HOW
DID I GET INTO THE FILM
BUSINESS ?
I played a
gig in West London and
was having an after hours
drink with some of The
punters. One of them said
he was working as an
extra the next day on an
Episode of ROGER
MOORES The SAINT TV
series and did I fancy a
days work.
All I had
to do was be a passer by
as the main man drives by
in a car.
THIS WAS
IT. THIS WAS HOLLYWOOD
CALLING.

(THE YEAR IS 1958 AND
ITS THE START OF MY
ROCK AND ROLL YEARS)
The next
day the car drives past
and its not even
ROGER MOORE its his
driving Double. The
camera is so far away
from me I could have been
a monkey smoking A pipe.
(Thats film talk
for not being seen in
shot)
A similar job on Softly,
Softly (POLICE SERIES)
made me think I was
heading for
Cricklewood, not
Hollywood
It was while I was still
working at the timber
yard (Im now a
timber salesman)
I was serving a customer
that I recognised. It was
William Roache (Ken
Barlow)
From Coronation Street.
After talking to him for
a while he advised me to
join the union for
extras called
THE FILM ARTISTS
ASSOCIATION// CENTRAL
CASTING.
I did so and the rest as
they say is history.
Thanks Bill.
I got my probationary
Equity card some time
later for being featured
in a TV
Commercial. (The card
that dreams were made of)
Now Ive never had
any acting training so
the top actors of the day
werent quacking
In their boots, but could
I make a living as an
extra or Supporting
Artist as we
Became to be known.
I kept diaries through
the years on all of the
jobs Ive been sent
on just to make
Sure that I turned up on
the right job on the
right day.
In 2003 an American
writer SCOTT V PALMER is
bringing out a book that
has taken
Him years to
compile
It has
fifteen thousand Actors,
Stuntmen and Supporting
Artists with a list of
all the films and TV
shows theyve been
in
Its
called,
THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF
BRITISH ACTORS IN FILM
AND TELEVISION.
Now before you read the
list of some of my
credits (I lost a few
diaries over
The years) if you want to
become an
extra/Supporting Artist
take some advice.
Join the Union
Get an Agent
Dont ever be late
for a job
When youre doing
the job, look, listen,
and learn.
Dont tell them,
theyll tell you.
Keep a diary.
When you are sent onto a
film set by an agent or
the film production
company
Direct, you can be used
in three different
ways
AN EXTRA (SUPPORTING
ARTIST
You are
there mainly to fill in
the back of
The scene while the main
Artists are close to
camera. Sometimes
youll be
Picked out by the
Director or one of the
Assistant Directors,
(A.D.) to work with
And react with the main
Artist/s.
A STAND/IN FOR A MAIN
ARTIST
This means
you are the same height
as the
Artist and you watch
closely at all the moves
he/she makes on the
rehearsals.
When the Director is
happy with the rehearsals
the Artists can relax
while you
Go in and do all the same
moves so that the
Lighting Cameraman can
light the scene.
Once completed you come
off the set while the
main Artist does the
scene.
On a big set this can go
on for hours, but
todays lighting is
much quicker.
A good STAND/IN will go
through the whole film
working everyday. (I know
people
That have stood/in for
the same Artist for forty
years and more.)
ARTISTS DOUBLE You look
like or are made to look
like the Artist you are
Doubling for. This can
consist of anything from
driving a car or shot of
the back
Of you entering a
building or even a close
up of your hands.
This is to save the
production company time
and let the main Artist
get on with
The important jobs like
saying the words and
having close ups
done.
On Television (BBC)
its much the same
but they dont us
STAND/INS as often
As films. Much of it is
Prelit. You are
classified as
EXTRA/SUPPORTING ARTIST.
Mainly background stuff.
Crowd scenes.
WALK /ON ONE. You are
there to do some
specified business.
WALK/ON TWO. The Director
will give you unscripted
lines.
ACTORS DO SCRIPTED LINES.
Over the last thirty two
years I have been on over
eight hundred film and
Television productions.
Some have been for one
day while some have been
for
A year. On one job I was
on it for three years. It
was called C.B.T.V.
(THAMES TV )
82/83/84. I was
co/presenter and dopey
security guard (HARRY) on
the
LIVE
Show for one day a week.
The total of jobs
Ive done could be a
lot more because as
Ive explained
earlier
On I lost some of my
diaries over the years.
There are friends of mine
that have been in the
business for over fifty
years and
We all have our tales to
tell.
If you are a true
Film/Television fan you
must try and get hold of
SCOTT PALMERS
Book in 2003.

THE BAND IN
63
L-R
SPIKE
PEPPER..AITCH
BARRIE
I will let
my credits roll and at
the end of them I will
pick some of them out for
The laughs and the
highlights...
ENJOY YOUR
READING
AITCH
NEXT
- THE CREDITS
Home
Page
Contents
|