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Film extras: What to take with you on the movie set

By Michael Stein


When you are an extra, there are a number of items that are really helpful for the work on the set. Since much of the hard work relevant to an extra is waiting, take all the stuff along with you to kill time or that makes the stay on the set more pleasant. Load it inside of a backpack and off you leave with the right preparation for an relaxed working day being an extra! As a result, listed below are the things that might be ideal for an extra:

Outfit: A very good tactic for clothing on the set is the onion method. This is extremely true if you find yourself on an outdoor shoot. Wear several layers of clothing (e.g. T-shirt, shirt, cardigan sweater and then an everyday street jacket) to respond to different weather conditions. Bear in mind a thin rain jacket in case of rainfall.

Heating pads: Especially in the winter this can be helpful. These are small plastic packages which were previously "charged" inside of a warm water bath. Arrived on a cold location, activate tiny warmer simply by bending a metal plate included in the bag - it is getting warm inside the pocket really fast. The pillow together with the stuffing is fully harmless as the pad can generate heat to 50 degrees Celsius. It costs round 3 each. Gloves are the ideal idea as a supplement or alternative.

Music: Ipod for music, audio books or podcasts, that you could hear through the breaks of a typical shooting.

Reading: Being an extra you have plenty of time for newspapers, magazines or text books.

Food: Bring some fruits, sandwiches and something to drink for yourself to the set. Coffee and tea are usually served by the production company on location.

Computer / Smartphone: Gadgets for internet reading, music, videos and maybe even a little game. Turn them off when you're filming!

Comfortable shoes: When possible, wear comfortable shoes, because extras almost always have to wait on the film sets a lot. The style of the footwear always rely on what role you play being an extra. So a policeman will hardly have the opportunity to appear with sneakers in the image. For such a role typically the shoes are provided by the production firm.

Garment bag: If you must bring your own clothes for your role (e.g. a dark suit for the shooting of an evening event), it makes sense to wear the clothes just on the set. In some cases you will be asked to bring diverse clothing styles (in this instance suits) to the set, to try out what best matches the role. For the transport of your dress a garment bag works best.

Pencil and paper: A pencil as well as some paper can be really helpful at the movie set. You actually pick up something about a new casting company from another extra. Just write it down!

List of things to do: In many times you might be waiting for the next shot at the set. And so why dont you use the spare time efficiently. For instance it could be useful to have a list of contacts that you already desired to call. So now is the time to work through this call to do list. Only call if this is permitted on the motion pictures set.

Foldable Stool: There's not always a place to sit down at the filmset. Especially when you find yourself as an extra on an outdoor shoot. Consequently a foldable stool might be very convenient for you.




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