Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on the big screen? Kristana Leger has been there and done that.
After becoming a fan of the show, The Chosen, Kristana jumped at the chance to be an extra on the set.
She made a donation to the Come and See Foundation, an organization that crowd funds the filming of the series, and was one of 10,000 people picked to be a part of the experience for season 6.
“The tickets (to be an extra on the series) sold out in fifteen minutes. People from around the world applied, some as far away as Australia, Singapore, and Germany,” Kristana says with a grin.
She was ecstatic to get in.
Then the work began.
As an extra, Kristana had lots to do before she could even step on the set. First, she had to create her own costume. She was provided with a twenty-page background actor costume and prop guide and enlisted the help of her friend, Lynda Wdowiak, and Lisa Macchione, the head of wardrobe at Magnus Theatre, to give her tips on creating patterns and organizing the garment. “I had a sewing machine,” Kristana laughs, “but I needed help threading it!”
Once her costume was completed, Kristana had to arrange for her flight, accommodations, and transportation when she arrived in Goshen, Utah, and later, Midlothian, Texas.
“It was a costly adventure, but well worth every penny,” Kristana says. While she was on the set in Utah, Kristana slept in her rental vehicle in a Wal-Mart parking lot, because of the substantial cost. Since it wasn’t advisable to have the same sleeping accommodations in Texas, she shared hotel costs with other extras.
Kristana had to be on the set as early as 6:15 each morning and put in 12 hour days. “It’s amazing how much detail is put into each scene that can take hours to shoot for only 26 seconds of final footage,” she says. She had taken the film and radio course at Confederation College in the 90’s so she had some exposure to film but admitted it was quite interesting to see how film equipment and effects had evolved since then.
“The whole experience made me feel like I had travelled back in time,” Kristana says. “I applied because I wanted to be a part of telling the story of Jesus and that certainly happened.”
There were many other special moments during Kristana’s time there: making new friends, watching the actors and the director at work, and feeling that her role as an extra really mattered. “Several times while we were waiting to go on set – the extras were split into three groups each day – the paid actors would walk from their trailers to the set and stop and thank us for being there and take selfies with us. They were so friendly and humble.”
Kristana wasn’t able to secure a spot to be an extra for the seventh and final season which will focus on the Easter story. Around 60,000 people applied this time, however, only 3,000 spots were available. It sold out within minutes.
Seasons 1 to 5 of The Chosen are currently available for free on The Chosen app and on Prime. Season 6 will be released on November 15.
