Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Have you even been in a movie?

This is topic Have you even been in a movie? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 03-10-2005, 12:26 AM:

Since the majority of us work at movie theaters, I'm curious to know if any of you have actually been in a major studio movie. (home movies, porn, or the combo of the two do not count)

As for me, thats a negative. I was on a morning news program talking about last years MTV VMA's and that was enough for me.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 03-10-2005, 02:10 AM:

Myself, my mother, my brothers and several friends of mine have gratuitous screen time in the film 'P.K. & The Kid'.

-Aaron

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-10-2005, 02:32 AM:

Myself? I personally have been in several movies... not to be discussed here on FT. [Wink]

But, I did get my son and many of his High School friends at that time in the film called "The Beastmaster" that was filmed in Simi Valley CA where we lived at that time. Also they were in "Poltergeist" as extras. The house for that film was also in Simi and is still there..but the graves and pool were ..ummm "corrected" and returned back to "normal"... [Smile]

I since have moved on to producing, directing, and filming ....Ummm "educational" films. [Wink]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 03-10-2005, 02:50 AM:

Phil, don't be shy! I'll bet you're this one !

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-10-2005, 03:38 AM:

Well Mike, I ***don't*** "monkey around" when it comes to my professional calling! HA! [Razz]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-10-2005, 05:41 AM:

I played a protective father of a teenage girl going on a date with her boyfriend in his "new" (1953?) Hudson automobile in a Kodak demo that was shot five years ago to compare 35mm film and digital cinema at Cine Expo and other conferences:

I also was in a short documentary about the history of color control films that aired on the Sundance Channel starting last December.

[ 03-10-2005, 10:41 PM: Message edited by: John Pytlak ]

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-10-2005, 08:06 AM:

I was an extra in the independent film Unsavory Characters. I got on screen credit as an Associate Producer for generally helping out and letting them film a scene in my house.

Unsavory Characters

Word to the wise, never let a film crew in your home. What a mess they made, but it was a lot of fun.

/Mitchell

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 03-10-2005, 10:15 AM:

I was an extra in the downtown scene of The Punisher (2004) when the money was falling to the ground.

I was also there during the filming of Ocean's Eleven at the dog track, but never got any screen time.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-10-2005, 10:45 AM:

No feature films, but I have appeared as a 'talking head' in two nationally broadcast TV documentaries. The last one was on the 1926 general strike and I had a fight to the death with the producer to try and keep the usual corny archive cliches out of it. I was there to make the point that because of censorship issues, the national newsreels hardly covered the strike at all, with the result that almost all the surviving footage is home movies. They wanted a tracking shot of me carrying a pile of rusty cans through a vault, opening the can containing our general strike home movie (original 9.5 reversal, shot by an off-duty policeman) and then a shot of it running through a projector. I eventually had to give in on the rusty cans, but told them that if they thought I was going to let a million plus TV viewers think that we projected original elements, then they had another think coming. Besides, the original is diacetate and badly shrunk. In the end they used a shot of me running our 16mm viewing copy on a Steenbeck, which was not as bad.

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 03-10-2005, 11:47 AM:

I was an extra in Rushmore

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-10-2005, 12:43 PM:

My late father has two or three full-screen closeups as a cheering fan in the final baseball game of Robert Redford's "The Natural". He was almost 80 years old when those scenes were shot in Buffalo's old War Memorial Stadium. [Cool]

Dad even tried out for the speaking role as the owner of the ice cream shop where Robert Redford and Glenn Close get together again.

Kind of [Cool]

for Dad to have been in a movie about baseball, as his cousin Frank Pytlak was a major league catcher for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox during the 1930's and 1940's when "The Natural" takes place:

Posted by Jeff Leyland (Member # 1092) on 03-10-2005, 01:03 PM:

When visiting my grandparents back in the summer of 1982. My sister, grandfather, and myself were all unpaid extras in the Janet Daily "Foxfire Light". The movie starred Leslie Neilson, Tippi Hedren, Barry Van Dyke, Faye Grant, and Burton Gilliam. The movie only played in a handful of theatres. I only saw it in one video store in Overland Park, Kansas back in the early '90's.

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 03-10-2005, 01:36 PM:

my brother co-starred with Keifer Sutherland in "Promised Land" until half way through shooting my brother broke his leg after falling off of the basketball bleachers, forcing a recast of his role and reshooting of his scenes.

As for me, I was on the set of "Dumb and Dumber" during several of the scenes and even got a few of my friends in as extras.

I have never been IN a movie, but have been on the news a few times.

