The Dark Knight I was an extra in TDK!

[cbotnyse]

^^ yeah the food was great each time. I brought a good book, and slept so I was OK. didnt mind at all.

All of those long hours are worth a few seconds that will last forever on screen! Once I'm on screen nobody can take me off it!

everybody cross your fingers my scene makes the cut.

Slicendice, what movies did you work on? and did you make it on screen?

 

[slicendice]

lately the only things I've done are campaign ads. the most recent one was for obama, I still have the 'Wardrobe' from it (aka a t-shirt). I'm in it for a few seconds, but I'm like 40 ft away from the camera.

 

[Bats]

I agree the food was muy excelente!

You able to see yourself or your scenes in any of the trailers or TV spots yet?

 

[cbotnyse]

You able to see yourself or your scenes in any of the trailers or TV spots yet?

no, but you bet your ass I was looking! When I filmed the bus scene we were told it was the opening scene. But then I saw the prologue and knew it was right after that scene.

 

[Lightning257]

The experience of actually working in the movie was great. I went to 3 over night shoots, and had many hours of sitting around waiting for my scene. But once our scene was set to shoot, Nolan himself would get us in a group and tell us how he wanted us to "act" when the cameras were rolling.

Wow, I'm surprised Nolan actually spoke directly to you guys. In my scenes, the Assistant Director gave us the instructions (even though Nolan was present). I thought I read somewhere that there was a union rule that the director has to relay through an assistant when dealing with non-union players such as us.

As I was *almost* a cop, I got to speak to a few guys that had also done SWAT scenes in July (my scenes were shot toward the end of August). Sounded like fun. One guy had even flown in from New York for both the SWAT scene(s) and the scenes I was shooting that day. Talk about dedication!

I agree, the entire experience of doing the movie was great (this is/was my first one), and the fact that it was Batman is simply a huge bonus.

Oh! I just noticed your screen name. What, no CBOE?

 

[slicendice]

I've never been an extra on a propper hollywood film, but I have been on a few movie sets, I visit universal studios with some regularity.

 

[Lightning257]

I've never been an extra on a propper hollywood film, but I have been on a few movie sets, I visit universal studios with some regularity.

That's one way to get noticed - eventually. Also, you might consider signing up with some of the agencies (I think Central Casting in California is the "premiere" casting agency) and you could get assigned to a movie (or more).

Assuming the experience goes well, it seems that people who have been extras get the itch to do more movies. I haven't scratched that itch yet (family obligations), but I'm thinking that I might eventually. Especially if the right movie comes along - like Batman 3!

 

[Bats]

I've never been an extra on a propper hollywood film, but I have been on a few movie sets, I visit universal studios with some regularity.

Personally I think they're a lot of fun to do. I've done a few, and each one has been enjoyable even if you're sitting for long periods of time waiting.

 

[slicendice]

I'm not really interested in becoming an actor (I have a 'behind the camera' face anyway) my intent is to be a writer/director

 

[cbotnyse]

Wow, I'm surprised Nolan actually spoke directly to you guys. In my scenes, the Assistant Director gave us the instructions (even though Nolan was present). I thought I read somewhere that there was a union rule that the director has to relay through an assistant when dealing with non-union players such as us.

now that you mention it, he was talking to his assistant, not directly to us, per say, but we certainly heard him. And there was a few times, he talked directly to an extra. I didnt realize that was some kind of union rule.

What, no CBOE?

Nope, I have to keep the Chicago Board of Trade name alive somehow, now that its the CME Group.

 

[Jayelem]

Maybe we can keep this thread alive or start a new one.

If youre an extra and actually see yourself in TDK , describe the scene and maybe approximate time and also where you are.

I'm sure lots of us will be looking for ourselves , I myself can think of at least 5 or 6 different camera takes where I could possible have screen time and I'm very excited to see this movie.

So if you spot yourself ....... please do tell.

 

[SuperSarah!]

Maybe we can keep this thread alive or start a new one.

