Some call them "extras," but BG (or Background) is the industry term for people hired to work on a film or TV production that aren't the main actors. They're those people literally in the background that you don't even really notice, but they play a very big and important role in creating a reality that makes the production believable. When you're making a movie or TV show, you want it to look real, and in the real world, there are usually people in the background. Consider this: you're walking down the street to meet a friend at Starbucks for a coffee. You go inside and order from the Barista. You, your friend, and the barista are the main characters. Everyone else there is background. OK, so why this podcast? Why here? Why now? I've lived in Atlanta, GA for almost 25 years now, and stumbled into this industry about a year ago (October 2019 to be exact). I was just minding my own business selling real estate but uncovered another world (on another planet) within an industry that's booming here right now. People call it "Yallywood" (a portmanteau of Y'all and Hollywood) for good reason. Don't quote me on this, but I believe there are more productions being done here on Georgia than anywhere else in the country due to the tax incentives. So, a whole new industry has popped up. And people are flocking to it. Like me, but it was an accident. Really. I responded to an email from a company called Nine9. I paid them some money. Not to throw them under the bus, but it probably wasn't worth it, and everyone I met consider them to be a "scam" (perhaps true). I got wind of some Facebook pages and websites that posted open calls for background work, and the rest is history. Between October 2019 and March 2020 (roughly six months), I worked on 30 projects. I've learned a lot. And my goal here is to share some useful information about the business for those just getting into it, coupled with real-life stories of what I've encountered along the way. Some good. Some bad. It's not my primary source of income (I sell real estate full-time), but it's a fascinating way to spend your days (if you have the flexibility), meet interesting people, make some money, and (at some point hopefully) see yourself on the big screen. I hope you enjoy listening.
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