OH Well

ciao

Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 03-10-2005, 01:57 PM:

"Chain Reaction" Keanu Reeves / Morgan Freeman. At the start as a professor is lecturing you'll see 35mm slides projected from 2 750 xenographic Xenon slide projectors with mechanical fade modules. That's me sitting directly to the left of them running the show. I got into it with the soundman when they blimped (strangled more like it) the projector's power supplys which caused them to overheat & shut down. I yelled at Andy Davies (The Director) that my machines meant more to me than the two days I'd be on this shoot. Off came the blimps & we finished in one long day. He thanked me at the end of the days shooting & I made it into the final cut. Hooray for Hollywood! [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-10-2005, 02:38 PM:

Not in any major films, though my name is in the credits for one.

Only been in TV news interviews as a: Showscan projectionist, spacecraft controller, CAP SAR mission air operations officer.

Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 03-10-2005, 09:51 PM:

I made it into the IMDB (almost certainly the only listing I'll ever get) with a voiceover on BEYOND THE RISING MOON (AKA Space 2074 AKA Star Quest) - made in 1987 in a warehouse in suburban Virginia, highly touted in the sci-fi movie magazines, shown at the Kennedy Center (meaning they rented the AFI Theater at the Kennedy Center for a screening) and thereafter made its way very quickly to cable and video.

You can get a VHS copy for $2.89 on Amazon - better hurry, they only have 5 copies (I think that's all they made) unless you want the German-dubbed version for 1.98 Euros.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-10-2005, 10:39 PM:

My Dad showed up in The Flim-Flam Man (TC-Fox, 1967). He and a co-worker spent part of the day watching the shoot from a vantage point down some railroad tracks, and they both ended-up appearing in the picture. Here's the shot, with Slim Pickens and Michael Sarrazin. Although not apparent at this size, he was instantly recognizable (to us) on the big drive-in screen.

And, I directed the new segments and restoration of the Showbiz Clock, which has been playing nightly on drive-in screens across the country for the past year and a half. I've also directed numerous other popular trailers for drive-ins that are in release now. All produced by fellow Film-Techer, Justin West.

My screen credit, as seen at Becky's Drive-In, Berlinsville, PA, during the subject's "world premiere":

In other media, I've done countless TV spots, and used to be broadcast air talent years ago.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-10-2005, 10:48 PM:

Tim, Slim Pickens is my ex-wife's cousin... met him several times at family functions. Small world, huh?

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-10-2005, 10:53 PM:

Phil, OMG! Yes, it's strange how things tie together. [Smile]

Btw, tell us more about your, umm, err... "productions". [Wink]

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 03-10-2005, 11:42 PM:

quote: Tim Reed
Btw, tell us more about your, umm, err... "productions".

Now Phil, remember I said porn was not to be included in the movies you were in. Let alone made hehe [Wink]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-11-2005, 12:11 AM:

I've never been in any movies. But I was a contestant on an obscure MTV game show called "Turn It Up!" back in 1990.

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 03-11-2005, 11:04 AM:

I've never been in any movies but I did have auditions for "Avalon" and "Election." My dad was an extra in "About Schmidt" and got some pretty good screen time. His in the weeding and the reception scenes. He can be seen fairly well in the last shot during the reception (the long slow zoom in on Jack Nicholson). He's sitting right behind Jack talking to another "guest" at the reception. I was able to sneak onto the set one of the days that my dad was there and stood right next to Jack and Alexander Payne. I also saw Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Howard Hessman and the actor that plays the creepy brother. I was on the set for a good 4 hours before someone noticed that I didn't belong. I was able to fit right in with the rest of the crew because I wore my Warner Brothers hat and my Columbia Pictures t-shirt. Almost all of the crew was wearing something related to a film studio. Oh, I almost forgot! I was on the Bozo show when I was 4. My babysitter worked as an advertising exec. for WGN and got my family front row seats.

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 03-11-2005, 04:12 PM:

quote: Christian Volpi
Oh, I almost forgot! I was on the Bozo show when I was 4.

So did you get to play the grand prize game??! I always hated watching that show just for the fact that every other kid that played the grand prize game would blow it on the first cup!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-11-2005, 04:53 PM:

Haha! The Grand... Prize... GAME! I remember our kids would go nuts at that, too, Allison! It's like, they hope someday they could have a chance to play, and they think it over and over in their heads about how they would do it. Then, they see some little tyke on TV cavalierly walk up and just drop it on the first try! Arrgh!
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 03-11-2005, 06:59 PM:

I do some "24 frame playback" that is, when there is a TV in the shot (shooting film) and there needs to be a picture on it, the video must be 24 frame, and the film camera is synched to the video, to avoid blank areas rolling through the picture. I was working on a movie shot here in north Georgia, about a pig (I can't remember the name right now). There is a scene where several news crews are interviewing someone about the pig saving someone's life. The interview had to play back on a TV in a later shot, so I had to be one of the news people shooting the interview, and was in the wide shot of the whole thing happening.

