Room mate is going to show me the footage of the american idol footage. But he has confirmed i was shown on american idol in the background. I finally made the big time haha jk. I finally did it. This kind of made my day.

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> Room mate is going to show me the footage of the
> american idol footage. But he has confirmed i was
> shown on american idol in the background. I
> finally made the big time haha jk. I finally did
> it. This kind of made my day.

Congratulations on your first entertainment industry credit!

:)

[I earned my first credit when I was two or three, and I've begun my credits list with that credit ever since. One thing you learn early in the industry is: EVERYTHING counts!]

Alright so being in the background counts. Very nice haha. I finally achieved a childhood dream to actually be on the television and not just watch the television. Sounds sad i know. I looked up to actors i guess.

Be sure to link your imdb.com page. :-)

I hope they got your good side. How long were you on for? Were your crutches visible? ( In case it's on again , it'll make it easier to look for you)

My room mate has not shown me the footage yet so i do not know if i am standing with crutches or sitting down or laying down(it was a long day of filming, like 13 hours at least)

From what my roommate has shown me, he was the actual contestant there, I am sitting down and you can see the left side of my head and my crutches are upright in front of me. The crutches made it into the final cut haha. The crutches are now famous.

I hope your agent arranged for royalties.

I think that is why they forced us all to sign waivers before the filming began. So we could not do anything for being shown on television like suing or get royalties.

Thanks for remembering us little people.

I'm still a little people.

Although i admit if i ever get famous by chance that i would probably go toe to toe with the entire morg publicly. Its just something i see myself doing but until then its trying to live a real life somehow.

is there a link.? I missed it. :(

I missed it also. My room mate still has not shown me the footage. But i am definitely in the background he said. I made it!! I finally made it onto television in my lifetime. But in the background hahaha but still better than nothing.

Brad pitt and every 'church leader' that made it to the television screen can kiss my @ss haha. Just wanted to say that. I made it to the TV screen too.

Brad Pitt made it to the big screen, not TV. Plus, he got billings. You have a ways to go to make that comparison.

Very true. I do have quite a ways to go.

My room mate just showed me an image from the show. The side of my head and my crutches definitely was on television haha thats awesome. I made it to the big screen and so did my crutches. Oh yea. My first step to hollywood, being in the background.

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> Oh yea. My first step to hollywood,
> being in the background.

Gentle nudge: Please don't put down "being in the background." It is a genuine job (whether you receive payment for it or not).

There are disparate circumstances involved, but "extras" are very often paid jobs (even if they only last a day), and as I think I understand your situation, even if you actually were (by accounting standards) unpaid "atmosphere," those gigs have opened many an industry door to full careers for many people.

There are also a large number of often funny, human interest stories, such as either Nixon (the former president) , or his wife Pat, who (I think the story goes) worked their way through college with gigs as "extras."

I'm thinking of a specific MOW (Movie of the Week--means: film made for television) here, where one of the [female] stars of the film needed to provide certain essential plot and cast information for the audience--but in a way that didn't appear to the TV audience to be doing this at all. So, in the film, there is this large gathering of locals (they really WERE locals, almost to a person) for an important town occasion, and while the occasion is going on [in the background, the mayor of the town is greeting a mayor from across the Atlantic, and the mayor from across the Atlantic is giving an upbeat speech of good cheer, town-to-town], the two women are chatting in the foreground about [the important plot points].

Every person in that "gathering" was important (I don't know if they were paid).

Your appearance was undoubtedly, at least in some way, important as well. You contributed to that show, even if you were "only" "atmosphere."

Respect your "performance" (even if you didn't intend to be "performing"), because if it was part of the final edit of the show, then it was deemed important (or important "enough") by the production staff to keep in the final cut.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2020 12:04AM by Tevai.

I see. That does make me feel a little better that i was not cut out entirely. I was very surprised i was shown at all and i was not too far in the background. the camera was not too far from me maybe 10-15 feet.

It's cool to see yourself immortalized on the screen, big or small. I was in "Betrayed" for all of 4 seconds, but front and center. I love showing people the clip.

I don't think i have heard or seen betrayed. When was it made?

