Gail Shelton spoke to Kiwanis on Tuesday, Aug. 19, about her experience as an extra in The Chosen. If you are unaware, this is a TV series about the life of Christ. The idea came from Dallas Jenkins, who is the creator and director.
They started small with three episodes. There was not a lot of money available, so he asked for crowdfunding, the viewers and supporters pay. You can make a donation to the foundation in support of the filming. It is free to watch and is available on Prime Video and also through an app you can download to your phone or smart TV.
The series has been seen by 280 million people worldwide and has been translated into 40 languages.
Shelton believes that because she donates every month, she received an email asking if she wanted to sign up to be an extra. She signed up for three days in May in Utah and was accepted. There are 600 extras on set at a time, and they come from all over.
After she was accepted, she made her travel arrangements, which are paid for by the individual. All expenses are covered by participants, and they receive no payment for their time. Her flight was delayed, so she was only there for two days.
The set is about 40 miles from Provo, where she stayed, and was built by the Mormons. It is in the middle of nowhere, the reason being that there is no modern-day noise. It serves as the temple in Jerusalem and includes other sets. There is also a set in Midlothian, Texas, where they are currently filming.
There is a huge tent that holds all 600 extras, where they waited for their time. It had tables and chairs with people reading the Bible, singing, working puzzles, playing cards, etc. The tent was about a quarter mile from the set, and when their group was called, they walked to the set. They had to be quiet and could make no eye contact with the actors or camera.
They listened for: “Quiet on the set. Rolling. Background. Action!”
She appeared in four scenes in the Court of Women, simply walking, “ABC”: always be crossing (quietly), pantomiming a conversation, and walking with purpose. They had 12-hour days starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. Meals, plenty of water, and first aid (if needed) were provided. They were not supposed to take pictures. She saw only a few cast members.
“It was a fascinating experience,” Shelton said. “I learned a lot about filming, production, and what happens behind the scenes. It required a lot patience because of the amount of downtime.”
Shelton recommends that if you have not seen The Chosen, you should start at the beginning. There is a lot of backstory and character development. She was an extra in Season 6 (the crucifixion season), which will be shown in the future. Season 5 is out now.