Produced By - Insight #21 - Andrea Secci: Experience From Working As Extra On Film And HETV Productions

Episode Date: September 8, 2023

Andrea Secci is a photographer, filmmaker and teacher based in St Albans, UK. An Italian native from Sardinia, Andrea relocated to London in 2014 to improve his English. After a career in hospitality management, Andrea went on to earn a BA Film with a foundation year in media. He currently works as a branding photographer, he’s a co-founder of his own businesses, an occasional background artist in film, HETV and TVC productions and film and television teacher at the Pauline Quirke Academy. We discuss his academic career from the perspective of a dedicated and responsible student, how he managed the pandemic and his ultimate triumphs with his short film. As a vivid reader and passionate screenwriter, he offers helpful book recommendations for aspiring filmmakers along with some advice on how to make the most of your time at university. We go into greater detail about Andrea's experience working as an extra in notable productions. Listen to this episode to discover more about his experiences working on sets of well-known actors and directors, gain insight into his optimistic outlook for your own personal growth and be motivated by his desire to one day return to Sardinia.    Connect with Andrea: ⁠https://www.andreasecciphotography.com/⁠ ⁠https://secciandrea.wixsite.com/my-site⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrea.secci_1007/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-secci-/⁠   Topics discussed: Introduction Foundation year Background  University experience  Studying during pandemic Recommended books Recommended films Working as a teacher Working as an extra Brand photography Starting freelancing Follow Andrea   Episode quotes: “Overall it was a roller coaster but it was good. I really liked it and it was full of pressure which I also put on myself because it was my last year.” “Use your experience as much as you can. For example, the library, where you can just go and have so many books and films that you can simply take and watch in your own time. Then you have equipment and like-minded people that you can make stuff with and you should use that to your own advantage.” “It’s good to experiment and then slowly narrow your way into what you want to do.” “Just listen to your heart, your body and really do what you want to do. With that just work towards your goals and experiment. You might slightly change that or the direction but that doesn't mean that you're losing anything.”    Connect with the podcaster: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tomasloucky.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://twitter.com/TomasLoucky⁠     Follow the podcast: 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗 Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   💬 Contact: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com/contact⁠⁠⁠ 📷 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/produced_by_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  🎥 YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT5LHnM6YCaeVzIr0WatOsw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  🎵 TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@producedbypodcast⁠ ✉️ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠https://lnkd.in/e5Y8Wscx⁠  Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/produced-by/id1684669642⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🤩 If you enjoy listening to the podcast, please, leave a review on your podcast app, subscribe or share it with your friends. You can also send us a message and share any feedback, advice and tips for guests. 📭 Subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠https://produced-by-podcast.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠ so that you don't miss out! Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠Unproduced:Newsletter: https://unproduced.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unproducednotesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Ddo8ibDlLYoaP7FFLIWMore:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠The Podcast Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25420030/Tools & gear that support the show:Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/vDnDodFavikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRa Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19JamX: https://jamx.ai/podcasters-offer?ref_id=e02d48af-ef66-4e76-b804-c2e8d282a8bfSome links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Out of all those activities and jobs you've mentioned, can we elaborate on some, the big productions, as you said, like extra, right? For example, Crown or past 10? Sometimes you get a walk-home performer, which is a bit more featured role, so you get more money. I wonder, can you share how did you find a job in the first place? I mean, maybe it's not that difficult to find job working as extra, but I guess it's not that easy to get it in such a job. projects as you did. I would say yes, there are plenty of agencies that you can subscribe to. And if they accept you, you have to do your profile. Once they accept you, they send you the availability check and obviously you have to commit to the specific jobs. Then, you know,

you get the agents know you. So it becomes more. It stays professional, but they know you. So, you know, you get more opportunities, you get plenty of jobs if you put the foot in the right. And again, it's flexible and it gives you a good understanding of what the working on set is. Because to be honest, I didn't know before. But now I know that I won't be able to go and work full time on set like that in those productions. Because days are very long, very happy. Sometimes you have to travel very far. So you might be out of the house for 17, 18 hours a day, very little sleep, and that's not for everyone.

