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Working on Movies is Extra Cool

Amy Nygaard has been on some super cool sets like Scooby Doo working as an extra.

Scooby Doo Movie

For all you peeps who are dying to break into the "industry" but just haven't been discovered in line at McDonalds - we've got the 411 on how to do it. Instead of waiting around for something to happen, those of you caught by the acting bug have to get out there and show the world what you're made of. That's what Amy Nygaard did and it's paid off. Find out how you too can become a movie extra!

How Do You Become an Extra?

The cool part about being an extra is you don't have to have any formal training to do it. Casting directors look for peeps of all ages, depending on what they are working on and, right now, young people are in high demand (that's you!) But it's not as easy as just showing up on set and working. Amy says that all extras need an agent who will then tell you about the parts you can go for.

Getting an Agent

Agents are not easy to get. You're going to need to throw together a portfolio and start hitting the pavement, handing it out to any agent you can think of. Your 'rents have got to help ya out with this because they should like and trust your agent. In your portfolio you'll need head shots (which cost between $200-500,) a five-minute demo tape (which shows you acting a bit,) and a resum�. This is where having training helps. While you don't need to have formal training, it will help you acquire an agent cuz there's a lot of competition out there.

Amy spent four years in film school and recommends taking individual courses at local acting schools if you can't afford (or aren't ready,) to go to film school full-time.

A Day in the Life of an Extra

Being an extra is never the same everyday. One day you could be playing an alien, the next a dead creature, or maybe a kid in high school. Amy has been an extra for two and a half years now and has worked on a ton of cool sets. She's been on Smallville, in I Spy, It's a Guy Thing, with Julia Stiles and most recently has been working on Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed and Ben Affleck's flick, Paycheck.

Click here for more from Amy about the coolest extra perks and how much a movie extra can rake in!

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