When you are an extra, there are a few items that are very helpful for the hard work on the set. Due to the fact that a lot of the work of an extra is waiting, take all the stuff with you to kill time or that makes the stay on the set more pleasant. Stuff it inside a back pack and off you leave with the right preparation for an relaxed working day being an extra! Therefore, listed below stuff that can be helpful for an extra:

 Clothing: A good tactic for clothing on the set would be the onion method. This is often especially true when you are on an outside shoot. Wear several layers of clothing (e.g. T-shirt, shirt, cardigan sweater and then an everyday street jacket) to respond to different weather conditions. Don’t forget a slim rain jacket in case of rainfall.

 Heating pads: Primarily in the winter this is very helpful. These are little plastic packages which were previously “charged” inside a warm water bath. Arrived on a cold location, activate small warmer merely by bending a metal plate included in the bag - it really is getting warm inside the pocket really fast. The pillow together with the stuffing is fully harmless as the pad can get hot to 50 degrees Celsius. It’s priced at around 3 € each. Gloves are the ideal idea as a thoughtful supplement and / or alternative.

 Tunes: Ipod for music, audio books or podcasts, that you could hear during the breaks of a typical shooting.

 Reading: As an extra you have plenty of time for newspapers, magazines or text books. Food: Take some fruits, sandwiches and something to drink for yourself to the set. Coffee and tea are generally served by the production company on location.

 Computer / Smartphone: Electronic devices for internet reading, music, videos and maybe even a small game. Turn them off when you’re filming!

 Comfortable footwear: When possible, wear comfortable shoes, due to the fact that extras frequently have to wait at the film sets a lot. The style of the shoes always dependent on what role you play as an extra. So a cop will seldom have the opportunity to appear with sneakers in the image. For such a role typically the shoes are supplied from the production company.

 Garment bag: If you must bring your own clothes for your role (e.g. a dark suit for the shooting of an night event), it makes sense to wear the clothing just on the set. Every now and then additionally be asked to bring diverse outfit styles (in this instance suits) to the set, to try out what best suits the role. For the transport of your clothing a garment bag works best.

 Pen and paper: A pencil as well as some paper may well be truly useful around the motion picture set. You actually learn something about a brand new casting company from another extra. Just write it down!

 List of things to do: In many times you will be waiting for the next shot on the set. So why don´t you use the spare time efficiently. For example it can be extremely helpful to have a collection of contacts that you already planned to call. So now is the time to work through this call to do list. Only call if this is permitted around the motion pictures set.

 Foldable Stool: There’s not always a place to sit at the filmset. Most especially when you find yourself as an extra on an outdoor shoot. Consequently a foldable stool can be very convenient for you.

Mor information on this at Komparse werden.

If you need to become an extra in a german movie or want to act in a tv show, you will have to apply as an extra in a german casting agency. This is actually the normal method of getting a job as an extra inside this business. In Germany there are several agencies that provide actors and extras for films or tv productions.

The agencies are quite often found in large german cities like Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, but also in smaller cities for example Hannover or Baden-Baden. You can find a good overview about this topic on the german web-site “Komparse werden” (see below).

But how can you get the right casting company that fits for your requirements? This question is vital, because there are beside the good agencies in Germany some businesses which aren’t so serious. To discover the right agency you will need to ask the right questions.

Agencies with a registration at no cost are more serious than agencies that charge you for your inclusion in their extras database. This can be a dirty trick by a few german agencies for making some extra money with newbies in this job.

 A sign for a excellent casting agency are their film references. If the agency have worked for big film productions in the past it is a good sign that this is known as a serious casting agency. Almost all of the serious companies present their film references on the web.

 A very good indicator of a reputable agency is the imprint on the company website. An imprint should be on every german website.

 It’s a sign for a dubious casting agency if the address of the imprint is a foreign address or is just a post office box address. The majority of the good german casting agencies can be found in Germany and have a german adress.

 You can also find out other opinions about the casting agency. Just search the internet or ask other extras about the casting agency. This can be often a really good strategy to get more inside details about the firm.

A good summary of the job field and with a lot of extra Information can be found on the german page www.komparsewerden.de.

All over Germany there are several companies that care about extras in movies and/or TV-productions. Regularly, these corporations call themselves extras casting agencies or agencies.

 These companies are the intermediaries between the extras and the movie and television production companies. There are even some TV channels that occupy their very own extras (such as the Hessische Rundfunk in Frankfurt). At all companies you must sign-up yourself to end up as an extra. Usually the rules for registration are the exact same, but in order to do nothing wrong, it is worth browsing the web page of the agency or make a quick telephone call there.

 Mainly two photos are needed by the extras (full body and a portrait photo). Additionally you have to fill out a page about yourself. Main rule here: If possible, use up to date and professional photos (eg from photographers). So do not use a fuzzy snap of your very last vacation.

 You get the questionnaire sheet from the agency or you can download it on the company website. It identifies the main facts about you: name, address, phone number occupation, etc. Also you must enter special details about yourself here, which are significant for upcoming job extras: eg Body measurements (for costumes that will fit later), driver’s licenses, languages you speak, special capabilities that you can (eg dancing). This is often also significant for the upcoming choice of extras, so that on the set every extra fits perfectly in his or her role. Special questions are also in the paper: eg if you can imagine, to be naked when in front of the camera. If no, this is not a problem.

 Should you have already performed as an actor or actress, you can also specify this in the paper. But check this only if you truly have something to offer as an actor or actress. Let it be, if you’re shy or stutters constantly.

 Once you have your papers sent to your agency, you have to wait. Once the agency has a need for you, they will contact you. And please don’t annoy the agency with telephone calls, basically because they did not call you in the following days. If you’re blessed, an agency requests you in the next couple of days and you may play your first extra role in your lifetime facing a camera.

A good summary of the job field and with a lot of extra Information can be found on the german page www.komparsewerden.de. There you can also find a lot of addresses of casting companies that are all over germany.