At first glance it could look like any library, restaurant, bar or student workplace with people mulling around like any typical day. But after that initial glance, the fabricated nature of the moment quickly becomes apparent. Movie sets are becoming a more common sight throughout Louisiana, and more students are using the growing film industry as an opportunity to both make ends meet and pursue their dreams. Many students find the easiest way to get involved in the industry is as an extra, said Andrei Constantenescu, extra casting manager for Glorioso Casting, which is based in Shreveport.Extras are typically hired through Web sites like Craigslist.com and paid to play normal people found in the scene’s background.”The extras are the atmosphere of the film,” Constantenescu said. “A movie would not look good or right or have any sense of reality without extras.”Normal extras are typically paid $50 to $100 for a day of work depending on the budget size of the production. That day could entail waiting around for 17 hours until the director needs the extra, said Hank Langlois of Redflix casting.”The first time I just wanted to see what a movie set was like,” said Ryan Sands, theatre studies senior. “I just wanted to see what all goes into a movie, so it was interesting. But when I did my second extras job, I was actually strapped for cash.”Some extras are chosen to fill featured extra roles which may entail a specific look or speaking role. These featured extra spots typically get paid $100 to $150 a day, said Carol Bloodworth of Fruition Talent and Media talent Agency.Sands described waiting to be used as the most difficult part of extra work.”It was really easy days especially for featured extras,” Sands said. “All we did was stand around and cheer occasionally … and we got paid a little more than $500 in four days. The most difficult part of the job is keeping yourself entertained because you are there for a minimum of 12 hours each day.”Daniel Lachman, photography senior, started as an extra and has progressed to higher paying jobs on the film set.”I payed for my car and a lot of my photo equipment through film, so [the film industry] has been a major contributor to my livelihood,” Lachman said. “Something like a restaurant waiter job is really steady. But in film, it’s freelance, so you can only work on a film while it is shooting. So you make a lot of money is spurts whereas a waiter makes money constantly. But I would say there is more money in film than the average student job.”While he does admit that the pay is great when working on film, Lachman said he is often exposed to the “dark side” of the industry.”It’s really a messed up industry,” Lachman said. “There are a lot of delusions of grandeur. When people think of the film industry, they think it’s exotic and glamorous, and to an extent it is. But really on the level where college students have time to work, you see the underworld of the film industry. There is a lot of deadbeats that work on set … and being an extra sucks because they treat you like sheep and are sometimes condescending.”But there are often unexpected highlights to working on film that make it better than the average student job, Lachman said.”I worked as an extra in ‘Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay’ in Shreveport, and there is a scene that has either a bottomless or topless pool party depending on which scene on the DVD you choose to watch,” Lachman said. “But I worked as one of the five guys on that scene, and there were 30 naked women on the set. So it was a pretty interesting experience to be around 30 naked women for two nights … and getting paid $200 a night for it.”Sands said one of his favorite parts of being an extra was the opportunity to interact with different actors.”The late, great Bernie Mac was on set for a film I did a few years back,” Sands said. “He was really cool like one of those guys who was always goofing around with the cast and making sure people were not bored.” Lachman said he is considering pursuing a career in cinematography.”I have aspirations to work in what they call ‘above-the-line jobs’ like cinematographer, director, producers  — basically the jobs that have the creative outlet,” Lachman said. “Moving up can start with being an extra, but is all about connections. It’s who you know, who you talk to, who likes you, and who wants you back.”Amy Dyess, creative writing senior, also plans to turn her experience working on film into a career. Dyess works in those above-the-line aspects of film and has worked in Los Angeles. Dyess also won Best of Film in the University’s Digital Media Festival during the spring semester.Dyess is a film and media arts minor and said the University is adding more classes with a film aspect to the curriculum. “As long as the state and people demand that we keep up with our film industry tax incentives, film studies will continue to evolve at LSU,” Dyess said. “I see more and more interesting classes that involve film aspects … even in architecture … which you study the architecture in great films and how to incorporate architecture into your film.”Chris Spellman is a University graduate and has worked in the art department for films like ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘Superbad’ and ‘Pineapple Express’ in Los Angeles and Louisiana.”Students have a great opportunity right at their doorstep and all they have to do is make some phone calls and opportunities, and the film industry are remarkably right there,” Spellman said. “For people who are coming out of college and looking the economy the way it is and the world’s state of affairs, you can still go out and pursue your dreams. I am a living example of that.”—-Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]