Hi, since this is technically my first update on my work I thought I'd start
with the basics, so here's an FAQ compiled on the basis of several
meetings/chats/interviews with the people I've met so far.
More soon!
Vasundhara Prakash
*Frequently Asked Questions*
*What are Junior Artistes? *
Junior Artistes are employed to create authenticity, an appearance of
reality in a film, television, advertisement scene. An atmosphere of say a
market place, or a pub scene is made believable by placing appropriately
dressed, junior artistes in the background.
*What is the difference between a Junior Artiste and a Senior Artiste? What
is a Character artiste then?*
A senior artiste is the same as a character artiste. A character artiste has
a role, not a main lead but gets lines to speak. A character artiste earns
from somewhere between Rs. 25,000- Rs.2 Lakhs and may take months to get
paid.
*Is 'extra' a derogatory term?
*Yes it is. Junior Artistes is an accepted term. It was a senior actor of
old times, Chandrashekhar who demanded a change in name from Extras to
Junior Artistes.
*Are Junior Artistes different from the dancers that dance behind the main
leads or the men who get beaten up by the Hero?
*
Yes, those are dancers and stunt men, very different than junior artistes.
Though incase the junior artistes are required to do a little dance or be
punched they are paid extra. They also have different associations of which
the dancers and stuntmen are members of.
*What is the Junior Artistes' Association?*
Junior Artistes' Association (Tala no. 3, Navakalvari, Municipal Market,
Jogeshwari East) is as the name suggests the association that supports/helps
card-holding (members) junior artistes find work. Though the membership card
very clearly says that there is "no guarantee of work". There are about 700
to 800 members, who elect a-11 people committee out of which there is one
President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer, 1st Field Officer.
*What is the Mahila Kalakar Sangh?*
The Mahila Kalakar Sangh is the female counterpart of the Association.
Earlier both the organizations were one, but it's been 35 years since the
female wing broke away from the Association and demands a separate
identity. Apparently the women junior artistes are not called junior
artistes but members of Mahila Kalakar Sangh. The Sangh also has a 11 member
committee elected by the 700 members. The committee comprises of a
President, a Vice President, a General Secretary, a Joint Secretary, a
Cashier/Treasurer and 6 others who share the responsibility of an field
officer.
* What is a field officer?*
A field officer is a committee member, who has many functions. He/She
informs members about the work that comes to the Association through the
producers. It is also the field officer's responsibility to make rounds to
the various film sets to make sure everything is going ok and that there are
no non-members.
*What is the membership fee?
*
Rs. 1 lakh for men, Rs. 60, 000 for women. Though the fee is negotiable as
per the applicant's requirement and need. The membership is not
transferable.
*What happens when they retire? Is it voluntary? Or are people asked to step
down?*
Retiring junior artistes(men) get Rs. 80,000 and the card gets transferred
to an new member who pays Rs. 1 lakh for it, while the remaining Rs.20,000
is kept with the association. The retiring women junior artistes get around
Rs. 70,000 when a new member gets registered. Though these figures are not
constant, there is also a contributory Trust set up by actors like
Chandrashekhar, Dilip Kumar, Dimple Kapadia, which ensures that atleast 3
retiring members every year get Rs. 15000.
*What is a "Classification"?*
The members of the Junior Artistes' Association (men) are classified into
Class A, Class B. As Mr. Aziz Khan said, the Class A men are "high-fi
looking". This class comprising of both young and old are required usually
for hotel scenes, airport scenes. Class B men are used for playing
villagers, constables etc.
The equivalent classification in the Mahila Kalakar Sangh (women) is into
Super Class , Class A and Class B. Super Class members are required for
parties, wedding scenes, airports etc, Class A members for a regular crowd
in hospitals, market places etc, Class B members are those who can pass off
as villagers, beggars etc.
There is a classification that is supposed to happen every five years if not
every year. All the members are called in the office one by one and two
producers, two Federation officer-bearers; two Agents/Suppliers grade them
into different classes.
*Are these two organizations affiliated to a bigger organization?
