All of us here at Ray Knight Casting have worked as Supporting Artists or Assistant Directors at one time or another, so we know what the industry is like at the front lines of filming.
In fact, some of us occasionally go out on calls, either to meet up with ADs or to help out on bigger crowd days.
We know about the business and between us have lived and seen it from the SA, crew and agency perspectives.
As for the SA side, we have learned a great deal over the years and so here’s our latest blog post entitled…
10 Things I Learned As A Supporting Artist.
1) Crews work extremely hard on productions.
You’ve had 6 days on a production together with very early starts and the usual long days.
Well done, but have you considered the crew and others on the same production who have been working 27 consecutive days on that production, on just as long days as you’ve had (or even longer)?
Perhaps they’ve also had to stay away from home for long periods.
Be patient and be accommodating.
2) You can’t always have the hairstyle you want.
You’ve got a regular Supporting Artist part on a production which happens to be set in the 1950s.
While working on this production there’s a strict requirement to have your hair cut and styled only when you’re on this job and maintain it for the duration.
You’ve also just seen a casting available for people with slightly shorter hair than you have now and you’re totally sure that you’d get it.
You have 4 more days on your production, and they would overlap with this casting. As they say, “that’s Show Business”.
3) Period costumes don’t always have pockets for smartphones.
Great, you’ve got yourself the latest upgrade to your smartphone with the biggest screen you could get.
With smartphones being the obligatory bit of kit for any supporting artist, it’s important to be practical when choosing your new upgrade.
Will your new smartphone, which is almost as large as a phablet, be practical on all calls?
Those Mr. Darcy-esque breeches you’ll be wearing on that next period call aren’t made for your super screened upgrade and tight whale bone corsets aren’t particularly accommodating either.
Why not think in terms of “mobile” phone; one that’s unobtrusive when slipped into the very smallest of pockets?
4) Nights always feel colder than days, whatever the temperature.
You’re booked on a couple of night calls in the summer.
You’ve checked the weather forecast and it looks like they’re going to be mild nights.
Take it from us that the same temperatures during the day and night won’t feel the same at 3:00am.
Your body clock goes through various cycles during 24 hours, so your body will probably be at its lowest ebb around that time of the morning.
Take another layer with you just in case; it’s better to look at it than to look for it.
5) Why Complain?
You’ll work with many people during your tenure as a Supporting Artist. Sadly, you’ll find complainers on many jobs and the more people you work with the more chance you’ll have of encountering a complainer.
They will complain about most of the usual subjects: agents, lack of work, too much work, long days, politics and so on. Complainers drain energy around them and gain a negative reputation.
They’re not always bad people.
Sometimes they’re just worn out or having a bad day.
Either way, we learned not to be one of them and the value of not getting involved with their gripes, tempting as it can be.
6) Always be early.
Arriving around 15-20 minutes early will not only help out the 2nd AD in most cases but will often also help wardrobe as they won’t have to deal with a glut of SAs all turning up at the same time.
Also, the queue for breakfast won’t be as long or “competitive” as it will be later when the majority of the other SAs all turn up!
7) Buddy Up.
It’s worth finding out whether any SAs with the same agents live near to 
you.
Working on the same job? Why not travel together and share the driving?
Company at 4:30 in the morning when on the way to a job can make all the difference.
8) Learn the rules of your agents.
What time can you call into check a payment? Should you call or email?
Likewise, when can you check in with your un/availability? Once again, are you required to ‘phone in or should you email instead?
What are the rules for updating your agent with your availability? New appearance? Contact details? DBS updates?
It’s a complete waste of time if you’ve just had your long hair cut and your agent calls you for a booking because their last photos of you show you with your long hair.
Trust us on this…if you have a question or a problem such as not being able to make a job at the last minute, pick up the ‘phone and call us!
Even if it’s out of hours and you leave us an answerphone message.
Someone is always on call here at Ray Knight Casting and the message will be picked up. Don’t slide in an email or a text at 2.30 am!
If you’ve made a simple mistake or an almighty cock up either way, front it out…contact us ASAP and be honest. If you disappear or spin us a yarn, we’ll find it hard to trust you in future and you may even be taken off out books.
We respect reliability and integrity. If you make a mistake but handle it the right way – no bridges burned. That is the Ray Knight way.
Your agent works for and with you; and you work with your agent.
Work together.
9) Share and share alike.
You’ve just found out that your agent has just changed a couple of points on their terms and conditions or changed their office hours.
Do your colleagues know?
Share it with your colleagues, whether it’s personally or on your social media account if you have one.
Remember, it’s a “people” business.
10) Social life or work life?
Don’t count on the fact that your call will end early enough for you to make that gig, or the dinner party that you’ve planned for that evening.
Sure, we all need a work-life balance at some time or another, however most agents allow you to “check out” if you need to.
There’s no point in getting edgy and keep clock-watching on a call just because you’re going to be late for a soirée which you’ve known about for months.
The job finishes when the director says “stop”.
Get a good diary… and use it!
So there you are, “10 Things I Learned As A Supporting Artist”.
Do you agree with our list? What have YOU learned during your time as an SA? What would YOU add? What do you agree or disagree with?
Let us know and feel free to leave your comments as we’d love to hear from you.
© Ray Knight Casting – 2019
For more information about Ray Knight Casting, please visit
www.rayknight.co.uk
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