The Value of Extras
Re “Pact Would Cut Pay of TV, Movie Extras” (Metro, Feb. 25): Having spent the last decade working as a stand-in and extra and as a member of the Screen Extras Guild and Screen Actors Guild, I find it tragic that in these tough economic times when the motion picture and television business traditionally thrives that faceless producers find it necessary to cut our salaries another 25% (a few years ago they slashed our salaries from $96 to $86 a day).
The next time you see those extras in the background remember that we have families and car payments too. And if you think stand-ins are unimportant, remember this: Two years ago I stood in on a sitcom on camera-block day for an ailing star. If I hadn’t studied her moves all week and known her lines well enough to carry the camera rehearsal, the company would have lost an entire day.
If producers want to save money, then re-evaluate the production budgets and start cutting from above. Leave the little guy alone.
NANCI KUSLEY
Hancock Park
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