*
Yes earlier the Mahila Kalakar Sangh was affiliated to the Indian Motion
Pictures' Producers' Association but now both the Sangh and the Junior
Artistes' Association is affiliation to the mother organization the
Federation of Western India Cine Employees. The Federation holds 3-monthly
if not monthly meetings to discuss issues of the 21 crafts' associations
that are affiliated to the Federation.
*How much are they paid? How long is a shift?*
There is Rs. 50-70 difference in pay scale of the Classes.
Decent Class male junior artistes are paid Rs. 570 per shift for a serial
and Rs. 615 per shift for a film. Super Class members of Mahila Kalakar
Sangh are paid Rs. 650 per shift for a serial and Rs. 690 for a film.
Inclusive of food allowance (Rs. 38) and travel allowance ( Rs.39).
*One shift is of 8 hours:*
7a.m.- 2p.m- morning shift
9a.m.- 6p.m- normal shift
9a.m.- 9 p.m- 1 ½ shift
*There are also:*
7p.m.- 2a.m.( Rs.60 Taxi allowance)
9p.m. – 5 a.m. (No Taxi allowance)
*Extra ½ shift money :*
If the shot requires getting wet in the rain
Playing with colour/gulal ( Holi colour)
Running
Fight ( like a punch or kick)
Riding a bike
*Extra 1shift money:*
Duplicate/ Stand-in
Dialogue (of 5 lines)
They also get Rs.30 as dry cleaning allowance for formal clothes.
*Who pays them?*
After pack-up it is the supplier who pays the junior artistes. They are
always paid in cash. And it is later that the supplier gets money from the
producer with his commission.
*Do agents also have an association?*
Yes they do. Their association is called Cine Agents Combine which is also
affiliated to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees.
*What is "completing a board"?
*
A producer or a production manager contacts the supplier/cine agent with
their requirement of number and type (the kind of crowd required, for what
kind of a scene). The supplier either contacts the artistes directly or the
Association with the requirement. Once he (always!) he is able to get his
requirement "the board is completed".
*Do all junior artistes work full-time?*
Not necessarily, some do some don't. You would find regular college kids
being card-holding junior artistes, or some having a side-business in
finance while there are many who earn a living from working as a junior
artiste.
*What are "models"?*
Models are not men and women that walk on the ramps but non-members, better
looking, usually English-speaking, men and women that work as crowds. They
work for 12 hours and are paid Rs.1000. They are usually hated by members
because they take away work from the members. Though there notices in large
fonts saying "non-members not allowed in the studios" models are still
getting work.
*Why do they exist if they are not allowed to work?*
It is said that the ratio of junior artistes to models is 10:4. It is
because the stars and producers demand for models, they get work. The
supplier needs to take a permission from the Junior Artistes' Association
and Mahila Kalakar Sangh before completing the board with models. Also,
models are usually young college kids who are getting mere pocket money for
a 12 hour-sitting around-and-6-second-shoot. When completing a board models
turn out to be cheaper because they are paid less and don't create a fuss
about it.
*Are the junior artistes same in television as in films?*
Yes, they also work in television soaps, advertisements, info-mercials and
as TV live show audience. About 100 junior artistes get their daily wages by
working in television soaps. (Thanks to Ekta Kapoor).
*How many come through acting schools to become Junior Artistes?*
There are a few who get desperate to start work instantly and get registered
into the Association.
*Why do people want to be junior artistes? What sort of people decide they
want to be extras?*
There are a few think becoming a junior artiste is an entry into the
industry and hope to get noticed by some producer. But this rarely happens,
so even if they come with a dream to be famous, it becomes a means to earn a
decent living.
*What is a "compromise"?*
A compromise is accepting to go out say for drinks with the
director/producer.
*What qualities would make a good junior artiste? *
Good height, good built, patience, flexibility, eagerness to work, decent
wardrobe and make-up, punctuality, resilience to bounce back even after
being yelled at, building good relationship with the suppliers, the right
attitude.
*Who tells them what is to be done on the sets?