Ok i looked up the movie 'betrayed' and i was 5 years old when it came out so that makes sense why i have not heard of it. The 1988 movie right?

Yes..that's the one. I walk across the screen just over 20 minutes in dressed in a sherriff's uniform.

Haha now i am curious as hell to see the movie.

You were in that 1970s disco band, right? With the Native American and the construction worker?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2020 03:40AM by Lot's Wife.

The village people. I had the warrior paint and feathers.

Oh i thought you were talking about me in the village people. Ignore post.

Lethbridge Reprobate Wrote:
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> It's cool to see yourself immortalized on the
> screen, big or small. I was in "Betrayed" for all
> of 4 seconds, but front and center. I love showing
> people the clip.

Yay, LR!

It is wonderful fun to have that footage, and (in the future) to be able to show it to those who love you and care about you.

:D



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2020 04:54PM by Tevai.

Good f'n grief. It was a background shot. I was on CBS in the stands at a Broncos game for 5 seconds. And on ABC during the Indy 500. There's a ton of people on CNN, every day describing a tornado or car jacking. Give it a rest!

Tevai says it counts

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> Tevai says it counts

It DOES count.

It is one of your life achievements.

Definitely a life achievement. I have not seen the full episode yet but i guess it was the first episode of american idol that i am in the background.

Well then it's official. See you at the Emmy's.

Hahahahaha now that was funny.

Do you know the difference between the Emmy's and the Oscars?

Emmy's is for television and oscars are for movies. Correct?

Correct. The "Big screen" is not TV. It's the movies. You'll have to settle for being a star on the small screen.

Alright, but its better than no screen haha. Maybe the small screen will be a step towards the big screen and i will be in the background of a brad pitt movie. Why a brad pitt movie? Well i see him as one of the top dogs. Usually does really well in any movie as far as acting goes.

I'll see you there in 5 years. Step aside brad pitt, there's a new sheriff in town haha.

If you are serious about being in the movies or TV you can

get the job of being an extra. You can join the union , pay

your dues and Boom!!!! you'll be in the movies and TV.

My sister in law did it for a coupld of years. Any one

can do it, they need everyday looking people. You should

go for it if that's what you want.

I did not realize how much i wanted to be in movies and how much it made me happy until i actually made it on television in the background. I do love watching movies but i think i like movies more than the average person. I used movies as an escape and a thing to cope growing up. Always wanted to be a part of it. Don't i have to live in California or something or close to hollywood to be an extra?

I do seriously want to be in movies. Its no joke. Its kind of a long commute to hollywood from here to be an extra in movies. I think i was just lucky that i had a room mate that had enough talent to get to the part of american idol that was filmed. A lot of previous rounds are not filmed. You have to be pretty good to make it to the televised rounds. But yea would love to be in movies and maybe be an extra in a brad pitt film. He's in a few movies i really like so that is why i reference him.

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> Always wanted to be a part of it. Don't i
> have to live in California or something or close
> to hollywood to be an extra?

Not necessarily, especially if you live in an area were many films and TV MOW's are shot. If your area has a local film commission (a probably, local government financed, group whose purpose is to attract film production to your area--check with all of your local Chambers of Commerce, plural, for info), those local film commissions are working constantly to attract production companies to their areas.


> Its kind of a long commute to hollywood from here
> to be an extra in movies.

And a total waste of your financial resources, even if you WERE able to do this! ;)

> I think i was just lucky that i had a room mate that
> had enough talent to get to the part of american idol that
> was filmed.

Luck plays a major part in all sectors of the entertainment industry. This is why being a waitperson at certain restaurants (including some not-so-glamorous informal dining spots) is often such a sought-after job. Either because of location (the restaurant is near a studio, or is located where many people in the industry congregate or live), these can be prime places to "fit the profile" when the producers/the director/the writer are eating, and "you," the waitperson pouring their coffee, just happen to be exactly what they are looking for. There have been plenty of child stars whose careers began because the people living next door to their house are in the industry. I took a job as a maid/nanny once because the husband-and-wife team looking for a maid/nanny owned a boutique p.r. firm, with clients I KNEW I could sell stories about (with everyone's permission, needless to say)-- and I also figured I could possibly learn a ton of inside-the-industry, practical, stuff working for them--which I DID. That job led to the next step, and within a couple of years I was "where" I wanted to be: in a direct line to a credited staffer job in the industry (which I got, and where I wrote 1/3 of three different magazines every month--do you have any idea of how fast your credits list grows when you are writing the equivalent of all the articles in a given magazine every single month?).

