Personally, one of the most entertaining aspects of working as a film extra is being able to watch droves of people “pretending” to go about their daily business. As a film extra, you will be asked to perform random duties in an attempt to capture “real” life. The purpose of a film extra is to add ambiance to a scene with the primary goal of making a scene look as if it is naturally occurring, and not rehearsed and repeated hundreds of times.
Throughout my experience working a professional film extra, one of the most common techniques used in a scene is walking. Of course, many of you may be reading this thinking that an entire article devoted to walking is a little arbitrary; however, I have seen firsthand how awkward it looks when an extra is directed to walk across the street and he/she looks completely unnatural. If you’re not careful, your walk can look extremely rehearsed, which appears to be quite silly looking.
If you’re interested in enhancing your technique and skill as a film extra, then you MUST rehearse walking naturally and with unintended purpose.
Your Stride
Your walking stride can tell a story in itself. For example, taking large steps quickly indicates you’re rushing off somewhere. You may be running late for a meeting, having a bad day or are in a sour mood. On the other hand, small and leisurely steps come across as not having a particular place to be at any particular time. This type of walking is typically used by individuals who are on break, or on the other hand, are depressed.
Perhaps one of the most important walking tips for film extras is to study how your body moves according to the purpose of why you’re walking. How do you move when you’re walking to class, work or church? What is your stride when you’re walking around the mall? Do your arms swing a lot naturally, or are they still? By truly breaking down and understanding how you naturally walk based on why you’re walking will help ensure when you’re instructed to walk across the street for a film your gate isn’t strange or awkward.
Your Backstory
While you may not have any lines or even be clearly seen in a film, as an extra you are part of the physical energy that comprises a scene. Think of a film set as a symphony, and being an extra is only one of the many different instruments. While you may not be the lead violinist, your steady drumming or melodic influence is vital to ensure the entire song sounds beautiful. There are NO unimportant roles on a film set, only roles that are more visible than others.
Even as an extra, it is important to have a backstory. Before walking down the sidewalk, across the street or to the other side of the store, examine your personal character. Why is he where he is? Where is he going? What is waiting for him? What is the objective for his movements?
By analyzing the purpose as to why you’re walking, you will adopt a gate and stride that is not only natural in appearance, but heavy with purpose. Everything you do as an extra MUST have a purpose, or it will just look…well, weird.