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 03-11-2005, 07:13 PM:

I think I was on an episode of VIP with Pamela Anderson... I was there one day for filming thanks to a friend who worked on the show, and I might have been in some background shots but never saw the episode.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-11-2005, 11:48 PM:

quote: Allison Parsons
Now Phil, remember I said porn was not to be included in the movies you were in. Let alone made hehe

Well, it's too bad that you automatically assumed that I was referring to that type of film. FYI: While I did make several of ***THOSE*** types which were/are very lucrative, I was referring to mainstream films like Capricorn One, Jaws, Beastmaster, Poltergeist, plus many others...etc. Either worked on, acted in, or was an extra...

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-12-2005, 01:43 AM:

quote:
Poltergeist,

What did you do on that film Phil?

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-12-2005, 01:45 AM:

SPFX - 2nd unit ...and lived to tell about it! [Smile]

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-12-2005, 01:50 AM:

Cool....So did you happen to work on the sequences that involved the mutating steak and the guys face peeling off?

My dad and I were at the horse races at Keenland Race track a few years ago when they were filming sequences for a TV film that starred Robert Urich. I think it was titled Sylvester and may have been changed to And There Off or vice versa with the titles. Anyway, They were doing second unit work shooting the horses crossing the finish line and stuff and they were doing scenes with Urich and the little girl not sure of her name running through the crowd. The camera panned right past were my dad and I were standing watching the race. I never did watch the movie to see if we made the shot but I thought that whole event was very interesting to watch.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-12-2005, 01:56 AM:

The thunderstorms, trees crashing, swimming pool bodies and yard bodies popping up plus a few others.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-12-2005, 02:05 AM:

I loved those sequences. Were you doing the camera work. Seems like I remember you saying you did camera work on some movies.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-12-2005, 11:42 PM:

quote: Darryl Spicer
I think it was titled Sylvester and may have been changed to And There Off

Darryl, "And They're Off" was a different show. I was the dailies projectionist on that one, in 1982. It was never released.

Incidentally, I did appear in that picture, but since it never saw the light of day, I didn't figure it was worth mentioning earlier.

Sylvester was released in 1985.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 03-13-2005, 12:21 AM:

I've never been in a movie, but funny enough, I found someone that has. Gotta love the IMDB. Tom Procyk in a spoof of "Clerks"? Clarks 2002

See also Abyssmal Entertainment .

AJG

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-13-2005, 12:58 AM:

I have a pretty generic name. It's not as generic as Mike Smith (that's our neon guy where I work). But I typed my name into IMDB and came up with these results:

(some snippage applied)
Names (Exact Matches) (Displaying 2 Results)
1. Robert G. Henderson (Sound Department, True Romance (1993))
aka "Bob Henderson"
aka "Robert Henderson"
aka "Robert George Henderson"
2. Bob Henderson (Art Department, "Charlie's Angels" (1976))
Names (Approx Matches) (Displaying 18 Results)
1. Rob Henderson (Special Effects, Splinter (2005/I))
2. Robert S. Henderson (Special Effects, The Rock (1996))
aka "Robert Henderson"
3. Robert Henderson-Bland (Actor, From the Manger to the Cross (1912))
4. Robert Henderson (I) (Actor, Superman (1978))
6. Robert W. Henderson (Art Director, "House, M.D." (2004)))
8. Robert Henderson (II) (Production Designer, "Baywatch" (1989))
10. Robert Henderson (III) (Actor, The Worm Eaters (1977))
11. Robert Henderson (V) (Miscellaneous Crew, Midnight Temptations 2 (1997))

A little more Googling popped up these two items:
ROBERT HENDERSON Died June 10, 2002
Mr. Henderson was given a technical achievement Oscar in 1942 for his development of lighting equipment used in the movies. He gave up his film career to work on the Manhattan Project. He worked at the Los Alamos until laboratory 1974.

One of the most remarkable ones (and maybe this should be included on IMDB) is the original James Bond, Sean Connery, credits an American fellow named Robert Henderson with convincing him to get into acting. Now that one's pretty cool.

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 03-13-2005, 07:24 PM:

I've never been in a movie, but here's my 15 mins:

G4 spot

12.91 MB

[ 03-13-2005, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Joe Redifer ]

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 03-13-2005, 07:26 PM:

The movies I've been in won't be available in your every day run of the mill video store anytime soon...

Especially if the girls found out.. LOL.. [Smile]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-13-2005, 08:35 PM:

That reminds me Jason, call me... I'm making another film... [Wink]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-13-2005, 09:03 PM:

I've not been in anything terribly exciting, but....

