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Be a movie extra in Vegas
and swelter in heat all day
of TheColumnists.com
The middle-aged couple are from Dorset, England, visiting Las Vegas for the very first time. In bright floral Hawaiian shirts and newly purchased sandals, Vivian and Mark are clearly dazzled by the glitz of the Strip, the casinos’ opulent excess, and the endless opportunity to star gaze at whatever celebrities happen to saunter by.
The over-the-top glamour is everything
they expected, Viv says, but the desert temperatures are another
matter. Her fair British complexion is already blistered by the
furnace-blast heat that spikes into triple-digit temps before
they’ve even finished their breakfast.
“This weather is brutal,” Mark groans. “How can
people stand to leave their houses in this heat?” Gulping
down more bottled water, he shrugs. “If you’re wondering
why we’re doing this, ask the missus. It was her idea.”
Along with more than two hundred other excited tourists, Mark
and Viv have signed on as extras in the latest film being shot
on the Strip. They’ll be part of the crowd scene in an outside
location shot, virtually indistinguishable from all the other
extras jostled together, fidgeting with anticipation in the scorching
sun.
“This is the most exciting thing we’ve ever done,”
Viv gushes. “How often do you get a chance to be in a film?
I don’t care about the pay. If all we have to do is stand
around and watch movie stars, it’s worth it. Like getting
money for nothing, isn’t it?”
A good point, considering that the money earned by film extras
is barely enough to cover a nice dinner in one of the casinos.
And while the work might not be difficult, enduring the endless
delays in relentless heat will be. According to the casting assistant,
extras are signed on for the length of the shoot. For a single
scene, that could take as little as five hours, as long as twelve.
Since it’s the perfect shot that’s the goal, film crews
aren’t under any pressure to work quickly.
And even though the ‘time is money’ axiom is true for
the final film budget, it doesn’t factor in to the meager
pay of the cast of extras kept in queus for hours. It’s
only the film stars that have the privilege of languishing in
air-conditioned comfort until they’re required on the set.
The extras watch and wait. So far, no movie stars have been sighted.
For the past three hours, it’s only been the film crew that
scurries about, meeting, consulting, reconvening to discuss technical
issues. Lights are adjusted, filters modified, camera trolleys
positioned in an intricate cinematic ballet. As the temperature
continues to climb, one of the catering assistants pushes a cart
along the line of extras, passing out bottled water.
“How much longer?” Viv asks him. It’s been five
hours and counting now. Four extras have fainted, and still no
sign of a movie star. At this point, she’s wondering how
the thrill of celebrity-gawking balances out against the prospect
of heat stroke. Mark’s grousing gets louder in direct proportion
to his degree of discomfort, but still they wait.
Two more hours crawl by before the director calls for quiet on
the set. Now in position around a casino entrance, the extras
can barely make out the huddle of assistants who hustle someone
by, obscured by the protection of an extra-large umbrella. It’s
the movie star ready for his close-up.
“And........ACTION!” shouts the director.
Even standing on tiptoes, Viv can barely glimpse the trademark
blond-spiked hair. It’s impossible to hear his voice utter
the single line he has in this scene, or even see who he’s
speaking to. But less than a minute later, the director is yelling
“Cut,” the movie star is hustled away, and the scene
is finished.
As the extras are dismissed, Viv shakes her head.
“All that time waiting for 30 seconds of filming! And for
that the stars are paid millions?”
Along with the others, she and Mark line up again, this time
to collect the meager payment for their long day in the sun and
the closest thing to a Hollywood adventure this Dorset couple
will ever experience. Money for nothing.
©2006 by Gina Gallo. The cartoon is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA. This column first posted Aug. 7, 2006.
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