*
It is the assistant director who tells either the assistant of the supplier
or the junior artistes directly what is to be done in a shot.
*Are they provided costumes? What about make-up?*
They are provided only special costumes for constables, nurses, waiters etc.
They are required to get their own otherwise. They do their own make-up and
hair.
*What is a "passing"?
*
A passing is when a junior artiste is supposed walk across the frame in a
shot.
*What do they do while waiting for their shot on the sets? *
Eat, sleep, chat, gossip, listen to music, and talk on the phone. In the old
times especially on outdoor shoots playing cards used to be a favourite
past-time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Trivia:* According to the U.S. Labor Statistics, the average wage for a
movie extra tends to be approximately $13 per hour, depending on the medium
(it is higher for movies then for other mediums) and go as high as $36 per
hour if you have the experience, union membership and are on a big-budget
feature film roster.
An entry-level extra based in the Los Angeles area at the $31,000 to $38,000
range annually, assuming steady work.
*Special Thanks
*
*Chunky, Uttam, Mr. Bikram K. Singh, Anurag Kashyap, Deva, Babu, Darya, Mr.
Aziz Khan, Shamil Aunty, Kitty, Abu, Apu, Norma Aunty, Rohan Sippy, Shashi
from IMPAA, Jyoti Jha, Alok Sinha, Shama Aunty, Nirmala Aunty, Amritraj
Kapoor, Asha K.Chandra , Vinay, Peter Fernandes, Zuleikha ji,
http://www.stylecareer.com/movie_extra.shtml
Pehli Posting
15 Seconds of Fame!
Lives of Bollywood Extras: Junior Artistes in Popular Hindi films
My project aims to explore the world of extras, to uncover their space in
films. Though this goes against the whole concept of an extra, a faceless,
nameless entity that merely fills the celluloid space without imposing its
identity, it would be interesting to explore how some have unknowingly
broken the boundaries of being restricted to the non-entity status of an
extra and through their quantity as well as quality of work taken that leap
into the world of recognition though still far away from fame. I would like
to examine the "faceless" world of the extras by focusing on a number of
themes. How does gender inflect the extras' relations to the film industry?
How are women treated differently from men? How different are their
expectations and responsibilities and how that affects the choices they
make? My concern is also issues such as prejudices and biases against the
extras, their treatment on the sets. There are also class and linguistic
hierarchies at work – the stars are middle and upper class and English
speaking while the extras are lower middle class and non-anglicized. We have
very little understanding of how these factors play into the experiences of
the extras on the set.
I would like to be able to combine historical and biographical study with
ethnography and textual analysis of a select body of films and will study
junior artistes as "subaltern" stars that provide a counter narrative to the
dominant figurations in Indian Cinema.
I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, contacts or references that
could help my work.
Vasundhara Prakash
Lives of Bollywood Extras: Junior Artistes in Popular Hindi films
My project aims to explore the world of extras, to uncover their space in
films. Though this goes against the whole concept of an extra, a faceless,
nameless entity that merely fills the celluloid space without imposing its
identity, it would be interesting to explore how some have unknowingly
broken the boundaries of being restricted to the non-entity status of an
extra and through their quantity as well as quality of work taken that leap
into the world of recognition though still far away from fame. I would like
to examine the "faceless" world of the extras by focusing on a number of
themes. How does gender inflect the extras' relations to the film industry?
How are women treated differently from men? How different are their
expectations and responsibilities and how that affects the choices they
make? My concern is also issues such as prejudices and biases against the
extras, their treatment on the sets. There are also class and linguistic
hierarchies at work – the stars are middle and upper class and English
speaking while the extras are lower middle class and non-anglicized. We have
very little understanding of how these factors play into the experiences of
the extras on the set.
I would like to be able to combine historical and biographical study with
ethnography and textual analysis of a select body of films and will study
junior artistes as "subaltern" stars that provide a counter narrative to the
dominant figurations in Indian Cinema.
I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, contacts or references that
could help my work.
Vasundhara Prakash
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