INT. GRAND OLYMPIC AUDITORIUM, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - DAY

We all had our own reasons for being there - mine was to find out how real movies are made, but for most it was to get on the silver screen. Our MC for the day, Ben, explained how it would work.

Brendan Fraser's character, Elliot, has sold his soul to the Devil, played by Liz Hurley, in exchange for seven wishes that he hopes will make him more attractive to his dream woman. In one particular wish, Elliot is a rock star... or as it turned out, a burnt-out, drugged-up lead singer of has-been thrash-metal band, Stone Cold Dead. Our job was to look like we were enjoying the band's concert.

Ben explained that there were three types of extras: foreground - paid up to $300 a day to stand near the stage and get close-ups (cast through an agency or a phone box leaflet), background - unpaid bodies to pad out the long shots (us), and the life-size cardboard cut-outs in the back rows that were moved around to fill in behind us humans as we were positioned for the different takes.

Four times during the six hour shoot, Brendan Fraser moshed his way around the stage to a deliberately unpleasant backing track, each time being filmed from a different angle. For one, the production staff put me at the front of the balcony... that would be my best chance of getting a big break!

Between takes, Ben kept us occupied with drink, food and entertainment. The drink was bottled water and the food was pizza on tap, but America being America, the choice was pepperoni or pepperoni. The entertainment consisted of some very American audience-participation games, quizzes, free hand-outs, and a big prize draw. You couldn't play that without a social security number, of course! To end the day was a concert from a real band, called Reel Big Fish.

INT. CINEMA, LEICESTER SQUARE - NIGHT - EIGHT MONTHS LATER

With great excitement, I sat down to watch my Hollywood debut. I grew worried as Elliot ran out of wishes. It turned out that they'd filmed more than seven wishes and just used the best ones. I and my co-stars had ended up on the cutting room floor! Half a million dollars totally wasted. But that's Hollywood.

Hollywood phone booths and becoming an extra in Part I

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