Chatgris Press

Movie Extra 101—Your Shortcut to Stardom. 2005, ISBN-13: 978-1-930554-05-4 (ISBN-10: 1-930554-05-2), 212 pages, 6" x 9", perfect bound soft cover $14.95

Gary Michael Smith

This book provides a wealth of hard-to-come-by information on becoming a film industry background actor. It is designed for both the novice wanting to be in his or her first film as well as the experienced extra wanting to know more about the industry. Movie Extra 101 guides the reader through the steps involved in finding jobs in films, what you'll need for casting companies, preparing for the actual shoot, and what to expect once on the set. Whether you’re new to the field of film extra 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. View an Author Views video on this book.

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 is a background actor and featured extra in New Orleans. He has appeared in made-for-TV movies and miniseries with such actors as Melissa Gilbert, Gerald McRainey, Queen Latifa, LL Cool J, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Dylan Neal, Lucy Lawless, and Martin Lawrence. He also has appeared in feature films with Minnie Driver, Eddie Izzard, Josh Lucas, Jon Voight, Christopher Lloyd, Zooey Deschanel, Sean Penn, Patricia Clarkson, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Kate Winslet. He also has worked in casting for such films as Glory Road (Jerry Bruckheimer/Disney) and All the King’s Men (Sony Pictures). See Mr. Smith's profile on the Internet Movie Database.

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