1000 Western extras needed in October

[Flashermac]

Put up a job notice on ajarn.com - seriously. There might be a lot of underpaid English teachers on term break in October. I tried it once myself - as a US Marine in the "Killing Fields". (I was still young enough and lean enough to look like one in 1984. )The pay was crap, unfortunately. Hopefully, this should be better.

 

 

[rookie]

Standard pay, in the US, a for a non-union extra is about $75/day and for a union (SAG - Screen Actors Guild) member it's a little over $130/day.

 

I doubt any of this applies in Thailand!

Here I imagine one might receive a chit for BTS travel and maybe a bowl of somtam :grin:

[USVirgin]

It's all relative, isn't it? Even as a teen I opted out of all those extra opportunities because I didn't want to stand around all day doing nothing but bullshitting with my friends for about 30 or 40 bucks.

 

I do regret not doing Rock n Roll High School though, because it included a Ramones concert.

 

Then again, it meant hanging out in the valley all day in the heat, so there you go.

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

I think Waerth once mentioned to me something in the range of 1,000 Baht/day for foreigners, which certainly is not worth it to me. Especially as that could well mean a 12+hr day.

 

Sanuk!

 

[Flashermac]

Probably depends on the company. Some film companies pay fairly well. Others pay crap. It was 1,000 baht a day or less in the 1970s for extras. Usually easy money if you have nothing else to do. I was told "The Deer Hunter" paid well and treated their people well. The Brit company that did "The Killing Fields" paid crap and treated people the same way. However, getting a speaking part makes a world of difference. I remember a guy who'd been cast as a US embassy official with a couple of lines in the "The Killing Fields". He got something like 5,000 baht a day. They took him out to the site (Nakorn Pathom) for five days in a row, then decided to eliminate his part. He got a total of 25,000 baht just to ride a bus to Nakorn Pathom, get fed, sit around in the shade all day, then ride the bus back to Silom. And that's when a university lecturer's pay was about 16,000 baht a month!

 

Most people take these jobs just for fun and to be able to say they've been in a movie. I did get to meet Dith Pran (whose story the film told), which was pretty cool. I'd recommend doing it once, but probably not more than that. Count it as an experience.

 

 

 

[Torneyboy]

I expect to be in LOS second half of October, but I expect I'll have more important things to do than hang around a movie set all day.

 

Anyway actors usually object if any of the extras are more handsome than themselves. :content:

 

 

They will not have to worry about you then...

[unit731]

Practice your lines:

 

[Flashermac]

How about a musical about Trappist monks?

 

 

[waerth]

Ok many questions I will try to answer the most important ones:

 

Work Permit: I have never seen work permits provided for any of this kind of work not even when I had main parts. I have heard about one production that provided them, was Black Beard in Surat Thani, a couple of years ago.

 

Money: For this movie, I do not know the budget yet. I will hear it prolly 2 days for the start. BUT ... I do not take any jobs for which I can pay people less than 1500 baht (approx 50 us dollars I believe) as an extra for a full day (12 hours on set + 1 hours lunch + xxx hours traveling to set if distance is far might get an extra 300 baht traveling money) 2 meals are usually provided one on arrival and one on break.

 

This movie will need people multiple days so if out of town a sleeping place will be provided and usually also a 3rd meal.

 

I spoke someone last night and I heard a lot of movies coming to Thailand in the coming months till March! So lots of work and a lot of big Hollywood productions actually . I am not allowed to give names though There are a lot of crews in town scouting at the moment!!

 

 

[waerth]

Probably depends on the company. Some film companies pay fairly well. Others pay crap. It was 1,000 baht a day or less in the 1970s for extras. Usually easy money if you have nothing else to do. I was told "The Deer Hunter" paid well and treated their people well. The Brit company that did "The Killing Fields" paid crap and treated people the same way. However, getting a speaking part makes a world of difference. I remember a guy who'd been cast as a US embassy official with a couple of lines in the "The Killing Fields". He got something like 5,000 baht a day. They took him out to the site (Nakorn Pathom) for five days in a row, then decided to eliminate his part. He got a total of 25,000 baht just to ride a bus to Nakorn Pathom, get fed, sit around in the shade all day, then ride the bus back to Silom. And that's when a university lecturer's pay was about 16,000 baht a month!

 

Most people take these jobs just for fun and to be able to say they've been in a movie. I did get to meet Dith Pran (whose story the film told), which was pretty cool. I'd recommend doing it once, but probably not more than that. Count it as an experience.

 

Some do it for fun, some for extra money and many to say they play in movies!

 

When I arrived here in 1999 the extra pay was 2500 baht on average. After that the Eastern Europeans came and it went down to 1200 baht. Then the Middle Easterners came it got to 700 baht!! Now it is up to 1500 baht again.

 

Movies pay shit for extra's and speaking parts. Commercials pay very good though! Both for extras and main parts. Shooting in commercials is usually more relaxed also.

 

W