EXTRAS ::: NOTES ON FILM PT 2

Current mood: FOUGHTFUL
Category: FOUGHTFUL Movies, TV, Celebrities

Further thoughts and recollections of working in and artound the film business

So after my debut 'Extras' parts in Cashback had been and gone, I had this idea i might do some more of the same. Thing was, I'd met a couple of blokes when undertaking these debut acts, and both had suggested extras work could prove to be a helpful aid in paying the bills, and a great opportunity to learn about film...

Now, like I already said in pt 1, film had never really interested me up until that point, but after Cashback, i found I'd suddenly got a taste for investigating it. And so, as my nuclear non fiction writing appeared to be sinking deeper away, I thought that maybe it was time i looked into a change of media and a completely different set of creative horizons - that perhaps my interest in images and sound and words would be better served by working in the only medium apart from wank art that might fully accomodates all 3 urges at once???

So, I signed up to Shooting People and Talent Circle, did a few more extras jobs and strated to piece the whole thing together.

I'm hard pushed to remember the details of those early jobs now without looking them up. There was definately one shitty feature film called Heroes And Villans and together with one of my best friends Mike, I did 4 days in Clapham and 1 in Dartford on that one.

One thing that was immediately obvious in the film biz was that it's common for film people to work horrendously long days as standard, and Heroes and Villans was no exception to this rule. We're talking 12 hour days minimum.

Money is also tight. H&V paid a typically mingey (and illegal) £40 per day and despite the huge effort and though I've yet to see the finished film, I'm certain the finished project is pure fucking toss and rope.....

On a practical level, once commuting was added, there was really no time for sleep, particularly because I only ever see Mike for a few days a year and when we meet, we can never stop our discussions and ranting..

So, in order to get the best out of our time, we invested most of our fee in a load of Ecstacy, Speed, Wine, Beer and Spirits and stayed up for the best part of 4 days and 4 nights. Despite this intake, one night we faltered and got into 'work' 3 hours late, but it was OK and Mike then slept the entire rest of the morning - snoring like a horse.

Thing is the first thing you learn about Extras work is that it's about 90% waiting around doing nothing and having the same banal chats about who and what and where and why. It's endless cups of tea and coffee and finding things to do and say...

Whilst waiting for action on the last day of Heroes and Villans, we got into a 3 way chess championship with a Latvian. He thought he was some hot and clever shit, and he was pretty good, but he didn't count on Mikes battling skills, and was amazed and very put out to loose a game he should have won....


Anyway, after these first views of the process and value of film making, there were a few other things I noticed about the whole game...

They were:

Film sets are very hierachical and 'Extras' are at the very bottom of the film heap. Yes boss, I'm sure it'll be little surprise to know that 'Extras' are essentially treated like stupid furniture with a manner that has more false warmth than a 20ft high cardboard cutout of a raging log fire..

This so, many 'Extras' are archetypal losers

And most want to be actors and or Directors one day

As for the rest of the crew, with some exceptions and as Michael Caine ranted at (i think) the BAFTA awards a few years back, the whole film game in the UK is hopelessly and instituionally middle class.

As a result, the making of films is heavily overdone and could easily be so much slicker, neater and use far fewer people if those involved in it weren't so prissey about what they will and won't do (I'm Art Dpeartment I don't act!! I'm an Actor I don't do art!!).

This change will require genius organisational and political skills, but soon, with the aid of technology, someone will film day in day out with a crew of four people and the whole business will become a whole lot less inflated...

And lastly, most films, like most books and records are badly concieved, badly written and badly made crap. But as with all creative projects, it's the thought of being involved in the one that becomes timeless and beautiful, that keeps the junkies hooked...

Currently listening : Lazer Guided Melodies By Spiritualized Release date: By 29 October, 1996

04:32 - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	Madeleine	i have had the misfortune to work with people involved with film a few times and the 2 things they are always heavily, and i mean heavily involved in is film but more importantly themselves and their film careers. fassbinder said something about film being the only art form where you could be a total fascist and he was right. the third reich could have learnt a bit about top down structures from your average student film… Posted by Madeleine on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 14:16 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR	You're bang on.. Film people are completely obsessed with film - specifically their careers in film. I made the habbit of saying i wasn't really interested in film regularly in conversation when i started working in it.. I did this partly to say something different to what everyone else was saying, partly because it was true, and partly because i knew you couldn't get away with faking film knowledge and know how unless you were pretty and/or working in a higher position than as an 'extra'... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 15:26 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Madeleine	its important to express lack of interest definitely and the pretty thing well most film people apart from the top echelon are archetypically nerds or geeks or whatever word you prefer and that is a good thing. nerds and geeks fill the creative sectors always have always will thats why i love working in anything with inverted commas and the word creative. i'm a total nerd got beaten up at school and everything! life is designed that way - nerds/geeks get to seek revenge in film and ads and design and if they are stupid in art (no money!) Posted by Madeleine on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 14:37 [Remove] [Reply to this]

PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR

Yes. Nerds rule the world. The bullies are spent the year after they realise their 9-5 is their own personal funeraL. They pile on the pounds, drink themselves blind, get married because they don't what else to do and spend the rest of their lives moaning every time they see the geeky ones they used to bully on the tele... Well, most of them anyway - Liam Galagher seems to have got away with it... Posted by PAUL GIOVANNI 3RD : AKA : PIOUS THE UNPOPULAR on Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 14:55 [Remove] [Reply to this]