Producing a television show requires a lot of work, time, and actors, including extras.  Chicago is home to several TV shows, and is also a hotspot for movies.  There has been nearly three hundred movies filmed in Chicago since of 2000.

In 1909, the Illinois Supreme Court banned movies or TV shows from being filmed in the city of Chicago.   The ban wasn’t lifted until the early 1970’s, after which film production took off.  Producing all of these TV shows and movies requires a significant amount of extras, and getting one of these roles may not be as difficult as it seems.

There are many websites set up to help people find a role as an extra.  Even the city of Chicago’s official website has a page devoted to it.  It is not always as easy to get roles as it is to find them, however.  Recently, the field has become extremely competitive.  An average TV show needs to fill around one hundred eighty extra roles, but around three thousand people apply for it.

The most important thing to know about becoming an extra is that registration is necessary.  You can register with casting agencies either online or with an appointment, depending on their policy they may not allow online registration.  Some local casting agencies include O’Connor Casting Company, Gray Talent Group, and Talent Group Inc.  Being registered allows a casting director to view an actor’s profile, schedule, and contact information.  If someone isn’t registered with a casting agency then they won’t get booked for a show.

When applying for a role as an extra there are many things to remember.  An interested actor needs to follow all casting notice directions.  If it says to put a certain subject on an email then it is necessary to do so.

“We have to go through 400 emails in an hour. We have to find a way to weed people out. And if they can’t follow directions, it makes us nervous that they can’t follow directions on set,” said Jess Gisin, a 4 Star Casting Co-founder, to the Chicago Tribune.

While registering, it is good to remember that professional headshots aren’t needed or wanted.  A director would rather have candid pictures to see how someone looks naturally.

Expectations for an average work day should not be extremely high.  Being an extra is not as elegant as it is portrayed to be.

“You’re working all day and it is a lot of work.  It’s not the glitz and glam of waiting in a director’s chair just sipping iced tea and chilling,” said Junior Bri Golden, an actress of nine years. She has had extra roles in Transformers Age of Extinction and Chicago PD.

Work days are very long and very repetitive.  There may be multiple takes of one scene.  There is a lot of waiting around, because extras are not in every take.

“Its hard work, a lot of just waiting around,” said Golden.

Just because someone films a take, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be seen in the final cut.  Although the chances of being seen and recognized are slim, being an extra is a good way to get introduced to film.