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Working in TV Part 4

Getting Yourself Out There

By Jo WheatleyPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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Helping out on a friend’s first film ‘Shattered Minds’

Happy New Year to you.

Thank you for reading my journals up to now. Hopefully you have had a look at some websites and maybe even created yourself a profile. If you need further advice about that particular step then please feel free to get in touch.

There are an array of websites out there; just be wary of ones that make promises of guaranteed work with hotels provided and other lures to encourage you to part with some money. TV soaps NEVER put out adverts for supporting artists to be on them. There is a particular click bait site that pops up with disappointing regularity on social media, under a variety of names such as ‘TVTalent.’ The adverts always claim that Eastenders or Emmerdale or Coronation Street (depending on the region) are looking to recruit 100 or so extras. To have the best chance you have to register with them. THIS IS NOT HOW IT WORKS.

Each soap uses a selection of established agencies to supply their supporting artists. We generally work on a rotation system whereby we may be booked for a couple of days out on the square in Eastenders, then wait between 10 and 12 weeks before we are eligible to be booked on it again. The same rules tend to apply for all of the big profile soaps and recurring TV dramas.

There are the regular supporting artists whose faces you will see week in week out, drinking in the pub or manning the market stalls. They have built up to that point, being reliable and professional. Production and the agencies know that they are generally adept at going about their business in the background without distracting from the main action or bothering the actors in between takes.

This is not a guide to becoming a superstar, plucked from obscurity after being spotted for your charismatic purchase of a newspaper in the Cabin, or your beer sipping technique in the Queen Vic. You do not have to be a trained actor to be in the background; sometimes it is better if you aren’t (I will explain that contentious issue another day). It is a great way of working in a whole range of different roles, not having to remember dialogue, and potentially earning enough to make a living.

I know I am probably frustrating you with this baby steps approach. The thing is, the most difficult step to take is that first one. Build your confidence and your experience up gradually, and you will then see the momentum build up in the roles you are offered and the opportunities that come your way. You will feel at home out on set, you will understand what is expected of you, and you will get to know a whole array of people from different walks of life with whom you can share advice.

OK, Jo, stop pontificating and spill the beans, I hear you say. Alright then, here we go.

I have avoided naming agencies and websites deliberately for geographical reasons. Wherever you are reading this I would like to be as general as possible so anyone can benefit. Different agencies cover different areas, and different countries. One site that is a great resource to start out, wherever you are, is StarNow. I have advised against paying fees up front but I would definitely recommend subscribing to that particular website to get started and get your first taste of this work.

StarNow operates as a jobs board with paid and unpaid opportunities in all areas of the industry. Have a look through, learn to adjust the search options to those adverts relevant to what you think you would like to do. My entry into this came about through responding to an advert for supporting artists on a short film. I had my profile all ready, and applied to a few ‘expenses only’ adverts in my area. I didn’t feel confident enough to apply for paid roles at first; there is less pressure and more gratitude if you are giving up your time solely in exchange for travel expenses and lunch.

Try to apply for roles advertised directly by small production companies and film students. Generally there will be a friendly atmosphere and you will be welcomed as a valuable part of what they are trying to create. My first chance came within a week of creating my profile and putting some applications in. I was contacted via the built in messaging system by the assistant producer of a short film that was in need of supporting artists to play pub customers for a specific scene. Apply for roles that come naturally to you at first, and remember the advice I gave you in Part 3 about how to convince yourself that you CAN do this, because nobody needs know this is your first time.

I was thanked for my application, always a good start, and asked if I could possibly be available for filming the following 2 days at a location not far from where I am based. It was quite a shock for my applications to bear fruit so quickly. I confirmed that I was indeed available, and exchanged contact details in order for the call details could be sent to me later that night.

The call sheet came by text, as promised, with the time I was expected to arrive (call time), the address of the shoot (location), and a request to bring a selection of different outfits suitable for a pub customer (wardrobe/costume brief). It is only when these precious details have been received from production that you know you are confirmed and booked for that first day on set.

Go back to part 3, psych yourself up for what to expect, and in part 5 I will be addressing my specialist subject: the wardrobe brief...

To be continued.

Working on a student graduation film

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About the Creator

Jo Wheatley

Cheerful supporting artist in film and TV. Former zoo keeper and lifelong dog owner. Happy to give advice and support on anything.

Mother of 2 teenagers and 3 rescue dogs. Loose cannon and a maverick apparently, but very good at what I do.

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