"Iron Man 3," which will begin filming in Wilmington this summer, held an open casting call for extras Saturday, Apr. 21 at Independence Mall. The casting call was held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and many UNCW students jumped at the opportunity to get a chance of being on the big screen or just to make some extra money while having a fun and exciting experience on the set of a major movie.
"Iron Man 3" will be using the sound stages at Screen Gems Studios, and the Tona B. Dahlquist Casting Company is in charge of hiring extras for the production. They are looking for people of every type, age, race, gender, etc. Extras will mostly be used in large crowd scenes, but some may be used for background talent.
Kerri Robinson, a sophomore at UNCW, shared her experience of working as an extra on a production here in Wilmington. She was an extra on "One Tree Hill" last semester, and the process should be similar for "Iron Man 3."
Robinson said, "First they had us fill out a form with our name and other information for payment purposes. After that, we got to have snacks and wait for the stylist to come around and check our outfits and tell us which one to wear. When we were finally ready, we had to wait about three hours before we were even needed for a scene. Luckily, they made up for the waiting with the delicious dinner. It was nice to have my friends with me or I would have been bored."
Robinson also expressed that it would be fun to try and be an extra again. Her previous experience was positive, but she thinks this would be different. She says, '"Iron Man 3" will probably have way more extras! A much bigger crowd will be needed for certain scenes. Also, being in a movie might be different from a TV series, because the actors and camera crew are new to each other."
Wilm on Film tweeted, '"Caged Heat" (aka "Iron Man 3") casting has brought about 2,000 people to Wilmington's Independence Mall, mall managers estimate."
The people that made their way to Independence Mall on Saturday, to be a part of the casting process, were greeted by a huge line, beginning at a back door by Ruby Tuesday. The line filled the entire sidewalk and wrapped all the way past the restaurant, El Agave. There were many different types of people waiting to get inside, ranging from mothers with babies, older couples and groups of teenagers. Everyone in line was holding a sheet of paper with their general and contact information on it to give to the casting people inside.
Once people in attendance finished talking to the casting people, they came out of the back door one-by-one, but the line moved fairly quickly. Everyone who was simply going to the mall to shop stared and asked what was going on as they walk past the mass of people.
Katrina Whittier, a junior and a communications major at UNCW, has been involved in Wilmington's film industry during her time here, filming different things for her film and communication classes. She thinks "Iron Man 3" will have a great impact on the town and its film industry.
Whittier said, '"Iron Man 3" will be huge for Wilmington. With so many things being filmed here, it is really making a name for the town. Wilmington is diverse and the perfect area to film; it has the beach, a downtown scene and a college area."
Whittier also thinks this production will provide many opportunities for UNCW students. "College students love being extras in films. It is a perfect and fun opportunity to make some cash! This will definitely help anyone aspiring to be in the film industry to get a sneak peek, first-hand, of what they could possibly be doing in the future. We will also be able to see the challenges of the industry," she says.
One of the security guards, patrolling the line of people at the open casting call, explained that the casting company said they were only looking for crowd extras, so they did not specifically need college-aged students, but they are always happy to have them. There were many college-aged people waiting in line, and this would be the perfect opportunity for any student, because the film will be in production during the summer months when school is out.
Michelle Hanson, a sophomore at UNCW, attended the casting call, and she said it was a great experience. She went with some of her friends, so that made the time in line go by faster. She hopes to be able to be a part of the filming of "Iron Man 3."
If people who are interested were not able to make it to the in-person casting call, there is still a chance to get in contact with the casting company by sending information to them online.
Even if not everyone is able to be a part of the production, look for "Iron Man 3" filming around Wilmington during the summer months. The biggest production Wilmington has hosted will greatly impact the film industry and the town's economy, and it will provide UNCW students with something fun and exciting if they are staying in Wilmington for the summer.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120412/ARTICLES/120419888
http://www.wwaytv3.com/2012/04/16/iron-man-3-extras-casting-wilmington-weekend
http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2012/04/16/second-open-casting-call-for-iron-man-3-will-be-held-in-wilmington-nc-this-weekend/