Iron Man II Official Trailer

This is one of the latest films that I have worked on that will be coming out this May!

Action Shots

The following are some pictures of me (top), my brother John (middle), and my friend Mattias (bottom) as we were all filmed in the background of the movie "The House Bunny".

What Every Extra Needs

Sometimes the best impression is the first impression, especially in the acting world. And when it comes down to it, your first impression will most likely be your profile snapshot. When registering through Central Casting Agency (CCA), you are given one snapshot for free when enrolling. Though, these are on site and might not capture your best "you". Central Casting does allow extra photo submissions along with a $10.00 fee for each additional photo added to your profile. Though, to maximize on the additional investment, it is important to best represent yourself on a professional level. This is very common for the more serious background actors, and may increase your call rates. There are many studios that will provide this service specifically for the acting agency, but these companies typically prey on those waiting in line outside of Central Casting's registration center. Having these photos ahead of time can save you both time and money. Linked on the side is Mike Berger's (above) personal photogrohy blog with many prime examples of what quality photogrophy is and looks like at mbdxx.blogspot.com. Below are some examples of Mike's work:


If you are interested in contacting Miker Berger, you can contact him at michael@mbdx.com or through his site at mbdx.com.

It's a long shot, but it just might work...

Even though being an extra is not really the most acclaimed part of the movie industry, many famous actors and actresses had their start in the background. Not only did Megan Fox (left) and Brad Pitt (right) begin in the back, many other celebrities did as well. Such famous actors as Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, John Wayne, and many more. Though, most extras career's are not this successful, the key to working one's way up by strictly being an extra is to be in the right place at the right time. One can work their way up by gaining SAG vouchers, which in turn can gain one access into the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). This is one's best way to make it through simply being an extra, for being in SAG gives better roles and pay. So, not everyone will become rich and famous from extra work, but there are many opportunities that can arise from being there when needed.

An Inside Look

One of my favorite aspects of working as an extra in the various films that I have participated in is that I get to observe how films are shot first hand. In my first film, The House Bunny, I noticed how much filming goes into a scene before it is actually finalized for the feature film. Specifically, of the three 10-12 hour nights of filming for the tiki party scene that I was in, only about three to four minutes actually made it into the film. Now I understand that this may vary considerably from film to film, but the more films I was in, the more I noticed this trend. The main cause for this is that the filmmakers will film over a certain shot in a scene at least two to three times, which could only comprise a few seconds of the actual footage. So, actually filming a four minute scene could take many hours. The repetition for a shot also depends on the importance of the dialogue and/or scene being shot as a whole. Most of the shots in The House Bunny that I had best screen time in were cut. Though, I was in one quick shot dancing in the background. Likewise, when I participated in the filming of Transformers 2, the whole scene I was in got cut. Whereas I do not expect great footage in the films, one of the best features of being in a film is observing the process for which they are made and all the details that are put into it's making.

Perks of the Job

Whereas there are many perks to being involved as an extra through Central Casting, one of the most fun features is being able to film with a friend. Two out of the four times that I have filmed I have been able to film with my brother. Don't get me wrong, it is fun meeting new people on the sets, but having a friend there makes the whole job that much more fun. My brother signed up about a year before me after hearing of the opportunity through a friend. I did not really want to sign up alone and decided to bring a good friend to sign up with me. Funnily enough, my friend, my brother, and I all got called to film my first shoot together in The House Bunny. Understanding there are many reasons people sign up, it is not necessary to go with friends, but having a friend at least breaks the ice.

Quick Reminder!

Just wanted to let you all know that the registration information is linked up on the left. It is set up for those who are first time registrars. Also! Couples Retreat comes out this Friday (Oct. 9th)! Go check it out!

Filmogrophy

Just thought I'd go ahead and include the trailers to some of the movies I've been in...

A Little Background...

To kick things off, I want to introduce myself. I am David Andrew Helms. Born in Atlanta, GA and bred in San Clemente, CA. I moved out to San Clemente when I was ten when my dad took a senior pastoral job at a church in San Juan Capistrano. Since then I picked up playing guitar and football during High School and now am getting my BA in BA (Bachelors in Bus. Admin.). Though, oddly enough, none of these have anything to do with film, hollywood, or anything of the sort. One of my friends since junior high is a movie junky and got his degree in film at Azusa Pacific several years ahead of me (seeing as I still have to graduate). Through talking to him about what his plans were for his degree he told me how he had been in several movies already, but just in the background (aka, an extra). Furthering our discussion he pretty much informed me that anyone could do that, and that it had nothing to do with his degree. His degree got him access to be a directors assistant in several short films, but his acting career was something anyone could do. Putting my degree in progress to work, I saw this opportunity as gold and asked how to get involved (to be posted in a later article...). Thus, my shot at stardum was born. Two months after signing up, I got asked to be in "The House Bunny" starring Anna Faris as a frat party guy in the tiki party scene. One year later, I filmed a scene in "Transormers 2", only to find it got cut (but was fun none the less). As we all know, one thing leads to another, and in the past two years of being an extra, I have also filmed in movies like "Iron Man II" and "Couples Retreat". "Couples Retreat" is to be released later this fall. In short, anyone can be an extra, all one needs to do is take the time to register and see what opportunities arise.

First Things First

Hey all, this is my first blog, and therefore, my first blog post. This blog is here to help navigate friends and followers alike to better understand the world of cinema. I have been in several movies filmed in the LA area and actually got one call today. I found this a useful discussion because I have many friends come to me and ask how to get into the film industry and what that entails. Therefore, in the following weeks I hope to share some cool tips on the industry and throw in some personal criteria about myself.