If youre an extra and actually see yourself in TDK , describe the scene and maybe approximate time and also where you are.

I'm sure lots of us will be looking for ourselves , I myself can think of at least 5 or 6 different camera takes where I could possible have screen time and I'm very excited to see this movie.

So if you spot yourself ....... please do tell.

I agree! I'd really like to hear more about these peoples expierences



as an aspiring actor I would love to know more about the process and other projects people who did this have been a part of!

 

[sarg2k]

Thats great to read about your extra work.

I was wondering about one of the scenes:

Spoiler

Is one of your scenes from this clip of The Joker chasing the swat team with Dent in the back

There is a link to the clip in this thread

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=306911

 

[Bats]

I was actually an extra for the penthouse party scene. We filmed it back in the middle of June last year. Every one of the main cast was there except Oldman. It was great watching everyone work including Ledger obviously as well as the people behind the camera.

A few times during the fight scene, Batman's cape would fly up onto his head making it impossible to see or fight so they had to yell 'cut'. Bale (as Batman) even broke one of the stunt guy's nose during it too. I even almost got to be his stand-in (their guy wasn't feeling well, the extras handler picked me to fill in but he wound up staying). Rats.

I didn't see myself until the 2nd trailer (3rd if you count the teaser) when Dent asks Alfred if there's any "psychotic ex-boyfriends" he should know about.

Spoiler

Is someone trying to tell me something by having me show up right when he says "psychotic ex-boyfriends"? t:

 

[TheDarkVictory]

i was an extra as well, in a scene that i will not say a word about, but oh man...if i actually show up on screen on a gigantic IMAX, i think i might die.

my experience was a lot of fun...18 hour day, but still very fun. nolan did not speak directly to any of us, and we were told it's because directors can't speak to extras because it elevates them to actual "actor" status, meaning they'd have to pay us more...so it's interesting that another poster said nolan told them how to act. i wish he did that for us. i did however get to stand right next to him for about 12 hours, so that was neat. one of our scenes was a very tight setting, so we were all crammed right around him. it was hilarious how much some of the people flipped out being right near nolan...you could tell the fanboys, obviously. some people were like "which one is the director?" and its just like "dude, seriously. its the man in the AWESOME VEST!" he also drank tea the entire time and was ridiculously calm, which is really cool. if anybody wants to know anything more i can tell them in spoilers, but you really dont want to know about my scene.

 

[Jayelem]

i was an extra as well, in a scene that i will not say a word about, but oh man...if i actually show up on screen on a gigantic IMAX, i think i might die.

nolan did not speak directly to any of us, and we were told it's because directors can't speak to extras because it elevates them to actual "actor" status, meaning they'd have to pay us more...

I did not know that ............

Nolan did speak to me and others after opening the rear door of a GTA Gotham Transit Authority Bus , I was the last person on the rear of the bus and he instructed us to take up all the seats on each side of the bus ..... that was until a production assistant said everyone get off the bus and he loaded the bus with a whole other set of extras .... which really sucked.

I'll explain the scene with spoiler tags.

Spoiler

This was a day 2 of the Hospital Evacuation filmed at the Old Brach's Candy factory in Chicago.

Earlier that day they filmed a scene with Oldham and the bomb squad ( I was told this by other extras who were out there) , and later they brought us out to film part of the Hospital explosion with a bus receiving debris from the explosion, basically they had a cannon firing debris at a bus and Pfister was filming inside the back of the bus , it really sucked that I had to get off that bus because it looked like alot of fun.

Day One
We were told that this is the scene where Joker has threatened Gotham with a bomb at one of the Hospitals in Gotham City , they filmed just about all of the Evacuation and that was also the day they exploded the Hospital , I'll be looking for myself throughout all the outdoor evacuation scenes .....

That day they had a Helicopter Camera , Crane Camera ,the Imax Camera , talk about a long day ............

Could be one of the best times in my life it was so much fun , I spraigned a couple toes a week before so I was really limping as a hospital patient... LOL

 

[cabjvitu]

man that is so cool!!
i wanna make into movies, but i live in argentina, and i don´t like movies from here :P
guess i´ll have to climb my way upthere!

