Adnan Kusybi
Adnan Kusybi

An extra opinion: behind-the-scenes to find out what goes into being an extra on a big budget film



With a steady stream of Hollywood and Bollywood movies choosing to shoot in the UAE in recent years, there has been a growing need for extras to populate scenes, man military bases or play the alien crowds milling around a distant space station.

It sounds like a great job – you get to mingle with the stars, appear on screen and get paid for dressing up in wacky costumes, but how is it really for those who are chosen to work around the big names on set on films like War Machine, Star Trek, Mission Impossible and most recently Twisted Blues.

Abdul Whahab was cast as an Afghan translator in the recently released Brad Pitt flick War Machine – ironic as he hadn't initially even planned on auditioning and was actually working as a translator at the auditions for casting company Miranda Davidson Studios when the casting director decided he was the man for the job.

Whahab, a first-time actor, and one of the 2,000 extras cast, was clearly sold on the glitz of the occasion.

“I can’t thank Miranda Davidson Studios enough for making one of my dreams come true, for being in a Hollywood movie,” he says.

“Brad Pitt was an amazing guy. You’d never know he was a big star, he just acts like a normal person and treats you the same way. He was really funny and friendly. I feel famous now - ever since the trailer came out, I’ve had people coming up to me saying ‘is that you?’ It’s totally like a dream, because nobody ever thought I would be in a Hollywood movie.”

Despite the perceived glamour of it, it wasn't all fun and games on the War Machine set.

"The shoot was a lot more than I expected in terms of how much work goes into a production," says Tony Pequeno, a former American marine who plays a soldier in the Netflix satire. He spent five days on set, and made it into the movie's trailer.

"You just don't realise when you watch a movie, just how many people are there on set involved in putting a scene together . I came out with a whole new appreciation for just how much work goes into making a film."

Both Pequeno and Whahab were acting debutants when filming began, but how do more experienced local actors find the extras scene?

Dubai resident Adnan Kusybi has worked on television commercials for the likes of Honda and Vimto, and was also one of the 1,000 extras to take part in 2015’s Star Trek shoot in the city.

He has been taking extra work since 2006, and more recently, began diversifying, adding speaking and larger roles to his acting CV.

"I get emails every day, there's plenty of work out there, so if it's something you want to do, I'd definitely say go for it," he says. "Sure Dubai isn't up there with LA, but there is a lot going on, a lot of movies coming in, and plenty of commercials and work for events or promotions."

Kusybi admits there are pros and cons to the job, so it is important for contenders to be realistic.

“On one side, I love it because there’s no routine. It’s always something different. One day you’re a father, the next a son, the next a racing driver, and you're always meeting new people. On the downside, there’s the 6 am call times, then camera and lights have to be set up and they do screen tests and adjust all these small details. There’s an awful lot of waiting time.”

Jamal H Iqbal will be familiar to fans of locally produced cinema – he's appeared in several of the UAE's highest profile productions including Sea Shadow, The Journey and Abood Kandaishan.

“I’d say there isn’t really an extras scene, more just ad hoc call-outs when a big production comes in,” he notes.

He also points out a perceived lack of professionalism that often goes along with the job.

“There’s only really three or four casting agencies that I would really consider genuine, but there’s probably 4,000 ‘casting agents’,” he says. “Too many don’t even know what casting really is. You’ll get ‘I need five European girls' or 'two Mediterranean looking men’. That’s not casting. If a director wants an extra on a set, unless it’s just some big crowd scene, there’s a very specific need for them to be there.”

Iqbal has a stoically honest approach to the whole notion of extra work: "Don't tell me I'm going to achieve fame and dance with Shah Rukh Khan and the world will know my name, I've been through that. Just tell me here's a chance to make a buck for a day's work and that day's work is being an extra, like they do in the rest of the world."

Iqbal's position is shared by acting coach and casting agent Alex Broun.

"Get the stars out of your eyes and be realistic about how a film set works. No one will turn up on set and whisk you off to Hollywood."

Broun also has some helpful tips for aspiring actors embarking on the extras route.

"Get in touch with casting agencies and production companies, by all means, but do it professionally – ‘Hello, here’s my photo, measurements, experience'. Don’t bombard them with phone calls and emails. Enthusiasm alone isn’t enough. You need professionalism, and not to come across as a nutcase who they don’t want on set or at auditions."

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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

THREE
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

Haircare resolutions 2021

From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’

Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

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The%20specs
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In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.

 

There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.

 

More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.

 

The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.

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Company%20profile
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Super Saturday race card

4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m