guidance on becoming a movie background actor, this rare book also provides invaluable information on taking it a step further into acting, whether or not you need an agent and headshots, and working on the other side of the camera as crew. You’ll learn about unions and well as the places to list and find jobs as cast or crew. An extensive list of industry terms is included as is a list of film commissions in every state in the U.S.

Movie Extra 101 is designed for both the novice wanting to be work in his or her first film as well as those more experienced wanting to make more contact in the industry. It guides the reader through the steps involved in finding jobs in television or feature films, what you'll need to work with production companies, preparing for the actual shoot, and what to expect once on the set or on location. Whether you’re new to the field or have many films, videos, or commercials to your credit, Movie Extra 101 provides much insight on finding work with production companies and developing long-lasting industry relationships.

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1 The Film and Television Industry

2 Finding the Jobs

3 Tools of the Trade

4 Preparing for the Shoot

5 On the Job

6 The Payoff

Glossary

Resources

Index

Appendix A—A Day in the Life of a Movie Extra

Appendix B—Memoirs of a Background Actor

Back Cover Author Bio: Gary Michael Smith has worked as cast or crew on nearly two dozen films, made-for-TV movies, and series with such actors as Jim Carey, Christopher Lloyd, Melissa Gilbert, Gerald McRainey, Queen Latifa, LL Cool J, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Dylan Neal, Lucy Lawless, Treat Williams, Martin Lawrence, Minnie Driver, Eddie Izzard, Josh Lucas, Jon Voight, Zooey Deschanel, Sean Penn, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Kate Winslet. See his profile on IMDB.

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