all about background
- Bokeh Background
- Jan 10
- 2 min read
Bokeh Background, the BG division of Compass Casting, gets its name from the photography term, bokeh: "out of focus areas of a photographic image." Cute, right? We're here to walk you through the ins and outs of BG acting!
What is background talent?
Background acting is composed of non-speaking roles in a visual production. Background actors (also known as extras) make a scene more authentic and believable for audiences.
Why background talent matters
Background talent gives films the feeling of the real world, of living, breathing communities, and of time and place. From huge stadiums watching the heart-pounding finale of a sports film to small-town diner-goers in horror TV shows, the life in the background is always important.
What does background talent do?
Background is one of the few roles in film that’s on set the majority of the time. Some days you could be celebrating a 1970s wedding for a feature film, other days you’re part of an intergalactic army for a TV show, and some days will be easy “people sitting at a diner” commercials – Whatever makes the project’s world feel real!
There’s downtime in film for every department. For directors, actors, and background, it’s in between shots while crew sets up necessary gear. For the crew, it’s while the actors, extras, and directors are working.
No matter what there’s quiet time on set. Feel free to bring a book, study materials, computers, and quiet work to do between scenes.
Special Skills = More Money
Some films need more than humans, and will ask us to request folks who can ride bikes, have a car they can bring to set, or a pet who’s well-behaved enough to join us. When background actors (also known as extras) have special skills or bring bonus cars/pets with them, there’s usually a pay bump…hint hint…
Driving
Riding a bike
Knife skills
Fast typist
Horseback Riding
Juggling
Swimming
Marksmanship
Flying a plane
Skateboarding
Flying a kite
Advanced levels of sports
Circus
Rock climbing
Drag performance
Crafting
Graffiti
DJ
Military experience
Musician
Dancing
Sign language
Background is a great way to get on sets, learn a lot, and be a part of film in an accessible way. If you want to join our talent pool, click the button below, and you'll start getting emails from us when we have projects we can share!
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