Background refers to background artists (actors) or extras working in a scene.
You will hear many terms for background: BG, extra’s, background players, background artists, and background actors. There can be from 1 to 500 or more background in any given scene. Imagine a park scene with two principal actors sitting on a bench. Everyone around them has been placed by the ADs, with directions from the ADs for their actions and motivations. These background actors have
already gone through the Costume, Hair, and Makeup Departments before being brought to set.
Instructions you will hear are:
Working With Background: That means you are hired to do makeup for the actors in the background.
Report to Background Holding or Extras Holding: Where to show up for work, or where to go. Usually a large room or tent away from set, designated for the background.
Check the Background: You are being asked to look at the background that the AD has assembled for you, and to decide who needs makeup and who is ready to go to set. The department head will decide who has this responsibility.
Working in background, you will often work on many actors in one day. The department head will give you directions on what he or she wants as far as the look for the actors. Descriptions of special background can be found on the front of the call sheet. In some cases, the Supervising Makeup Artist will give you a list of the different looks for the background that day. Swiftness is important when working in large crowd situations. Having an idea of what makeup colors and products work or do not work speeds up the process. Always follow specific directions from the department head or Supervising Makeup Artist.
On set note: never touch up a principle actor on set unless you have been asked to cover that person! You do not know the actor’s continuity, so never assume that they
need to be powdered or touched up. You are there to take care of the background artists that are around them. So know who the actors are and who you are responsible for, and don’t try to impress your department head by being an over achiever and powdering everyone in sight. If you are unsure, ask!
There are certain makeup looks that are used regularly in film and television. A few of those would be police officers, homeless people, drug addicts, pedestrians, diners in a restaurant, waitresses, bartenders, news reporters, news anchors, and children. The other common makeup situations are for period makeup.