The Social Behavior of Extras

Required to obtain most of their information through rumors, extras are frequently seen whispering amongst themselves. Reserved at first, they quickly realize that the only people who will talk to them are other extras. By the end of the first day, the cliques were formed. The extras playing cops hung out with their fellow officers; the bartenders and waiters traveled in a pack. All of the people playing parents and grandparents stationed themselves at the chaperone table to counter the naughty teenager antics of the rest of us. This sorting out naturally occurs because people crave the company of those who have been through similar experiences. It is a relief to compare notes, evaluate our behavior, and share stories. Kind of like group therapy, only without the disturbing personal details.

Working in film and television has been described as a “Hurry up and wait” environment. If you will be in front of the camera, you are expected to have your hair fluffed and your face de-shined so you can act on a moment’s notice. An impressive amount of steady grooming was a popular activity. Sometimes the hair and makeup team would provide touch ups, and at other times we groomed each other like apes in a nature documentary. Shoulders were brushed off, flyaways were tamed, and no one had a problem with virtual strangers leaning over to wipe a smudge off your cheek. All our lives we are told it is rude to fix your hair at a table where people are eating, but this was routine for the actors. Each time the director yelled “cut” the hair and makeup people stormed the set from all directions like a team of product-wielding gypsies. I went through a month’s worth of lip-gloss the first day alone.

Some people took on the role of nurturer, asking everyone how they were feeling and providing diversions to pass the time. Several of the men behaved like hunters, returning from craft services with snacks to share. One woman (ahem) seemed to have all the stuff everyone wanted, like tissues, aspirin, and a mirror. There was a male extra who became the self-appointed director-to-extras translator. If they would shout “rolling” for us to quiet down, he would lean in the room and repeat it to us.

Because we were filming a rehearsal dinner scene over two days, we had to wear the same clothes and accessories. On the second day of filming, it looked like a Walk of Shame Convention. Photos were taken on the first day to ensure continuity down to the smallest wardrobe detail. This is where I was grateful to be wearing my own clothes, because the fit was comfortable and I knew everything was clean. Even the most dignified people rightfully feel crusty after 30 hours spent in the same outfit.

During a scene where everyone was leaving a party, the extras had loosened up and began to improvise. In the South, people like to hug on each other, and so we went for it. It must have looked creepy on camera, because after a few takes we were banned from hugging. So much for making it look like a realistic Southern wedding.

I had a wardrobe malfunction to contend with. During one particularly...frisky hugging session, a guy accidentally elbowed me in the back, causing the hook on my dress to pop out and the back of my dress to flap open. I kept going, hoping the dress wouldn’t expose more than my back, and thankfully I didn’t flash the camera. My partner for that scene remarked that most guys have to struggle to get hooks on women’s clothes undone, but this dude had a smooth elbow move that got quick results.

As the time passed, self-consciousness started to melt away. One guy actually changed his pants in the tent where we waited. During filming, we weren’t allowed to see what our “acting” looked like, so it became easy to forget the cameras were there. We started improvising imaginary traits and back-stories for our characters, making up our own world of dramas. In a way, we had more creative control than the actors over our facial expressions and use of props, since we got very little feedback. Save the cringing and self-loathing for later; but for now, I think this was fabulous!