There is a reasonable chance that I'll be in the background in one or more crowd scenes in the upcoming chick-flick "Fever Pitch." I happened to be attending one of the Red Sox games last September when they were filming it.

Also, my name is in the credits of the restored version of the longest-running film in the world (the Colonial Williamsburg film--now shown 19 times daily in 70mm).

A couple of TV stations in Providence have videotaped me threading projectors during the RI Film Festival...no idea if any of that footage made it to air, though.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-13-2005, 09:32 PM:

Wolff-
Tomb Raider 2? I can see why you wanted to get through the course so fast. The quicker you got it over with, the less you'd have to look at the ugly Playstation graphics and then you could turn on a great game like X-Men vs Street Fighter for the Saturn!

Also, why wasn't the letter to Gamefan listed in the pop-ups? Michael Beard should have narrated the video. I can hear it now... "Wolff King Morrow.... versuusss..... Tomb Raider 2 (each word ending on and upnote)"

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 03-13-2005, 11:48 PM:

Heh, well at the time my computer sucked and I only had Playstation to record from. Now though I can TV-out from my new PC and set TR2 all the way up to 1024x768 (max tv-out mode). But I do remember when PS graphics blew me away...

Oh, and Capcom versus SNK 2 is my preferred 2D fighter. My team of Blanka, Haomaru, and Ken kick noob ass. Then I'll save my victories to memory card and force you to watch the replay while I point out my superior skilz.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 03-14-2005, 04:32 PM:

Had a very small part in a low-budget flick (that I doubt anyone has seen) called "Dead Giveaway."

Do TV shows count?

If so, I've been an extra in a few things, including episodes of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Profiler." Been on the news a couple of times and also in LOTS of student films.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-14-2005, 06:32 PM:

When I worked for UA, the manager of my theater was in an episode of Seinfeld (the one where a kid hears Jerry cuss and repeats it).

Posted by Robb Johnston (Member # 239) on 03-14-2005, 06:56 PM:

I have been a extra in a few films, most notably Gettysburg, wehre I died for both sides.

Also I was a participant in the first days taping ever of the original Double Dare, when it was filmed in the PBS studios in Philadelphia. I forget if I was the first taping or the 2nd, but our day was unique because if you remember the tank? everyone after us had the flag velcroed to the side, but that first day it was on a boom over the water and you had to jump out to grab it.

Both my team and the other one from my school won that day. GO NPMS!! (That's Nether Providence Middle School)

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 03-15-2005, 12:06 AM:

I have no plans on being an actress by any stretch of the imagination but..

Many of you have been extra's in movies. Do you just go on the set and say "hey, put me somewhere" or do you have to audition to be an extra.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-15-2005, 02:09 AM:

Sometimes a production company will advertise locally. Local extras are often lined up directly or subcontracted by a state's film office. You can hunt up the Illinois Film Commission or whatever & they'll likely have some info about "Want to be an extra in a movie?" & will have you send in a photo & contact info for their file. Smaller, more local agencies subcontracted will advertise or have locals on file. They'll often try to troll for walk-ons, etc. by mailouts to local theater groups.

I don't know how much filming goes on there, but I do know that Peoria, Illinois features prominently in B. B. King's cover of "Sweet Sixteen".

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 03-15-2005, 07:26 PM:

quote: Allison Parsons
Do you just go on the set and say "hey, put me somewhere" or do you have to audition to be an extra?

There are a number of ways in which to become an extra. William's post above describes some of the common methods. When I was interested in doing extras work, I signed up with a casting agency. Whenever I wanted to work I called into a recorded message which described the projects and types of people needed that day or in the near future. Upon expressing interest in a part, the company would examine my profile and headshot and determine if I got the part.

Posted by Jared Foley (Member # 3004) on 03-16-2005, 11:37 AM:

My last name appears in nearly every film made. Envy THAT [Cool]

Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 03-16-2005, 12:20 PM:

Cooooooooooooooool!!

[thumbsup]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-16-2005, 08:01 PM:

Here's a link to the little documentary film about "China Girl" that I was in, filmed by Chris Wilcha that has been playing on the Sundance Channel:

http://www.volumeone.com/movies/sundance.html

Posted by Shane Hoffmann (Member # 1620) on 03-17-2005, 12:02 AM:

I've never been in a movie myself, but my psychology professor last semester was one of the Brewers in Mr. 3000. I don't know if he actually made the final cut, but he came pretty close to playing the pitcher who gets nailed in the nuts at the beginning. He didn't want to curse in a movie, though (he's a professor at a small Lutheran college), so he turned it down.