   Acting.  Have you?
  I've been thinking of trying to attempt to act a bit.  Has anybody ever tried this?  I know a couple of people that have done extra parts in a couple of big films.  I'm just curious how you went about doing it, how much you got paid, etc.  Thanks for any info!   
  Yup, done some semi-professional theatre back home and been in a few tv spots.  If you're looking for paid work (beyond a theatre company that will cover your gas expenses) then you're going to have to climb the ladder a little.  Do some community theatre, and then you'll have some shows under your belt to put on a resume.  If you're looking to do commercials or tv work, well, there are two ways--get an agent, or get the right friends :)  It really is all about who you know, so if you have friends that are in a pro or semi-professional theatre group, ask them to get you an audition.  I got into a few shows because I had worked with the director in a community theatre group.  The tv spots were offered me by a friend of the family who needed actors for a few different spots.  For the theatre productions I got a couple hundred dollars for a couple months of rehearsal and performances (essentially enough to cover my expenses plus a little extra).  For the tv spots I got about a hundred dollars for a day of shooting.   ;  A friend and myself once got a "role" in a French TV production, more or less by accident, years ago. After a party with way to much alcohol, some guy I barely knew just got his first job as a "second assistant director" (or something similar, it sounded really important, but it was basically just making coffee for the director) said that the crew was looking for a dozen people to fill in some scenes ("figurants" in French, I have no idea how it's called in english). It was a historical documentary in a medieval setting, with quite an impressive set in an old castle.So two of us got in. I had one shot where I was just standing around in a crowd, talking to people. And a second one where I was riding a horse through the set. The first one got cut out in post production, and in the second one I'm visible for an impressive two seconds... I got paid 25 Euro for the day and got a free trainride home (yay ;) This concluded my experience as an actor [grin];  So, I really have no experience other than taking an intro to acting class several years ago.  Is it recommended to take some acting classes, or just jump in?Is it better to try to learn by joining some type of amateur theatre group?   ;Quote:Original post by Yann L...the crew was looking for a dozen people to fill in some scenes ("figurants" in French, I have no idea how it's called in english).we call them "extras";  Eh, my three stints in "acting" were years ago. The first was in some hammy theatrical rendition of A Christmas Carol that I was forced into. The second and third were some silly videos I did for in a highschool English class with some friends for an easy A. Since then, I definitely prefer to be behind the camera as a DP or occasional director.   ;  I've done quite a lot.Community theatre's definitely the way to go, unless you're part of a school or college that have something going on. You need to look for places that are equally (or more) interested in inclusivity as they are in quality - the stuff you do won't be so impressive, but it will let you discover your own limits, as well as give you a feeling of what it can be like to work in a production, let you learn some of the processes and terms and traditions. Amateur theatre's a bit different to the professionals, obviously - less money to spend on venues and equipment - but people go with what works, and much of the time it's the same. But because they can't hire people, they'll often take whomever they can get. At this stage, what you really need is experience; the visibility doesn't hurt too, as sometimes you'll find casting directors trolling 'the slums.' If you get into a decent production, there's a chance you'll be able to go to a festival of some sort, which greatly improves your chances (over here, something like the Edinburgh Fringe - don't know what you've got over there).I wouldn't recommend trying to get a part as a film extra unless you're looking to stay an extra for the rest of your life - it's not easy to transition from being an extra to being a proper cast member because there are usually so many extras and nobody pays them much attention. Much easier to make the transition from a featured stage actor to a featured (or semi-featured) film actor. That said, film feels very different to stage, and works in different ways...If you can't find a production to get involved in, you can always start your own (though you may find yourself stuck producing instead of acting). Anyone can hire a venue - if you get really stuck you can always perform in the round, and that usually just takes permission from the police - so if you get hold of costumes, props, set, a script, and a good group of people, then you can put on a play. It might cost you, but you try and make it up by charging for tickets. When it comes to venues, as I say you can perform in the round on the street if you need to, but you'll find that things like school sports halls can be available during the school holidays.   