Stepping Into Hollywood North: My Experience as a Film Extra
Vancouver’s film industry—proudly known as Hollywood North—has a way of pulling you into its orbit. One moment, you’re living your regular life; the next, you’re standing on a set, pretending it’s Christmas in the middle of August while fake snow swirls around you.
I’ve been lucky enough to be an extra for Warner Bros., Hallmark, and Netflix, which means I’ve casually crossed paths with Dolph Lundgren and stood close enough to Freddie Highmore to note that, yes, he really does have that thoughtful Good Doctor look in real life. But the absolute highlight? Altered Carbon, where I wore a mind-blowing costume straight out of a cyberpunk universe.
My only regret? That I didn’t break the rules and take a backstage selfie—I mean, if you’re dressed like a futuristic rebel, shouldn’t you at least have proof?
And as if that wasn’t surreal enough, I even managed to do it while five months pregnant—so technically, my daughter made her screen debut before she was even born. Not a bad start for someone who didn’t have to memorize a single line!
But beyond the fun and the costumes, what truly fascinated me was seeing the filmmaking process from the inside. As a photographer, I couldn’t stop analyzing how every detail came together—the way lighting shaped a scene, how set designers built entire worlds from scratch, how camera angles were meticulously chosen to tell the story just right. The sheer amount of coordination between the crew, from costume designers to prop masters, was staggering. What looks like a seamless five-minute scene on screen is actually the result of hours (sometimes days) of work, with dozens—if not hundreds—of people involved.
And then, of course, there’s movie magic: actors wrapped in green capes that would later transform them into futuristic beings, elaborate rigs that made a simple fall look like a gravity-defying stunt, and entire cityscapes that, in reality, were just clever illusions.
Being part of this world, even for a short time, was an unforgettable experience. It made me appreciate films in a whole new way—not just as stories, but as incredible feats of creativity, teamwork, and dedication. So next time you watch a movie, take a moment to think about all the hands that brought that scene to life.
And if you ever get a chance to be in a film, say yes. Who knows? You might just end up with a story as unexpected as mine.