Luck has ALWAYS been an integral part of the industry, so when it arrives, you take maximum advantage of everything you possibly can.

P.S. Best Advice You Will Ever Receive: Be nice to the broom closet lady, because she may be running the studio in a couple of years. People have very, VERY long memories in the entertainment industry (memories which often go back to now-deceased relatives, who--when they were alive--talked about who they worked with is/was mean, who to watch out for (both positive and negative "watching out for"), and who "you" can trust).

Connections (the person-to-person connections you will make along the way) are vital and can make or break a career, so make everyone your friend (or, at the very least, NOT your enemy)....know your lines if you ever get to say any on camera....take advantage of legitimate opportunities as they become available to you (and learn everything you possibly can)....and be a mensch to EVERYONE.

To start out, though: you need to locate your local film commission(s), you need to go over to where they are and talk to the people there, you need to learn when film companies are scheduled to film in your area, and then you need to connect with whoever is part of the producer's group who does the hiring of extras (who the film commission people might know from past experiences).

One credit will lead to another.

If you are able to help out the production in a way they need, volunteer (even if you don't get paid for your volunteer work). If they need someone to schlep something to another location, or from another location to the set, VOLUNTEER TO BE THAT PERSON! If they need someone to ride a horse from Point A to Point B in the background--volunteer!

Look.

Learn.

The chances are (if you handle yourself correctly, and if you live approximately in one of the many "right places") you can do it too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2020 11:21PM by Tevai.

You really think there would be a comission in a small town of 55,000? I would be amazed if there was a film commission here. But you are right, i do think that luck is a major factor or at least a big factor in the industry. I mean the head producer did take huge notice of me and same with other producers of just me going around a whole day of filming on crutches. He told me he had been watching me all day and told me "you are a trooper man". Maybe that means something, who knows? I was the only person there on crutches and that may have been memorable. Maybe?

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> You really think there would be a comission in a
> small town of 55,000? I would be amazed if there
> was a film commission here.

It may not be a town. It may be a region within your state, or your area of the country.

Either go over to your local Chamber of Commerce (which is preferred), or phone your local Chamber of Commerce, and ask them if there is a local film commission in your area. If there is, get the contact info: the person in charge, their phone number, their work address, etc.

Get to know that person, or those people. Ask them if they need help, if you can volunteer for them.

THEY will know about possible/probable/"for sure" film companies coming into town before it makes any news report. (Film commissions often do significant amounts of work, for free, for film companies--such as locating a particular kind of barn to use in the production--and they do this free work so that the film company WILL choose their area, and WILL come to town and spend, comparatively, enormous amounts of money which goes into the local community: restaurants, motels, transportation services, hiring extras, etc. Film companies are a totally beneficial gold mine for local communities: they pump money into multiple sectors of the local economy, and after the production has wrapped, they go away and leave behind everything they used either in the same condition, or actually improved in some significant and positive way.)

There IS (undoubtedly) a film commission which includes your specific area. Find that commission, and get to know those people. Keep in contact, and learn who MIGHT come to town, or who IS coming to town--and then you will soon be well on your way to notching up credits on your own credit sheet.

This whole credits thing is really interesting. And every credit counts no matter how small i think it is like being in the background of the american idol show. And all these credits add up to the point where a director could see my credit sheet and use me in a role that has lines in a movie?

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> This whole credits thing is really interesting.
> And every credit counts no matter how small i
> think it is like being in the background of the
> american idol show. And all these credits add up
> to the point where a director could see my credit
> sheet and use me in a role that has lines in a
> movie?

