Acting : Budgeting Extras by Tony Glaser

they usually get a day rate of $75 per day.

I think being up front is the most important. Say for example, "We are an ultra low budget feature. Looking for extras. We are able to pay $75 for a 10 hour day. Let us know if you are interested." Then people can decide for themselves.

That was definitely my second option. I wasn't far off. Thanks Joe!

Thanks Doug! Good thing I wasn't going crazy.

my mother and step father do extra work in NYC. They are retired. They like to do it. Some people like to do extra work and if they know the fee up front they are happy to be there.

Depending on what exactly you need. $15000 doesn't stretch very far. If it's a feature film then I doubt you would have any money left to pay for extras.... What I sort of see here is that you have not created a budget where you ask how much do I need to make this film. If you had of course you would have found out the cost of everything before coming up with your figure of $15000. For instance $15000 equates to just 200 extras at $75 a day, but in reality you also have to feed them, pay for cast and crew... Locations insurance etc. and the likelihood is that you have nothing in the pot to pay extras

If of course it's a short pay the going rate...

if it's a feature, you still may not need 200 extras. how far you can stretch your budget will depend somewhat on where you are shooting. some places have fewer permit requirements, and permit costs. you can find free locations. if you're shooting in Hollywood, you have to pay everyone exorbitant prices to get anything done. but I see you live in Houston, so you can shoot a lot cheaper. if you don't have A-list names attached, you won't have to come up with $20 million for your lead... saying that you CAN'T have extras because your budget is only $15k is not accurate. it depends on what you're shooting and where. 1408 was shot in a room with a couple of actors. it cost a lot because John Cusack. other than that, it was very inexpensive to shoot. try shooting something like that with local actors, and one outdoor scene, and you need very few extras, even if it's a feature. it's not whether it's a feature or not. it's what you're shooting, where, and with whom, and how many extras do you need?

I have made a budget for everything I need. My crew work are all close friends and are working for free. I have all the equipment I need as well. So paying my 30 extras is definitely in my budget along with everything else I need. 75 a day is not a problem especially with food. The rest is prop and wardrobe money.

And it's about a 30 minute short film.

it's great that your friends agreed to work for free, but if I were your friend, and I'd agreed to work for free, and then found out you were paying strangers to hang out in the background, I might not be too happy with you. pay your extras $25 a day, and split the rest of what you would have paid them between your crew members. you don't have to tell them you're doing that. let it be a surprise. but they'll be grateful. even gas money is better than no money. everybody on the project deserves to be paid. if you have the money, you should be paying them.

if you're going to have people work for free, interns, PAs, and extras are the bottom of the totem pole. let them work for free to gain experience. pay your cast and crew whatever you can, if you can

Joe I was trying to illustrate how quickly $15000 can go on extras when paying the going rate... Tony if your friends are aware of the fact you intend to pay the extras and not them, then that is a very honourable thing to do, but as joe points out if they are not aware some might become a bit peeved with it if they were to find out. I'm a great believer that you should create the budget for your film at the correct cost of making it, including paying cast and crew their true value, Then add a contingency fund. (Usually around 10%.). If you don't raise enough you look at how you can reduce costs. This might mean that you get people to work for free, locations for free, but it also might mean alterations to the script. Best of luck hope the shoot goes well.

So you guys are saying that if you are going to do this, it's best to be upfront with the people who are getting less or not getting paid at all? Sorry to butt in in the middle of a conversation, just know of someone in a similar situation.

I'm saying its always good to be upfront. You can say that you are on a very small budget. That you are looking for people that want to be a part of a creative project. You post the exact number you are offering and the hours you anticipate needing them. Then the person can decide. There are people that do it for the money. They will not be interested. But some people will want to do it. You feed them, and treat them with respect. Every step of the way. But its all about the communication.

Yes, yes, yes, always be honest and up front about everything. no surprises. no pissing people off because they found out through the grapevine. if people are willing to work for free, you can offer them something on the back end, but then you'd better be doing something to make sure the film makes money. there are all types of distributors and distribution strategies, but do something. I have a friend who spent $25k on a film and made $300k back, and it went straight to DVD. have a distribution and marketing plan.

Ir you can feed the extras and don't pay them, be upfront and tell them you are in a very tight budget, but do feed them like the rest of the crew. I've done that in LA and in Mexico

Yeah, low budgets usually just pay extras with food and coffee. There are definitely those out there willing to work for free.....those who are new to the biz, fresh out of school just looking to start getting experience being on a professional set.......I even did it when I was just starting out.

Yes, but FEED THEM WELL. don't leave them in a dark corner and ignore them. make sure someone is there to take care of them. make them feel an important part of the project. I was in charge of extras on a project, and they gave them little cups for their water. like those little catchup cups, tiny. it was insulting. they were standing in a damp, dusky, and dusty basement. no actors or action was going on down there. it was awful. and they stayed down there for most of the day. I felt awful and made some changes, as I could, bringing them regular cups and more food... but they were already insulted, and that's not good PR. don't ever do that. please, don't ever do that. especially if they're working for free. these extras were paid, but that's no excuse. treat everyone on your set with respect

Oh they know, it's a mutual agreement between it. We're a tight team and this time it's my turn to produce and direct a film. We work for free on each others movies all the time. I wouldn't not tell them I wasn't going to pay them. If we have to bring in more crew I will definitely be taking care of them. Good food is also in the budget. We're going to be at a nice house and a nice bar with some catering.

I wouldn't screw over people like that if that's what you guys thought I meant lol

Cool. as long as everyone is aware. that's the way to do business. sounds like you knew that

Sorry so late to comment. My name is Maria and I've been a Internet Reseacher/Fact Finder and Writer for almost 20 years. But I think I came across a project on extras. Non-union vs Union. Also interns. Who don't get paid. Students. You might want to check into that.