And, you know, even if you do long hours, in the end, you are either home on the workplace, there you might be 100 miles away from home. Yeah, I understand. And there are so many productions, and sometimes the job you find might seem genuine, but it's not. and unfortunately some people that are trying to get into the industry are being taken advantage of they might tell you that it's 120 for a day but you must drive the van so you drive the van

and then you do the runner work which is very long and you have to drive the fan back and you did all of that for 120 pounds a very long day and with very bad money And although it's so demanding such a long days, the work you need to do, it's still very competitive, right? That it's quite hard to get there because there are so many people who want to get their job. Exactly. That's the thing. And it's very hard to get. And then, you know, look out because some productions are not genuine. And then there are those offers that they get in the business.

they get work in big productions which are also genuine so you know you never know what you get I met people that went on work in nice productions like Disney productions Netflix productions

and those are genuine but very tricky as an industry very, very tricky and this is another suggestion if I know what you want to do experiment yes but don't feel like if you don't like

something or it's not for you don't think that is the only way to get into it find something else within the industry because working on set as a runner is not the only thing you can do some people might be able to do it but i wouldn't be able to again to work all those hours every day yeah listening to orders the whole day somewhere outside no weather what the weather is there Academy of Hed might be really tough conditions. Yeah, very, very tough, very tough. And just to get an idea, how many days you spent on such a production as extra? Well, usually in each production I spent between one and three days,

but I did a fair amount of productions. I don't know how many, to be honest. Those are productions usually like commercials I did Amazon Prime, E, e, or January booking.com. And is it usually around London or is it even outside? We can find them anywhere. Usually there are many London or the studios, which are a bit out of London,

but many others are other counties. And this is why I have a car, which is very good for any job you want to do, even for working schools or any work that I currently do, the car is my hero because we transport, especially from St. Albans, because it's not in London. And this is another thing, another suggestion. If you want to do this kind of jobs, get a driving license, get a car,

because without a car, it's even more difficult to get this kind of jobs. Pretty much any job in the film, unless your visual effects, I was going to say advice to listeners, if you want to stand out and get a car, it's already some plus point. Yeah, it is. And are there any lessons that you learned from working on these productions? Because obviously it's different than working at university. Is there something that you learned? Wow, so many things.

Well, I can give a few. I learned that it takes a lot of money and people to. make a feature film or a TV series, more people and money that I fought before going into any of the sets. And because obviously it takes a lot of people and his long hours, it's about knowing how to work with people as well. It's not just about getting the shot done. Because you see people working there, especially in the AD department, who are doing very long hours, a lot of hard work. and yet they are able to keep it professional.

And try to stay positive. Yeah, yeah. Another thing is, you know, if you know that the job is hard and once if you accept to do a job, commit to it. Because yes, you were asked, but you were forced to do the job. So if you commit to it, bring it to an end and then move on to something else if you didn't like it. And yes, they do many takes. They do lots of dates.

There is a lot of preparation many times for just one take, for just one simple shot. There are so many people, so much preparation behind. Again, I suggest to try the experience because you really piss off. Plus, the money is good most of the times. And I guess it's also a great experience. just being on such a set that doesn't happen to anyone

and not many people have such opportunity. Yeah, that's correct. That's correct. It's overall experience. And you made plenty of nice people. They have other jobs or they have their own businesses and they do that to

sometimes it's just to break from the routine. Sometimes it's to get some extra more honest. Sometimes it's the experience. Yeah, it's just good. I think obviously it for me personally is something that I'm not going to be doing for not doing it goal yeah I've been doing it for this year because first to network that we like many people

try to get the other side of the camera then also get some extra work some extra money so I've been doing it for those reasons but obviously after a while it becomes something that you know once experienced productions and if he's not really your thing. I do see myself doing it for much longer because I have other things I'm working on now, but it's being useful for my transition. Very useful. And yeah, now I have other things I'm doing. So let's see. Sometimes I still, if they propose me a good job, I still say yes, but I don't say yes to every job.