Listed credits won't necessarily "get" you a job [in most roles and capacities, you still have to audition (read lines from the script, etc.)....perhaps get photos taken in costume.... perhaps pass interviews with the producer, the director, writer(s) (maybe), the writer of the original novel or whatever (maybe)....or maybe you have to "fit" (into a casted "family," or with someone you're supposed to have a romance with), etc.]

What credits do is show, or indicate, that you are a pro ("professional"): you will report to the set on time, you will know your (scripted) lines every single day of filming, you won't punch the director because you think he's a SOB, and so on.

The more genuine credits you have, the safer you are to be cast in the role (because, if you weren't a pro, people wouldn't keep hiring you).

Every production has a calculated cost-per-minute or cost-per-hour figure that the producer(s) and the director are excruciatingly aware of--and some of these are really crucial.

(I have posted before about "Terror at London Bridge," where the daily production times were inadvertently calculated to Los Angeles time, instead of Havasu, Arizona time, and how much of a nightmare this became for everyone because so much of the production had to be done during the night darkness, and Arizona, at that time of year, is mostly bright daylight, with just a few dark night hours. If a shot was messed up by ANYTHING, reshooting took precious minutes which were literally irreplaceable--and the producer and the director were both directly in the line of fire so far as their own continuing reputations went.)

Legitimate industry credits on a credit sheet say: I know how to behave, and when I am working, I DO behave, and I AM a professional--and if I am selected for this role, no one will lose money, or go over budget.

After at least some credits, your literal credibility as an industry professional rises, so you increasingly aren't so much of a potential danger to all the other pros involved in that production (most especially the director and the producer).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2020 01:55AM by Tevai.

Oh i see. Man, a lot more goes into all this movie making tben i ever realized.

Just realized it costs money for someone to find me extra roles.

Warrior71783 Wrote:
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> Just realized it costs money for someone to find
> me extra roles.

Find them yourself.

You start at your local film commission (which may be REALLY "local," or a state film commission).

Alright i'll have to find them myself. I can't afford to have someone find them for me. Figure out how to find the chamber of commerce. Is the chamber of commerce at city hall?

Warrior71783 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alright i'll have to find them myself. I can't
> afford to have someone find them for me. Figure
> out how to find the chamber of commerce.

Google: Chambers of Commerce in [name of state, or possibly name of neighboring state(s)]

Google: film commissions in [name of state, or possibly name of neighboring state(s)]



> is the chamber of commerce at city hall?

Maybe possibly, at least in some areas, but not likely (I don't think).

The reason is that a Chamber of Commerce is a private, definitely NON-governmental, organization of businesses specifically intended to assist private, profit-earning, activities....while offices in City Hall are public properties, government owned (and government financed) by taxpayers.

Even if you can easily obtain the film commission information from Google, if it were me, I would definitely go talk to the Chamber of Commerce people first. They know a lot of stuff--and if they share some of that valuable knowledge with you, you will be wiser, and much better prepared, than would otherwise be the case.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2020 01:58PM by Tevai.

To be honest i didn't even know what the chamber of commerce even did, now i have some idea. I thought they were a government operation of some kind.

Well i'll be dang there is a chamber of commerce close by.

What saucie says is true.

Google: Is there a union for film extras?

Read everything which comes up.

Remember: there will very likely be initiation fees which will need to paid--and very possibly a minimum which exists on the work which you must do over a period of time to keep your membership current, so you need to find out what the financial obligations to you are, and also what requirements must be met in order for you to keep your membership current.

Would you be happy as a voice actor ? It seems to me that you have a good “radio voice.”

I think so. I actually pay attention to how good the voice over work is in an anime i watch. I think i would enjoy doing voice over work for like japanese anime or something like that.

I would actually like to be a part of the funimation team that does the voice over work to english of popular japanese anime. Good voice over work of a character can make an impact trust me on any viewer. Mark hamill(luke skywalker) does the voice over work for the animated joker. Pretty cool huh.

What fun! My claim to fame is a shot on an episode of Dancing With the Stars where they were doing the introduction for one of the celebs. The show also interviewed me, but my interview was cut in favor of a friend's interview.

Wait, you were trying to become a contestant on dancing with the stars?