If you have a bit of free time on your hands, say on weekends or in the afternoon after your day job, and you’ve dreamed of being part of a movie production, you can try to find a gig as an extra. Unless you are a member of the Screen Actors Guild, you won’t make too much in this line of work, but a few days of shooting a month can provide you with that little extra cash that you need to get your finances in order.
Now, before you get your hopes up and start planning your Oscar speech, I should mention that this line of work is not for everyone.
A typical shoot can stretch on for hours on end, and you will be expected to stand around and repeat the same movements over and over again. You are basically adding a number of full workdays, physically demanding ones at that, to your schedule, and the work is not exactly stable – you can go a long time without an offer or get a couple of options during the same week.
It’s a bit of a gamble, and it is demanding, but it is also a decent side job overall, especially if you live in a bigger city where a lot of films and TV shows are shot.
