Extra, Extra

I recently found a way to unravel the Six Degrees from Kevin Bacon formula. Put it on its ear, as a matter of fact.

A reminder – Some time ago it was posited that virtually everyone could link one’s self to Kevin Bacon by diagramming one’s network of contacts. I know so and so, who knows so and so, who worked as a volunteer at a fundraiser featuring Bacon in a celebrity appearance. That looks like three degrees of separation.

I joined the “Bacon Bunch” recently as a background artist appearing in the movie “Death Sentence,” due for release in 2007 and filmed in Columbia, SC. Background artist has a more appealing ring than “extra.” It is the classification of our ilk in the Screen Actors Guild contract. We artists are the scabs, with non-union wages to show for our scars.

Basically a background artist becomes a professional waiting room resident during filming. The profession requires patience and a penchant for sitting as scenes are set, lighting measured and finally the set cry of “rolling, quiet, background, action.”

We run through our pantomime paces time and time again, repeating the same facial expression and movements. Those of us who know for certain we are out of microphone range concoct whispered silly scenarios of dialog in an attempt to make our scene partner laugh.

The detail that the prop crew adheres to for each office cubicle for this scene is surprising - from family photos to paper clips. We cube dwellers play solitaire on “live” computers in between takes.

After three days of filming, the office scenes are finished and the background artists are done, having made new friendships, but never meeting the star. We are “off limits.”

We’ll be the ones meticulously watching the screen for a fleeting glimpse of ourselves and not at all surprised if we ended up on the editing room floor, or in the digital editor recycle bin.