If you don't mind waiting around a lot, being an extra on set can be a interesting experience. You may even get to be in scenes with your favourite stars.
Richard Castles divulges details on what it’s like being on a set of a show as an extra.
As a freelance writer currently working on his first book, Richard Castles needs to somehow make money. So he does lots of other jobs, including being a casual film and television extra.
You might have seen the marquees and film trucks around the suburbs on shooting days. Once in costume, I might get a quick once-over from hair and makeup. Generally, there is a lot of sitting around waiting, so I bring a book. The extras are usually the last to be placed on set, once the shot has been set up, the lighting finalised and the blocking for the actors worked out.
Thuy On is the former Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian.
She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025).
Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy
