Chef Lee
Although on rare occasions one might wind up being somewhere and somehow join in the background of a show, in most cases, the shoot is set, well planned, and no accident.
The director has an image of what he wants and if you don’t match, you’re not there.
On rare occasions an Extra becomes a ‘regular’. This is the police station and these Extras are just to be there. The Director wants ‘familiar’ faces.
On most occasions it is a one off.
Many Extras have appeared in hundreds of different shows, from Hit movies to hit shows. But you won’t notice. Either they are blurred in the background, so far back one can’t really see them, and they often look different each time.
Sounds like a fun experience.
It is not so much fun sometimes…
I have often thought it might be fun to be a film extra, but have never done so – at least, not knowingly!
They are not supposed to use footage they haven’t paid for
That cannot always be avoided – a general street scene, such as a panorama of Paris or New York, cannot avoid including many people who are milling about. It would be unreasonable for the producers to be expected to track down every single tourist and pay them a fee.