Expert: Phil Nemy - 11/28/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello:

If someone wants to be an extra, background talent, in a motion picture produced by Disney or the Hallmark channel, what would this individual need to do?

Do the Disney and Hallmark companies have their own casting departments for extras?

I thank you for your reply.

ANSWER: Kenneth,

Thanks for writing. Disney and Hallmark do employ their own casting departments, but not for extras. Extras are cast by extras casting companies like Central Casting.

You can ask a casting company not to call you unless the project is a Disney or Hallmark production, but I suspect that they would think you were crazy and probably never call you.

Hope this helps.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Phil




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Phil:

I want to thank you for your reply. I do have a follow-up question.

Why would the casting company think that I was "crazy" for wanting to be in Disney or Hallmark productions?

Suppose an extra does not want to be in a raunchy "R" rated movie.


I thank you for your reply.

Answer
Kenneth,

I appreciate that you might not wish to be associated with "R" rated or raunchy films. Unfortunately, most extras casting companies have not read the screenplays for which they are casting. They only receive very brief descriptions of the character types needed for a particular day of work, such as 5 cops, 3 students, 4 adults, etc. They have no way of knowing if the scene is considered "raunchy" or not, nor could they possibly know what rating the film will receive. Ratings for films are not given until long after photography has been completed.

So if you were to ask this question, they'd realize you're a neophyte in the industry, and might possibly consider you naive or too troublesome to consider for work. I'm not suggesting that this WILL definitely occur, but it might,

Hope this explanation helps you better understand my point.

Good luck!]

Phil