Savannah's multi-million-dollar film business is attracting global moviemakers. Casting expert Melanie Forchetti says you can get in on the action.

Savannah's multi-million-dollar film business is attracting global moviemakers. Casting expert Melanie Forchetti says you can get in on the action.

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Savannah's multi-million-dollar film business is attracting global moviemakers. Casting expert Melanie Forchetti says you can get in on the action.

Melanie Forchetti has years of experience working on film projects and managing a large East Coast casting agency. Now she's concentrating on building her own Savannah agency.

Forchetti casts many different roles, including extras or background actors. Extras fill in to make a scene realistic, and she calls these actors "sources of extra believability."

"So extras are very important roles here in Savannah. There's a lot of stuff going on, which is really exciting. I feel it's just exploding with amazing feature films, commercials. Everybody's coming to Savannah from Hollywood to New York. You know, it's such a great place to be right now. And being an extra is a great way to kind of break into the industry," Forchetti said.

Are there any wealthy extras? Probably not. "I see anything from as low as $50 a day to $125 a day to be an extra and on up. But then it kind of falls within that ballpark, and that is your day rate," she explained.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Renée Zellweger, Dustin Hoffman — they all started as extras. But your approach must be realistic.

"I think you have to think of your acting career as a journey. If you aspire to be the next Dustin Hoffman, it usually happens in steps. So, being an extra could be a great break for you. And it certainly has happened. I've cast extras for things, and they'll be given a line on set, and I'll get the call at the end of the day," Forchetti said.

"But in my book, there really aren't any overnight successes. You have to work your way up to the top."

Forchetti says there are ways to make yourself valued as an extra. Be on time, know your place, do what you're asked.

"So you'll want to stay in your lane," Forchetti said.

"And you certainly don't make a big deal out of stuff. And if you have any complaints, bring them to me, and I can address them. I have an open-door policy. Don't go up to the director or the producer and try to have a chat with them because they're really busy on set."

The movie business is filled with specialized vocabulary or what's known as argotic expressions. "Drop it on the baby" means putting the camera on the small tripod. A "juicer" refers to the on-set electrician. A "cookie" is a light filter, and a "dead cat" is the furry, fuzzy windscreen around a microphone.

In the third part of this three-part series, I'll show you how some residents succeed working as extras.

For more information about all those profiled in our three-part series:

In the meantime, if you have any consumer questions, drop me an email at asa@askasa.com.

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