I answered a Facebook ad and spent my day from 8 a.m. to noon at Tom’s Bar and Grille working with the Three First Names Productions team as a background character in the film Best of This.
Film is known to be a fast-paced industry, but one of the ways to be seen is to make yourself seen. A local group for Three First Names Productions made a post asking for extra actors in the background of a scene they were recording for the film Best of This. On a micro budget, this film is described as “A grieving man returns to his hometown to help take care of his estranged father in his final weeks of life. And his reasons for leaving.”
The mind behind the film Best of This is Michael David Charles Hicks, the founder of Three First Names Productions. His film journey began at a young age when he would write scripts to pass the time. Hicks had a cousin in film and was always excited for the credits, where he could look for the familiar name on the screen. Skipping to freshman year, Hicks took a video and film class at school where he could learn more. This is also where he met one of his best friends and a soon-to-be star in his films.
Members of the film answered the question, “What does film mean to you?”
An opportunity to express myself on my terms ~ actor, Colin O’Gorman
Unique art forms that almost demand collaboration ~ producer/actor, Taylor Cole
One of the best ways to connect with our humanity ~ director Michael Hicks
What a coincidence
The cinema world is filled with stars, each surrounded by different environments and experiences. The thing they all have in common is a drive for the work they do. The main stars in the film did not attend a regular audition or casting. Many of the crew members are long-time friends who are going back to school or who ended up bumping into each other at local film festivals in the area.
Extras, Actually
Even though the background characters are not the center of attention, they deserve to be seen. After all, there are many amazing stories to tell. One turned out to be an actor and model in another country, and now is here to explore acting opportunities in America. Another was an opera singer, taking the morning off to be in the film. She would perform later that day in Philadelphia.
Resources
This film is described as a skeleton crew production or micro-budget film. Resources run thin, and so do people. While talking with Taylor, one of the executive producers and actors in the film, they said, “In situations like this, you have to wear many different hats. Sometimes you are a cinematographer; other times an actor, or editor.” The director explained that to get around relying on money, he writes scripts he knows he could make for no budget and uses local resources to give him and the crew a place to record.
Theater
To many, theater falls under the umbrella of cinema and film. This is how Taylor started in school and grew their love for the performance industry.
Taylor said, “As someone who got their start acting on stage, acting for the camera took some getting used to.” Taylor explained that when acting for a crowd, performers exaggerate more, but for a camera, they should be more natural and controlled.