 

[cbotnyse]

Bats, that is so awesome!!!! I cant believe you had a front row seat to the penthouse scene. thats amazing. In the dinner scene with Dent, where was that filmed?

As for my scene, I made it in, but the background was blurred, so only I will know its me! (the Dent press conference scene) I was also in one of the SWAT trucks in a chase sceen, but you cant see me. But it is an amazing feeling watching a scene that I actually took part of, even if my face didnt make it on screen.

 

[P.F. Geraci]

I was an extra in the scene where Lucius builds a robot to stop The Joker. It was really cool.

Edit: Ah crap, I probably shouldn't have said that.

 

[Bats]

Bats, that is so awesome!!!! I cant believe you had a front row seat to the penthouse scene. thats amazing. In the dinner scene with Dent, where was that filmed?

It was a very cool experience even if I'm not seen.

The dinner scene I have no idea about. I have a feeling that it was a lobby of some building that they made up to be a restaurant. Just like what they did with the penthouse party one. That is half a lobby on Wacker not even a block east of Michigan.

 

[mrelectric]

Haha, I don't know if it's inappropriate to ask, but how much did they pay you? Now that Michigan is giving filmmakers tax breaks, there have been quite a few films shot rather close by to me. They're always looking for extras, I just haven't had the time to go for it. My buddy told me that they pay 60-100 bucks, then after you've been there for a certain amount of time you make an hourly rate. If you get paid by the hour, does all of the waiting around you guys talked about count?!

 

[TheDarkVictory]

Haha, I don't know if it's inappropriate to ask, but how much did they pay you? Now that Michigan is giving filmmakers tax breaks, there have been quite a few films shot rather close by to me. They're always looking for extras, I just haven't had the time to go for it. My buddy told me that they pay 60-100 bucks, then after you've been there for a certain amount of time you make an hourly rate. If you get paid by the hour, does all of the waiting around you guys talked about count?!

i got paid jack diddly, but it was worth it. it was 18 hours for maybe like...130. i think its over 16 when you start getting by the hour? or over 12..something like that. people were talking about it during the day but that was a long time ago. but i highly recommend extra work...


for the dark knight.


ive done extra work for other things and it was awful. in all honesty, TDK would have been awful if it wasnt TDK. we were in chicago june heat dressed for gotham winter, for 18 hours. that should give you an idea. but i also got to stand next to nolan for the whole day.

 

[TheDarkVictory]

double post.

 

[Bats]

Haha, I don't know if it's inappropriate to ask, but how much did they pay you? Now that Michigan is giving filmmakers tax breaks, there have been quite a few films shot rather close by to me. They're always looking for extras, I just haven't had the time to go for it. My buddy told me that they pay 60-100 bucks, then after you've been there for a certain amount of time you make an hourly rate. If you get paid by the hour, does all of the waiting around you guys talked about count?!

Generally it's around $65 for 8 hrs. work and time & a half after that. About each time I've done extra work, it's been a 12 hr. day making it $100 after taxes.

Waiting around is worth it IMO since I like being part of the experience.

 

[Jayelem]

Haha, I don't know if it's inappropriate to ask, but how much did they pay you?

My paycheck came out to $280 for 2 days of work , 1st day was 14 hrs long and 2nd day was around 12 hrs long.....

My experience was very pleasant , I didn't have to wear a winter coat in summer ....

We had over 800 extras and the breakfast and lunch provided was awesome , I got to socialize with people of all ages and I must say there were many attractive young ladies among all the extras.

If I could've taken a picture behind the scenes it would've been of me playing cards with the Gotham City Police officers ,National Guard and Bomb Squad , the fact that you're in costume the whole time makes for a surreal day .

It's a once in a lifetime experience , you try to keep the memory alive as if it were yesterday .... now that the movie is officially out I can relive and revisit that particular scene and remember some of the people I befriended those 2 days.