This month’s feature is about movies and television shows that were filmed locally. Through the years, many of our neighbors have appeared as “extras” in movies that were shot in the Golden Isles. Extras, also known as background artists, are the people you see in the background of a scene. They frequently appear in crowd scenes such as a restaurant, bar, or sporting event. As anyone who has been an extra on a movie set will attest, the hours are long, with a lot of standing around waiting. And the pay isn’t exactly movie star wages. Most extras earn around $45 per day, which can run 10-12 hours. But, of course, no one does it for the money. They do it to experience the magic of movie making. Lucky extras may get upgraded to what’s known as a “featured extra,” which usually means standing next to one of the stars of the film. I actually got fired from a movie once for trying to go from a featured extra to a speaking role.
As an extra in a movie, there are two basic rules: 1.) Do not ever look at the camera, and 2.) NEVER, EVER talk to the star actors! In 1992, I was living in Atlanta while the movie Freejack, starring Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was being filmed. I got a part as a featured extra, playing a young executive of a company that was a big sponsor of a race car driver played by Emilio Estevez. In the scene, I was supposed to stand next my “boss” and Estevez while the two actors spoke their lines. When Emilio walked up and was introduced to my boss, I was just supposed to shake his hand. Instead, I shook his hand and said something like, “Nice to meet you.” Luckily, the director didn’t catch my little ad lib and they continued shooting the scene. Unfortunately, one of the ADs (assistant directors) did catch my indiscretion and I wasn’t asked back.
David as Extra in Freejack
With more and more movies being filmed here, I thought I’d give a couple of pointers on how to get your face on the big screen:
1.) Do not ever look at the camera.
2.) NEVER, EVER, EVER talk to the star actors!
Sounds familiar, right?!
Eventually, I did get an actual speaking role on the TV show, In The Heat Of The Night. I was thrilled—until I got the script and read my first line: “Daddy’s gotta hit the john, then we’re outta here.” Not exactly the on-screen debut I’d hoped for. Maybe I should have remembered Rule #2!
